Review of Premiere Elements 4 (4.5 out of 5)
AMAZINGLY CAPABLE VIDEO SOFTWARE FOR WINDOWS
“You might be thinking, “What’s consumer software doing in a pro magazine?” The short answer is that if you aren’t using the Adobe Master Collection or the Production Premium suite, you probably need Adobe Premiere Elements 4. Whether you work as an advertiser, designer, developer, or photographer, you most likely have an interest in making videos or DVDs.
Sure, Adobe offers the very capable video applications found in the Creative Suite product line but for many users, it’s hard to spring for the “whole enchilada.” When I sat down with Premiere Elements, I was immediately impressed. The product offers an easy-to-use toolset that addresses the needs of many users.
Here’s the lowdown: Premiere Elements only runs on Windows machines. If you’re a Mac user, you should be looking to iMovie and iDVD ’08 to fill the same needs. On the PC side, the market has been woefully underserved by offerings from Adaptec and Microsoft. With version 4 of Premiere Elements, Adobe clearly steps up to offer a dramatic redesign, combining power with ease of use (an Adobe trademark).”
You can read the rest of the review here...
“You might be thinking, “What’s consumer software doing in a pro magazine?” The short answer is that if you aren’t using the Adobe Master Collection or the Production Premium suite, you probably need Adobe Premiere Elements 4. Whether you work as an advertiser, designer, developer, or photographer, you most likely have an interest in making videos or DVDs.

Here’s the lowdown: Premiere Elements only runs on Windows machines. If you’re a Mac user, you should be looking to iMovie and iDVD ’08 to fill the same needs. On the PC side, the market has been woefully underserved by offerings from Adaptec and Microsoft. With version 4 of Premiere Elements, Adobe clearly steps up to offer a dramatic redesign, combining power with ease of use (an Adobe trademark).”
You can read the rest of the review here...
|
NIN – The Times are Changing
May 06, 2008 Filed in: Business

Yesreday they‘ve releases The Slip—a new 10-track album—for free on http://theslip.nin.com/. The record is available in virtually every flavor of DRM-free digital format, all you need to do is give them your email address. The album will eventually be available in traditional formats as well. This move mirrors those of both Radiohead and Prince.
Read More...
Fly! (Trim on the Fly)
May 06, 2008 Filed in: Post

It’s possible to trim on the fly. This way you can listen for an audio edit or look for a particular visual cue. Just make sure the Dynamic trimmimg checkbox is marked.
- Enter Trim Edit mode, and press the space bar to cycle your trim. The sequence will play around your edit point and loop. The pre-roll and post-roll are set in the Editing tab of User Preferences.
- When you reach the desired edit point, press the I key to move your In point.
- Press the up or down arrow to move through the Timeline to your next edit point.

Like this tip? It comes from the book
Final Cut Studio On the Spot from Focal Press.
On Set Printing
May 06, 2008 Filed in: Podcast
Adobe TV at NAB 2008 – Production Premium CS3 for Final Cut Pro Editors
Caught a great presentation from Steve Martin at NAB. It's all about using Production Premium with other NLEs like Final Cut Pro. Steve is a popular trainer (in fact one of Apple's main instructors). This one is helpful...
If you want more free classes... visit the Adobe TV site.
If you want more free classes... visit the Adobe TV site.
Laptop Essentials
April 29, 2008 Filed in: Podcast
Adobe Media Player Article Gets Longer Legs

A few folks have commented on the length of the article... here’s the Spark Notes version:
- Flash Video is getting really popular
- The Adobe Media Player will be easier for corporations, schools, and government to use due to Adobe's greater acceptance over Apple (and especially iTunes).
- The media player supports several models that are attractive to content creators
- The media player supports very rich statistics on media consumption
- The application is going to move onto all sorts of devices and platforms in the near future.
- If you are a podcaster... I predict the Adobe Media Player will have as great of an impact as iTunes did on podcast consumption.
The article is long... but worth the read... I promise.
Resources from Adobe E-Seminar
April 24, 2008 Filed in: Post

I taught an Adobe E-Seminar yesterday called "Creating a Graphic Identity for your Web Video and Dynamic Media." The class itself will be posted next week. Here are a few resources I identified during the class.
1. Two motion graphics projects.
2. Advice on rendering in After Effects.
3. Resource Slides
4. Photoshop for Video Podcast (free)
5. Producing Video Podcasts show (free)
The two books mentioned are Producing Video Podcasts and Photoshop for Video.
Adobe TV at NAB 2008 – Photoshop CS3 Extended for Video
Want 30 minutes of free training on Adobe Photoshop CS3? Adobe had me in their theater at NAB giving lessons. Here's a recording from one of the days so you can see what was taught.
If you want more free classes... visit the Adobe TV site.
If you want more free classes... visit the Adobe TV site.
Adobe Demos Future Technology at NAB
Following up on my "Really Cool Adobe Announcements" post...
Adobe has actually posted their "secret" presentation from NAB. Hart Shafer talks about four cool things Adobe has up their sleeve.
You SO need to watch this... trust me. BTW (for those of you waiting... they did show OnLocation for Mac in this demo).
Adobe has actually posted their "secret" presentation from NAB. Hart Shafer talks about four cool things Adobe has up their sleeve.
You SO need to watch this... trust me. BTW (for those of you waiting... they did show OnLocation for Mac in this demo).
School of Podcasting Interview about Video Podcasting

You can get the interview for free right here (http://www.schoolofpodcasting.libsyn.com/index.php?post_id=330803) and you should also check out their other shows which offer great perspective.
Does the World Need Another Media Player?
April 23, 2008 Filed in: Business
Adobe released the Adobe Media Player software on April 9, which allows a customizable, cross-platform media player experience. Built using the Adobe AIR runtime, the media player harnessed the power of Flash to create a rich media experience. To complete the experience, Adobe adds support for both RSS feeds and H.264 video, two of the open standards used by the podcasting movement.
What does this all mean? I had a chance to sit down with Deeje Cooley, who serves as an evangelist for Adobe’s Dynamic Media Organization (and formerly as the product manager for the Adobe Media Player). Cooley was tasked with bringing the product to market and he shared insight into Adobe’s motivation for the product and goals for its role in the market. Unlike competing products, the Adobe Media Player has chosen to focus on being a video-only player.
“The growth of video online, the dramatic growth of flash as the video delivery mechanism of choice… there was a ripe opportunity to take advantage of all these events around the industry,” said Cooley. “We started to build an RSS aggregator and quickly recognized that video was going to be a significant media online and so it became a video RSS aggregator. And so that’s really the birth of the Adobe Media Player.”
MUCH MORE AFTER THE JUMP
Read More...

What does this all mean? I had a chance to sit down with Deeje Cooley, who serves as an evangelist for Adobe’s Dynamic Media Organization (and formerly as the product manager for the Adobe Media Player). Cooley was tasked with bringing the product to market and he shared insight into Adobe’s motivation for the product and goals for its role in the market. Unlike competing products, the Adobe Media Player has chosen to focus on being a video-only player.
“The growth of video online, the dramatic growth of flash as the video delivery mechanism of choice… there was a ripe opportunity to take advantage of all these events around the industry,” said Cooley. “We started to build an RSS aggregator and quickly recognized that video was going to be a significant media online and so it became a video RSS aggregator. And so that’s really the birth of the Adobe Media Player.”
MUCH MORE AFTER THE JUMP
Read More...
Really Cool Adobe Announcements

In the meantime. Check out this article for details.
http://www.peachpit.com/blogs/blog.aspx?b=a75e92b0-f44f-4dfb-9eb4-96920bcaddc1
Time to Comment on Advertising and Measurement Standards
April 22, 2008 Filed in: Business

China Balls (Lighting)
April 22, 2008 Filed in: Podcast
Come See Me at New Media Expo

Producing Video Podcasts with Multiple Cameras
Want to cut down editing time and give your show more polish? Learn how to create video podcasts using multiple cameras. Join veteran podcaster Richard Harrington as he shows how to harness multiple angles to improve your show. From concerts and live events to demos and interviews, multiple cameras will help you tell your story. Learn how to setup and match your cameras as well as essential editing techniques. This workshop will make multi-camera productions a snap.
Get Your Free Podcasts in One Convenient Place
April 21, 2008 Filed in: Education

Apple iTunes just promoted my company to network status. You can find all of our "in-house" technical training podcasts on a single page now.
I encourage you to take a look at our several shows.
Understanding Adobe Photoshop – iPod and HD – A general interest show about Photoshop for beginners and intermediates
Photoshop for Video – iPod and HD – A show about creating graphics for video pros and motion graphic designers
Producing Video Podcasts – iPod and HD – A show that offers both production and post tips for making video for the web
Final Cut Help – iPod – Weekly tips about using Final Cut Studio
Remember, the podcasts are totally free, all we ask is you post a review to the iTunes store and tell a friend.
Two Updated Final Cut Pro DVDs

Apple Final Cut Pro
Volume 1: Getting Started in Final Cut Pro
Volume 2: Going Deeper in Final Cut Studio
Also, you may have missed that we recently released the following titles. These also include HD and iPod versions on the same disc.
Apple Color
Volume 11: Introduction to Color
Volume 12: Advanced Color
Bundled for Savings
Apple Motion
Volume 13: Getting Started with Apple Motion
Volume 14: Going Deeper with Apple Motion
Volume 15: Advanced Techniques with Apple Motion
Bundled for Savings

