Posts Tagged apple
Digital Audio & Music Production for Teens @ Digital Media Academy Summercamp 2010!
Digital Media Academy News + Events | April 1st, 2010 by Tyler Winick
That’s right, this summer The Digital Media Academy is holding digital audio & music production courses for teens! The class covers all you need to know about digital music production. Learn to record, use loops, sample, mix, master and output to make professional music right on you desktop computer or laptop! You’ll get a sense of how to work with a variety of techniques to produce outstanding digital audio under the supervision of an industry pro who will help you bring your audio ideas to life. In addition, you’ll get your hands on the latest digital audio production equipment and musical instruments. Each student will be provided their own top of the line computer equipped Logic Pro 9 and will be guided step by step in the creation of their own music and audio productions.
This summer course is tailored for all skill levels and is 5 days of non-stop fun and learning. If you are new to creating music, have some experience, or want to know how to make music that sounds like your favorite artists, this summercamp is for you!
Sign up today for a great summer computer camp experience @ prestigious Universities across the United States.
http://bit.ly/9rZi7Q
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Digital Photography Lesson : Tips from DMA Pros with Aperture
Digital Media Academy News + Events | March 26th, 2009 by Philip Harding
Written by Jeff Sobel of the John Lennon Bus
In my last post I talked about the saturation and vibrancy adjustments in Aperture 2. I mentioned that these powerful tools are great when you want to adjust the color in the entire image but not a good solution for selectively adjusting color in only parts of the image. Aperture provides an often overlooked tool which is fantastic for making these types of selective adjustments. It’s the Dodge and Burn plugin and it can be found in the Images>Edit With> menu as seen in the screen grab below:
Though Dodge and Burn is included with Aperture 2 it is actually a plugin so when you select it in the menu your image opens up in a new window. It’s much like sending the image to an external editor except that it’s more tightly integrated with Aperture. The name Dodge and Burn comes from the darkroom technique of using a card to dodge (lighten) or burn (darken) select areas of a photo print while it is in the chemical bath to manipulate the exposure of the photograph. The Dodge and Burn plugin in Aperture 2 allows you to do the same thing with your mouse, no noxious chemicals required. The great thing about the D&B plugin is that it not only allows you to adjust light/dark but a half-dozen other effects as well, including saturation (see screen grab below).
By playing with this tool you’ll quickly learn how to manipulate the color saturation in certain areas of your image while leaving other areas in their natural state (or manipulating those areas in a different way). Here are some examples (all images can be clicked to embiggen).
I took some photos at a friend’s wedding last year. They were married in Golden Gate Park and the grass and trees were a vibrant green. I found that even though I had a fairly shallow depth of field that threw the background out of focus the vibrant color of the plants was distracting the eye from the important parts of the image (the bride and groom!).
I wanted to reduce the saturation of the plants and people behind my subjects to separate the bride and groom from the background. However, I couldn’t simply reduce the saturation in the whole image because I certainly didn’t want to take away from the bride’s amazing gown. So I turned to the Dodge and Burn plugin. Using the Desaturate setting I ‘painted’ desaturation onto the background. It took a little time but I loved the results:
By applying the same effect to all the photos a consistent look can be achieved which can really tie an album together (much like a good rug ties the room together). Here are a few more examples of using the Dodge and Burn plugin to desaturate the background while leaving the subjects vibrant:
Before:
After:
Now here’s one final example that has a similar look but was produced using a slightly different method. Instead of using the D&B plugin to desaturate the background in this photograph I first reduced the color by adjusting the saturation and vibrancy sliders in Aperture:
Then I sent the image to the Dodge and Burn plugin and using the Saturate setting I added color back into the photograph by carefully painting the bride’s dress and the flower lei each is wearing.
Spend some time with the Dodge and Burn plugin and I think you’ll find it can do some interesting things to your photographs. These are the same techniques you will learn in this summer’s Digital Photography and Photoshop courses at Digital Media Academy.
Or, you can learn Photoshop with DMA on a Final Cut Pro and Photoshop Cruise this summer! Learn more about DMA on the Sea!
Video Compression Class at Stanford University : by Ben Wagonner
Digital Media Academy News + Events | March 9th, 2009 by Philip Harding
Written By Ben Waggoner
Wow, the year just keeps skipping past; this post has been on my to-do list for a month now. And my video compression classes are approaching at a rapid pace, with signups for Digital Media Academy @ Stanford University already open!
These classes are among the highlights of my year. I never learn faster than when I’m teaching, particularly when I get the great students that attend the sessions. Skill levels vary widely, and the course is designed to accommodate that. But everyone’s got something unique they’re trying to do, whether it’s a supervisor of a high-volume compression department getting up to speed on new formats, or an educator incorporating videos of marine animals into the classroom. And it’s those real-world projects where the rubber meets the road. The focus of the classes is on hands-on art, science, and craft of video compression. It’s all about how to get the best results out of real-world content with real-world workflows, within all the real-world constraints we have to operate under.
When Microsoft was recruiting me back in 2005, one of my top requirements was that I keep on teaching these classes, with full freedom to cover the formats and technologies that matter, even if competitive with our own. It was an easy sell – they understand the value of me understanding everything. And of course, now that VC-1 is a SMPTE standard and Silverlight is getting H.264 support, the era of proprietary media formats is over anyway. So while we’ll certainly spend time with VC-1, WMV, and Silverlight, we’ll also cover MPEG-2, MPEG-4, Flash, DVD, Blu-ray, Ogg Theora, and other formats and players based on class interest.
Class time is roughly split between lectures/demos and hands-on time doing projects. Each student gets their own workstation loaded with the latest and greatest compression software and related tools.
And I really encourage students to bring along some of their own content and projects, particularly one’s they’ve been having trouble with. Nothing beats that kind of variety of real projects to teach the tips and tricks of our craft.
DMA computer training classes offer Stanford Continuing Studies academic credit, and so are generally covered by corporate education benefits.
Stanford University: August 10-14
Mastering Video Compression
This is the one that started it all; 2009 makes it a full decade since the very first 2-day class I did for the Stanford library science department on authoring QuickTime for education . We’ve been doing the current week-long format for eight years now. The program that ran that class evolved into the Digital Media Academy, which now runs a very wide variety of classes. My 9 year old son came along last year to take a great LEGO Robotics course the same week. He and James Clarke (who took the class) really hit it off; the three of us can deliver quite a whirlwind of nerdish intensity.
Since it’s a one week intensive, it works as a destination class; we get people flying in from around the world. On-campus dorm rooms are available (and quite nice; I stay in one), with other lodging options available, and a meal plan.
Parents and Children enjoy DMA's Summer Training Courses and Summer Camps
Digital Media Academy News + Events | March 2nd, 2009 by Philip Harding
DMA offers fun and creative learning for the whole family!
Have you ever wished that you could attend a summer camp just like your children? Well now you can. This summer, Digital Media Academy’s adult, teen, and kids summer programs will allow both you and your children to learn the latest in creative technology. And while youre busy producing digital movies, creating web sites, or designing games, you’ll also get to share in your child’s learning experience-first hand. Imagine what dinner conversations will be like instead of the typical, So what did you do today?”
Digital Media Academy: Creative Technology Immersion
The Digital Media Academy provides adult learners, including teens and kids, college students, K-20 educators, and industry professionals with a weeklong learning experience in a summer retreat or camp environment. In addition, participants can earn 4 quarter units of Stanford Continuing Studies credit. Courses include 3D Animation, Web Design, Strategies of Game Design, and Digital Video. Digital Media Academy attracts award-winning instructors such as Ben Waggoner (“world’s greatest compressionist”), New York School of Visual Arts’ Steve Adler, and veteran ABC producer and best-selling Final Cut Pro author, Tom Wolsky among others.
Summer Courses for Adults
Computer Camp for Teens
Computer Camp for Kids
Going to the CUE Conference & Training with my MacBook Air!
Digital Media Academy News + Events | March 2nd, 2009 by Philip Harding
Written by Jaime Walden of the John Lennon Bus
Hello Blog,
Today is a wonderful day. Thanks to the Digital Media Academy, I will now be traveling in style with my new MacBook Air. Or, as Brian calls it, “Our first MBA!” MACGyver and myself will be taking our first trip together to Palm Springs, CA for CUE 2009 March 5-7. Over the course of our days there, we’ll be conducting a high school recording session and video premiere, giving tours, and holding “Ask the Expert” video production, web design, iLife, and special effects demos with the Digital Media Academy at our booth. Stop by and say hello, MACGyver and I will be the two smallest ones there.
On Mama’s Jukebox: Elliott Smith – “Ballad of Big Nothing”
DMA Highlights the New Media Consortium and the Horizon Project
Digital Media Academy News + Events | February 28th, 2009 by Phil Gibson
The Digital Media Academy, along with companies like Apple, Adobe and Sun Microsystems, is a Corporate Sponsor of the New Media Consortium. The New Media Consortium (NMC) is an international 501(c)3 not-for-profit consortium of nearly 300 learning-focused organizations dedicated to the exploration and use of new media and new technologies. Given the relevance to our own mission of providing effective and relevant digital media training, we are pleased to support a leading organization dedicated to researching and promoting best uses of digital media in teaching and learning. One of major ways DMA participates in the New Media Consortium is at their annual conference. This year in Monterey, California (June 10-13, 2009), we will be conducting hands-on sessions in a classroom sponsored by Apple. Sessions will include Final Cut Pro training and other Apple Pro-Apps training.
One of the major contributions of the New Media Consortium is the Emerging Technology Initiative. The goal of this project is to uncover emerging technologies that have potential for adding great value to creative expression and education. Emphasis is placed on uncovering how these technologies will impact the future and be relevant given emerging trends in technology and education. The Horizon Project is the centerpiece of the Emerging Technology Initiative, and the NMC’s annual Horizon Report is one of the most widely-read publications in higher education.
This year’s 2009 Horizon Report is now available, and I wanted to highlight something I found especially interesting. One of the “Key Trends” identified is the emerging affinity for computer games as learning tools by students entering college and the workforce. One example of game-based learning is the Global Challenge Award, an online science program for pre-college students, age 14-17. Online and social gaming among kids is extremely popular (obviously), and it is fueling the success of game-based learning. Social gaming is also helping create a generation of kids who respond very well to learning methods that are interactive and social. Most learning institutions have not recognized this opportunity to engage students more effectively, but I suspect in the next several years we will see more schools augmenting their learning methods to be more social, perhaps incorporating more game-based learning where appropriate. One irony here is that many parents (myself included) do not readily make the connection between developing social and interactive learning skills and online computer games. Something to think about!
Tips From DMA Pros: Finder in OS X
Digital Media Academy News + Events | February 27th, 2009 by Ben
Here’s a recap of the keyboard shortcuts I cover in this movie.
Navigation:
Cmd-N: New Finder Window
Cmd-Down: Navigate Into Selected Folder / Open Selected Item
Cmd-Up: Navigate Out of Current Folder
Cmd-Click Folder Icon: Display Folder Hierarchy (Ctrl-Click also works)
Click-Drag Folder Icon: Move Current Folder
Create/Delete:
Cmd-Shift-N: New Folder
Cmd-Delete: Delete Items
Cmd-Shift-Delete: Empty Trash
Cmd-Opt-Shift-Delete: Empty Trash Without Prompting
Info/Customization
Cmd-I: Open Info Window for Folder/File
Cmd-Opt-I: Open Info Window for Currently Selected Folder(s)/File(s)
Cmd-J: Folder View Preferences
Cmd-1: Change View to Icon View
Cmd-2: Change View to List View
Cmd-3: Change View to Column View
Cmd-4: Change View to Cover Flow View
Quicklook:
Press Spacebar in Finder to QuickLook Files and Folders
How to Make a Music Video : Learn the skills at a DMA Course
Digital Media Academy News + Events | February 26th, 2009 by Philip Harding
Have you ever wanted to know how to make a music video like professionals in the music industry?
Digital Media Academy is offering a week-long Music Video Production training course at many prestigious universities across the U.S. Get involved with the multi-billion dollar music industry. Get a jump start in your career! Mix beats, record samples, and create a sweet video production in just one week. This 5 day class will teach you the techniques of making music and making videos – then mixing the two skills together.
Learn the skills to make music videos like you’ll see on MTV and VH1. Work on the latest computer equipment, video equipment, audio recording equipment, production software and cameras. The only limit is your creativity at DMA summer camps!
Check out the Music and Video Production Course.
Digital Media Academy offers teen film camp experiences, film camps for kids, and professional level video production and digital filmmaking courses for adults.
Computer Camp for Teens
Computer Camp for Kids
Using Training Courses for Art, Web, Film, Print, Marketing : Improving my business!
Digital Media Academy News + Events | February 26th, 2009 by Philip Harding
Written by Artist / Designer Robert S. Lindsey : DMA Alumnus
WOW! I had an amazing and intense learning experience at DMA! From the moment that I stepped onto the Stanford campus I new that this event would change my life forever. Digital Media Academy gave me the ability to create my own website (www.bettermurals.com) and portfolio. After returning for multiple years I have been able to design all my new art on my iMac that I bought through DMA for an amazing discounted price.I don’t wast any time or supplies when I am working on my art due to my expertise with Photoshop and Flash.
Last summer I spent a week invested in learning Final Cut Pro and mastering my HD camera so that I can introduce streaming video onto my site with time-laps promos of my murals. This video technique has been a feature that my clients love. Clients can now see how I work, and my company has the professional, impressive edge that I need in this economy.
I actually spend most of my time in front of my Mac. If I am not designing… I am designing. I am also a partner in the very successful marketing and design firm : www.redefinedesign.com. We specialize in building and maintaing company identities and ongoing branding through various medias: web, print, interactive, promo, etc… Our ground breaking relationship plan is specifically designed and tailored to each client. I am signed up for After Effects courses this summer and we are sending a few of our designers to get some training with DMA’s Pro courses.
Tips from DMA Pros: TextEdit Creative Tricks in Apple OS X
Digital Media Academy News + Events | February 26th, 2009 by Ben
In this movie, I’ll be showing you some features in TextEdit that can increase your productivity.
Here’s a recap of the keyboard shortcuts I cover in this movie.
Cmd-T: Fonts Window
Cmd-Shift-W: Wrap to Page
Cmd-Shift-T: Toggle Plain/Rich Text
Cmd-R: Toggle Ruler Bar
Hold Option to Select Rectangular Blocks of Text
