Intensive Graphic Training

Just finished a short intensive graphic training with macromedia flash to enhance my creativity. It was overwhelming what the software can do. A movie was designed using just that software and no actor was paid. The creators did all the voices. I sort of passed the first phase with flying colors coz it dealt more with vector designs and bitmap editing. Been doing those for years with Corel Draw and Photoshop.

The second phase of the training was how to manipulate the vector designs to animate. On this part I was awed. Gone are the old ways to create cartoon characters where you have to draw all the different moves. In those days, you need to draw 12 photos per second of the character's actions. The drawings between one action to the next are called inbetweens. With macromedia flash, the software will take care of those inbetweens. The third phase of the training was how to link these many animated objects to create one beautiful presentation you can integrate to a website or converted to a movie presentation.

Thought I would be facing the computer and be on my way designing big projects after the training. Turned out it's going to be the opposite. It wasn't that easy. The more I learned about it, the more I realized how big the things I couldn't do. It's telling me to concentrate or specialize on a few things. Knowing it all will get me nowhere.

I can now use several design software like Corel draw for vector designs, photoshop for photo manipulations, Adobe premiere and sony vegas for video editing, dreamweaver for web design, and macromedia flash for animation. I've been doing photography, videography, photojournalism, and most of the time graphic design. The knowledge I gained from the training is sure to help me in those fields. Yet I can't be doing all of these things and be an expert to all.

Photojournalism is obviously one of the things I should only do as a hobby but I want to keep it as part of my identity. I may never earn much from it but it can help me earn byline credits. It would be easier to market myself. Someday I may also need to give up videography. Video editing takes much time which is the same with my other passion, animation. Photography goes with graphic designs so I'll be keeping that. I'm now changing the design of my calling card from photo/video coverage & graphic design to photojournalism, web-developing & animation.

With my new outfit, I will still be accepting photo coverages but will be concentrating more with graphics and web developing. I can also create visual presentation in flash or converted to movie presentations (obviously I can't entirely give up video editing but the effects will be done with flash from now on, not with premiere and after effects).