I’ve used TechSmith’s Camtasia Studio for several years, and I like it a lot, but IU’s agreement with Adobe makes Captivate 6 the more attractive option because I can get it for free. Camtasia used to be the obvious choice for making full motion video recordings of your screen. That’s what Camtasia is designed to do, and it does it well. Full motion recording in previous versions of Captivate was not the greatest. Full motion is better in Captivate 6, not perfect, but better. By the way, Captivate 6 doesn’t refer to full motion recording as full motion. It’s called Video Demo mode. You can begin your project by choosing the Video Demo option, or choose Video Demo when it’s time to start recording your screen.  The interface changes a little when you start the project in this mode. You can learn more about it in this  Adobe TV video.  Skip to 02:06 on the timeline.

Choose Video Demo when starting your project.

When you record the action that’s happening on your screen it needs to be smooth and easy to follow. You have to know exactly what you’re doing, so before your record, take a practice run. For example, when demonstrating how to align shapes in PowerPoint, make sure you have the shapes selected so the Format tab will be available. Of course, practice doesn’t guarantee perfection. That’s where editing comes in.  You can simply trim the parts of the video that you don’t want.

Once you stop recording and return to the Captivate interface you’ll enter the editor by double clicking the clip in the timeline, and choosing Edit Video Demo in the Properties Panel.

Click Edit Video Demo in the properties panel.

The editor opens and you get a nice big view of your clip. You’d probably like to edit the clip to match its accompanying audio, but you can’t.  Maybe Adobe will add that functionality in the next release, but for now I recommend adding audio after the video is edited.

When the editor opens you’ll see your clip and a timeline beneath it. The Split  button allows you to split the clip into smaller segments. The Pan and Zoom button allows you to zoom in on and pan to different parts of the clip. When I tried using this function it seemed to cause problems when playing the produced video. Pan and zoom at your own risk.

To trim your clip, start by moving the playhead to somewhere in the middle of the clip before clicking the Trim button. If you click Trim first, you’ll have difficulty finding the In Point Marker. Use the Playhead to find your in and out points, and then place the markers accordingly. When you’re ready to complete the trim, click the Trim button again. It’s not very intuitive, but that’s how it works. You can edit other places in the clip. Just follow the same steps.

Timeline in editor view.

When you’re finished click Exit and save the changes.

Click Exit to save your edits.

If you like learning by watching, click the image below to see a short tutorial. Captivate 6 is a very useful tool. I encourage you to download it from IUware (IU students, faculty, and staff only), and give it a try.

Click this image to watch the video.

You can check out a preview of what the completed animated gif can look like by visiting this link. Keep in mind, this is a web page I designed to showcase the animated gif created for this specific tutorial. Uploading your completed animated gif directly to the web will not result in the animation being centered on the web page.

To begin with, I used Photoshop to create a series of images of which I kept in one folder. These images will act as the states for my animated gif. It is not necessary to use Photoshop to do this. You can create an animated gif with a series of photographs or a group of illustrations created in Illustrator in much the same way. Really, as long as you can open your files with Photoshop, you can create an animated gif out of virtually anything. The important thing to note is that each layer, or state, should be the same dimensions and resolution and will need to have something different, whether that change is slight or dramatic.

To start, we will open the first image in Photoshop.

Then, drag the other images over top the open Photoshop file and release. You can select all the images at once using the Shift command (holding down Shift while selecting individual images).

Once released, an “X” will appear over top the image. This is a short cut way to use the Place command. Use the Enter key to accept the position of each image (essentially, just press Enter until every layer is placed).

You can also use the Place command located under File on the Menu bar to place each image one at a time if you feel more comfortable doing so.

You will notice the Layers panel is now full with every image acting as a new layer. Be sure to unlock the Background layer (the original image we first opened) by double clicking it and selecting OK. We can now open the Animation pane and get started.

The Animation pane is located under Window on the Menu bar.

The Animation pane will appear below the canvas window and will fill up with a series of icons representing whatever layer you had selected at the time of opening the pane. This is okay.  This is the Frame Animation view. We will need to turn on the Timeline view for just a moment so that we can automatically create our frames from our layers.

To switch to Timeline view, click the button located in the lower right hand corner of the Animation pane.

Your Animation pane should change views. Notice the original button clicked to change views also has a new look. We will click this button again in a moment to change back to Frame view.

The reason for changing views was for the Make Frames from Layers command that is only accessible in Timeline view. It is located in the Animation pane fly out menu. To select the command, press on the fly out menu button (upper right hand corner of the pane window) and choose Make Frames from Layers.

Notice the canvas view has changed. Change the Animation pane view back to Frame view by clicking the button located in the lower right hand corner of the pane window.

Now the Animation pane makes a little more sense where each layer is represented by an icon in Frame view giving us a better idea of how our animation will work.

To test the animation, click the Play button on the bottom of the Animation pane. The animation moves extremely fast. We’ll want to slow that down somewhat and also add a few more frames by duplicating existing frames. To stop the animation, click the stop button.

To duplicate an existing frame, select the frame and click the Duplicate frame button located on the bottom of the Animation pane.

To move the new frame into a different location in the timeline, press and drag it and drop it where you want the new frame to sit.

You can also duplicate a series of frames at the same time by selecting all the frames using the Shift command and clicking Duplicate. Play around with the order of the frames and how many frames of each image your animated gif will contain. Frequently test the animated gif using the play function.

There are a couple of different ways to set the time for each frame. You can set the time for all frames at once or each frame individually. Notice that at the bottom of each frame there is an option to set a time delay. To change the time delay, press the drop down arrow and choose a time that you feel comfortable with. Use the Play command to determine if it is too fast or too slow.

To change the time delay for all frames at once, select all the frames using the Shift command or by choosing Select All Frames in the Animation Pane’s fly out menu. Then, on any one frame, use the Time Delay drop down to choose a time.

Once you have your frames in the order that you want and your time delays to where you are satisfied, there is only one more step before exporting as an animated gif. On the bottom of the Animation pane, be sure to choose Forever under looping options. By default, Once will be chosen. To change that, press the drop down arrow and choose Forever.

To save the animated gif, choose Save for Web and Devices under File on the Menu bar. In the Save for Web and Devices window, be sure that GIF is selected and click Save.

Locate your animated gif and press and drag it into a browser window for full effect.

While many of the new features in CS5.5 are simply small tweaks, probably the most alluring change has to do with processing speed. When CS5 came out, we learned that CUDA is an Nvidia technology that is used in GPU processing. This technology was used to speed up a number of processes in the last version of this application. Now, with CS5.5, there are even more effects, transitions, and behind-the-scenes processes that are affected by this technology. Adobe states that “…CS5.5 lets you edit faster than ever by offering industry-leading, cross-platform, native file-based workflows and GPU-accelerated filters and effects…”  Does that mean my machine won’t freeze up when I try to use time remapping or when I attempt to work with the alpha channel of a clip? If so, sign me up!

Changes in this technology are also said to improve the process of dealing with mismatched media, such as frame rate differences, pixel aspect ratio differences, and frame size differences. This, too, sounds promising.

Many of the other changes that I have read about are not quite as significant. For example, there are quite a few changes that deal with audio. Videographers who use a dual-system sound workflow will probably appreciate several of the new features. Now it is possible to use In points, Out points, timecode, or markers from two or more separate tracks when synchronizing audio and video. In addition, users can now use a feature called Merge Clips to lock a video clip to a separate audio clip so that the two can be manipulated as if they were one asset.

Another small revision has been implemented to make the files and folders  in the effects panel less clumsy and easier to work with. In CS5 there are 3 instances of every audio effect: one for mono, one for stereo, and a third for 5.1 audio tracks. It is necessary to select the effect that matches your audio track. In 5.5 Adobe has revised the audio effects folder so that one size fits all. Now each effect is only listed one time and when you apply the effect, Premiere automatically applies the instance of the effect that matches your audio track.

Yes, Adobe was definitely taking a good, hard look at the audio features in Premiere this time around. In fact, probably one of the most significant changes in the entire suite is the substitution of Soundbooth with Audition.  The Adobe Creative Suite 5.5 Master Collection and Production Premium editions will  come with this new audio editing application. Since I have always liked Soundbooth and use its dynamic link from within Premiere often, I’m not sure how I feel about this change yet. More to come on this topic in future blog posts…

Adobe Premiere Pro CS5.5 also makes it possible to attach a closed captioning data file to a sequence. While this version won’t allow you to output the closed caption text without the use of a third-party device and plug-in, at least it’s a step in the right direction.

Another significant improvement included with Premiere Pro CS5.5 is the ability to add keyframes directly into the timeline using the Pen tool or Selection tool without having to first enable keyframing. You will also be able to set keyframes without a modifier key.

I was also happy to hear that the trial version will include all the same codecs that are included with the full version. The trial version of Premiere Pro CS5 did not come with all of the codecs, and this caused a great deal of confusion for me and for many others. Apparently Adobe has learned their lesson here.

Lastly, if you currently use Final Cut Pro or Avid Media Composer, take note. This version of Premiere Pro supposedly makes it easier for you to import and export to, and from, both of these applications. This should make my colleagues in Media Productions happy.

For more information about Adobe Premiere Pro CS5.5, visit any of the following links:

• Adobe Help Site
• Adobe Blog
• Creative Cow Forum
• WMBB News 13 Site

Becoming Familiar with the Adobe Premiere Pro CS4 User Interface

Since most of the other Adobe apps have a similar look and feel, this short video can also be useful for those getting started with Photoshop, After Effects, Flash, Illustrator, etc.

Adobe CS5 Production Premium Preview

This presentation covered the new features and interactivity of Adobe Story, OnLocation, Premiere, Encore and After Effects CS5.

And don’t forget, on April 30th, we’ll be back discussing the Design and Web apps.  Keep an eye on the Web Community page for details.

Have you thought about creating a video of your own, but you aren’t sure where to begin? Do you have a video camera but aren’t sure how to transfer footage once you’ve captured it? Maybe you’ve gone out to buy a new camcorder but were overwhelmed by the many choices available? If you answered yes to any of these questions, you may want to check out the free IT Training & Education reference guide for beginning videographers.

 This learning module, called Video Basics: An Overview of Tools & Resources, is a comprehensive guide for beginners and it is free! You won’t have to spend hours searching the Internet, because all the most relevant information has been compiled into one convenient resource.

Below is a list of some of the topics that are covered:

• Types of video cameras on the market
• Storage formats
• Features
• Accessories
• Cords and connectors
• Lighting
• Audio
• Clothing
• Video editing software
• Transferring video footage
• Publishing
• Video compression, formats, containers, and codecs
• Media players
• Links to many useful websites, blogs, and movies
• Much, much more!

So if you have dreams of becoming the next Steven Spielberg, or if you are simply interested in filming your daughter’s dance recital, check it out. You won’t be sorry.

Video Basics – An Overview of Tools and Resources – In this workshop, Donna Jones will discuss the basics of video, starting with a discussion of cameras, and what features to look for, and then using Windows Movie Maker to edit a short video.  While working on editing the video, the process of shooting a movie will be discussed, including setting up lighting, getting good quality audio, and setting up good shots.  Donna will also discuss some simple ways to make your production look more professional.

After Effects: Text Animation and Video Basics – Adobe After Effects is an animation program focused on video production which allows you to combine video and animations into a single project and then export it into many common video formats. In this workshop, Andy Hunsucker will guide you through the creation of a short movie trailer that combines text animation, video, and background music, along with some animations created entirely within After Effects.  Participants will get a chance to spend time working in the interface, and learn the basics of the animation system and the effects system.

See the workshop descriptions to sign up.  If you can’t make it next week, we’re doing a rerun on 11/17 and 11/18.  And don’t forget about the same workshops being held at IUPUI.

If you are interested, go to:
http://www.utexas.edu/web/video/examples/index.php

Thanks U of T. Great job!

If you would like to learn how to use Windows DVD Maker to burn your movies to DVD, go to the following vista4beginners website:
http://www.vista4beginners.com/How-to-burn-a-video-DVD-using-Windows-DVD-Maker

If you are unable to attend this workshop, or if you just want more information about these complex topics, Spike TV provides an excellent video presentation that discusses them in a way that most everyone can understand. While the movie is fairly long (@15 min.), if you really need to understand codecs, container formats, and compression methods, you will be hard-pressed to find anything on the Internet that explains these concepts any better.

To view this video, click on the link below: