Tips,
Tricks and Fun stuff Volume 1
More Information
Download
all the information about this DVD as a PDF
Check out our slide show demos for
animated Picture
in picture and animated monochrome
to colour
Once we have mastered the basics
of creating a slide show we generally want to move
on and try new techniques. Many of the techniques
we use in audiovisual are well tried and tested
and some date back to our film days. We can now
bring these techniques fully up to date for our
digital world and apply some of those to an animated
slide show too. These tips and tricks DVD's will
give you valuable information about how to speed
up the process of making a slide show, but best
of all introduce you to some great techniques to
make your slide show stand out from the crowd.
Once we embark on the fascinating
subject of Digital Audiovisual a whole new world
opens up to us. There are so many ways in which
we can add impact and interest to our slide shows
and this DVD will take you through many of those
step by step. We use full screen video with plenty
of slide show demos to explain how things are done
and have retained our practical way of working.
Here is a recent e-mail from a customer.
Barry's tutorials
are the very best I have ever seen. He never leaves
anything out and I always pick up something extra.
His tutorials are the only one's that you can follow
and get results from, unlike others that always
leave you hanging somehow. Thank you both very much.
The DVD Contains
Creating a monochrome to colour transition with
impact (Static images) - 10.33 minutes
This can be one of
the most pleasant effects or it can be terrible
if done wrong. It is very rare to be able to remove
colour from an image and be left with an acceptable
monochrome result. We almost always need to tweak
the monochrome image to bring out the contrast.
Here we demonstrate a number of ways we can do this
without spending all afternoon on one image. That
is just not practical when creating images for Audiovisual.
We include two slide show demos and a video tutorial
to take you through this technique.
Creating a monochrome
to colour transition with impact (Animated images)
- 11.00 minutes
With the introduction
of PTE 5 we now have the ability to add movement
to our images, pan, zoom, rotate and more. Here
we take this technique one stage further and demonstrate
how we can create movement of two images and have
that delicate fade from monochrome to colour during
the animation. We include a slide show demo and
a full movie tutorial to take you through this process.
The technique opens up wide possibilities for us
within audiovisual.
The image size debate.
- 05.09 minutes
With the introduction
of PTE 5 and animation within our slide shows, the
decision on what image sizes to use has been opened
up. Here we explain what this issues are and suggest
a practical way forward.
Re-sizing our images
- 12.05 minutes
Here we demonstrate
the best way in our view to resize images, that
not only ensures we have a PC screen filling image
every time, but we get to select just the part of
the image we wish to show. It takes seconds to crop
and resize our images at the same time. This is
the standard and favorite way the author uses for
his slide shows. In addition we explain how to set
up a pre-set value to our crop tool that we can
use again quickly and easily.
Sharpening of Images
- 04.27 minutes
After we remove lots
of resolution from our images for use in a slide
show they are almost certain to need sharpening
and here we show you how. What we have to keep in
mind now that PTE5 an animation has arrived is the
moiré effect. This is a very unattractive
ripple effect caused by images that are too sharp.
We cover ways to eliminate the moiré effect
in our picture in picture animation section.
Creating and applying Actions - 13.31 minutes
Once we have cropped
our images to slide show size, they may need a little
extra sharpening or need a thin line placed around
the edge and they will need to be saved to a folder
as a Jpeg image.
Carrying out these
tasks and others for 30-50 images can be time consuming
and monotonous. If you are a Photoshop user we show
you how to apply an action to these repetitive tasks
that you can use once or over and over again. We
can add warp speed capability to our slide show
creation process, but without losing any control
of our images at all.
Learn how to create
your own action Sets for all different repetitive
tasks and add as many actions as you like to that
set.
Using Photoshop's
Layers to create images for a slide show - 17.00
minutes
When we start the process
of selecting images it would be great if we could
crop to our slide show size with the second image
already perfectly in place and perhaps the third
and the fourth. Well, using layers we can and it
makes our transitions so much better.
For example: If we
have a series of landscape images used with a fade
transition, the horizon of those images can look
pretty awful when it is in a different place with
every picture. Here we show how we can fix that
using Photoshop or Elements layers.
For Photoshop users
we also demonstrate how we can save each layer of
a multi-layered stack as individual images. Not
only that, but we can tell Photoshop where to save
them, what format (i.e. jpeg) and what compression
setting too.
We also demonstrate
how this method of working can help us balance image
brightness and contrast so our images look better
within our slide show.
Creating the Picture
in Picture Technique (Static images) - 18.18 minutes
With the introduction
of PTE5 and animation this technique has another
aspect added. Here we deal with Picture in Picture
without animation first. Watch our slide show demos
and then move on to the tutorial video. We demonstrate
the techniques how we can use our portrait format
images within a landscape format slide show adding
interest and impact to the image sequence.
We demonstrate the
techniques using Photoshop or Elements layers to
correctly size the inset images and how we can add
some neat tips and tricks to make the insert images
stand out well from the image beneath. We include
other techniques like changing an image in our slide
show beneath the insets that once again adds interest
and variety to our slide shows.
This technique is a
must for AV enthusiasts
Creating the Picture in Picture Technique (animated
images) - 24.40 minutes
+ The Moiré Effect
First off, take a look
at our slide show demo that shows clearly this moiré
effect, but then goes on to show that it can be
completely eliminated.
In the video we demonstrate
how to create a stunning picture in picture effect
with animation. The techniques are similar in preparation
to the static version but very different in the
final creation. We explain how to program the animation
for speed and movement and make sure that you do
not suffer the dreaded moiré effect too.
Then watch the final demos to see how picture in
picture can enhance your slide show.
Creating an Introduction
String of Images and Title combined - 14.32 minutes
Here we demonstrate
the creation of a string of derivative images that
also includes our slide show title. This string
of images link perfectly into our slide show sequence.
We use layers and demonstrate how we can save individual
layers as separate images. This technique can be
varied enormously to suit your needs.
Creating an Edge
Effect - 09.16 minutes
Here we demonstrate
a quick and effective edge effect as used in our
tutorial demo from the subject above.
The Smoothing Line
and a new Transition - 06.38 minutes
PicturesToExe has a
new transition, but that transition comes alive
when we use it with the smoothing Line activated.
Not found the smoothing line yet? Then you need
to quickly. Here we demonstrate the new transition
and how to apply the smoothing line for great transitions.
Matching Images
to Music - 09.30 minutes
You may think I am
stating the obvious with this short demonstration,
but you may be surprised at how often authors just
miss the obvious.
Retaining smaller
images in PTE5 - 11.41 minutes
There are times when
we want to create a slide show that is less than
screen filling size. Here we explain how and point
out some issues with animation in those reduced
sized images.
Using Blend Modes
for creative AV - 20.00 minutes
Creative AV is what
makes our slide shows stand out and one of those
uses Photoshop or Photoshop Elements layers and
their blend modes. Some years ago this may have
been called superimposing one image on another.
Here we show you how to create the images for a
slide show.
Back Up to a Zip
File - New in PTE5 - 06.00 minutes
Here we demonstrate
a very good way to ensure that at the end of the
slide show creation process we can save all the
components of the show quickly and easily
Total Video running
time 194 minutes