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The initial
review of this tutorial pertained only to the CX Color
Corrector. Since that time, Adita Video has re-released
this DVD which now includes a module on the Dynamic Time Warp.
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Myron Achtman
and ADITA Video continue raise the bar when it comes to
Liquid Tutorials. Originally released as a single tutorial
covering the CX Color Corrector, this newest version of this DVD has
been enhanced to include a 70 minute tutorial, demystifying the
Dynamic Time Warp.
Dynamic Time Warp
Liquid Edition gives
you the ability to manipulate time but this tutorial shows you how.
The Dynamic Time Warp editor is more than just a slow-mo special
effect, it is a tool that allows you to create frame accurate
changes in how time is portrayed on the screen.
As with all Adita
tutorials, Myron doesn't simply instruct you to click here and click
there and voilą!... you're done. He takes the time to explain
the concepts of the tool and what you can achieve. Then,
through practical example, explains what was done and why.
By using the graphic
example of a man swinging a golf club, Myron clearly shows how this
tool can make your videos more interesting.
The Dynamic Time Warp
interface can be quite daunting, especially when one is viewing an
event as revealed through linear speed and duration graphs. But it
all begins to make sense as the tutorial carefully and methodically
progresses.
This tutorial is a
"listen and learn" experience, however the pace is slow and
deliberate enough, users can practice what is being taught, provided
they run LE in the background. The only thing I found fault on
was the omission of the golf video clip. It would have been
nice to "follow along" with the same video clip Myron was using in
the tutorial. I have since learned that this clip will be
included in the DVD's next version.
CX Color Corrector
This tutorial peels back the veil surrounding the
complexities of video color correction. Just about everything you ever wanted to know
about fixing bad color in your video is answered in this 3 hour
tutorial.
Fitting nicely onto
one single DVD (playable only from a PC), the CX Color Corrector is
divided into three sections. Part A serves as an introduction to the basics of "Color Theory."
Here, the viewer
gains an understanding of the concepts of color, hue,
saturation, brightness and tonal range. Anyone, short of
digital color experts, should spend the time
establishing a foundation for what is to come in the next section...
Instrumentation... understanding the CX Color Correction Tools.
Using Adobe Photoshop
to explain many of the basic tenets of digital color, this tutorial
does a stellar job in explaining even the most basic of concepts of
color correction.
One particular example hit home with me... when explaining the
values associated to the RGB scale, Myron related it to the workings
of a dimmer switch on a light bulb. Maybe its just the little things, but
it's these kind of subtle analogies that really helps to make a
tutorial really useful and is what
separates ADITA's tutorials from all others.
Research = Details
ADITA's
attention to detail is a direct result of their painstaking research
into their subject matter. But in this writer's opinion, it
can be a double edged sword. There were some sections which I felt could
have been tightened up a bit. Considerable detail was spent on
the science behind vector scopes and waveform scopes used within
Liquid Edition. As I watched examples
on the use of this technology, I kept saying to myself...
"c'mon
already I want to see how this stuff really works." I've
always been anxious that way, I guess I should have taken my
Ritalin before the review.
The third and final
section, Applications, concentrated on applying what you had learned
in A and B. I realize now, had I not spent
the time on the front end, learning about color theory, most of what
Myron was saying would have gone right over my head.
In Summary
As with other Adita
tutorials, quality is always paramount. Their use of professional
voiceover talent adds to it's polished look and feel. Product's packaging
needs to be improved upon.
I would have preferred to see this tutorial ship in high quality DVD
case as opposed to the flimsy thin gem I received. Oh well... if that's the worst thing I can say,
Adita has a winner on its hands.
Here is the bottom
line... This video tutorial is a must for any Liquid NLE owner,
regardless of your version. Get it now and refer to it often.
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