Hello, I’m Desmond!

Singaporean Motion Designer & Creative Technologist based in NYC.

I design systems that move teams and motion that moves people.

At the intersection of animation, code, and operations, I build for longevity:

nurturing frameworks that support, scale, and sustain meaningful creative work.

Teaching

I also create motion design tutorials on my YouTube channel, NoSleepCreative.

Yet another free preset for masking! This time, we have an elliptical mask that lets you create circle or oval masks with various controls! 00:00 - Introduction 00:20 - Why I made this 00:35 - Apply & saving the preset 01:20 - Using the preset 01:55 - Using multiple mask 03:15 - Tip: FX Console 🔴 Animation Preset download → https://nosleepcreative.gumroad.com/l/dqxdf Adobe Help: Effects & Animation Presets Overview https://helpx.adobe.com/after-effects/using/effects-animation-presets-overview.html 🌎 Connect with me → Website: https://duitbetter.com/ → Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thedesmonddu/ → LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/desmonddu ⭐️ Domestika course: https://www.domestika.org/en/courses/3818-advanced-after-effects-coding-for-motion-design/thedesmonddu 📚 Resources & Readings → Expressions library: https://docs.nosleepcreative.com/after-effects/expressions → Expressions reference: http://expressions.aenhancers.com/
Elliptical Mask · After Effects Free Preset
A walkthrough of a free After Effects preset I made for creating rounded rectangle mask with various controls. 00:00 - Introduction 00:30 - Why I made this 01:39 - Using the preset 03:30 - Using multiple masks 🔴 Animation Preset download → https://nosleepcreative.gumroad.com/l/egmjq ⭐Shoutout to Abraham E. (https://www.instagram.com/abraham___3/) for designing and animating the new title card! 🌎 Follow me everywhere → Website: https://duitbetter.com/ → Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thedesmonddu/ ⭐️ Domestika course: https://www.domestika.org/en/courses/3818-advanced-after-effects-coding-for-motion-design/thedesmonddu 📚 Resources & Readings → Expressions library: https://docs.nosleepcreative.com/after-effects/cookbook → Expressions reference: http://expressions.aenhancers.com/
Rectangular Mask · After Effects Free Preset
Learn how to create a multi-line text grid in After Effects using just one text layer with the split() and for-loop statement! 00:00 - Introduction 01:30 - Using the split() 03:40 - Formatting our text 04:40 - 'Lock Anchor Point' custom preset showcase 06:20 - Using for loop 10:00 - Splitting text with commas 11:10 - Randomizing lines' position 🤖 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘂𝘀𝗲𝗱 https://docs.nosleepcreative.com/after-effects/expressions/type-and-text#text-grid-multiple-line-repetition 🌎 𝗙𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄 𝗺𝗲 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 → Website: https://duitbetter.com/ → Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thedesmonddu/ → LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/desmonddu ⭐️ Domestika course: https://www.domestika.org/en/courses/3818-advanced-after-effects-coding-for-motion-design/thedesmonddu 📚 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗰𝗲𝘀 & 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 → Expressions library: docs.nosleepcreative.com/after-effects/cookbook → Expressions reference: http://expressions.aenhancers.com/
Procedural Text Grid 2: Multiple Line Repetition
In this tutorial, learn how to create a text grid in After Effects using a single text layer and the repeat() function. 😄 Quick life update: Hey everyone, you might have noticed the lack of tutorials for the two years or so- well, that's because I've been knee-deep in my MFA studies, juggling some health hurdles, and navigating through work stuff. But hey, the good news is, I've graduated, I'm feeling healthier than ever, and I'm ready to dive back into making more awesome videos! Hope you're as excited as I am for what's to come! 🌎 Follow me everywhere → Website: https://duitbetter.com/ → Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thedesmonddu/ → LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/desmonddu ⭐️ Domestika course: https://www.domestika.org/en/courses/3818-advanced-after-effects-coding-for-motion-design/thedesmonddu 📚 Resources & Readings → Expressions library: https://docs.nosleepcreative.com/after-effects/cookbook → Expressions reference: http://expressions.aenhancers.com/
Procedural Text Grid: Uniform Repetition · After Effects Tutorial
This is a Zoom recording of my in-person workshop on Graph Editor conducted for the SCAD MOMELove club on 9 Oct 2022. The audio may be a bit soft or noisy because there were moments when I was a little far from the camera. I adapted some materials and the Onion Skin preset from Jake In Motion tutorial on Graph Editor that came out 4 days before the workshop; very timely publishing. I recommend everyone to watch that tutorial here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7pOCtlrrE3Y 😄 Blog: Currently, I am working on my MFA thesis at SCAD this Fall quarter, and I am severely swamped (mentally) with getting it completed in time within the next 6 weeks! This past year, graduate studies have gotten increasingly busier, hence I have not been publishing anything. But preparing and conducting this workshop has been so refreshing, it felt great just animating stuff, producing teaching content, and sharing it with everyone. I am so excited to get back into doing more workshops or tutorials after completing my thesis! I will graduate in March 2023, and so stay tuned for more videos in the future! ⭐️ Sign up for my Domestika course "Advanced After Effects: Coding for Motion Design: https://www.domestika.org/en/courses/3818-advanced-after-effects-coding-for-motion-design/thedesmonddu 🌎 Follow me everywhere → Website: https://duitbetter.com/ → Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thedesmonddu/ → LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/desmonddu ♥️ Support NoSleepCreative by making a donation → Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/nosleepcreative → Taco & Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/oM3Ylrf -- NoSleepCreative is a creative resource to give you the skills you need to create a killer portfolio, land your dream Motion Design jobs, and clients that you want!
Workshop: Graph Editor in After Effects
This was a title sequence for a fictional documentary show based on the book "Subprime Attention Crisis: Advertising and the Time Bomb at the Heart of the Internet" that discussed technology, advertising, and attention as commodities. It was produced as the final project for my Domesitka course "Advanced After Effects: Coding for Motion Design" course project to showcase the animation rigs and techniques made use of expressions and mathematical equations learnt during the course. You can sign up for the course using this link: https://www.domestika.org/en/courses/3818-advanced-after-effects-coding-for-motion-design/thedesmonddu Credits Design and animation by Desmond Du (https://duitbetter.com/) Assitant animator: Abraham E. (https://www.instagram.com/abraham___3/) Sound designer: Federico Franco (https://www.instagram.com/federicomarianofranco/)
Subprime title sequence - Advanced After Effects: Coding for Motion Design Course
Hello everyone!!! I am super excited to announce my first Domestika course “Advanced After Effects: Coding for Motion Design” is available for pre-order!! You can use the link below to sign up, and the full course content will be available on 17 August. ⭐️ Sign up for my Domestika course "Advanced After Effects: Coding for Motion Design: https://www.domestika.org/en/courses/3818-advanced-after-effects-coding-for-motion-design/thedesmonddu 😄 Storytime: Near the end of last year, I was approached by Domestika, the biggest creative community for curated courses and short documentaries, to produce a course about my work and creative process, taking care of all the workload and cost of filming, editing, and promoting the course. Not only did they guide me through the creation of course content, but they made an offer I couldn’t refuse: to invite me to their studios in Madrid, also covering the cost of traveling and stay! 😳 How exciting is that! I was given the freedom to teach what I want, so I used this as an opportunity to teach people how to take their animation and motion design skills to the next level with Expressions in After Effects! The final project will be to use all the techniques learned to make the title sequence! Topics covered include (but not limited to): introduction to expressions, procedural design techniques such as step repetition, randomization, and compositing of the final project. If you would like to start incorporating expression to bring any creative idea to life, then this course is for you!!! 🙌🏼 — ⭐️ Special thanks This was many months of work, and it was all made possible because of the support I had from the Domestika production crew: Arantxa Mandiola, Jesús Rodríguez Lluch, and Jon. Thanks to Abraham E. (https://www.instagram.com/abraham___3/) for assisting me with finishing touches to the course preview animation and Federico Franco (https://www.instagram.com/federicomarianofranco/) for coming up with the wicked music score and sound design!! 🌎 Follow me everywhere → Website: https://duitbetter.com/ → Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thedesmonddu/ → LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/desmonddu ♥️ Support NoSleepCreative by making a donation → Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/nosleepcreative → Taco & Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/oM3Ylrf -- NoSleepCreative is a creative resource to give you the skills you need to create a killer portfolio, land your dream Motion Design jobs, and clients that you want!
Advanced After Effects: Coding for Motion Design – A Domestika course by Desmond Du
This was a presentation recording that I submitted for MFA candidacy review during Winter 2022. - Presentation made with Google Slides - Visual aid GIFs made with https://ezgif.com/video-to-gif ---- ⭐️ Sign up for my Domestika course "Advanced After Effects: Coding for Motion Design " https://www.domestika.org/en/courses/3818-advanced-after-effects-coding-for-motion-design/thedesmonddu 💼 Portfolio: https://duitbetter.com/ 📺 Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/nosleepcreative 📸 IG: https://www.instagram.com/desmondddu
Desmond Du MFA Candidacy Review Presentation
In this workshop, I cover some animation processes that I developed for the CoMotion 2022 title sequence. Learn how to combine the use of 3D animation in Cinema4D and 2D compositing in After Effects to create animations stylized to your illustrative vision! The workshop will also cover the workflow and best practices for animating design style frames, as well as small expression tricks to speed up your animation process. ————————————— ► Website: https://duitbetter.com/ ► Instagram: http://instagram.com/desmondddu/ ► LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/desmonddu ► Resources: Expressions library: https://docs.nosleepcreative.com/code/javascript-for-ae/expressions Expressions reference: http://expressions.aenhancers.com/
Workshop: CoMotion 2022 Animation process — Illustrative Motion Design with Cinema4D & After Effects
CoMotion 2022 Text Animation Rig
Take your animation and motion design skills to the next level with Expressions and JavaScript code in After Effects. These powerful tools will allow you to create complex animations and designs impossible to do manually. 📚 Resources & Readings → Expressions library: https://bit.ly/3bF7EMf → Expressions reference: http://expressions.aenhancers.com/ ♥️ Support NoSleepCreative by making a donation → Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/nosleepcreative → Taco & Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/oM3Ylrf 🌎 Follow me everywhere → Website: https://duitbetter.com/ → Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thedesmonddu/ → LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/desmonddu -- NoSleepCreative is a creative resource to give you the skills you need to create a killer portfolio, land your dream Motion Design jobs, and clients that you want!
Workshop: Intro to Expressions in After Effects
Learn how to manage your project with ease, delegate tasks effectively to your team, and meet deadlines by project management tools such as Google Sheets, Airtable, Notion, and Frame.io. Whether you are working on your senior project, a group project, or even SCADpro class, this workshop will help you get started and remove the guesswork in collaboration. Production spreadsheet template: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1afmoF6ZDQYPkurjnESZ-FBUaKm0Mj7NNKgXQYC3HRm0/edit#gid=552205877 ————————————— ► Website: https://duitbetter.com/ ► Instagram: http://instagram.com/desmondddu/ ► LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/desmonddu
Workshop: Project Management for Collaborative Projects
Get started with the basic tools and techniques of Cinema4D including parametric modeling, MoGraph, Effectors, shader and material creation, lighting, texturing, multi-pass rendering projects, and compositing into After Effects. ♥️ Support NoSleepCreative by making a donation → Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/nosleepcreative → Taco & Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/oM3Ylrf 🌎 Follow me everywhere → Website: https://duitbetter.com/ → Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thedesmonddu/ → LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/desmonddu -- NoSleepCreative is a creative resource to give you the skills you need to create a killer portfolio, land your dream Motion Design jobs, and clients that you want!
Workshop: Basic Cinema 4D for Illustrative Motion Design
Dive into the world kinetic type and learn how to create beautiful text animation easily with text animators. Also, learn how simple expressions can be implemented into text animators to simplify your workflow and create complex-looking animations. Workshop recorded on: 2022 11 February ————————————— ► Website: https://duitbetter.com/ ► Instagram: http://instagram.com/desmondddu/ ► LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/desmonddu ► Resources: Expressions library: https://docs.nosleepcreative.com/code/javascript-for-ae/expressions Expressions reference: http://expressions.aenhancers.com/
Workshop: Intro to Kinetic Type
CoMotion 2022 Animation team briefing - 27 Nov
Hello friends, I hope you have been well! Today we have a special guest Brain Fluid Studios featuring their animation process for their epic logo animation. Over many moons, they have prepared a succinct and magical breakdown of their creative methodology to visualize the unseen and ancient. 00:00 - Intro 00:27 - Title sequence 01:00 - Brainstorming & Concept Development 01:45 - 3D Modeling & 2D shading in Blender 02:05 - Gathering real-world texture 02:25 - Creature frame-by-frame animation process 02:45 - Compositing and effects animation in AE 03:15 - Sound Design 03:40 - Ending note 🎥 Follow Brain Fluid Studios at → https://www.instagram.com/brainfluidstudios/ → https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVT1TFvVReJ2llcWN1QZsKA
Animation Spotlight: Brain Fluid Studios
Learn to make a phyllotaxis pattern using shape layers and expression. 00:00 - Create a phyllotactic arrangement with Vogel's formula 07:20 - Change the circle sizes based on theta value 09:00 - Change the colors based on theta value 13:30 - Animate and simulate a zoetrope effect ❤️ Project file download → https://gum.co/OLjdt 🤖 Expression used → https://docs.nosleepcreative.com/after-effects/cookbook#phyllotaxis 🌻Deborah Fowler Phyllotaxis page → http://deborahrfowler.com/MathForVSFX/Phyllotaxis.html 📓 Master Studies → Tutorial Playlist: https://bit.ly/38AbX9T → AEPs:https://gum.co/GAQX/ 📚 Resources & Readings → Expressions library: https://bit.ly/3bF7EMf → Expressions reference: http://expressions.aenhancers.com/ ♥️ Support NoSleepCreative by making a donation → Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/nosleepcreative → Taco & Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/oM3Ylrf 🌎 Follow me everywhere → Website: https://duitbetter.com/ → Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thedesmonddu/ → LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/desmonddu -- NoSleepCreative is a creative resource to give you the skills you need to create a killer portfolio, land your dream Motion Design jobs, and clients that you want!
Phyllotactic Pattern · After Effects Algorithmic Design Expression Tutorial
Learn how to generate a number sequence using expressions and a for-loop statement, we will then make an animation preset out of our setup so we can reuse it for our future projects. Blog · 29 May 2021 Hey everybody, I just completed my recent school term and I'm back from my break to continue making tutorials! This tutorial is meant to be a warm-up for me to get used to recording tutorials as I got rusty with the process. During the last few weeks of school, I did try to make a tutorial but succumbed to the weight of expectations of having my new tutorials being "better" and still keep up with school work. I realized that I should not have to feel that way; I should not have to be pressured or obligated to make tutorials. As the school term and my projects came close to an end, I felt my weariness fade away. I was able to get more rest and got into a more peaceful headspace to start teaching again. I know it's not much right now for this tutorial, but I am just going to slowly and steadily work my way up again. Hopefully, you can find this simple expression tutorial useful for your projects! 00:00 - Algorithm 08:25 - Creating controls 09:50 - Saving out Animation Preset 🔴 Project file download → https://gum.co/pyuMb 🤖 Expression used : → https://docs.nosleepcreative.com/after-effects/expressions/type-and-text#sequence-of-number 📓 Master Studies → Tutorial playlist: https://bit.ly/38AbX9T → AEPs:https://gum.co/GAQX/ 📚 Resources & Readings → Expressions library: https://bit.ly/3bF7EMf → Expressions reference: http://expressions.aenhancers.com/ ♥️ Support NoSleepCreative by making a donation → Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/nosleepcreative → Taco & Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/oM3Ylrf 🌎 Follow me everywhere → Website: https://duitbetter.com/ → Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thedesmonddu/ → LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/desmonddu -- NoSleepCreative is a creative resource to give you the skills you need to create a killer portfolio, land your dream Motion Design jobs, and clients that you want!
Number Sequence with for-loop · After Effects Expression Tutorial
Animate the circle shapes and trails preview animation using the animation preset we built in the previous expression tutorial! 00:00 - overview 00:27 - create motion trails with animation preset 04:00 - animate wave motion with sine wave expression 12:45 - create a Faux 3D texture with layer styles 20:15 - animating camera movement for long composition 24l:00 - generate speed lines with CC Particle World 🎥 Best Motion Trails in After Effects Tutorial → https://youtu.be/9MCHTe8iBpk 🔴 Project file download → https://gum.co/eBlfd 🤖 Expression used : → https://docs.nosleepcreative.com/after-effects/cookbook#best-motion-trails-in-after-effects 📓 Master Studies → Tutorial Playlist: https://bit.ly/38AbX9T → 2020 AEPs: https://gum.co/GAQX/ ❤️ Support NoSleepCreative by making a donation → Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/nosleepcreative → Taco & Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/oM3Ylrf 🌎 Follow me everywhere → Website: https://duitbetter.com/ → Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thedesmonddu/ → LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/desmonddu 📚 Resources & Readings → Expressions library: https://bit.ly/3bF7EMf → Expressions reference: http://expressions.aenhancers.com/ -- NoSleepCreative is a creative resource to give you the skills you need to create a killer portfolio, land your dream Motion Design jobs, and clients that you want!
Motion Trails in After Effects · Animation Tutorial
A montage of Motion Design & After Effects Master Study Tutorials I did in 2020. 🔴 Download all the project files here → https://gumroad.com/products/GAQX/ 📓 Master Studies Tutorials → https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL1TQbviAEvf3C_W2K-PE8mpOys2n9BDch ♥️ Support NoSleepCreative by making a donation → Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/nosleepcreative​ → Venmo: https://venmo.com/desmond-du​ → Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/oM3Ylrf​ 🌎 Follow me everywhere → Website: https://duitbetter.com/​ → Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thedesmonddu/​ → LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/desmonddu​ NoSleepCreative is a creative resource to give you the skills you need to create a killer portfolio, land your dream Motion Design jobs, and clients that you want!
Motion Design Master Study Tutorials 2020
Learn how to build your own reusable Motion Trail Animation Preset using shape layers and expressions. I also provided a free motion trail animation preset that you can use immediately without having to write any expressions. ⭐️ Also as mentioned, if you are interested in a part 2 tutorial on how to make the preview animation, I will get to it if this tutorial Instagram post gets over 750 likes (will be posted 1pm EST)! I did not want this tutorial to be too long, and I wanted everyone's opinion on whether this is something I should spend more time on! So please share this with your friends on Instagram! 00:00 - Method comparison 03:20 - Animate wavy motion using Sine Wave expression 07:30 - How the Motion Trail expression works 09:45 - Build a Motion Trail effect using expressions 18:15 - Stylizing the stroke appearance & saving animation preset 22:55 - Using my Motion Trail animation preset 24:00 - Preview animation process 🔴 Animation Preset download → https://gum.co/eBlfd 🤖 Expression used : → https://docs.nosleepcreative.com/after-effects/cookbook#best-motion-trails-in-after-effects 📓 Master Studies Tutorials → https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL1TQbviAEvf3C_W2K-PE8mpOys2n9BDch ♥️ Support NoSleepCreative by making a donation → Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/nosleepcreative → Venmo: https://venmo.com/desmond-du → Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/oM3Ylrf 🌎 Follow me everywhere → Website: https://duitbetter.com/ → Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thedesmonddu/ → LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/desmonddu 📚 Resources & Readings → Getting started with Expressions: https://docs.nosleepcreative.com/after-effects/getting-started → Expressions library: https://docs.nosleepcreative.com/code/javascript-for-ae/expressions → Expressions reference: http://expressions.aenhancers.com/ -- NoSleepCreative is a creative resource to give you the skills you need to create a killer portfolio, land your dream Motion Design jobs, and clients that you want!
Best Motion Trails in After Effects · Expression Tutorial with free animation preset