How do you create animation that earns attention before a viewer swipes away? Award-winning director, motion designer, and educator Nol Honig reframes After Effects through the specific pressures of social platforms, where timing is tight, formats multiply, and weak animation gets scrolled past in a blink. Using humor, After Effects know-how, and a number of cat photos, Nol breaks down these complex issues into digestible beats: attention capture, loop design, and building once for every format.
You will learn:
- What causes people to stop scrolling within social feeds
- Designing the first frame: a strong opening image that doubles as a seamless loop anchor
- Timing and easing techniques that generate energy within a three-second window
- Loop engineering: animations that flow without a snap or freeze
- How to create one composition that works across 9:16, 1:1, and 16:9 without rebuilding from scratch