Should I learn After Effects or Premiere first?

🎬 Start with Premiere Pro

Premiere is your core video editing tool. It teaches you the fundamentals every editor needs:

• Timeline editing
• Cuts, transitions, audio
• Color correction (Lumetri)
• Exporting formats
• Workflow + project management

These skills transfer to any editing software, and Premiere integrates tightly with After Effects.

✨ Then learn After Effects

After Effects is a motion graphics + visual effects program. It’s for:

• Titles / lower thirds
• Motion graphics animation
• VFX, compositing
• Tracking, masking, rotoscoping

It’s not designed for full video editing—it’s more like Photoshop for video.

🚀 Best learning path

1. Premiere Pro basics (1–2 weeks)
2. Add color + audio
3. Learn After Effects once you need motion graphics or advanced effects

👍 Exceptions (when AE first makes sense)

• If you only want to do motion graphics
• If your focus is VFX, animation, or special effects
• If you’re already comfortable editing in another NLE (Final Cut, Resolve, etc.)