I've launched a new course over at Kelby Training called Photoshop and After Effects for Event Photographers. It's designed to help teach you new ways to show your images to clients? Learn how to quickly prepare images for use in video and on-screen. In this interactive lesson you'll learn how to prepare photos for PowerPoint, Keynote, and DVD slideshows as well as how to create attractive pans and zooms of your image.

You can watch the first three parts of the lesson for free and find out more on their site. The tutorial touches upon most of the Production Premium suite. You'll learn a bit about Photoshop, After Effects, Encore, Premiere Pro, Soundbooth, and the Adobe Media Encoder

I hope you enjoy it.

Instructor Richard Harrington explains how to use vanishing point to repair an image with perspective in mind in the 100th episode of Understanding Adobe Photoshop.



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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).

I promised these hands-on practice files about the Puppet Tool a while back. To make it up to you (my loyal viewers) I've included an extra sample.

To get the hands on files click here.

To get a bonus video tutorial - click here.

(Thanks to the fine folks at the New York Post Conference for letting me post this).

Thanks to Planet Photoshop for making Photoshop for Video their pick of the week.

“This week I recommend Photoshop for Video by Richard Harrington. This book covers the information you need to implement Photoshop into your video workflow. It covers using channels effectively, setting up automation, creating interesting effects, and much more. If you want to get a better handle on working with Photoshop in your video workflow then this is the book for you. Richard is an Adobe Certified Expert in Photoshop and After Effects and is an instructor at major events like Photoshop World and NAB. His visual communications consultancy, RHED Pixel, creates motion graphics and produces video and multimedia projects. Richard also has a blog at RasterVector.com and another at PhotoshopForVideo.com.”

Be sure to check out the rest of the site for a ton of great tutorials and video tips.

This is an excerpt from an article to be released in full later this week:

Adobe released the Adobe Media Player software on April 9, which allows a customizable, cross-platform media player experience. Built using as an Adobe Air application, 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 the 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.”



The Adobe Media Player is immediately available as a free download for Windows and Macintosh platforms from http://www.adobe.com/go/mp.

My podcasting book is now off the presses and on its way to stores.

Here's Chapter 1

The initial reviews are in:

"This guide is full of solid information from people who know online video and are in the trenches doing it. It's a must read for anyone who wants to produce professional video podcasts." – Jason Van Orden, podcasting consultant and author of Promoting Your Podcast

"Required reading.Starting with a clear analysis of the nature and business of podcasting it covers the essentials of production and finishes with the all-important topics of delivery, RSS feeds, publishing, and hosting." – Tom Wolsky, vp editorial, National Podcasting System, www.nationalpod.com

"WOW, the accumulated knowledge from 1000s of hours of planning, production, post and delivery essentials delivered in a simple, concise fashiona professional resource manual that needs to be a part of every video production library" –. Gary Adcock, digital artist and technology trainer

"Not just a book about Podcasting, but a full primer on professional audio and video production and digital publishing that is lavishly illustrated and full of practical tips." – Philip Hodgetts, president and ceo, Open Television Network openTVnetwork.com

You can order the book here.

From Scott Kelby's Photoshop Insider Blog

We’ve posted our first online class from Digital Video Guru (and Photoshop World Instructor) Richard Harrington, and it’s one a lot of people have been asking for: Getting Started with Apple Motion. Here’s the link to Rich’s new online class over at KelbyTraining.com. Note: We’ve got a lot more classes coming from Rich very soon, so stayed tuned! (That’s TV talk. I thought Rich would appreciate that type of jargon).

I've just completed three new DVDs on Apple Motion. We shot the titles in HD, and the screen quality is awesome. On each title you get a regular DVD, iPod ready files, and HD files for viewing on a computer or Apple TV. There are three volumes at $59 each or a bundle of all three for $139. Each comes with hands on lesson files and a lot of cool stuff is covered.

“From beginner to master in one set, these three DVD’s will take you step by step through Apple Motion and have you ready to tackle complex projects in just hours. Join Richard Harrington in this three DVD set of clear, concise training that will have you producing higher quality work with Apple Motion in no time.”

You can get the training from VASST.com. If you want a discount code... Post a comment and I'll send it to you.

I've launched a new resource site called Final Cut Help to offer you more news on Final Cut Studio as well as centralize all of my Final Cut resources and training products. Here are a few things you may like.

• Tip of the Week – Thanks to Focal Press

• Podcasts – Back Episodes and New Subscriptions
• Forums – In partnership with Creative Cow
• Conferences – New Events and Notes from previous classes
• Blog – For all the latest news

As always... comments and requests are very welcome.

Congrats to Scott Kelby and Kelby Training for launching a new online training site. The subscription site is a great value and offers a lot of great training on software. Coverage is mostly Adobe tools... but I have a few titles in the works with them that will also cover Apple software.

Q. Before we get started; do I have to read all this stuff, or do you have a quick video clip that explains it all?
A. Yup, we sure do. Here’s the link.

Q. So what is subscription-based online training?
A. In the past, we’ve offered online training courses, and it was always “Pay as you go” (basically, you’d pay individually for each class you took). But now you can pay one annual subscription fee and then you have unlimited access to all our online classes.
Q. You said this is amazingly affordable. OK, how affordable is it?
A. Our annual subscription is only $199, or you can pay $19.95 a month. By contrast our online classes used to be around $70.00 each. If you took just three classes, you were already paying more than our new subscription tuition. Now, you get unlimited access, all year long, for only $199. That’s just 55¢ a day, for unlimited access to the best Photoshop and photography teachers on the planet.
Q. What makes you guys different?
A. We knew we had to do something really special to stand out from the other online training options, so we asked ourselves what is the single most important aspect of any online course. Is it the topics? The price? The technology? The quantity? The look? What is it? We think the single most important thing is “The teacher.” It’s who you’re learning from, and their connection with the students. It’s their passion, their knowledge, their ability to communicate and share in a way that makes sense, that’s engaging, and even fun. That’s why we built our entire program around one thing; bringing you nothing but the very best teachers on the planet. Period.
Q. If the teacher provides files for us to practice along with, can we download them, or do we have to pay extra?
A. You get ‘em without any extra fees whatsoever. It’s part of your subscription.
Q. Can I get a sneak peek at how it all works? How about letting me try a couple of lessons?
A. Sure, why not. Head over to the KelbyTraining site, and click the “Try it Now (Free)” link at the top. You can watch the first three lessons from any of the classes to get a sense of what we’re doing, how the player works, and stuff like that.

I am very proud to tell you that the new book Final Cut Studio on the Spot is shipping. This third edition has a ton of new things including dedicated chapters on Multi-camera Editing and HD (and the audio chapter is HUGE). In told, more then half the book is new... so if you own a past edition, this update is worth it (and if you don't have it.. then go now). This time Robbie Carman came on board with some helpful tips and tricks.

• Optimize system performance
• Create impressive titles with Generators, Motion, LiveType, and Photoshop
• Work quickly with buttons and keyboard shortcuts
• Color correct to save vital shots, and keep them broadcast legal
• Fix and mix for professional-quality audio
• Design and import graphics seamlessly
• Integrate with other applications including Motion, Soundtrack Pro and Color
• Manage media and backup strategies
• Export and publish finished projects to tape, DVD, or the Web

Get the book here for the best price.

In need of someone training this Fall? We've released five new titles. Three are brand new for Final Cut Pro users: Color Correction, Advanced Trimming, and Media Management. These are three areas that even the most experienced user can gain speed and confidence.

We've also significantly updated two of our best sellers: An Inside Look at the HVX-200 and a guide to working with HD Media. There are these and several more available at VASST.com. We hope you enjoy them!

It’s finally shipping, my new DVD. If you need to use photos in your videos or film, you'll enjoy this new disc. I go very in-depth on how to create standard and 3D camera moves with photos.

Motion Control: Using Photoshop and After Effects To Tranform Still Images into Moving Footage
No longer locked to a stationary position on screen, your photos now possess distinct storytelling abilities.  Join Richard Harrington, Photoshop and motion graphics guru, as he reveals the top techniques used by pros to bring still images to life.  This DVD will benefit all users interested in improved storytelling abilities. You’ll learn essential techniques both in 2D and 3D space.

• Adobe Photoshop essentials
• Traditional two-dimensional motion control
• Using 3D cameras
• Working in 3D space
• Using 3D lighting to enhance your images
• Performing advanced camera operations
  

Bonus Features

• Original and processed images
• Adobe Photoshop and After Effects project assets

Estimated ship date is September 20th 2006. You can order it here.

A few months ago, my new book on Adobe Photoshop was released. I'm not one for fancy titles... so I simply called this one "Understanding Adobe Photoshop." The book combined everything I learned teaching Adobe Photoshop to both college students and working pros, and it is targeted for both new users and those who are self-taught (having never taken a full college-level class).

The book is doing well (but of course... I'd be happy to sell more). It is very well-suited for classroom use as well with hundreds of hands-on exercises (including images) as well as 4.5 hours of training videos. Enough of my thoughts... what are others saying?
Read More...

Well, the new Photoshop book is several months away (my goal is NAB 2007). But I'd like to take some requests from you the reader. I've already received a lot of input for the next edition of Photoshop for Nonlinear Editors but I'd like even more. What topics would you like to see greater coverage on? Any techniques you'd like to see in-depth tutorials about? Now is your chance to have your voice heard. Leave a comment below on what you'd like to see in the next edition.

If you have great artwork (that you have the rights cleared on) or a tutorial you'd like to contribute, I welcome them. Contributors will receive fame, gratitude, and a free copy of the book. If you have something to share, drop me a line.

If you're sitting on the fence about buy now or later, don't. I always update the video training on the disc and get a ton of freebies like fonts and photos that are unique to each edition. Work your way through the current version on the book and by the time you're feeling comfortable, the new book will be out with in-depth coverage on the next version of Adobe Photoshop.

UPDATE: We've gotten requests for the following
• More HD
• Apple Motion and Adobe Premiere Pro coverage
• Mixing Aspect Ratios

Are you an intermediate to advanced After Effects user? If so, the coolest book ever is about to ship. I recently edited a book called After Effects @ Work. It features top designers like Trish & Chris Meyer, Mark Coleran, Ken Locsmandi, Rachel Max and Dave Phillips. Join eleven well -known AE designers and teachers as they teach you real-world secrets. You'll get an inside glimpse at 11 projects and see what an expert can do using just the tools that come on the After Effects CD-Rom and a budget of $10,000 or less. This book is a hybrid of case studies, tutorials, and inspiration. It's like eleven internships in a box. I'm really proud of this one and excited that it is to ship the week of July 16. To order, go visit Amazon for the lowest price.

Be sure to take a quick peek at my latest book, Apple Training Series : iWork 06 with iLife 06. It was co-written with the entire office at RHED Pixel. It goes in-depth on both Pages and Keynote and shows off the latest features. We use pages to create newsletters and flyers for the office and I usually use Keynote to create dynamic multimedia presentations. The book is full-color and comes with a DVD-ROM and all the source files you need to get hands-on with both programs.

For a free handout, click here.
For more information, click here.