ft-CombineRGA Pixel Bender plugin allows you to shift channels or combine channels from a second source. What makes this plugin special versus the similar plugins that comes with After Effects, is that it works in 32bit and has a very simply to use UI.

Here are two presets knocking out black OR white from a layer based on the luminance to set it as transparent/alpha.

This is a preset that you can use on green screen footage or just general compositing.

Create an awesome Tilt Shift effect using a linear focus area.

In real world of film making tilt-shift effect is normally added by using special tilt-shift lenses. But when it comes to low budget film making Adobe After Effects software comes in handy.

A great time-saving preset to "duck"(fade in/out) a music layer based on a voice over.
"Ducking - Audio Terms Explained - Process of automatic compression, eg when the announcer's voice signal causes the level of music to be attenuated."(from lp2cd.com)

Have you ever looked in the Adobe After Effects Effects menu and wondered what some effects are used for?
This time: Arithmetic

Have you ever looked in the Adobe After Effects Effects menu and wondered what some effects are used for?
This time: Alpha Levels

Richard Harrington has an article up at ProVideo Coalition for After Effects that allows you to move projects from Final Cut Pro to AE.(from Popcorn Island)

An introduction to the power of RPF and RLA files and how they can be used in post.