Video production ubersite Creative Cow has two great new After Effects video tutorials.
First up: Andrew Kramer’s “iPod Nano Light Streaks”. Using Trapcode Particular and a custom particle shape with healthy doses of hue adjustment and glow to produce an effect similar to the newest iPod ads. Adding some subtle animation to the custom particle would give this a more organic feel closer to the original.
Next Up: Aharon Rabinowitz explains Cycore’s Force Motion Blur. Cycore Effects comes bundled with AE 5.6 and 7.0, so if you don’t see it in your effects menu: crack out that install CD. Aharon demonstrates some great uses for this effect, but he brings up an important point for general After Effects use: If you apply an effect which doesn’t seem to do anything (or seems to turn off other effects), try applying it to an adjustment layer or precomp.
If you hunger for learning, Andrew Kramer’s site features a range of tutorials, and Aharon’s After Effects Podcast has some great ideas and workflow tips.