Level up your motion design skills by mastering animation curves in the graph editor.

Learn animation fundamentals, how to analyze motion, and how to read and manipulate the graph editor to create more realistic, interesting, and professional looking animations.

The graph editor can feel like an intimidating math tool sandwiched in design software, but avoiding it is the biggest mistake that holds beginning motion designers back.

While you intuitively know a lot about math and physics–likely all you need for animation–just by living in this world, you just need to learn how to apply that to your animations. That’s what this class is for.

Achieving realistic motion is the focus of this class, but when you understand how to control the motion of your animations, you can push the boundaries for a dramatic or cartoony effect, that’s playful and full of personality.

We’ll talk through definitions to give you the vocab to communicate with other motion designers. And, you’ll put these concepts into practice with a fun exercise and class project.

While this class uses Adobe After Effects, the knowledge you'll gain can be applied to any form of animation, whether it uses different software or is hand-drawn.

You'll Learn:

Animation fundamentals including, timing, spacing, temporal and spatial interpolation, and different kinds of keyframes
How to adjust the motion path of an animation
How to read the value and speed graphs within the graph editor to understand what they tell you about the spacing of an animation
How to adjust the value and speed graphs in the graph editor for more realistic animations
The differences between the value and speed graphs and when one is better to use than the other
How to think about motion like an amateur physicist and professional motion designer
How to create smooth, abstract animations (i.e. not driven by physics)
Pro tips for working in the graph editor
When to use time-saving plugins to adjust animation curves

If you’re ready to move your animations to the next level, let's get started.

One-time purchase

Get unlimited, lifetime access to this class. Watch anytime, at your own pace. No subscription fees.

$59

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What's included

100% Self-Paced

Pre-recorded videos allow you to play, pause, and practice at your own pace.

24 Lessons (2h 2m)

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Welcome
What to Expect + Class Project

Motion Basics

Timing
Spacing
Spatial Interpolation
Temporal Interpolation
Graph Editor Basics
Working with the Position Property
Working with the Scale Property

Practice Time

Graph Editor Exercise
How to Figure Out How to Animate Almost Anything
Animate Falling Planter
Animate Falling Oranges
Animate Falling Watering Can
Animate Falling Orange Slice
Animate Falling & Rotating Bowl
Animate Orange Bouncing Off Bowl
Animate Reactive Motion: Plant
Animate Reactive Motion: Orange Leaf
Putting it All Together

Advanced Topics

When to Use the Value Verses the Speed Graph
Rove Across Time
When to Use Plugins

Wrap Up

What's Next

Also included:

Smooth Moves Guide

‍This handy PDF guide is packed with notes from class.

After Effects Project File

‍Includes a starting point for the class project, the final version of the project, demos used in class, and 8 graph editor exercises.

Who this class is for

This class is for motion designers who are comfortable with the basics of Adobe After Effects. While many of the concepts discussed in this class apply to animation in general, I’ll be using After Effects to demonstrate them and complete the class project.

If you’re brand new to After Effects animation, check out one of my beginner classes first: