So who is it for? Both the beginner and intermediate. This might sound like too wide a gamut to cover but this tutorial teaches in two different ways. It offers 20 techniques (tricks) that are mostly built around compositing that are targeted for the intermediate, but it teaches in such away that the beginner will learn not only the tricks but in the process learn basic editing. More on this later.

This tutorial offers two approaches to learning it's Secrets.

The first approach is to simply watch the lessons. Each lesson is broken into what DV Creators call 'chunks', the lesson stops at various stages so you can go back and repeat the last 'chunk' or move ahead. You can also play each lesson like a movie, play straight through and watch the entire lesson without stopping.

Using the second approach you to have FCP open and running along with Secrets. You play a 'chunk' in Secrets then switch to FCP and do it yourself, back to Secrets for the next step and then back to FCP. You work your way through each lesson going back and forth between Secrets and FCP. All of the material necessary including audio is provided on the CD. You drag this folder (containing 63 clips at 232 megs) to your HD and then bring the clips into your Browser for use in FCP.

So lets take a look. When you open Secrets you get a splash screen and then move on to the main menu.

Main Menu open with 'flash to white' movie being shown.

 
When you select one of lessons on the left a movie opens up in the 'show me' window on the right. A movie plays showing the completed effect. If you want to move on to the lesson you click the 'show me the secret' button and the tutorial opens up and the lesson begins. We are presented with a full FCP screen; Viewer, Canvas, TL, Browser, Tool palette, and VU meters, shown below.

 
As each lesson begins the necessary clips are in the Browser and the Timeline is empty. As you move through the lesson each and every step is shown on the screen and Steve talks you through the process, there is even a bit of humor.

 
So what are the 20 'Secrets' on this CD?

 
I mention above that while it seems that these lessons are targeted to the intermediate user, this CD would work very well for beginners. As you go through the lessons there are many basic procedures that are involved over and over again. Seeing these procedures repeated over and over and then doing these procedures as you learn the 'secrets', is an excellent learning tool. For example, it would be impossible for you to go through the Secrets CD and not use the 'f-10' and 'f-12' keys in your daily work.

Price at $ 79 the Secrets CD has good value for the intermediate user. It has a number of tricks that would find their way into on going Projects. The intermediate user would learn not only the tricks but would be able to customize these 20 tricks to hundreds of new tricks. For the beginner I believe that this CD has greater value as not only will the beginner learn these tricks but would, at the same time, learn many of the basic of FCP.

There are few problems.

One of the lessons, 'Color Key', has a flaw - stalling out two thirds of the way through the lesson and returns you to the start of the lesson. I contacted DV Creators about this problem. I was told that they are doing two things. First they have posted the 'Color Key' lesson at their web site. Second they will replace for free any CDs that have this problem.

When you are viewing a lesson using the 'chunks' method, it is possible to move ahead or back one 'chunk' but you can not move back more then one 'chunk', you'll have to go back to the start of the lesson. Lastly, when viewing a lesson it is not always obvious when the lesson is over, some type of 'sign off' would be helpful.

Except for the one lesson that stalls, I consider these complaints to be minor. What makes 'Secrets' such an excellent tool, aside from it's really cool tricks and high production standards, is that it's fun.

--ken

DV Creators.net
1-800-965-3976

copyright © Ken Stone 2001