After Effects Lynda Vid

Precomp
layers
animation
effects - you can layer many effects to get what you want
3d - this is somethings that I am defiantly interested in for my video

Shape layers
VECTORS woot woot no pixels // SCALE THEM if you want or not your choice
vs
rasteried PIXELS

parametric shapes are "live" you can edit the
separate shape on a separate layer
you can layer transformations to get the desired look you would like
all done through the shape layers

Repeting elements is easy through adding a repeater operator

Trim path function

allows an animation to be "drawn" on 

wiggle path

GRAPH EDITOR

value graph 

speed graph

Time

Stretching

Time remapping might be better depending on what you are doing

Anchor Point

  

If you animate from an anchor point than position I might give you a different result 

+PARENTING+

This can come in handing to separate things w/o pre-comping 

++++MOTION SKETCHING++++

AHHHHH you can draw a path by after effects captoring it

++COMPOSITING++

Mattes - need to understand when I should use this

Rotoscoping - need to do more

Keying - need to do more

Tracking -this is something that I defiantly want to learn

point and planer tracking

camera tracking

blending modes

could do some cool or creepy transitions with this a letters 

track matte 

good for rotating number or things like a slot machine

Gussain blur and Fracktel noise