Well, the answer to your question will depend almost entirely on what special effects you are looking to achieve.

Some effects can be done in Premiere while others canbe done in Premiere but require a plugin to be purchased.

I personally use Particleillusion 3 for all my 'particle' (der!) effects (water, explosions, smoke, dust and the like). I use After Effects for everything else I do.

So then, what specific effects are you after? I may be able to offer more specific advice.

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