I think I'd like to learn more about expressions.

I suggest doing a tutorial on masking/rotoscoping in AE. Sure, it's easy to use masking shapes and freelancing and what not in AE, but I mean proper masking (Not making someone fly; like making a CG object go behind a live action object, or something like that). That way, it would be easy to translate it into other programs as well.

Good gunshots, explosions, etc.

   

I'd like to learn more about expression controls. (Sliders)
I already know how to use the 'Time*' expression, 'Wiggle' expression and the 'parenting stuff to other stuff' expression, but that's about it.

Ah, slider control stuff will be easier, then.
And I'll do some research for the topics I'll get over the course of this week (specially mouth animation, since there's a lot to be said there).

Do go on

Have you tried it before, dude? It works. Just unninstall and delete registry stuff.

As for the second part of your intervention, everyone works with what they've got, but most of AE knowledge is applied to other pieces of software. Also, there seems to be people interested, yeah?

Oh come on now! I'm really grateful Filipe does this!

AE is the market-leading compositing software. You can use it in your job, you can use it in your hobby, it's just a universal piece of software that is widely acclaimed and a masterpiece on the part of Adobe.

There will always be people who aren't willing to spend money for a hobby. I also think this is partly responsible for there being sooo many crappy brickfilms out there. Most of us don't look at brickfilming in a professional way. They are like: "Ooooh yees, of course it doesn't matter if you can see the inside of my apartment in the background... and yeees, I think I should totally get the webcam that's 25 euros cheaper because it's so much more bang for the buck, oh my god who the hell caaares if the image is so grainy it hurts one's eyes to even look at it, it just doesn't maaatter... brickfilming is for FUN only! But please SUBSCRIBE ANYWAY! I'm so desperately in need of subscribers that I spam the word "SUBSCRIBEEEE!" ALL over my channel page!"

I really hate this. Because the exact same people that say "they'll never be able to afford Adobe products" because they're "soooo expensive" are the ones who you can definitely expect to own at least an Xbox and a dozen of expensive video games most of which they don't even look at anymore because "they got so boring"... funny, paying 80 bucks for something that you are not even going to use longer than half a year and declaring that AE is "sooo ridiculously expensive". Actually, it's very humane of Adobe to offer the generous Student prices they have for all their products!

Life just likes people with a professional spirit, or attitude I guess you can say, better... come on, would you mention in a job interview that you're skilled at using WAX? I can imagine this: "Really, I can tell you, WAX is such a good programme, and the best thing of all is that it's FREE! Why wouldn't you want to use a free programme in your company? I know what you've been using all the time is After Effects, but as WAX is free, I could install it on all your personal computers. Yes, I would be willing to do this for you!"
They'd be like: "Go home!"

AE sets the standard in digital compositing. If you feel it's not worth your money because with the same amount it costs, you could go out and get drunk 15 times, or buy a play-station, maybe some new expensive clothes you don't even need... Well, you can't always have everything in life. Those needs are completely legit - everyone wants to go out some time etc. - but sometimes you definitely have to decide between things. For example: oh yes, Xbox Kinect does sound very nice for sure, but maybe I should rather be saving up for After Effects... Or if brickfilming isn't that important to you, then perhaps buying the Xbox is the better choice!

Sorry for the rant, but I really hate the common belief that brickfilming needs to be unprofessional and consist of only free programs... and that so many people demand of free programs what they really can't. Every free program is a complete service, you haven't got the right to be angry about the creator if it doesn't work.

And again, thanks very much Filipe for providing this service.

Most people here are in their early teens and don't have a job. Which leads me on to:

Brickfilming isn't professional for most of us it is a hobby. And seeing how most of us don't have jobs (Most likely see previous point). Buying expensive equipment just isn't possible. And who does care if the image is grainy? Back in the early days of brickfilms.com I'd assume most brickfilms were grainy (I wasn't there then I'll admit).

This is one of my favourite brickfilms and it hasn't got crisp HD quality.

It's not the quality of the camera but the quality of the film.

Brickfilming for me is a fun hobby. I can't afford a camera for live action and a webcam is good enough for making a brickfilm. I like making movies. Sure I might not make the greatest ones (They're crummy yes) but I enjoy it. There's a load of ways to make a great film without having after effects and photoshop and a RED camera (Or whatever the heck you're using).

I have a PS3 that I got for Christmas yes. But I rarely buy new games for it. before Portal 2 it's been 7 months since I last bought a game for it. I don't get any of the rest. Sure I could have asked for AE for Xmas but it wouldn't work on my PC anyway.

For AE you need a damn good PC and that adds to the expense.

Free programs allow me to make my brickfilms and sure mine aren't great and really aren't professional but I enjoy making them. Brickfilming is important to me.

Really important.

-CK98

You need at least a 2 GB RAM, 5GB hardrive space and 64 bit. Most of the other necessities are normally found on a computer today.