As we mentioned earlier, we're creating a video training series from our book After Effects Apprentice and distributing it through lynda.com. They just released the next installment today: Layer Control. Some of the subjects this course covers includes:

• editing and sequencing layers
• looping, time-stretching, and frame blending footage (including importing image sequences, and a trick for forcing footage to loop seamlessly)
• blending modes
• applying effects, presets, and layer styles
• Brainstorm
• non-square pixel aspect ratios

If you don't already have a subscription, the introduction plus three movies are available free to all; you can also click here for free 7-day trial pass. Premium subscribers get access to source files for AE CS4 and CS5 (the book was for CS4; the movies were recorded using CS5). Enjoy!

The content contained in After Effects Apprentice – as well as the CMG Blogs and CMG Keyframes posts on ProVideoCoalition – are copyright Crish Design, except where otherwise attributed.