This ideal quick reference to Adobe's motion graphics and visual effects software package, After Effects, includes an easy-to-understand collection of instructive examples that are simple to understand and put into practice. Readers learn how to open and install After Effects and be up-and-running "out of the box" immediately.

In this book the author "shares his professional insight to ensure you get the most out of all the tools Adobe's Premiere Pro offers. All the essential areas are covered: set-up, capture, editing, audio, effects and working with Photoshop, After Effects and Encore. Featured are many workflow tips that show how to tap into the full power of Premiere Pro creating you own digital movies."--Back cover

Software programs are complex, the books that explain them shouldn't be. This thoroughly illustrated, full-color guide explains everything you need to know to get up and running quickly with Adobe Encore DVD 2.0 without any extraneous information or complicated, detailed explanations. The author focuses solely on the key features you will need to start producing and mastering professional-quality DVDs immediately in order to avoid overloading you with too many details. Learn best practices for planning your project, importing video and audio assests, creating professional-looking menus, and adding custom project elements. Abundant illustrations, screenshots, and concise, results-driven text makes this the ultimate guide to getting up and running quickly with Encore DVD. The Focal Easy Guide Series: * Start working with new software immediately regardless of your level * Achieve professional results, learn practical skills from industry experts * Focused, user-friendly coverage of the key tools you need to know

Software programs are complex, the books that explain them shouldn't be. This thoroughly illustrated, full-color guide explains everything you need to know to get up and running quickly with Combustion. Get a jump-start learning the major features or the software without bogging you down with unnecessary detail. The author shares his professional insight and extensive training experience to ensure you'll get the most out of all the professional paint, animation, editing and 3D compositing tools Combustion offers. Also featured are many workflow tips which show how to tap into the full power of Combustion 4 in your effects and motion graphics work. For useful tips and tutorials, visit the book's companion site at www.focalpress.com/companions/0240520106

If you don't know where to start in Photoshop and feel overwhelmed with the options, then this is the book for you. With highly visual step-by-step explanations, this concise guide gives you a solid grounding in using Photoshop to edit digital images and helps you develop a full understanding of the key tools and features of Photoshop CS2. Brad Hinkel guides you through a simple image editing workflow to get you up and running fast. If you want solutions quickly and easy access to any basic step of the workflow, this guide provides the essential knowledge you need. Filled with step-by-step projects and covering all the key new features of Photoshop CS2: Camera RAW, Reduce Noise, Smart Sharpen and Spot Healing Brush.

If you need to get to grips fast with creating interactive graphics and animation in Flash - then look no further! Whether you are a new user or a professional, this highly visual book is all you need to get up and running with the latest powerful upgrade - Macromedia Flash 8. Birgitta Hosea breaks down the software into its main components and offers simple, visual step-by-step instructions to explain the fundamental practical techniques you need to create finished projects. The accessible style and structure lets you dip in and out when working on a project, or work straight through to explore more of the program's capabilities and develop your skills. Written by a designer for designers The Focal Easy Guide to Macromedia Flash 8 offers a thorough coverage of the basic features of Flash, without going into in-depth coding with ActionScript. Birgitta Hosea is a motion graphics artist and Course Director of the London Animation Studio at Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design. Her experience ranges from designing moving branding to art directing pop promos and short films. A Volume in The Focal Easy Guide Series. The Focal Easy Guide series: . Starting working with new software immediately regardless of your level . Achieve professional results, learn practical skills from industry experts . Focused, user-friendly coverage of the key tools you need to know

Confused by ActionScript? Want to get to grips with creating interactive graphics and animation in Flash quickly? Whether you are a new user or a professional illustrator, designer or animator experienced in other animation and effects packages, this highly visual, color book will be all you need to get you up and running with the latest powerful upgrade - Flash MX 2004. Birgitta Hosea uses tried and tested material based on her teaching, breaking down the software into its main components and providing lots of screenshots and simple step-by-step instructions. This encourages you to get the most out of the programme and fully develop your skills, whilst allowing those with particular needs to 'jump ahead'. The structure and style, influenced by her commercial and creative expertise, allows you either as a student or professional to dip in and out according to the needs of your specific projects, but also allows the exploration of the programmes capability when you have more time. It is a generalist, accessible, visual and a truly introductory guide, written from the perspective of a designer with a thorough coverage of the basic features of Flash MX 2004, without going too in-depth into coding with ActionScript. Birgitta Hosea is a motion graphics artist and Course Director of the London Animation Studio at Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design. Her experience ranges from designing idents and promotional materials to working as an Art Director on pop promos and short films.

This highly illustrated, full color book tells you all you need to know to get up and running quickly using DVD Studio Pro to achieve professional results. All the essential areas are covered: preparing your assets, the DVD SP interface, setting up your DVD, adding tracks, building menus, adding markers, building slideshows, making subtitles and multiplexing. An invaluable first read for users of all levels who want to author DVDs professionally!

This is the only book on the market to focus exclusively on the creation of visual effects for After Effects users, and is a one-stop resource for anyone who wants in-depth explanations that demystify the realm of visual effects and how they were created, thanks to veteran author Mark Christiansen's friendly and accessible style. A thoroughly packed, informative read, this masterful guide focuses on explaining the essential concepts, features, and techniques that are key to creating seamless movie-quality visual effects. Users who are comfortable with After Effects will find a helpful review of the fundamentals - managing footage, viewing and editing layers, animating type, and more - so they can learn how to work smarter and more efficiently. Readers of all levels will learn core techniques for effects compositing including color matching, keying, rotoscoping, motion tracking, emulating the camera, and concluding with using expressions in After Effects, written by contributor and expert Dan Ebberts. An incredibly useful appendix on scripting in After Effects is included as well, written by Adobe engineer Jeff Almasol. The final section of the book delves into creative explorations, demonstrating professional effects that are commonly seen in films and games which readers can re-create. Readers will also find comprehensive coverage of all that's new and makes this version of Adobe's effects programa must-have update, including the revolutionary new Roto Brush, all new effects such as the New Refine Matte effect, new support for Color Look-Up Tables, workflows that take advantage of the all-new 64-bit support, inclusion of third-party tools for additional creativity, and much more. Note from the publisher: FREE Adobe After Effects CS5.5 updates are available for this title. Simply register your product at www.peachpit.com/register and you will receive the updates when they become available.

Edit and apply effects for stellar visual and special effects This important resource is like having a personal instructor guiding you through each lesson, while you work at your own pace. It includes 10 self-paced lessons that let you discover essential skills and explore the new features and capabilities of Adobe After Effects. Every lesson is presented in full color with step-by-step instructions. Video tutorials and lesson files on a companion DVD were developed by the same team of professional instructors and After Effects experts who have created many of the official training titles for Adobe Systems. Combines a full-color, step-by-step instructional book along with lesson files and video training from expert instructors Written for After Effects CS6, a leading motion graphics and visual effects program that allows users to create and deliver compelling motion graphics and visual effects Demonstrates how to quickly get up to speed using After Effects to create and animate text, images, and video for the web, TV, and digital displays After Effects CS6 Digital Classroom takes you from the basics through intermediate-level topics, teaching you this complex software in a clear, approachable manner. DVD and other supplementary materials are not included as part of the e-book file, but are available for download after purchase.