Motion 4 has made both of the features automatic and easy to manipulate.  I am going to have a tutorial on using these features next week.  I have been very pleased with this new addition by Apple.  They are making this program more functional for animations and compositing.  There are several features with the camera that need to be enhanced and a “true” 3-D environment before it will be able to truly compete with the likes of After Effects, but they have made some significant improvements.  If you are a Motion fan, you will love the changes!

Here is a quick, crude sample of the reflection and cast shadows.

If you are the first group, congratulations.  You have a high quality imaging manipulation program that will serve you in your professional productions.  If, however, you find yourself wondering how to use all the tools and features that come with GIMP, then I have something perfect to recommend for you.

I was online looking for GIMP tutorials the other night and I stumbled upon this site that offered free tutorials for GIMP.  It is an excellent resource to teach the interface and the “how to’s’ of GIMP.  Learning Gimp Fast has broken the process into 33 different lessons that will add tremendous function to your workflow.  If you are looking for some tutorials on how to use this free, open source application, then check out Learning Gimp Fast.

When I went to the Apple store to buy my copy, I also picked up a new wireless mighty mouse.  As I was standing at the counter getting ready to buy my goods, I noticed that I had what appeared to be two mighy mice.  As I looked closer I noticed that one box was in fact Final Cut Studio!  That’s right, the new program fit in a box the same size as mouse.  Now that is pretty cool, because I could actually carry it out in a bag and didn’t need a hand truck to get it to the car.

I did get Final Cut Studio installed yesterday and everything wen’t as smooth as possible!  I was doing the install on my new iMac and had the upgrade version.  At the magic point during the process, I was asked for my previous product code.  I inserted the code and the install continued.  So after a few hours of sitting at the computer and loading disks, the install was complete.

I will let you know how all the features are as I get to use them.  I am most excited about the new features in Motion and will explore those first.  If there are any specifics that you are interested in, let me know and I’ll try it out and give an update.

Most web users don’t have access to Photoshop or some other high end professional graphics program.  That is why I like to recommend GIMP.  It is an open source, FREE, graphics manipulation program that does everything you would every need to modify your wordpress theme.  I think it is golden.  You can modify your header, add your logo and save it to .jpeg, .gif, .png or any other web compatible format

If you have not checked out GIMP yet, you are missing an excellent program for web based applications.

I am about to install my version of the software and will give a status report when I have had the opportunity to kick the tires a little.  Stay tuned for my review.

We all need a graphics manipulation program at some point and I have recently found the most awesome open-source program to fill that need.  Have you ever heard of GIMP?  GIMP “is an acronym for GNU Image Manipulation Program. It is a freely distributed program for such tasks as photo retouching, image composition and image authoring.”  It is TOTALLY FREE and offers most, if not all, of the same features that Photoshop offers.

The interface is simple to use and the tools do exactly what you would expect.  If you have ever worked with Photoshop, you will find the learning curve for GIMP to very shallow.  I was able to use the application quickly and easily once I downloaded the app.  It works on a PC and a MAC and simply works.

Check it out and see if it doesn’t meet your graphic needs.  And it’s OPEN SOURCE!!!  I love Open Source.  Once you download it, let me know what you think of the app.  Worth the trouble of the download?

Now I do not mean the four legged creature that eats grass and tries to compel us to “eat more chicken.” I mean the website that is dedicated to the Creative Communities Of the World. If you’ve never visited the COW, do so. It is filled with all the information you could ever need or want about video production. Experts frequent the place and offer advice and expertise on all your questions. I think you’ll like it.

From Final Cut click Tools>Render Manager. Final Cut has kept track of all render files from all projects. You can remove some or all of the render files stored on your drive by placing a check mark in the appropriate column. This should only be done when you are finished with a project and ready to archive it for storage.

This is a quick little way to help save valuable storage space and to clean your system when you complete projects.

For non-professional workflows, make sure you have a drive that is operating at 7200 RPM or better with Firewire 400 and/or Firewire 800.  You NEVER use a drive via USB when editing video.  It does not have the transfer speed needed to adequately work with video.

I recommend to my friends and clients that they use either a G-Raid or a Lacie drive.  With the price of storage as low as it is at the writing of this post, buy as much storage as you can possibly afford.  You can get several terabytes (TB) of storage for about $300.00, which is a great buy.

If you have branded your business effectively, people already have an idea of what to expect when they do business with you or buy your product or service. Therefore, we should all spend time working on our brand as well as our business.

Here are a few things that you can do to improve your brand:

• Develop a brand strategy that is based on your business plan.
• Determine your target audience.
• Develop a consist brand image with a logo, website, business cards, letter head, etc.
• Be consistent with all communication

What are some of your marketing strategies for developing your brand? How have you successfully branded your own business? Share your thoughts with others.