Animate Your Message:
Bold Explainer Storytelling in After Effects

Wednesdays (6:30-9:30pm EST)
June 28th-September 19, 2026 (8 Students Max)

Explainer videos aren’t just animations. They’re how brands explain what they do, why it matters, and why you should care in under 90 seconds. And they’re everywhere.

In this 12-week live online course, you’ll learn how to create clear, engaging explainer videos from concept to final render using Adobe After Effects. More importantly, you’ll walk away with a polished, client-ready piece that can actually get you work. This isn’t about learning new tools with nothing to show for it. It’s about building a skill that’s in demand and leaving with something that proves you can do it.

You’ll learn how to take messy, complex ideas and turn them into simple, compelling visual stories using motion, timing, typography, and pacing that keep people watching. By the end, you won’t just know After Effects, you’ll know how to think like a motion designer, structure a message, and create work that communicates clearly and looks like it belongs in the real world.

This one’s for creatives who are curious about motion, intimidated by the software, or tired of making static work and want to expand into something that opens up new opportunities fast.

EXPLAINER VIDEO: A short, focused video that clearly communicates what a product, service, or idea is, how it works, and why it matters—usually in under one to two minutes. It combines visuals, motion, and often voiceover to simplify complex information and make it easy to understand quickly.

PREREQUISITES: You should have working knowledge of Adobe Photoshop and a subscription to the Adobe Suite. No prior After Effects experience required. This is a beginner-friendly course focused on building both skill and confidence from the ground up.
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What We'll Cover

  • MODULE 1: Breaking Down the Message

    Learn why many explainer videos feel confusing, and how to simplify complex ideas into something clear, engaging, and easy to follow. You’ll learn the basics of After Effects alongside the fundamentals of storytelling, concept development, and visual thinking so you’re not just learning a tool, you’re learning how to communicate.

  • MODULE 2: Designing the System

    How to turn your idea into a structured visual plan before you animate a single frame. You’ll create storyboards and animatics, then build a cohesive visual language using shapes, icons, and typography. By the end of this module, you’ll complete your first short explainer focused on clean animation and clarity.

  • MODULE 3: Motion, Flow, & Sound

    Why some animations feel smooth and professional and others feel chaotic. You’ll learn how to control pacing, transitions, and visual flow while syncing animation to voiceover and audio. This is where your work starts to feel intentional, polished, and much more engaging.

  • MODULE 4: Refinement to Real-World Ready

    How to take your work from “it works” to “this could get me hired.” You’ll refine your animation, add detail and polish, and complete a fully developed explainer video from concept to final render. You’ll also learn how to export and present your work so it holds up in real-world use—and actually helps you land opportunities.

About the Course

Wednesdays (6:30-9:30pm EST)

Adobe After Effects is the industry standard for motion design and knowing how to use it opens the door to everything from explainer videos to social content, brand campaigns, product demos, and beyond. This course isn’t about learning After Effects for the sake of learning After Effects. It’s about learning a skill that actually opens doors, and building something you can use immediately.

Explainer videos are one of the most in-demand types of motion work right now. Brands, startups, agencies—they all need a clear way to explain what they do, and they need it fast. That’s where this comes in. You’ll learn the tools, yes...but more importantly, you’ll learn how to think through a message, structure a story, and bring it to life in a way that makes sense to a real audience. No endless tutorials, no overcomplicated techniques, no “just follow along and hope it clicks.”

Everything is built around clarity, communication, and making work that actually holds up outside of class. By the end, you’ll have a finished explainer video that looks and feels like something a client would actually pay for, not a throwaway exercise, not a half-finished idea, but a real piece you can put in your portfolio and use to start conversations.

You should be comfortable in Photoshop, but no prior After Effects experience is required. We’ll build from the ground up and focus on the fundamentals that make everything else easier to learn later.

WHAT YOU’LL BUILD: You’ll create a fully developed explainer video from concept to final render. This is your proof-of-skill piece—the kind of work that shows you can take an idea, shape it, and deliver something clear, polished, and ready for the real world—and a foundation you can build on for a wide range of motion design opportunities beyond this class.
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Meet Your Instructor

Hi, I’m Alex Burmenko. I’m a motion graphics designer, animator, and educator who’s spent years bringing ideas to life through motion, turning things that are complex, abstract, or easy to ignore into something clear, engaging, and actually understood.

I’ve worked as a designer and animator at Nickelodeon, and I run my own Atlanta-based studio, Switchworks Digital Media. Through the studio, I’ve partnered with clients like UPS, The Home Depot, and Emory University to create motion graphics, animation, and content across screen, print, and web.

I’ve also taught at The Creative Circus and Miami Ad School, helping students build real-world motion skills they can actually use. That’s what this course is built around.

You’ll learn After Effects, yes, but more importantly, you’ll learn how to think through an idea, structure a message, and animate with intention so your work communicates clearly and holds up outside of class. No random keyframes, no overcomplicated effects, just clean, purposeful motion that does its job.

By the end, you won’t just understand the software. You’ll have a finished piece that proves you can use it to solve a problem, tell a story, and create something worth showing.

Course Investment

In addition to a single payment, we offer 2 and 3 month payment plans.
(This course has a max of 8 students)

But wait, there's more!

Since the founder of our academy is also a coach for Creatives, we wanted to give you a bunch of great bonuses, on top of the amazing things you'll be learning in this course!!

  • Time Management for Creatives

    Helping you Herd your Mental Cats

    Before your classes even begin, we provide this super fun and invaluable LIVE (online) Time Managment workshop. 50% how to increase productivity with fewer bumps in the road, and 50% how good time management benefits your mental well-being.

  • Creator Archetypes Workshop

    Who are you?!

    Learn the strengths and challenges of the 10 Creator Archetypes. Figure out which you relate to the most and how to create balance in your life and work.

  • One-on-One Coaching Session!

    Making the most of your time in the Fort

    On week 10 (of 12) in your course, every student will receive a one-on-one 60 minute coaching session with Colleen (our founder/coach). You'll discuss what you've learned, where you see things heading after the course is completed and have the opportunity to get guidance with regard to any challenges in your creative and career journey.

Animate Your Message: Bold Explainer Storytelling in After Effects

This class will fill up FAST with just 8 spots open! Grab yours ASAP!

Enroll today

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