I’m presenting over 20 hours of training at the POST|Production World Conference at NAB Expo this year. I’m also the Chairperson of the Photoshop for Video 2-day mini-conference (Day 1 | Day 2). For those that were interested in what I will be teaching and when, here’s my class schedule for the week:

 (I’ll also be presenting several sessions for FREE in the ArtBeats booth. I’ll post that schedule next week.)

4/11/08, Fri 12:00 PM -  3:00 PM

Fast Start with Adobe After Effects

Not sure which effects suite is right for you? This is your chance to take a good look under the hood of Adobe After Effects, one of the most powerful and popular dynamic design applications on the market today. Learn the basics from an experienced industry professional, who will take you through an intense overview of the program and answer any questions you may have.
Audience: Anyone interested in learning more about Adobe After Effects.

4/12/08, Sat 9:00 AM - 10:15 AM

Mastering the After Effects Timeline

To many users skip over the timeline and go right to playing with filters and effects when they first start using After Effects. But if you learn to master the timeline, you master the power of After Effects. Join Rod as he unlocks the mystery of one of After Effects mos overlooked feature sets.

Audience: Anyone who ever wondered how they could work faster in the timeline and what all of the little icons were for.

4/12/08, Sat 2:00 PM - 3:15 PM

Fractal Noise: Backgrounds and Textures by the Dozen

Motion graphics projects need backgrounds. Alpha channels, blending, crossfades, filters, 3D camera moves and simple movements can breath life into any backdrop. After Effects and Photoshop both offer great tools to do this kind of work. Learn how both of these programs enrich your final product.

Audience: For motion graphic artists wanting to add another level of sophistication to their projects.

4/13/08, Sun 2:00 PM - 3:15 PM

Keying with Adobe Ultra II

Yes, other programs have keying options but Ultra II was built for it. Ultra II can produce broadcast-quality composites and deliver great results for DV-format video sources and HDV/HD. Along with superb keying ability, you can also add virtual camera-move effects. From keying wrinkled backgrounds, frizzy hair, smoke, liquids, transparent objects, to other challenging keys, Ultra 2 can handle it. Come scratch the surface of this robust tool and learn about keying from a finer perspective.

Audience: Experienced NLEs and Motion Graphic Artists interested in understanding keying in Adobe Ultra II.

4/13/08, Sun 3:30 PM - 4:45 PM

After Effects Most Wanted

The majority of effects used on a day-to-day basis in most projects are pretty basic. The techniques and methods are recipes that change little from project to project. But if you don’t know the basic recipes, you’re in big trouble! In this session, we will run through a short-list of some of the most commonly used techniques. We will break down how they are put together, and where and how they are applied. In the end, you will see that the underlying work in the majority of effects is pretty simple and that a basic knowledge of these techniques allows you to tackle a great range of work.

Audience: Anyone interested in After Effects. Duh!

4/14/08, Mon 3:30 PM - 4:45 PM

Accelerating After Effects

Do you want to take rendering speeds from slow to supersonic? Wondering how to dramatically increase your workflow speed in AE? By the end of this class you will be on your way to a supersonic workflow and rendering. You’ll master the render queue’s many options.

Audience: All users who are tired of waiting. Beginners will appreciate learning tricks that a lot of pros don’t know. Seasoned animators will appreciate picking up essential timesaving enhancements.

4/14/08, Mon 5:00 PM - 6:15 PM

Special FX for TV/Film/Web

Whether you’re using Photoshop, After Effects, or other apps, they all have their bag of tricks. However, what “special” techniques are you missing up your sleeves? Come in, sit down, and learn a handful of FX that will help you achieve future success.

Audience: Beginner to intermediate NLEs and Motion Graphic Artists looking to learn new FX.

4/15/08, Tue 10:00 AM - 1:00 PM

In-Depth: Photoshop CS3 Extended for Video

Photoshop CS3 Extended offers many new options that work well for motion graphics designers. From video layers and 3D objects to video preview and an enhanced animation palette. Photoshop CS3 Extended will change how you work with video and build animation elements.

Audience: Anyone interested in this new exciting version of Photoshop that directly imports and exports video files.

4/15/08, Tue 2:00 PM - 3:15 PM

Color Correcting Photos for the Screen

Are you honestly reading all of these class descriptions? Seriously, look at the title. What do you think this class is about?!

Audience: Anyone who chuckled at my class description.

4/16/08, Wed 10:00 AM - 1:00 PM

In-Depth: Creative Title Design and Lower Thirds using Photoshop CS3

Learn about typography, title treatments, design elements, alpha channels, layer masks, special filter combinations, DVD menu design, and anything else I can think of to fill 3 hours of classroom time.

Audience: Anyone who’s got 3 hours to kill and is tired of walking around on the show floor. Oh, and has a computer. And at least a bootleg copy of Photoshop or After Effects. Or both.

4/16/08, Wed 5:00 PM - 6:15 PM

Perfect Alpha Channels with Photoshop CS3

Do you understand Alpha Channels? Do you REALLY understand them? Good, then come up and teach the class while I sit down and take a break… it’s been a long week. OR bring me a Coke and a candy bar and I’ll show you how to use channels, layer masks, and selection tools to extract images and create alpha channels that play friendly with video applications. Great transparency starts with perfect layer masks. It’s essential to master this important skill in order to achieve better composites.

Audience: This class is suitable for all levels of users and will teach you essential compositing skills.