You already have some experience working with the software and understand its basic principles. You are familiar with the interface.
Animated Loops with James Curran
An in depth course covering a wide variety of looping animation techniques in After Effects. You'll learn how to design and animate hypnotic character-based loops that people will want to watch again and again and again, forever.
Animated Loops with James Curran
James will use his 15+ years of experience as a professional animator to teach you everything he knows about making animated loops, which he's made A LOT of. Whether you want your characters to be running, jumping, or spinning in 2D, 3D, or isometric scenes, this course covers it all.
From fundamental loop theory through to inspiration on how to generate your own loop ideas, you'll come out of this course fully prepared to start taking on the world with your own never-ending animations. Whether you're an experienced animator or an illustrator looking to spice up your portfolio with some motion, you can quickly learn how to create seamlessly infinite animations perfect for posting on social media.
From fundamental loop theory through to inspiration on how to generate your own loop ideas, you'll come out of this course fully prepared to start taking on the world with your own never-ending animations. Whether you're an experienced animator or an illustrator looking to spice up your portfolio with some motion, you can quickly learn how to create seamlessly infinite animations perfect for posting on social media.
What is this course about?
LEVEL
Intermediate
LESSONS
10
DURATION
4h+
Intermediate: You already have some experience working with the software and understand its basic principles. You are familiar with the interface.
I'm a British illustrator, animator and director based in Los Angeles with over 15 years experience in working on a wide variety of projects including video games, music videos, commercials, and print.
Most recently I've specialised in creating animated loops, regularly working with clients such as Samsung, eBay, Nike and Disney while also making many loops just for fun, including for my Gifathons – 30 GIFs in 30 days in New York City, Los Angeles, and Tokyo.
Most recently I've specialised in creating animated loops, regularly working with clients such as Samsung, eBay, Nike and Disney while also making many loops just for fun, including for my Gifathons – 30 GIFs in 30 days in New York City, Los Angeles, and Tokyo.
About the author
Hi I'm James Curran aka SlimJim Studios
Course Curriculum
What will I learn in Animated Loops?
LESSON 1
Loop Theory
Learn the fundamental theory behind creating great animated loops, then we'll get into the swing of things by creating your first looping animation with the basic shape of what will later become your character.
LESSON 2
Loop Design
Expand your design into a fully rigged character, ready to throw into any kind of loop you can think of, by learning how to create simple character designs suitable for many different loop techniques. We'll also discuss best practices for creating loops that still look great after being put through the dreaded GIF compression.
Show Full Curriculum
LESSON 3
Bouncing Loops
Let's animate your new character! We'll get them warmed up on a trampoline in a bouncing loop, showing how to use overlapping animation to make short repeating actions feel continuous, while adding lots of detail by animating every single part of their body.
LESSON 4
Scrolling Loops
We'll exercise your character a bit more by taking them out for a run, then give them somewhere to run to by animating a scrolling looping background. Learn how to effectively create a parallax effect to give your scene depth and a sense of speed.
LESSON 5
Isometric Loops
We'll look at your run cycle from a new perspective by learning how to animate isometric loops. Then, we'll give your character some friends by showing how to create a loop with multiple characters running in different intersecting directions at once.
LESSON 6
Zooming Loops
It's time to keep looking closer at loops by learning how to create a continuous zoom. We'll work with the graph editor to show how to give your loop a constant zoom speed, then combine this zoom with camera rotation to create a hypnotic spin that sucks you in forever.
LESSON 7
Particle Loops
Your character deserves a break, so let them take a seat on a rocking chair, while you learn how to use a particle system to create a continuous looping smoke effect from a moving source - their pipe.
LESSON 8
3D Loops
Let's get moving again, this time in 3D! Learn how to combine cameras, 3D layers, and 2D animation to seamlessly roll your character through a three-dimensional racing scene.
LESSON 9
Spinning Loops
If rolling didn't get them dizzy, let's try a spin instead. We'll use 3D in a different way, with a real spinning 3D object as a guide, to make your 2D character appear to fluidly spin around and around, while floating on water which we'll learn to create with a simple wave effect.
LESSON 10
Loop Ideas
What's next for your characters? Let's talk about it! We'll learn how to find inspiration for loop ideas from real-world situations, combining all of the techniques you've now learned into new and exciting animated loops of your own!
Students' Homework
What will I be capable of after the Animated Loops with James Curran course?
What do our students say?
You will study from animators and Motion Designers from around the globe. Each of them is a professional in their own field, seasoned in production studios, freelance projects with big brands and stock footages. And right, we are also sweet.
Elys Muda
Yes, I found the courses extremely helpful and well put together. I was researching online tutorials for my colleagues who are just beginning to learn AE and was testing out a MDS course to see if I could recommend it. I ended up learning a lot myself :)
Matthew McDonald
The Science of Character course was extremely helpful. It was easy to follow and the lessons were top notch. Your team produces high quality learning experiences that I haven’t found in other places when it comes to motion graphics. Keep up the great work!
Nikki Slaughter
I’ve watched some of the shorter classes and have loved them! The teaching style is fantastic and engaging ???? I’ve also enjoyed seeing everyone’s work in the FB groups. Everyone seems to be excited to give helpful feedback and encouragement! I recommend your classes to my coworkers and friends all the time (am a full time sr. designer).
Elizabeth Gallian
Great classes and I'm happy that invested in them. I definitely learned a lot of new ways of working that made me faster and better at my job.
Katarzyna Wisniewska
I work for Accenture and animated videos are on a daily basis. Our clients loved the few effects that I was able to learn at the course. Also, I still go back to the lessons and find something new to learn.
Michael Gardnerw
The lessons are great. You get what you're looking for and a little more.
- Learn the fundamental principles behind making great animated loops, which can be applied to any style of animation
- Smooth out your character animation with techniques for creating hypnotically fluid motion, useful for non-looping animation too.
- Give your animations depth by learning to create convincing three-dimensional movements with your 2D characters.
- Learn how to design and animate loops which always look great when posted to social media platforms.
- Become a versatile loop animator, with several different looping animation techniques that can all be combined in any way you like to create your own loops.
- Develop your own loop ideas further with exercises on how to find inspiration, using James’ many years of experience creating hundreds of his own animated loops.
Animated Loops with James Curran
An in depth course covering a wide variety of looping animation techniques in After Effects. You’ll learn how to design and animate hypnotic character based loops that people will want to watch again and again and again, forever.
Level
Intermediate
?
Lessons
10
Duration
4h+
$299
100% money back guarantee
If unhappy with the course, you can request a refund within 14 days after the purchase and get every cent back. Courses purchased before the actual starting date refund can be requested up to 14 days after the first lesson becomes available. Note: not applicable if purchased with a discount coupon
Frequently asked questions
Will this course work for me if I know nothing about After Effects?
This course is created for people who already have some experience of working in After Effects. If you're a total After Effects beginner we recommend to complete our After Effects Fundamentals course first.
Where can I find After Effects?
You can find After Effects here: https://www.adobe.com/products/aftereffects.html. It will be enough to work with the trial version for some time, but we highly recommend buying a license.
What system requirements are needed for After Effects to run smoothly?
Windows
MacOS
- Intel® Core™2 Duo or AMD Phenom® II processor; 64-bit support required
- Microsoft® Windows® 7 with Service Pack 1, Windows 8 and Windows 8.1. See the CS6 FAQ for more information about Windows 8 support.*
- 4 GB of RAM (8 GB recommended)
- 3 GB of available hard-disk space; additional free space required during installation (cannot install on removable flash storage devices
MacOS
- Multicore Intel processor with 64-bit support
- macOS v10.6.8 or higher
- 4 GB of RAM (8 GB recommended)
- 4 GB of available hard-disk space for installation; additional free space required during installation (cannot install on a volume that uses a case-sensitive file system or on removable flash storage devices)
Are there any discounts?
If no presale or discount activities are happening, you can get in touch with us to receive a -$50 coupon. We provide coupons for countries with not so good exchange rates and for students.
We consider a country with a not so good exchange rate if the currency rate is more than $1 to 10 units of local currency. For example, 10.5 Botswana Pula equals $1. If your county currency rate is lower 1:10 then we do not consider your county as a country with a not so good exchange rate.
We consider you a student if you have a valid student email address (@***.edu) and/or a valid student ID. Please either write to us from your student email or attach a picture of your student ID, so that we can verify your student status.
Please double check if there are no presale, sales or discount activities happening as we do not provide coupons during these periods.
We consider a country with a not so good exchange rate if the currency rate is more than $1 to 10 units of local currency. For example, 10.5 Botswana Pula equals $1. If your county currency rate is lower 1:10 then we do not consider your county as a country with a not so good exchange rate.
We consider you a student if you have a valid student email address (@***.edu) and/or a valid student ID. Please either write to us from your student email or attach a picture of your student ID, so that we can verify your student status.
Please double check if there are no presale, sales or discount activities happening as we do not provide coupons during these periods.
Can I get a refund?
If you're disappointed for whatever reason, you'll get every cent back within 14 days after the purchase. Whether you select to complete the purchase in a single or in several payments.
Note that it only applies to purchases without a discount. So if you would like to use a discount coupon or complete a purchase for the items during a sales period, you will be not eligible for the refund.
Note that it only applies to purchases without a discount. So if you would like to use a discount coupon or complete a purchase for the items during a sales period, you will be not eligible for the refund.
Can I share the art that I create during the course?
Yes, all the artwork that you create on the course belongs to you. You can share and tweet and dribbble whatever animation you create. We would be grateful if you mention our school while sharing, we have @motiondesignschool accounts almost on every network.
Will I get enough knowledge to land a job?
With enough practice, you will receive just enough knowledge to reach a new level and outperform your competitors. You will get a chance to get more clients since your character animations will become absolutely outstanding. Most of all, you will be able to charge far more than you are doing now.
How long does it take to successfully complete the course?
It usually takes at least 8 hours of doing practice and watching lessons per week for 2 months for a student to get to the final stage. We do recommend to spend as much time as possible since you are gaining new skills here, it's never an easy journey.
What if my level of English is not good enough and I find it difficult to understand the spoken language?
This course has subtitles, which makes the content easier for understanding and lets you check the unknown words in the dictionary, if needed.