Revolutionary After Effects 5.5 Enhancing Digital Video

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Summary: Revolutionary After effects 5.5
Review: Another book that is not worth the paper it is printed on.

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Summary: Good beginner's book
Review: However, if you know already know anything about bezier curves & keyframes, you'll want to go with a more advanced book on AE. For beginners, though, the pace is perfect. You'll find yourself ready for more after wading through this one.

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Summary: waste of time
Review: I wish I hadn't opened the CD encasing so I could return it and get my money back. Unfortunately, it was required for an AfterEffects class last term and I had no choice. By the end of the class even the instructor gave up on the book. This term the instructor went back to the Classroom in a Book even though it's for AE 5.0, and rightfully so.

The examples are impossible to follow, the support files are incomplete. It's just a pain to learn from.

Rating:
Summary: Revolutionary After Effects 5.5 Enhancing Digital Video
Review: This book is not very good if you are a brand new user to After Effects. I found myself continuously going to the help button to find the item the book told me to use. I thought about selling it back as a used book, but I didn't want to be responsible for someone else wasting their money. Do not buy this book unless you already know the basics in After Effects. There are some good tips, but that was not why I bought this; I had never used After Effects and thought this was a step by step tutorial.

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Summary: Great depth, now greater heights!!!
Review: This book really rocks. Within minutes you are knee deep in After Effects tools & menus and really getting to grips with the program. The content is meaty and the exercises can be applied time & time again to different projects. What really appeals to me is the Case Studies with the project files on CD. This is a great way of getting familiar with the variety of options in After Effect and also a bit of an insight as to how each author tackles their projects.
I've been editing video for years and have always used these study manuals to improve my technique,this book really is a cut (pun intended) above the rest. No time wasting, no jargon, just learning through practice. As a novice to After Effects I may not be totally qualified in reviewing this book, but all I can say is that it has helped me considerably in understanding how After Effects works, it is a book I shall be returning to time & time again for reference and for progressive learning (The Case Studies really are cool). Finally the book is easy to read, simple to follow and the step-by-step sequences keep you in control all the way.

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Summary: Got the lot
Review: This is a great book to get up to speed fast with After Effects.
It also has some excellent explanations as to when and why you use certain options for imports, exports, renders, fields, 3:2 pulldown, etc.

The book has some examples to work through that teach you a lot, but its also a great reference book, when you come across issues while you're working, you can usually find an answer quickly from the index or table of contents.

I've worked through the whole book and feel I know After Effects really well now, but I still get use out of the book as a reference for some of those sticky situations you encounter with FX and motion graphics.