Adobe After Effects gives Web developers and designers the tools to create sophisticated motion graphics and effects, but tools are worthless without expert guidance. If you work with After Effects--or would like to--you can now turn to one of the top pros in the field for her hard-won advice on how to get the most out of this powerful program, and how to do it quickly. After Effects 5.0/5.5 Hands-On Training brings classroom-tested lessons designed by Web guru Lynda Weinman and her coauthor, Craig Newman, right to your desktop.

The projects in After Effects 5.0/5.5 HOT lead you through the basics of After Effects and beyond: Lynda and Craig designed the dozens of hands-on exercises around specific, real-world projects that teach core techniques such as managing footage, hierarchical layering, masking, creating effects, and rendering. Throughout the book, you'll find practical tips and discussions of the design principles that inform the projects. An accompanying CD includes the lesson files, as well QuickTime movies that illustrate key techniques.