FXPHD Classes

Last year I had the pleasure of contributing to a term at FXPHD and they are being re-run in the new July 09 term.

If you have never come across it before, FXPHD is a superb teaching resource for visual effects professionals, film-makers, editors etc and all those aspiring to be so. Detailed and professional courses taught by people who do the work; day-in, day-out.

I did 4 classes of (one of which was a recorded interview). These were looking at the design and animation of screen type elements using Photoshop and Illustrator, but mostly at After Effects.

Overall the course went down well. A relief as it was the first time I had attempted such a thing and fitting the production of the course into daily work was tricky. There were however a few complaints.

The main thread of all of them was that it had been billed as a 302 level course; Advanced After Effects. It did make me chuckle at the time. I do not get out of bed in the morning with the aim of doing ‘advanced After Effects’. I just want to design and animate something that works well, appropriate for the brief and production and hopefully looks good.

The irony is that a lot of the work ends up looking complicated. The reality is rather more mundane. When you have a deadline you do not look too exotic and sophisticated techniques. You use good and trusted tools, techniques and workflows to deliver. In a fast turnaround environment there is only one rule. Deliver. It is not always as important what you deliver as long as you do.

I would almost describe myself as lazy. I want to find the easiest and best way from A to B. It gives me more time to spend on other areas of the production and makes later changes far easier.

Hopefully the sessions I did give a small insight into this process and they are available in the current term which has just started. Course AFX207.

Check it out.