Starting a garage band has never been easier. In fact, you don't even need a garage. With Apple's Garageband for the iPad - which got a new update on May 1 - you can make music on the train, from a hotel room or in a park. With a few online software courses, you can sound like Mozart or Mos Def in a jiffy.
According to CNET, the newest update makes the mobile version of Garageband the most stable yet, and improves the ability to upload your most recent opuses from afar, via Facebook or iCloud.
In addition to making it easier to share your songs, the recent update also makes it harder to lose them. According to Macworld, the update fixed some minor issues that sporadically resulted in songs crashing or vanishing.
The most recent round of updates from Apple also brought renovated versions of iPhoto, iMovie, iTunes U and Cards - but only one brings out your inner maestro. With a little bit of online training and the new version of Garageband, making music will be easier than ever before.
Total Training is the leader in software training solutions, offering video and interactive instruction on leading software products from Adobe, Microsoft, Apple, and more. Click here to learn more about Total Training and see how it works.
High quality effects with Motion 5: The ideal companion to Final Cut Pro
What could make your Final Cut Pro program allow for even greater clip creation? The Motion 5 interface has been redesigned to make switching from two applications easy and efficient. Now more than ever, keyframe editing is becoming the standard view for the modern professional. The older interfaces take time to properly implement and can reduce your rate of production.
Video editors requiring the tools that enable intelligent template integration and streamlined workflow gain increased production through efficiency. Consider online training for high-quality effects, titles, transitions and image generators as you edit. The new parameter rigs save steps when you’re working with a large number of parameters and allows for easy adjusting with a slider, pop-up menu or checkbox - whichever is easier for you. The ability to switch to and from options quickly provides an ideal Smart Motion Template option for Final Cut Pro.
Combined with the rich content template library, which provides you a variety of titles, transitions, effects and generators, Motion 5 allows for further customization opportunities. Modify your software to meet your needs for every project.
Total Training is the leader in software training solutions, offering video and interactive instruction on leading software products from Adobe, Microsoft, Apple, and more. Click here to learn more about Total Training and see how it works.
Using online training to improve your podcasting
Podcasting is a fairly new phenomenon that came into its own due to the rise of the personal MP3 player - specifically the iPod. Podcasting can be an effective way of dispersing information to a large audience very quickly.
This can be useful in many professions, from a musician attempting to put out rough cuts of new ideas to a software company looking to show off videos of its newest capabilities. But podcasting won't be good for your company if you don't know how to utilize it.
Consider investing in online training to learn how to use the medium to your advantage. While they can function like a radio show easily enough, podcasts have proven that there are many differences that the savvy podcaster can take advantage of. The lack of censorship and sponsorship means that you can more specifically target an audience, and the fact that the people listening to your podcast are likely already interested in your company means you can be more specific and won't have to worry about appealing to everyone like a radio program would.
Podcasting can be a great tool, and online training to learn to use it can help greatly.
Use online training to help make school projects professional
Many universities offer students the chance to train their creative side. Filmmaking, for example, is a popular road for students to travel down, but in many classrooms, you're simply thrown into the mix with only the most basic training.
This can be tough when your grade is determined by the quality of your work, which is mostly gauged by your skill with editing. If you want a leg up with a program such as Final Cut Pro, consider investing in online training.
With this tool, you'll be able to learn more than the professor is likely to teach. Any questions you have will be easily answered and accessible anywhere, which can be quite useful if your editing takes place in a school-owned facility rather than on your own computer.
The online training will also help you to get the most out of Final Cut, allowing you to create good looking film even if you're forced to use equipment of a lower quality. Overall, it can help you to both improve your grade and your skills.
Total Training is the leader in software training solutions, offering video and interactive instruction on leading software products from Adobe, Microsoft, Apple and more. Click here to learn more about Total Training and see how it works.
Why you should use online training to advance your video editing skills
Video editing is a complicated job, and if it's yours, you're no stranger to the never-ending list of things to keep track of. Luckily, many video editing programs, like Apple's Final Cut Pro, are user-friendly. This can allow you to figure out most of the basics on your own.
Still, while basics are important, knowing how to do the complicated tasks can move the quality of your work from adequate to excellent. It's difficult to get the most out of software you don't fully understand, and that's why you should look into online training.
Online training can give you those more subtle skills that you need to take your work to the next level. It can also be an effective resource for researching a specific task you don't know how to accomplish. You can even use the training as a refresher anytime you've let one skill or another get a bit rusty.
Investing in online training is a great way to improve the quality of your work as well as make yourself a more appreciated and useful employee.
Total Training is the leader in software training solutions, offering video and interactive instruction on leading software products from Adobe, Microsoft, Apple and more. Click here to learn more about Total Training and see how it works.
Use Final Cut to improve video advertisement
With the introduction of the internet into everyday life, it's become much easier to spread information to the masses. It has been an especially useful tool for advertising. If your company is looking to break into this field, consider investing in online training for Final Cut.
Creating a video advertisement is a complicated process, and you don't want to make the mistake of simply filming the scenes in order on a camera and hoping it works right. Instead you should do your work in a quality non-linear video editing program such as Final Cut.
Final Cut will give you the ability to shoot multiple scenes and a number of takes and b-rolls and still be able to edit them all into a cohesive and entertaining commercial. It will allow you to add effects, audio and even correct various mistakes and visual problems.
Investing in online training is a great way to become better at editing and will help make your internet video advertisements much better.
Total Training is the leader in software training solutions, offering video and interactive instruction on leading software products from Adobe, Microsoft, Apple and more. Click here to learn more about Total Training and see how it works.
How to use proper audio editing to improve your advertisements
Video is an effective form of advertising, but quality is important. A poorly made commercial will only drive customers away with the impression that you make everything as poorly as your ad.
One of the most important aspects of any quality film (particularly those that feature multiple scene changes) is audio quality. If the audio is bad, viewers will have no reason to listen to what you have to say because it would take too much effort to piece it together.
One of the first things you should do is always put a crossfade between audio clips. This helps the audio to run smoothly from the beginning of the ad to the end without any irritating choppiness. Doing so gives your ad a smoother run and a greatly improves the quality.
You should also take advantage of Final Cut's ability to help you dub over improper lines. Watch the player window and try to match mouth movements perfectly to get a better quality sound without distracting background noise.
Look into online training to help learn how to perfect these and more uses of Final Cut Pro to make your work better and easier.
Total Training is the leader in software training solutions, offering video and interactive instruction on leading software products from Adobe, Microsoft, Apple and more. Click here to learn more about Total Training and see how it works.
How to use a green screen to make your videos better in Final Cut Pro
Many companies have embraced the internet and its ability to offer multimedia content in a convenient way. They've taken advantage of easy video embedding and free Youtube subscriptions to add a news aspect to their company websites.
Still, it can be easy to fall into the habit of having a person simply stand in front of a camera and read all of the industry news they wish to share. You can make this aspect of your business much better with the use of a green screen.
Having your anchorperson stand in front of a green screen for their broadcast will allow you to put any number of images behind them, whether having the image match the industry or to help give the illusion of on-location reporting. It's also possible to place a video beside them and have it play relevant clips or hold related pictures.
With the proper online training, using Final Cut Pro to help control green screen technology can be a great way to please your customers.
Total Training is the leader in software training solutions, offering video and interactive instruction on leading software products from Adobe, Microsoft, Apple and more. Click here to learn more about Total Training and see how it works.
Apple offers Logic Pro through its app store
Logic Pro is a popular audio and music editing program that was exclusively offered through Apple products. Though it was an Apple exclusive, it was also sold for quite some time in a box set as software that had to be manually installed. Following a trend set by Final Cut X, Apple has decided to do away with boxes and disks and offer Logic Pro solely through Apple's Mac app store.
Apple has additionally dropped the cheaper version of the software, Logic Express, as a result of this change. The formerly $500 software has been reduced significantly during the move and now costs only $199. The pro version also comes with more functionality and free access to all of Apple's stock loops, instrument samples and various audio effects.
Other applications that once came with the Logic studio are no longer being offered, but keep an eye on the app store - they may one day reappear.
How to create a dreamlike flashback filter in Final Cut Pro
Whether for humor, backstory or revelation purposes, an inserted flashback can be a great tool for a filmmaker. The problem with flashbacks isn't in the writing or the filming, but in the delivery. It's important for the audience to recognize a flashback as such, and it can be disruptive to simply have words flash on a screen or for dialogue to indicate it.
Many films have therefore used a variety of filters to achieve these results. For a dreamlike and happy flashback effect, add a glow effect while also including a vignette layer. This will brighten up the picture while softening the edges for a classic look.
Desaturation can be another good effect for indicating flashbacks. Remove the color from a historical flashback, such as one that features an event that has come back all these years later to haunt the main characters.
For a gritty revelatory flashback that shows a dark point in a characters past, go the opposite of the happy flashback from before. Decrease the brightness, but keep the vignette feature, to maintain a point of reference for the audience.