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Editor's picks

• 

  Adobe After Effects CS6

  Software (Adobe)
  List Price: $999.00
  Price: $958.00
  You Save: $41.00 (4%)

  Responsive 64-bit performance-Work effectively on high-resolution projects-even at 32-bit-per-channel color in HD, 2K, and 4K compositions. See longer previews using all system RAM. Spend less time waiting and more time creating with smart disk caching.

  Global Performance Cache-Create more in less time, even in high-resolution projects. This revolution ?under the hood? makes After Effects fast and responsive by taking full advantage of the 64-bit power in your computer?s hardware.

  Innovative compositing and animation tools-Create high-impact communications by combining moving imagery, still images and graphics, text, and sound in 2D or 3D space and then animating virtually any aspect of each element.

  Unlimited creative options-Manipulate moving and still images using hundreds of effects such as the Warp Stabilizer; combine effects to create Hollywood-caliber special effects.

  Unmatched integration with industry-standard Adobe applications--Enjoy a streamlined workflow with support for importing Adobe Photoshop images that include layer and vanishing point exchange data.

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• 

  Adobe After Effects CS5 Classroom in a Book

  Book (Adobe Press)
  

  Rating (14 reviews):

  (3.9/5)

  

  After Effects Deconstructed

  This book won't explain the program in detail, however it WILL get you up to speed with 14 lessons encompassing the most widely-used features of After Effects. The included CD offers lesson files and examples of finished projects-a great way of viewing the result you're aiming for. Everything about the book is well organized and the chapters start off with the basics (such as animating text and shape layers), leading up to the Roto Brush tool and advanced editing techniques.I went through several of the lessons in order to get a feel for the book's accuracy, learning curve, and program features. I did find a few areas in the book that could have benefitted from an additional diagram or two (e.g. Restore Frame Size from the Render Queue panel was never found, though the book described it, assuming that it was easy enough to find. Not so.)As someone familiar with many Adobe products, I found that After Effects has a much higher learning curve. I ventured to the... 4/5 Ariane Colenbrander "ariane c" (Vancouver, BC) - See all my reviews, August 29, 2010

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  It Empowers You to say, "I CAN DO THIS!"

  I've been enamored with After Effects since 1993 when it's founder, CoSA had it, before it went to Aldus and inevitably Adobe, over a very short period of time. I've studied it; I've even rubbed elbows with some of the planet's foremost After Effects experts but like Premier and Soundbooth, I've never mastered any of them as I have InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop, and others. Now a deadline is breathing down our necks so we are in crash learning mode for all three apps. We go way back with Classroom in a Book (Photoshop 5, maybe)? As a book series, it has had a few bumps in the road, mostly at the turn of the century, but of late (Creative Suites and beyond), they've been terrific. I've reviewed five Classroom in a Book (CIB) volumes for CS5, so far, in our quest to master the Master Collection. They've all gotten five stars from me (or disallowed fractions there of). December 27, 2010, I published a lengthy review of Premier Pro CS5. It was my favorite, so far. I compose these... 5/5 M. Media Studios Inc. "M2 Media Studios, Inc." (Northern Virginia (West of DC)) - See all my reviews, December 28, 2010

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  A clear and thorough introduction to the basics of After Effects CS5, including its newest features

  While some software guides focused on a new product simply add a few new sections to reflect upgrades, this book has been thoroughly rewritten and could easily stand alone as a solid introduction to After Effects. As you would expect in a guide published by Adobe, this "official training workbook" has been revised completely to reflect what's new in . It begins with the basics, but includes chapters on the new rotobrush, on color correction with the new Synthetic Aperture Color Finesse 3 plugin, on building 3d objects within After Effects, and on using mocha to track motion. So this would be a nice refresher for those who haven't used After Effects in a while, and a great introduction for those who are just starting out with After Effects now. For a more thorough introduction to some of the basic features of After... 4/5 Nathan Andersen "film lover, philosophy profe... (Florida) - See all my reviews, August 1, 2010

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  List Price: $59.99
  

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• 

  Adobe After Effects CS6 Mac

  Software (Adobe)
  List Price: $999.00
  Price: $958.00
  You Save: $41.00 (4%)

  Innovative compositing and animation tools-Create high-impact communications by combining moving imagery, still images and graphics, text, and sound in 2D or 3D space and then animating virtually any aspect of each element.

  Responsive 64-bit performance-Work effectively on high-resolution projects-even at 32-bit-per-channel color in HD, 2K, and 4K compositions. See longer previews using all system RAM. Spend less time waiting and more time creating with smart disk caching.

  Unlimited creative options-Manipulate moving and still images using hundreds of effects such as the Warp Stabilizer; combine effects to create Hollywood-caliber special effects.

  Unmatched integration with industry-standard Adobe applications--Enjoy a streamlined workflow with support for importing Adobe Photoshop images that include layer and vanishing point exchange data.

  Global Performance Cache-Create more in less time, even in high-resolution projects. This revolution ?under the hood? makes After Effects fast and responsive by taking full advantage of the 64-bit power in your computer?s hardware.

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• 

  Creating Motion Graphics with After Effects: Essential and Advanced Techniques, 5th Edition, Version CS5

  Book (Focal Press)
  

  Rating (38 reviews):

  (4.6/5)

  

  The Advantage Over Video Tutorials

  I am a Video Editor and After Effects Artist, but while I did study After Effects in college, I never used it in my career until recently. At my job, I was given tasks that required minimal After Effects knowledge. However, recently, I have been put to the task of more complicated work. Each time, I have been able to find a tutorial and seek help on forum boards or from co-workers. However, I really am tired of that. When I am given an advanced project, I am stressed, seeking an answer sometimes through the night or weekend. I am embarrassed to have to ask co-workers, and sometimes a tutorial does not address an issue that's tripping me up. So I seriously considered giving up on After Effects, but almost everyone wants an editor who knows After Effects now.In college, this book was our textbook. Now as a working professional, I have purchased it again for myself. But now, there are a ton of After Effects VIDEO tutorials. I have gone through the Essentials training on... 5/5 L. Young (New York, NY) - See all my reviews, January 15, 2011

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  Everything there is to know about AE

  I'm new to AE. As anyone who has tried to use AE (or just about any Adobe product) knows, there are way too many features for anyone to be able to just sit down and figure the program out on your own which is what I had been doing before I came across this book. I totally agree with the authors' remarks in the introduction that they have "crammed in numerous Tips, Gotchas, and Factoids... as well as [warnings] about situations where [a given feature] will not work". The book has over 700 pages and I still think "crammed" is a good word. I have yet to find a page that could have been left out due to lack of interesting content.As a new user, I really appreciate the sample projects that are included because I, like most people, learn best by DOING. For the same reason, I appreciate the wealth of screen shots. For newbies like myself, it is important to read the book from beginning to end and not skip around because many of the chapters assume you have already read the... 5/5 ut158 (USA) - See all my reviews, December 15, 2010

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  Great Book. Loads of material.

  This is without a doubt the best motion graphics book there is. This takes you though the many different tools of After Effects and shows examples on how to use them. It's pricey, but worth it. A very through guide to say the least. It also comes packed with a DVD of extras which are great, and not just fluff. Highly recommended. 5/5 Daniel Broadway - See all my reviews This review is from: Creating Motion Graphics with After Effects: Essential and Advanced Techniques, 5th Edition, Version CS5 (Paperback) This is without a doubt the best motion graphics book there is. This takes you though the many different tools of After Effects and shows examples on how to use them. It's pricey, but worth it. A very through guide to say the least. It also comes packed with a DVD of extras which are great, and not just fluff. Highly recommended. Help other customers find the most helpful reviews  Was this review helpful to you? , July 6, 2010

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  List Price: $69.95
  

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• 

  Adobe CS5.5 Production Premium Student and Teacher Edition

  Software (Adobe)
  

  Rating (4 reviews):

  (4.2/5)

  

  great price

  Gotta hand it to Adobe for giving such a generous discount to students compared to Apple. Everything works just like it would with the normal retail copy. My only complaint is you have to wait a day or two for Adobe to approve your student status. They have you send them a photo/scan of your ID, transcript, etc to show you are in fact a student or whatever.Oh and I don't know if it's a new thing since the last reviewer bought CS5.5, but when Adobe emailed me my serial number they also included a 32bit CS4 serial and a serial for Color Finesse 3. 5/5 Conrad - See all my reviews Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?) This review is from: Adobe CS5.5 Production Premium Student and Teacher Edition (Software) Gotta hand it to Adobe for giving such a generous discount to students compared to Apple. Everything works just like it would with the normal retail copy. My only complaint is you have to wait a day or two for Adobe to approve your student status. They have you send them a photo/scan of your ID, transcript, etc to show you are in fact a student or whatever.Oh and I don't know if it's a new thing since the last reviewer bought CS5.5, but when Adobe emailed me my serial number they also included a 32bit CS4 serial and a serial for Color Finesse 3. Help other customers find the most helpful reviews  Was this review helpful to you? , September 12, 2011

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  Adobe Production Suite 5.5

  Thanks for the great service and for providing me with a superior product. I am impressed that at a busy time of year service remained out standing, thanks again, peace 5/5 Jim Foley - See all my reviews Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?) This review is from: Adobe CS5.5 Production Premium Student and Teacher Edition (Software) Thanks for the great service and for providing me with a superior product. I am impressed that at a busy time of year service remained out standing, thanks again, peace Help other customers find the most helpful reviews  Was this review helpful to you? , January 16, 2012

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  BEWARE! You cannot activate the included CS4 32bit programs without DAYS of tech support.

  (Updated 8/11/11)If you use a 32bit version of Windows you probably already know that Premiere Pro and After Effects 5.5 are 64bit only apps. You cannot install them on a 32bit system. Adobe actually HAD everyones best interest at heart when they decided to include 32bit CS4 versions of those programs on disk 4, with their compliments. Too bad they didn't explain this fact to tech support or the people over at Identit-E who issue the serial numbers for this edition.Since this edition doesn't come with a serial number in the box you must visit a website which you upload the required documents and wait for them to email you a serial number. Surprisingly they sent a serial number in less than 2 days. Not bad!CS5.5 loaded just like it said it would, skipping the 64bit apps since it's installing on a 32bit system. No problem. Entered the serial number, no problem, and it installed reporting a couple errors probably related to the missing 64bit apps. But... 2/5 C5pilot (Philly suburbs) - See all my reviews Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?) This review is from: Adobe CS5.5 Production Premium Student and Teacher Edition (Software) (Updated 8/11/11)If you use a 32bit version of Windows you probably already know that Premiere Pro and After Effects 5.5 are 64bit only apps. You cannot install them on a 32bit system. Adobe actually HAD everyones best interest at heart when they decided to include 32bit CS4 versions of those programs on disk 4, with their compliments. Too bad they didn't explain this fact to tech support or the people over at Identit-E who issue the serial numbers for this edition.Since this edition doesn't come with a serial number in the box you must visit a website which you upload the required documents and wait for them to email you a serial number. Surprisingly they sent a serial number in less than 2 days. Not bad!CS5.5 loaded just like it said it would, skipping the 64bit apps since it's installing on a 32bit system. No problem. Entered the serial number, no problem, and it installed reporting a couple errors probably related to the missing 64bit apps. But... Read more Help other customers find the most helpful reviews  Was this review helpful to you? , August 5, 2011

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  List Price: $1,699.00
  Price: $429.00
  You Save: $1,270.00 (75%)

  Video-production software--create video for virtually any screen

  Game-changing innovations like Adobe Mercury Playback Engine

  Accelerate video-production workflow with enhancements in speed and efficiency

  Tightly integrated best-of-breed video, animation, compositing, audio, and design tools

  Collaborate efficiently; ultra-efficient post-production workflow

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• 

  Adobe After Effects CS5 Visual Effects and Compositing Studio Techniques

  Book (Adobe Press)
  

  Rating (27 reviews):

  (4.4/5)

  

  An essential guide to After Effects mastery - especially for those working on film postproduction - but not really for beginners

  I first became interested in After Effects as a result of reading Stu Maschwitz's . When I actually started learning the program, I became fascinated for a while with its abilities to create "cool" looking animations. Ultimately, though, I wanted to learn it in order to put finishing touches on video projects, to make them look as good as they possibly could. That's really what this guide is about - learning how to become an effective power user of After Effects for video postproduction work. It's no accident that Stu Maschwitz wrote the preface to this guide - and that he and Mark Christiansen worked together at the Orphanage visual effects studio. There's lots of advice on a wide range of subtle issues, many of which I'd never faced before and had to just catalogue as "things to be aware I might need to know when... 5/5 Nathan Andersen "film lover, philosophy profe... (Florida) - See all my reviews, December 11, 2010

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  Great update to Solid book

  If you're looking for a crash course in compositing within Adobe After Effects, thanks to the revisions, this book is now the best one stop solution for compositing.Prior editions required a working knowledge of After Effects. This edition assumes you know little.I bought this book despite owning prior editions. I have not upgraded After Effects from CS4. So why buy? For one, the author has taught for a few years, so he's more aware of what potential buyers DON'T know about After Effects and compositing.That means there writing is less terse than the CS4 edition of this book. It's more inviting. More details and explanations. More illustrations for concepts. And revised chapters.The author has rewritten and expanded on the green screen section, which is really why I bought this book.The DVD comes with new video material. I only wish it came with a PDF copy of the text for portability. 5/5 Anthony Torres "anthonytorres .com" (Orlando, FL USA) - See all my reviews This review is from: Adobe After Effects CS5 Visual Effects and Compositing Studio Techniques (Paperback) If you're looking for a crash course in compositing within Adobe After Effects, thanks to the revisions, this book is now the best one stop solution for compositing.Prior editions required a working knowledge of After Effects. This edition assumes you know little.I bought this book despite owning prior editions. I have not upgraded After Effects from CS4. So why buy? For one, the author has taught for a few years, so he's more aware of what potential buyers DON'T know about After Effects and compositing.That means there writing is less terse than the CS4 edition of this book. It's more inviting. More details and explanations. More illustrations for concepts. And revised chapters.The author has rewritten and expanded on the green screen section, which is really why I bought this book.The DVD comes with new video material. I only wish it came with a PDF copy of the text for portability. Help other customers find the most helpful reviews  Was this review helpful to you? , November 4, 2010

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  Great for After Effects newcomers too

  I am finding this book incredibly helpful in my journey to not only understanding the basics of After Effects CS5 but, more importantly understanding the underlying logic of After Effects -- all essential to making it After Effects work as a video art form.While Mark mentions in the book's intro that this is not a book for beginners, I am a relative newcomer and I am finding the book helpful and in fact indispensable. First of all his initial Section does indeed cover the working foundations of After Effects in a way that both advanced and, newcomers such as myself, can easily understand. In addition sprinkled on almost every single pages are tips that beginners (and advanced users) will find essential and time saving, and thus creative enhancing.Importantly, Mark's writing style is enjoyable and entertaining and is making my journey into the magic of After Effects something that I am looking forward to.I was one of the first persons ordering... 5/5 Rowby (Rowbyville, CA) - See all my reviews Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?) This review is from: Adobe After Effects CS5 Visual Effects and Compositing Studio Techniques (Paperback) I am finding this book incredibly helpful in my journey to not only understanding the basics of After Effects CS5 but, more importantly understanding the underlying logic of After Effects -- all essential to making it After Effects work as a video art form.While Mark mentions in the book's intro that this is not a book for beginners, I am a relative newcomer and I am finding the book helpful and in fact indispensable. First of all his initial Section does indeed cover the working foundations of After Effects in a way that both advanced and, newcomers such as myself, can easily understand. In addition sprinkled on almost every single pages are tips that beginners (and advanced users) will find essential and time saving, and thus creative enhancing.Importantly, Mark's writing style is enjoyable and entertaining and is making my journey into the magic of After Effects something that I am looking forward to.I was one of the first persons ordering... Read more Help other customers find the most helpful reviews  Was this review helpful to you? , November 5, 2010

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  List Price: $59.99
  

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• 

  Adobe CS5.5 Production Premium Student and Teacher Edition [Mac]

  Software (Adobe)
  

  Rating (6 reviews):

  (3.8/5)

  

  Film Students, this is the package to get!

  For a quick review, here it is: Works exactly like the retail/pro version, has all the plugins/extras/functionality you'd expect, but costs 75% less! All you have to submit is a valid student ID or college transcript, and they release a code to unlock the software. Usually takes about 3 days to receive, and you're good to go as far as your imagination will take you.UPDATE: No watermarks or education restrictions! You can use this edition for commercial work now...thanks to Laura from the comments.http://www.adobe.com/sea/special/education/students/studentteacheredition/faq.htmlNow, if you want a longer review, continue reading:CS5.5 is the best bang for your buck in the industry, and I say that as someone who has dealt with film/TV workflows on a daily basis. I was a live-and-die Final Cut guy for much of that time, and had always thought that Final Cut Studio was the best software value that was also professionally capable. That all changed with Final... 5/5 RedTerrier "Extended Mags" (Los Angeles, CA) - See all my reviews Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?) This review is from: Adobe CS5.5 Production Premium Student and Teacher Edition [Mac] (DVD-ROM) For a quick review, here it is: Works exactly like the retail/pro version, has all the plugins/extras/functionality you'd expect, but costs 75% less! All you have to submit is a valid student ID or college transcript, and they release a code to unlock the software. Usually takes about 3 days to receive, and you're good to go as far as your imagination will take you.UPDATE: No watermarks or education restrictions! You can use this edition for commercial work now...thanks to Laura from the comments.http://www.adobe.com/sea/special/education/students/studentteacheredition/faq.htmlNow, if you want a longer review, continue reading:CS5.5 is the best bang for your buck in the industry, and I say that as someone who has dealt with film/TV workflows on a daily basis. I was a live-and-die Final Cut guy for much of that time, and had always thought that Final Cut Studio was the best software value that was also professionally capable. That all changed with Final... Read more Help other customers find the most helpful reviews  Was this review helpful to you? , January 6, 2012

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  Student Discount Problems

  I would strongly suggest to anyone trying to get an Adobe student discount, use your student ID. Don't waste your time doing it any other way. Adobe doesn't tell you that if you submit a school receipt, it will have to be on a school letterhead, including all pertinent information and then including a school stamp. Yes they treat even cashiers receipts similar to an official transcript.I ordered the production premium discount package through customer service and I asked specific questions about what I would need if I didn't have an ID. They told me in was acceptable to send in a printed class receipt. I placed the order and received Adobe's answer in 2 days. They said they couldn't accept the receipt because they couldn't verify the institutions name. That didn't make any sense because the name and address were clearly on the printout. So I called Adobe customer service again and they told me that the receipt would need to be on letterhead. I then cancelled the order... 2/5 Aaron Dill (Oregon) - See all my reviews, January 13, 2012

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  Runs like a dream, for the most part

  Installed this on my dual-core pentium iMac (still running Leopard) alongside a (different) CS4 pack with no issues. Programs run fine, though I haven't had the chance to check out all of them yet. In a month or so of using this pack, I've had one major work-losing crash in After Effects (caused by something Photoshop was doing), and sometimes Illustrator hangs up upon quitting, but I'm upgrading to Snow Leopard soon and hope that fixes these issues (and crossing my fingers that new ones don't crop up).As far as the student discount goes, the process was quick and painless. Unlike a few years ago, when I bought my CS4 and had to wait 3 days and send two proofs of enrollment, this time all they asked for was my university email address. I received my serial number instantly. Only potential problem I can see is the instructions for submitting your student discount request are located inside the package, which can't be returned once opened. So, if for whatever reason Adobe... 4/5 Laura Tripp (Chanute, KS United States) - See all my reviews Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?) This review is from: Adobe CS5.5 Production Premium Student and Teacher Edition [Mac] (DVD-ROM) Installed this on my dual-core pentium iMac (still running Leopard) alongside a (different) CS4 pack with no issues. Programs run fine, though I haven't had the chance to check out all of them yet. In a month or so of using this pack, I've had one major work-losing crash in After Effects (caused by something Photoshop was doing), and sometimes Illustrator hangs up upon quitting, but I'm upgrading to Snow Leopard soon and hope that fixes these issues (and crossing my fingers that new ones don't crop up).As far as the student discount goes, the process was quick and painless. Unlike a few years ago, when I bought my CS4 and had to wait 3 days and send two proofs of enrollment, this time all they asked for was my university email address. I received my serial number instantly. Only potential problem I can see is the instructions for submitting your student discount request are located inside the package, which can't be returned once opened. So, if for whatever reason Adobe... Read more Help other customers find the most helpful reviews  Was this review helpful to you? , January 8, 2012

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  List Price: $1,699.00
  

  Tightly integrated best-of-breed video, animation, compositing, audio, and design tools Game-changing innovations like Adobe Mercury Playback Engine

  Video-production software--create video for virtually any screen

  Accelerate video-production workflow with enhancements in speed and efficiency

  Game-changing innovations like Adobe Mercury Playback Engine

  Tightly integrated best-of-breed video, animation, compositing, audio, and design tools

  Video-production software--create video for virtually any screen Accelerate video-production workflow with enhancements in speed and efficiency

  Collaborate efficiently; ultra-efficient post-production workflow

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  Adobe After Effects CS5 Digital Classroom, (Book and Video Training)

  Book (Wiley)
  

  Rating (3 reviews):

  (3.7/5)

  

  A Good, Solid After Effects Book

  Full disclosure: I know Jerron Smith, he's been a colleague of mine in the past and I like the guy.Now, that aside, I can still say that I highly recommend his book. There are a number of After Effects books on the market, and many that present themselves as all you need to know t get started with After Effects. This book does this more effectively, in a an attractive well-presented series of ten valuable lessons. Contained within these is a robust training course in a software package that has strong user base that is growing.I highly recommend this book. 5/5 William Byrne "bill_byrne" (Round Rock, TX) - See all my reviews, March 7, 2011

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  Great series!

  You can't go wrong with this series! The step-by-step process is laid out in a concise yet thorough way that makes the experience educational and productive. There are some great exercises in here for all level of users! 5/5 Sean McKnight - See all my reviews, November 29, 2010

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  Stay away

  Poorly written book. Jumps all over the place. Asks you to open to the project file on every page while it had never asked to close the project on the previous page. Poor graphics, impossible to see any of the icons. The authors need a course on how to write a book. 1/5 A Grateful Reader (Wishing for A Humane World) - See all my reviews Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?) This review is from: Adobe After Effects CS5 Digital Classroom, (Book and Video Training) (Paperback) Poorly written book. Jumps all over the place. Asks you to open to the project file on every page while it had never asked to close the project on the previous page. Poor graphics, impossible to see any of the icons. The authors need a course on how to write a book. Help other customers find the most helpful reviews  Was this review helpful to you? , July 23, 2011

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  List Price: $49.99
  

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  Adobe After Effects CS5 Classroom in a Book

  eBooks (Adobe Press)
  

  Rating (14 reviews):

  (3.9/5)

  

  After Effects Deconstructed

  This book won't explain the program in detail, however it WILL get you up to speed with 14 lessons encompassing the most widely-used features of After Effects. The included CD offers lesson files and examples of finished projects-a great way of viewing the result you're aiming for. Everything about the book is well organized and the chapters start off with the basics (such as animating text and shape layers), leading up to the Roto Brush tool and advanced editing techniques.I went through several of the lessons in order to get a feel for the book's accuracy, learning curve, and program features. I did find a few areas in the book that could have benefitted from an additional diagram or two (e.g. Restore Frame Size from the Render Queue panel was never found, though the book described it, assuming that it was easy enough to find. Not so.)As someone familiar with many Adobe products, I found that After Effects has a much higher learning curve. I ventured to the... 4/5 Ariane Colenbrander "ariane c" (Vancouver, BC) - See all my reviews, August 29, 2010

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  It Empowers You to say, "I CAN DO THIS!"

  I've been enamored with After Effects since 1993 when it's founder, CoSA had it, before it went to Aldus and inevitably Adobe, over a very short period of time. I've studied it; I've even rubbed elbows with some of the planet's foremost After Effects experts but like Premier and Soundbooth, I've never mastered any of them as I have InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop, and others. Now a deadline is breathing down our necks so we are in crash learning mode for all three apps. We go way back with Classroom in a Book (Photoshop 5, maybe)? As a book series, it has had a few bumps in the road, mostly at the turn of the century, but of late (Creative Suites and beyond), they've been terrific. I've reviewed five Classroom in a Book (CIB) volumes for CS5, so far, in our quest to master the Master Collection. They've all gotten five stars from me (or disallowed fractions there of). December 27, 2010, I published a lengthy review of Premier Pro CS5. It was my favorite, so far. I compose these... 5/5 M. Media Studios Inc. "M2 Media Studios, Inc." (Northern Virginia (West of DC)) - See all my reviews, December 28, 2010

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  A clear and thorough introduction to the basics of After Effects CS5, including its newest features

  While some software guides focused on a new product simply add a few new sections to reflect upgrades, this book has been thoroughly rewritten and could easily stand alone as a solid introduction to After Effects. As you would expect in a guide published by Adobe, this "official training workbook" has been revised completely to reflect what's new in . It begins with the basics, but includes chapters on the new rotobrush, on color correction with the new Synthetic Aperture Color Finesse 3 plugin, on building 3d objects within After Effects, and on using mocha to track motion. So this would be a nice refresher for those who haven't used After Effects in a while, and a great introduction for those who are just starting out with After Effects now. For a more thorough introduction to some of the basic features of After... 4/5 Nathan Andersen "film lover, philosophy profe... (Florida) - See all my reviews, August 1, 2010

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  List Price: $47.99
  

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  Adobe Premiere Elements 10

  Software (Adobe)
  

  Rating (41 reviews):

  (3.2/5)

  

  Finally! PE10 is a winner

  Coming from Premier 9, I didn't notice a significant visual difference between 9 and 10. The biggest differences are under the hood, like 64-bit Win 7 support. The program moves smoother and more seamlessly than previous versions. One of my biggest gripes with the previous two versions of PE was horrible performance with Nvidia laptop graphics cards. Well, I'm now running a new laptop sporting a quad-core Sandy Bridge processor, 64-bit Windows 7 Home Premium and a 1GB Nvidia GPU and so far, have experienced no problems. Knock on wood, all seems to have been resolved between the two.Installation is simple. There are five disks in the package. Disk one is for 32-bit Windows, disk two is for 64-bit Windows, disk 3 for Mac and the remaining The interface is pretty much the same although there are more options for improving color balance and exporting clips. Capturing also seems quicker and less problematic than previous versions. There are several options for capture... 5/5 J.H.S. (Pennsylvania United States) - See all my reviews, November 6, 2011

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  *Maybe* not worth an upgrade

  [review has been updated - more comments at bottom]I've been using Premier Elements 7 (PE7) for a couple of years, and it is reliable, predictable, and efficient. I mostly record things from my TV tuner card, from which I create DVD's without having to go through any additional hoops. I do not make many home videos or do outside production work.I've been playing with the evaluation copy of PE10 and there are some alarm bells going off. My complaints are:1. CRITICAL - Endless looping while "conforming" .AVI files that PE7 handled without any problem at all2. ANNOYING - Always starts up in full-screen, even with a project that was saved in non-full-screen mode. Granted, it's a few mouse clicks to shrink the window, but PE7 always opened existing projects in whatever state they were saved in.3. ANNOYING - an updater component running in the background. Can't see the need, myself. That should be my choice, not Adobe's.4. ANNOYING -... 3/5 Okay, listen ... (Huntsville,AL,USA) - See all my reviews This review is from: Adobe Premiere Elements 10 (Software) [review has been updated - more comments at bottom]I've been using Premier Elements 7 (PE7) for a couple of years, and it is reliable, predictable, and efficient. I mostly record things from my TV tuner card, from which I create DVD's without having to go through any additional hoops. I do not make many home videos or do outside production work.I've been playing with the evaluation copy of PE10 and there are some alarm bells going off. My complaints are:1. CRITICAL - Endless looping while "conforming" .AVI files that PE7 handled without any problem at all2. ANNOYING - Always starts up in full-screen, even with a project that was saved in non-full-screen mode. Granted, it's a few mouse clicks to shrink the window, but PE7 always opened existing projects in whatever state they were saved in.3. ANNOYING - an updater component running in the background. Can't see the need, myself. That should be my choice, not Adobe's.4. ANNOYING -... Read more Help other customers find the most helpful reviews  Was this review helpful to you? , October 20, 2011

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  No Render for You! NEXT!!

  Premiere Elements, including v10 is the Soup Nazi of video editing software. If you walk the straight and narrow path, and avoid:- memory card based video recordings- large images- downloaded video and audio files- too many many edits- long videos... well then it may choose render a video for you. But if you want a general purpose video package that can handle different video and audio sources and render them to basic files or DVDs, you may be disappointed. If you have a youngster like me who puts together videos for school projects, well you can expect tears, frustration, and sleepless nights trying to get the program to deliver. Imagine spending hours getting your video apparently perfect in PE and then having no ability to save the video.I've used the last 3 versions, 8.0, 8.01, 9, and now 10 and I'm throwing in the towel. I've scoured the web for help, posted in help forums, I have the latest NVIDIA card and drivers, a... 1/5 S. Roberts (Atlanta, GA) - See all my reviews This review is from: Adobe Premiere Elements 10 (Software) Premiere Elements, including v10 is the Soup Nazi of video editing software. If you walk the straight and narrow path, and avoid:- memory card based video recordings- large images- downloaded video and audio files- too many many edits- long videos... well then it may choose render a video for you. But if you want a general purpose video package that can handle different video and audio sources and render them to basic files or DVDs, you may be disappointed. If you have a youngster like me who puts together videos for school projects, well you can expect tears, frustration, and sleepless nights trying to get the program to deliver. Imagine spending hours getting your video apparently perfect in PE and then having no ability to save the video.I've used the last 3 versions, 8.0, 8.01, 9, and now 10 and I'm throwing in the towel. I've scoured the web for help, posted in help forums, I have the latest NVIDIA card and drivers, a... Read more Help other customers find the most helpful reviews  Was this review helpful to you? , November 3, 2011

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  List Price: $99.99
  Price: $77.99
  You Save: $22.00 (22%)

  Enjoy your photos and videos virtually anywhere you are, and get automatic online backup with 2GB of free storage

  Take the work out of video editing with automated moviemaking options

  Add professional polish with amazing visual and audio effects

  Quickly showcase clips and movies anywhere, including on discs, HD TVs, Facebook, YouTube, and interactive Online Albums

  Adobe Premiere Elements 10 software helps you turn milestone moments into memorable movies with a complete video-editing solution

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