As the cost of the technology associated with film and video production continues to decrease, new enthusiasts and professionals continue to enter the field.

These new users of media production technology have spawned a whole new industry: training.

As media professionals, we've all become eager consumers of our own wares. Video and audio lessons or screen captures on CD, DVD and movies downloadable on the Web all seem to be very popular these days.

That's where Dean Velez's Anvel training series is different. No video. No sound. You'll find simple PDF instructions that are well thought out and clearly communicated, along with all the necessary assets to complete a project. At first, it seems a little disappointing. Where's the animated open or the introduction to the philosophy of the author? As a DVD-based trainer myself, I wondered how well I might pick up the material in the Anvel training CDs. As it turns out ... very well, thank you.

If you've ever viewed a training DVD or video, it can be very helpful to see what is actually being done as the instructor goes through the procedure. However, I've found over the years that I learn best when I have a project to work on. Watching someone else do something to learn works pretty well, but actually doing it yourself is even better. Anvel focuses on the doing-it-yourself part.

Following the instructions on the PDF documents may feel like reading the manual to some (the nerve!), but the difference is that a manual teaches the reader the tools, whereas Dean Velez teaches you technique. Each exercise reveals more about the seemingly-endless depth of Adobe's After Effects and Adobe Photoshop. Anyone who has become proficient with After Effects can tell you that there is nothing as good as experience. You need to jump in and start working to develop a feel for the software, even if it means simply training yourself through exploration.

The drawback is that experimenting with After Effects by yourself simply won't expose you to areas of the software that you don't know exist. These tutorials present a goal ... and the path to the goal leads the user through areas of the software that many new users (or experienced ones for that matter) may not even know are there. I know every time I go to an After Effects seminar I realize there are still pieces of it that I haven't really explored at all, and I have one of those "gosh" moments (family-friendly magazine--I never actually say "gosh" myself).

THE PROJECTS

The projects themselves produce results that look ambitious. Even the first lesson uses a number of layers and effect techniques to produce a complex composition. These projects are based on various motion graphic techniques you might see on network television. It's the kind of stuff that motivates motion graphic artists to learn and continue to grow in their craft. When you get to the end of every lesson, you've not only been exposed to a tool or effect (or several of both) inside the software, you've actually picked up a technique, learned the thinking behind it and executed it for yourself. Modern trends in motion graphics, such as dimensional depth, simulated light emission, mattes, animated strokes and theme-inspired text design, are all there. I can imagine a small market television station simply keeping the Anvel series in-house and training each subsequent artist as they arrive. The material is definitely network television inspired.

The Anvel After Effects and Photoshop CD series is the only commercially available "curriculum" for After Effects that I've seen. It does an excellent job of ensuring hands-on experience as there are really no passive activities involved whatsoever. The projects are designed to look as if they were "ripped from the television network's art department." This isn't surprising since Dean Velez has spent quite a bit of time in those very art departments. He's taken his multiple Emmy Award-winning experience as a cartoon animator, designer and art director and created a truly self-paced training tool. Velez has taught in multiple settings including college courses and holds the rare qualification of being an Adobe Certified Instructor in Photoshop, Premiere Pro and After Effects, as well as being a Certified Video Specialist Instructor.

The series subscription price is $299.99 for inside the US and $349.99 for all others, but Anvel is currently being offered at a discount of $199/$249 via the company Web site.

All material on the CDs is royalty free and can be used on the air or the Web, and online tech support is available to subscribers. In addition to the training CDs, there are more companion discs in the series that include all the assets needed for each exercise, plus additional assets. The material on these asset CDs ranges from footage to 3D elements to glows, and you'll even find some workflow papers for those of us who are focused on taking these techniques and thoroughly understanding them.

Any television station or production facility with motion graphic artists who use Adobe tools will certainly benefit from this training tool, and the subscription cost is about the same as sending one person to a day seminar.

An excellent product and an excellent value.

July, 2005  by Tim Kolb