Great Websites to Check Out

I recently saw a post on LinkedIn about what websites we video professionals go to for information and tutorials. While my list is pretty long, some of my favorites are (in no particular order):

www.creativecow.net

http://prolost.com

http://provideocoalition.com/

http://www.studiodaily.com/main/

http://www.motionworks.com.au/

And this is just to name a few.

But the one site I visit on a regular basis and always with a high level interest and excitement is Video Copilot (www.videocopilot.net). If you don’t know the site, or its owner Andrew Kramer, get to know them. The site is jam packed with tutorials that I guarantee will make you better with After Effects. Andrew walks you through the steps in creating some of the most amazing stuff. You’ll look at some of the clips in the tutorial section and think, “There’s no way I can do that!” Really? Watch the tutorial and Andrew will show you how…and usually with no extra plug-ins other then what’s in After Effects.

And it’s not just the tutorials that are great. I own and use on a regular basis many of the products sold on the site. Riot Gear, Evolution, the Twitch plug-in, and the Designer Sound FX are all regular tools in my arsenal. I wouldn’t go into an edit without them. Also on the site are custom After Effects presets that allow you to do some really great things. I really can’t encourage you enough – visit this site…it will make you better. If you look at my demo reel (www.100acrefilms.com), you’ll see many of these tools used in it.

I can’t imagine anyone working in our industry not making the time to visit sites like those I listed. There is so much out there, and I think that no matter how long you’ve been working there is always something new you can learn. I spend a lot of time on the web, reading and watching clips about how to improve my skills. Even if it’s something I already know how to do, I’ll watch because every once and awhile I pick up some trick to do it quicker, or some other shortcut that helps me with some other task.

What sites do you visit? Where do you go to learn and grow your skills?

One last thing – for those of you who read this and live in the San Diego area, I’m starting up a Premiere Pro user group. If you’re interested in joining up (come on – I know you Premiere Pro users are out there!), then let me know and I’ll keep you in the loop. It should be a lot of fun – and hopefully very informative.