Editors Guild Magazine by Ben Bardens

Just as Adobe has done a beautiful job of integrating its software programs into a coherent “suite” of applications, Class on Demand has done a great job of integrating basic training for all of the Production Premium Creative Suite applications into one easy-to-understand training video, complete with sample projects. 

Class on Demand—so named because its training is delivered on a self-paced basis on either DVD-ROM or over the Web—was created in 1997 by former post-production facility owner Paul Holtz to create up-to-date technological training options for professional people in a variety of sectors, including entertainment.  The credo of CoD, according to Holtz, is “To learn what you need, when you need it, in the environment where you are most comfortable.”

In one four-hour DVD, “Basic Training for Adobe CS4 Production Premium,” well-known Adobe expert Tim Kolb does a great job of introducing the fundamental concepts necessary to get started in each application, as well as showing how each program integrates to create a production workflow worthy of the name “creative suite.”

Learning Creative Suite as a Package
The Production Premium Creative Suite is the collection of Adobe programs most valuable for those working with, or interested in, digital video and video production.  The suite includes Photoshop (image editing), Illustrator (vector illustrator), After Effects (animation and compositing), Flash (vector animation), Encore (DVD authoring), Soundbooth (audio), Premiere Pro (video editing) and On Location (camera capture).  In this single DVD training program, individual lessons are offered that introduce basic concepts and fundamental features for each program.  Viewed individually, these lessons are of value, especially for beginners.  learn more...