A list of 7 useful resources that can help you get started with the Basic and Advanced Techniques of Motion Graphics and Visual Effects (VFX).
In today’s digital world, great visuals are a must-have, not just a nice-to-have. Think about those eye-catching ads, unforgettable movie scenes, or cool social media posts you love. This is all thanks to motion graphics, animation, and special effects.
The world of ‘digital design’ has grown super fast. It’s changing how we see and use digital stuff. If you’re looking to learn more about this, there are tons of places to start.
Whether you’re just starting or you’ve been in the game for a while, this article will show you 7 awesome places to learn more about motion graphics, animation, and special effects. Let’s dive in and get those creative juices flowing!
But before that, take a look at a few resources that can help you get better at motion graphics, animation, and visual effects.
1. YouTube
YouTube is the number one video-sharing website and also the best place to learn almost anything. Artists around the world are constantly sharing their work and creating useful tutorials for others.
When it comes to motion graphics and animation, there are tons of great basic and advanced videos to follow. For a beginner, After Effects, Photoshop, and 3ds max tutorials are great, to begin with.
Simply use the search form and use keywords like:
- After Effects tutorials and training
- After Effects cs6 tutorials (or any other version of After Effects)
- Photoshop tutorials
CLICK HERE for a list of the best and easy-to-follow motion graphic tutorials on YouTube.
2. Video Copilot
Video Copilot is a useful resource for learning visual effects. They provide in-depth training in Visual Effects and Motion Graphics.
You can find several After Effects and 3ds max tutorials on their website. They even provide project downloads associated with a particular tutorial for free.
Video Copilot also provides plugins and presets which you can purchase from Toolfarm. They also created a 3D software known as Element 3D which is quite similar to 3ds Max but works natively inside of After Effects and is very easy to use.
You can use Video Copilot After Effects In-Depth training to learn the basic and advanced techniques of Visual Effects and Motion Graphics.
3. Creative Cow
Creative Cow is the largest Visual Effects artists community where artists around the world contribute editorial content and video tutorials. You can get a broad scope of tutorials on After Effects, 3D modeling, Motion Tracking, Rendering, etc.
The Creative Cow forum can also be used to link with other members of the community. You can post your queries and let the experts handle them for you.
4. Lynda.com
Lynda.com is a major learning website and more than 4 million people use it to learn something new every day. Though they offer a wide range of topics such as programming, photography, Web, Business, etc. However, our main focus is 3D Animation.
Unlike Video Copilot and Creative Cow, where you can get free tutorials, Lynda.com is a paid learning website and one needs to spend a few dollars to access the tutorials. The quality of the tutorials is good and you can learn in a well-planned manner, i.e. from basic to intermediate and then the advanced VFX techniques.
You can also find a tutor on tutorhunt.com to learn various topics under one roof.
5. Digital Tutors
Digital Tutors is a website dedicated to Visual Effects and 3D Animation tutorials. You can learn different software from Digital Tutors such as 3DS Max, After Effects, Maya, Motion Tracking software, and much more.
Similar to Lynda.com, you need to sign up for a premium membership to access the paid tutorials on Digital Tutors.
You can either sign up for a monthly membership or go for a yearly plan which will save you a few dollars. I recommend getting a monthly membership first and if you are satisfied with the quality of the tutorials, grab a yearly membership afterward.
6. Software Developer’s Website
Most software developers like Adobe and Autodesk create video tutorials for their software which can be viewed directly on their websites. These tutorials are free and are produced by professionals.
So, you get very high-quality and detailed explanations of various features of the software. I use the Mocha official website to learn the software and other Motion Capture or Motion Tracking techniques.
7. Software Manuals
Your software comes with a manual that teaches you how to use it. These manuals contain a detailed overview of the software as well as its features. You can find the manual by going into the help tab of your software or getting it from the developer’s website.