happily ever after effects

As a teacher of digital media, one of my favorite projects incorporated into my syllabi is a Adobe Photoshop postcard image composition. Students are required to create a visually cohesive postcard design using minimally 5 individual photo layers. This project provides the students with the ability to demonstrate the unit learning of using clipping paths, layer masks, and effects. Later in the semester the postcard projected is revisited and transformed into an Adobe After Effects five to eight second animation. Their final project is then uploaded to their YouTube channel with embedded layers of sound to punctuate the motion graphics. Being a foundation class and a crash course on animation, I am always pleasantly surprised at the results this project yields by even the most inexperienced of animators. By providing visual examples of the best work produced by previous students and the thoughtful planning of lessons, students are able conceptualize their grandiose visions with all bells and whistles the After Effects animation has to offer. This project also affords a wide variety of exploratory learning in the classroom and a great sense of self-efficacy within each student. YouTube and Lynda.com aim to provide an wealth of knowledge and supplemental training tutorials to support learning, as well as using the Adobe Help Center.