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Last edited by Riley (August 27, 2024 (07:33am))

Sorry to disagree, but one should start to build up valuable abilities for one's future life as soon as possible. The 380 euros are well-spent. You don't know whether or when you are going to need AE in life, do you? Besides, it certainly is a good asset to have at one's disposal in a job interview. If you tell them you also have the ability to use Adobe After Effects, they assume you an interesting person with a lot of different talents... you know, when you tell them you make films in your free time they'll be impressed. If you're saying you use After Effects or other professional standard software, even more so. Or do you think it would give the same impression if you said you were using WAX?

Of course, WAX is a good programme, but I'm just trying to shine some light onto the many positive aspects of using professional software - it's not only better performance! It's just like with software developing (programming). I can say of myself that I have some Visual Basic knowledge (read some books about it). Now, THAT is impressive on a CV. If I said if was able to use a free software development utility noone knows, not so. This is where the cost of paid software pays off. The ability to use professional stuff will leave its mark on my paycheck! Hell, yeah.

Look, I'm not saying free programs are bad. If you need something you'll probably only use once or something that's in most cases just not worth buying (e.g. a converter), then of course a free program is what's best for you in your current situtation. And yes, of course you can create awesome sauce with free software, no doubt about this. Smeagol's Unrenewable is a prime example.

One more thing, though: you really are not up-to-date on pocket money. Pocket money just really starts with 11 nowadays.

And don't you ever dare say Filipe's not a professional!

Actually, they'll be more impressed if you use freeware to make a professional film. Say, Unrenewable, compared to some crappy film created with Nuke, AE, and/or Premiere. Philip Heinrich composited Unrenewable with Axogon Composer, a program in which almost no one knows how to use, yet he figured out how to use it to it's prime level. What about Blender? It's freeware, yet it was used to help model/composite in Spiderman 2. And as far as I know, Carrara or Cinema 4D have not been used for anything on a major scale (I could be wrong, but I'm just saying from what I know). What I'm trying to say is, if you do more with less (Like most people on this site, or any other site), you are going to be highly looked upon, because you did great things without all the bells and whistles that a professional software gives you.

After Effects definitely is widely used in the professional field. For example by TV channels. But of course, also motion pictures have been produced using it. Maybe not all the million-dollar productions that heavily rely on special effects but still big blockbusters. Besides, I assume a variety of software is used for most films anyway, so there may be a portion of AE (may it be small or large) in pretty much every film. You mustn't forget that there are always loads of people working on a film behind the scenes, and they also have personal preferences. Which does NOT mean WAX is used, though.

Also, employers certainly don't find brilliant usage of free programs more impressive than brilliant usage of software they know and which means something to them. Let's try an analogy: what do you think future employers would prefer - you being able to brilliantly use Open Office, or you having some straight Microsoft Office skills. Of course the latter.

Something I forgot to mention and which makes the students' discount on Adobe software even more tempting is: 380 euros don't only get you After Effects. You get the entire production Premium suite - Photoshop, Premiere Pro, After Effects and many other great pieces of software. Heck, there's even a software included that helps you create a website for your films. One couldn't say 380 euros weren't fair. Especially considerung that for adults, it costs a hefty 2000 dollars. And they still buy it.

In an employer's point of view the more qualifications you have, the more appropriate for a job you are. It doesn't only come down to the skill you have applied for. For example, if I want to work in the economics branch and still I am able to produce video at a semi- or completely professional level, this counts as an additional qualification. The company knows: "If we ever need a visual production very quickly, and we're short on staff, then by all means we would be able to use that guy and he would definitely come in handy." Or something like that. Maybe it's a company that hasn't even got employees dedicated to digital production and so if they ever needed a short clip or something, they could use you rather than hiring an additional person.

A company or firm is all the more independent, the more versatile in talents and qualifications its employees are. And a company wants to be independent for sure.

Last edited by pacific (June 10, 2011 (03:48pm))

Probably through the same paths I got mine. Folks in the industry and (at least on my end, not sure on pacific's) personal industry work.

But you're actually pretty much correct on almost all aspects you mentioned, that's usually how it goes. Read his post.
AE has actually been getting a large growth in usage for main VFX Houses, lately so yeah. AE represent, bruv

You know? Most studios just want your work to fit in the pipeline and let you use whatever you like. Happens most the time.

No, that's not what I'm going towards. Also, lets put beforehand that there are programs which are free and still well-used and excellent but those are the exception. Lightworks definitely is. Probably Blender is too but then I'm the worst person to say anything about this because I haven't tried CGI myself yet.

What you mustn't forget about the "what employers like better" thing is that often free programs are different in structure from what the industry standards are and therefore, if you're able to use the free program that doesn't necessarily mean you could control the professional (or whatever you'd prefer to call it) software.

And at this time, another skill comes into play that is beneficial having. On the one hand, we have one's creativity (meaning they can make something wonderful using not-so-wonderful software) BUT there's also the valuable ability of being adept at using a good program.

A programmer needs to be able to form mathematical algorithms. BUT he also needs to be able to insert those algorithms into a popular programming language (e.g. Visual Basic) if he wants to be employed. Some guy might form wonderful algorithms and even "speak" a programming language, yet Microsoft won't take him unless he "speaks" on of the big ones: C#, Visual Basic, Java,...

It's also a question of workflow. In most jobs, team work is a crucial skill. That's why there are certain pieces of software that have been established as a standard. How are you supposed to team work if you can only use WAX but the others are AE people? How should you pass on a project to let another person continue your work? In AE, you obviously can't import a WAX project file.

None of this really matters. The point is this Filipe guy is good at After Effects and he wants to make some tutorials. Case Closed.