I want to learn visual effects and motion graphics, what do you recommend?

I suggest you checkout the animation and visual effects learning courses at platinum platypus in New York as they have many advanced learning programs in this category.

Hi Rana, Lets break you learning plan into three softwares.
Adobe Flash Adobe Photoshop Adobe After Effects The best I would recommend in the start is to learn a bit about cell/key frame animation.
You can use any software best is Adobe Flash.
Getting the animation concept is important.
Along with that you should start Adobe photoshop to lift your skills in paint, picture editing, cropping and frame composition of what you will achieve in the end.
The next most helpful step is to start observing closely the still frames, photographs and start visualizing the animation/effect.
e.g a lady in still frame start blinking, smiling at you of coming out from the frame.
It can be anything still to moving pictures.
Now you should plan to animate a still, go to Adobe after effects.
Just keep it lock that Adobe photoshop is an animated version of Adobe After Effects, but only having key frames.
You are already aware of animation concepts from2d cell animation software like flash.
So its now relatively easy for you to do the same in after effects.
Because cell animation is the same almost in all visual effect software.
i.e putting keys in and out.
Now you are ready to animate anything! Kind Regards, Usman

For visual Effects you need to know3D softwares such as Maya, Cinema4D etc and for motion graphic I would highly recommend learning After Effects.
I hope it answers your question

Hi Rana, I recommend for you the best to me..
After Effects and of course "by default" you should know how to use Adobe Photoshop.
warm regards Raed

Hi Rana I agree with other friends and I recommend you to start learning After effects and Adobe Premiere.
It is wide world you cannot start with everything but those2 Applications will give you strong start .
Internet is full of tutorials especially youtube.

Agreed with Ruben Gomez...
with videocopilot.net , http://videohive.net/ and there is lot more site to get inspirations and for tutorials for basic and advance training..
but what i think if you want to start motion graphics..
the you have to get knowledge for photoshop, you have to understand that how x,y and z axis works...
what i suggest you if you know how to work in photoshop..
then just draw simple shapes in AE1st and then play with their size, position, opacity etc...
make simple animation with box or circle..
then go for the advance one..
no need to go for visual effects in beginning...

Hi Rana, Both things are different.
therefore the requirements are different.
Motion graphics: You need to have a graphical background, to enhance the over all look of you projects in terms of composition, color and layout.
As application you need to learn Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, and After effects.
If you would like to get into the3D aspect of motion graphics you need to learn Cinema4D.
If you would like to start with motion graphics watching tutorials is the best solution and the links that were suggested are excellent as a start.
Visual effect: Has nothing to do with motion graphics, because it usually deals with the movie and commercial industry in terms of compositing and enhancing through effects and combining2d,3d and movie footage to form a final product.
Applications used in the industry: Houdini, Maya for3d and Nuke, Avid, After effects for compositing.
Visual effects industry also contains lots of scripting with the languages: Python and Mel scripting.
Again a great source to learn is digital tutors and lynda, you can also find lots of links online that would direct you to tutorials.
hope this helps.

Adobe Premiere: The master software that you will need to edit your clips and render or export your final video from.

Adobe Flash: The creator of the .SWF file; allows you to create various animations by simply drawing and tweening objects from one key frame to another.

Adobe After Effects: Allows you to edit, allows you to create animations, however its main purpose is to create visual effects (such as lightning, fire, etc...)

 

Good Luck - If you really want to learn and become better, i recommend you start watching Tutorials on YouTube or Lynda.com and read articles to understand techniques and terminologies better.