 Digital
Juice in the Classroom
Editor's
Toolkits and StackTraxx enhance video and audio training
by Jeffrey P. Fisher
As an author, teacher and trainer, I spend a lot of time in front
of a room explaining the ins and out of video production. Whether
teaching at the College of DuPage or traveling the country as a VASST
trainer, Digital Juice products make explaining complicated post-production
techniques easier.
VIDEO VARIETY
VideoTraxx stock footage is ideal for teaching editing basics, but
the real fun begins when the topic turns to compositing. I'll often
start with titles as an introduction to compositing. White-letters-on-black
is boring, but slip in a Jump Backs background and the animated elements
makes the information more interesting for an audience. Motion design
elements and even animated wipes place additional emphasis on what's
important and therefore help viewers to remember more.
Text masking is an ideal way to clarify compositing relationships
and teach how different compositing modes work. Students grasp these
points better when placing animated video inside a title and then
compositing that combination on top of yet another Jump Backs background.
 ALPHA
CHANNELS
To bring folks to the next level of compositing beyond text, I'll
often start talking about how to apply transparency aromatically.
One way to do this is by comparing a stock photo with a photo object
from Editor's Toolkit 2. Anyone can quickly get the transparent alpha
channel concept. It's a short leap to showing how animated lower-third
and overlay animations work. Editor's Toolkit alpha mattes help reveal
how luminance keys change the look of an overlay when combined with
a different background. That same information pertains when applying
transitional wipes, too.
LAYERS
With so many layers, these compositing examples can get rather complicated.
Drawing on the Editor's Toolkits lets me focus on editing workflow
and specific techniques without needing to create graphics from scratch.
Digital Juice takes care of that work for me (Figure 1).
The Toolkit Super Sets illustrate how using a cohesive graphics package
adds a polished look to almost any video project. Even complete beginners
start to look like pros fast and this can be very motivational in
what can sometimes be a frustrating start (Figure 2).
Figure 3 Click
here for fullsize image
SOUND
IDEAS
Similarly, StackTraxx lend themselves well to audio instruction and
demonstrations. With a song split into its component parts, students
discover tips on arranging, sweetening and mixing soundtracks. I often
create several alternative versions from one StackTraxx song to "compose"
a score that's more effective than plopping down a single music cut.
Individual StackTraxx layers also function as "before and after"
examples while explaining audio concepts such as compression, equalization
and other effects. StackTraxx layers can't be beat when surround sound
issues such as panning and Center/LFE channels come up.
I rely on both Editor's Toolkits and StackTraxx examples to make advanced
audio and video concepts clearer. Digital Juice products keep my audiences
engaged so that students comprehend more and leave excited and inspired
to improve their own videos.
Jeffrey P. Fisher teaches
audio/video postproduction techniques for VASST and at the College
of DuPage Motion Picture/Television department. |
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