I'm
not done reading and working my way though this book, but I certainly
intend to do so.
Expressions in Adobe After Effects
are just like the many tools you find within the application,
but are different in that instead of manually adjusting the tools
with sliders, rotational clocks and the like, you type in what
you want the tool to do with both words and numbers. Numbers?
I hated Algebra, barely squeaked by Geometry, and failed Trigonometry,
twice. On my first day of college I told the counselor I wanted
to be a paleontologist and she ran out a list of math classes
I would have to take. In one felt swoop there was the end of
my paleontological career. So when I first skimmed through this
book and saw all these weird commands like:
Var amplitude=100;
Var frequency=2;
Math.sin(frequency*time*2*
Math.PI)/Math.exp(decay*time);
Darn if I didn't think I had gotten
in over my head. How could I ever review a book that was going
to have me doing things I barely knew existed? However, Marcus
Geduld's easy reading style of writing went a long way towards
creating a safe learning environment when learning to stretch
the boundaries of my editing skills and knowledge. He starts
off slow and very easy, and I had little difficulty following
along. You don't have know how to read Java Script or be a programmer
to use this book. Just reading along and following the clear
and precise directions brings a familiarity to what you are to
do next. It's a matter of developing an understanding as to how
expressions work in After Effects that brings you the confidence
to keep going.
Nothing's perfect and there are
some things to be considered. Instead of a disc containing the
media used in the many examples and exercises, a reference url
is given where you can find the media and project files you need.
A big complaint is that when you open the project files, the
various expressions you are supposed to type in, are already
done for you. Can't see what good that is? Neither can I. The
url also does not seem as ordered as it should be. I don't know
why a DVD was not included with the book as most others of this
nature are.
Never the less, there is a great
deal to be learned with this book and it is fun too. I never
even heard the term 'pick whipping' until I read this book and
what a great way to connect effect parameters to each other.
Marcus Geduld's writing style is full of humor, wit and reassurances.
The various steps and functions are then, if you continue to
practice, very applicable to any number of projects you might
have on your editing bay plate.
We all have our workflow habits
and style of editing. You might not take the avenue to convert
to being a complete After Effects expressions user, but there
are truly many tips and tricks which will find you using the
expressions tools you've picked up to make editing in Adobe After
Effects that much quicker.
Steve
Douglas is a certified Apple Pro for Final Cut Pro 6 and underwater
videographer. A winner of the 1999 Pacific Coast Underwater Film
Competition, 2003 IVIE competition, 2004 Los Angeles Underwater
Photographic competition, and the prestigious 2005 International
Beneath the Sea Film Competition, where he also won the Stan
Waterman Award for Excellence in Underwater Videography and 'Diver
of the Year', Steve was a safety diver on the feature film "The
Deep Blue Sea", contributed footage to the Seaworld Park's
Atlantis production, and productions for National Geographic
and the History channels. Steve is also feature writer for Asian
Diver Magazine and is one of the founding organizers of the San
Diego UnderSea Film Exhibition. He is available for both private
and group seminars for Final Cut Pro and leads both underwater
filming expeditions and African safaris with upcoming excursions
to Micronesia for the Manta Fest in 9/09, the Red Sea and Egypt
for Nov.2009, Truk Lagoon and Yap in Micronesia for July, 2010.
Feel free to contact him if you are interested in joining Steve
on any of these exciting trips. www.worldfilmsandtravel.com