The times I feel most alive –times when I feel like I’m doing exactly what I was created for – are when I get to use several of the talents or life experiences that God has given me simultaneously to accomplish a specific task. Last week was one of those times.

Having just come off of a strenuous week of editing for the Challenge 2010 conference (another, “I was made for this kind of week”), I came home for less than 24 hours, repacked some gear, kissed my family goodbye once more, and headed to Portland to teach my first week-long course as a lead instructor with IPS.

I’ve been involved with IPS for a little over a year and a half, and can say without hesitation that the quality of their instruction and the results that their students are producing after attending a workshop are simply amazing. The only problem is that they had never offered any video courses – that is, until last week.

In my intro to DSLR video workshop we covered everything a student needs to know to introduce themselves to the world of narrative storytelling – and how to do it with excellence. Topics included planning, shooting, editing, effects, and delivery. Some sessions were highly technical, while others were entirely hands-on. Students learned how to conduct interviews, work with double-system sound, shoot timelapse, stop-motion, three-point lighting, and even had a brief introduction to multicamera techniques.

All in all, it was a phenomenal week, bordering on the edge of information overload, which resulted in some very well-equipped students who I am sure will change the world.

The video below is an example of some of the student-generated work from the course.

Edited by: Aaron Meinicke, Sony Vegas Pro 9
Interviewee: Sarah Hutton
Course Instructors: Rowan Gillson, Carl Larsen, Nathan Bollinger

Photo Credits: Christina Dickson

See a full list of credits on Vimeo.

So, at about 9pm, after a full day of shooting and data wrangling, I had basically nothing in my timeline in terms of story for this rewind. I knew I had great content, but couldn’t get it to weave together. Worry was beginning to set in, but soon thereafter God provided.

After a short walk outside to reset my perspective, the helpful input from some friends, and the sheer Grace of the Spirit, this edit came together faster and more clearly than the others so far. The joy was palpable. At one point, I even startled a convention center janitor with my singing… turns out we both thought we were alone. Pretty funny. Very gracious.

So, enjoy the rewind. I know I did. As time goes on, I have a feeling this edit will stand out in my mind as a milestone of God’s grace not to be forgotten.

Visit ChallengeConference.com

Day 2 of Challenge 2010 is complete.

Already, we’re exhausted from production, but God continues to provide endurance and ability. I even got a 20 minute nap in between sessions today. It’s amazing to be a participant in what is developing here in Columbus.

The days are long, and the expectation is high, but I’m having a lot of fun in the process. God is graciously providing the strength for late-night edits and early-morning sessions.

Here’s the link to the first Rewind:

This Wednesday, May 26, I have the privilege of presenting an hour long demonstration showcasing the top new features of Adobe’s latest release; After Effects CS5, on behalf of  Adobe, Easel Solutions, and The Minnesota After Effects User Group. It’s going to be great!

When you come and stop by, this will be more than a traditional software demo. Of course I’ll be showing off some of the latest features of the application including native 64-bit support, auto-keyframe, and built-in LUT support, but I’ll also be doing an in-depth demonstration of the rotobrush and how to use it with “real world” footage.

During this free event, I’ll be presenting two sessions (11-noon and 3-4) along with participating in question and answer sessions between demos. There will also be free food, drinks, and a chance to win your very own copy of Adobe Creative Suite 5 Premium. I’d love to see you there.

Sign up Here.

After six months away from making tutorials for the sake of our rapidly growing family, it’s time for a comeback.

So, in this tutorial, I’ll show you how to create some great looking titles using Trapcode Particular, depth of field rendering, and some free live-action footage based on a recent project I completed for Calvary Community Church.

I also switched things up a little bit and recorded this pretty much on the fly – so if you pay attention, you’ll probably catch me calling five sided objects hexagons instead of pentagons – but I left some of those in there for entertainment value. Don’t hesitate to rib me in the comments below if you feel the need to further pick on me.

I’ve also included a link to the project file and footage from the tutorial so you can play with the content yourself. Feel free to use the smoke and dust loops in your own work – in fact, I’d encourage it.

The font used in the tutorial is Quicksand and available as a free download.

DOWNLOAD: PROJECT FILES AND FOOTAGE

Here’s a short promo I put together for the new series we’ll be starting at Calvary this weekend. I’m really excited about it.

As far as the project goes, I had a lot of fun playing with Depth of field on the title animations and incorporating live action smoke and dust with the particles to make everything sit together.

Anyone interested in seeing this as a tutorial? :) Yay, Nay, or Meh? Leave a comment and let me know.