Training
Review: Total Training for CS3 Production Premium Workflow, Pg. 3
Unfortunately, on the negative side, just like previous incarnations of Total Training, you still can’t choose to keep the training always on top, which means you have to keep toggling between your training window and your actual work window. The possibility of seeing both screens at once is virtually impossible, unless you have two monitors, because Total Training has very limited resizability options. Currently there is Full size, 100%, and 50%, without any way to resize the screen manually; 50% is small enough to fit alongside your program window decently, but it is too small to see easily; and 100% is too big to get the program screen alongside, even on my 21” monitor. If they aren’t going to provide a manual resizing selection, I would hope future versions would give a 75% size option, as that should be big enough to be easily seen, yet small enough to fit a decent-sized program screen beside it.
Bob, unlike most of the other Total Training trainers, seems aware of the resize issue and verbally describes much of what he is doing. This provides many areas where you can follow his training just by listening. Of course, if you ever get lost, it’s a simple matter to click back to the training screen, rewind the video, and see exactly what he does visually.
Perhaps one of the more enjoyable tutorials shows you how to separate an animal from its background and use the Puppet tool to animate him realistically.
Value vs. Cost
As you can guess from my glowing review and the high score, this training is well worth the cost, not just because of the information conveyed, but also because of the way it really gets you thinking of the CS3 Production package as a total unit, rather than a bunch of separate pieces. Once you realize the combined benefits and capabilities, you’re empowered to create more engaging films, and likely to try things that would have been too time intensive or overwhelming, before CS3 came along to combine it all.
You can pick this up for $99 or buy a year’s worth of Online Training from Total Training for $299. If you only need this training or have a slow connection, then go ahead and get it on DVD. However, if you want more specific training of different software packages and have a fast connection, then the Online training is definitely the way to go.
Overall Comment
Total Training always makes great training, but this package is perhaps the best I’ve personally used. I would highly recommend it to anyone who owns CS3 Production Premium. (Or, if you’re seriously looking at CS3 Production Premium, watching this training will make you go ahead and fork over the cash to buy or upgrade to it!)
Comprehension
10.0
Depth
of Information
9.5
Interest
Level
10.0
Reusability
10.0
Value
vs. Cost
10.0
Overall
Score
9.9
The
director of two feature length films and half a dozen short films,
Jeremy Hanke
founded Microfilmmaker Magazine to help all no-budget filmmakers make
better films. His first book on low-budget special effects techniques, GreenScreen Made Easy, (which he co-wrote with Michele Yamazaki) was released by MWP to very favorable reviews. He's curently working on the sci-fi film franchise, World of Depleted through Depleted: Day 419 and the feature film, Depleted.
