I used some of the Total Training series to teach myself.

http://www.totaltraining.com/

If you haven't worked much with key frames before, you should start there. If you are planning on using after effects to accomplish a few specific effects, I wouldn't kill yourself trying to learn the whole progam. It is a pretty robust program.

There are a few simple effects clips that I made while I was learning After Effects ? my website.

http://snodart.com/clips.php

Just check the clip description for the ones that mention After Effects. It is a fun program.

Good luck to you.

Justin Snodgrass

http://www.snodart.com

thanks for the reply. i actually saw your site before your post and thats what inspired me to get some help with it. i really love the bat scene it made me jump and laugh... good job.

Once a Shotta always a shotta.
Movies are the motion of words.
Flying Buddha Productions, LLC.
flyingbuddhaproduction?gmail.com

Wow. That's great that you had been to the site already. Thanks.

You should check out the website below also. Take a look at some of this kid's clips (He may not be a kid anymore). I think he has some After Effects tutorials also. Last I heard, he went from high school to Lucas Arts. You can tell that he is a Star Wars fan. Anyway, check it out.

http://ryanw.michaelfrisk.com/ryan-w/index.html

If you have a Mac, you should also look into using Apple's Shake for effects like the bat hit.

-Justin

http://www.snodart.com

If you're willing to shell out a few bucks, the Meyers' books are indispensible for their wealth of info not only on AE, but effects in general...

?url? http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1578202493/sr=8-1/qid=1140570499/ref=pd_bbs_1/102-2605804-6485715?%5Fencoding=UTF8?/url?

Once you get the basics down, check out Creative COW's After Effects tutorials and forum:

http://www.creativecow.net

-----------------
Andrew Gingerich
Exploding Goldfish Films
Check out my vodcast on iTunes: http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=96931870