In Depth Articles (41 Tutorials)
How to Smash the Learning Curve to Learn Software Faster
January 31, 2022
Have you been wanting to learn new software but don’t know where to start? Don’t have the time? Well, I’m here to help you make it happen.
In Depth: Create Subtitles and Captions for Your Videos (Updated!)
July 26, 2021
Create subtitles and closed-captioning to help your video gain reach and appeal to a wider audience on broadcast and streaming videos.
In Depth: Lens Flares for Video
April 5, 2021
Lens Flares add drama and presence to scenes. In this article, I’ll be comparing some lens flare tools for your favorite NLEs and Motion Graphics tools
In Depth: Particle Plugins for After Effects within your Budget
February 4, 2021
Learn about creating particles in After Effects with plugins including Particle Illusion, Trapcode Particular, Rowbyte Plexus, and more!
In Depth: The Ultimate Guide to Building a Great Demo Reel
February 3, 2021
Get advice from seasoned pros on putting together a reel that will get you jobs! Learn what work to include on your reel, music choices, etc.
In Depth: Working with Night Time Scenes, part 1
November 2, 2020
You really have two choices when shooting scenes that take place at night. Either shoot at night and deal with the low light situation or shoot Day for Night. Shooting at night is easier if your camera is capable of it. Day for Night, which I would recommend under certain circumstances, can be tricky but can look fantastic and undistinguishable when it’s done correctly. Part one of this article will focus on shooting in after dark.
Best of 2019: The Top 10 Tutorials at Toolfarm.com
January 7, 2020
According to our website stats, these were the Top 10 Tutorials of 2019. It’s interesting that most are technical, not about VFX.
Deepfakes Examples & Tutorials: AI in Media Production #AI
October 2, 2019
Deepfakes use artificial intelligence to create a convincing face swap in video and imagery. There is a big future for deepfakes in the film industry.
In Depth: What in the Heck is Bokeh?
July 18, 2019
Bokeh is a type of defocus or lens blur where the blur takes on the shape of the lens diaphram. We explain how to pronounce the word, how it is created, and show lots of cool examples. Also, a few plug-ins to create a bokeh in post-production.
In Depth: Time Effects – Time Displacement aka Slit Scan, with Examples
December 31, 2018
Learn all about the Time Displacement filter, which creates an effect known as slit scan, a trippy looking time manipulation that can be used to represent a time travel, a warp in the space time continuum, a drug trip and much more.
In Depth: Troubleshooting After Effects Issues and Plug-ins (Updated 17 Dec 2018)
December 17, 2018
Even though After Effects is a very solid product, everyone will run into issues from time to time, whether it be from corrupt preferences, random errors, codec problems, and more. Here is a general problem-solving guide on how to troubleshoot some common issues with After Effects.
News: 7 of the Most Popular Posts of 2017 at Toolfarm
January 2, 2018
To celebrate the new year, we thought we would take a look back at some of our most popular blog posts from 2017. Lots of freebies and a few tutorials top the list.
In Depth: Brilliant (and Possibly Dangerous) Future Video and Audio Technologies
August 7, 2017
When I was a kid, I’d watch Star Trek and The Jetsons and be in awe of the ability to teleport or fly around with a jetpack or flying car. While those technologies have been tough to bring to reality, some of the technologies for film, video, and audio are just on the horizon or already in existence. This technology will help filmmakers fix botched lines, avoid retakes, make actors look younger, and even bring an actor back to life who died during filming. We’re going to cover a lot of cool technology in this article, technology that also has high potential to have ethical issues attached to it if it becomes available to consumers.
In Depth: Freelancing Essentials, Part 1: Creating Your Brand
July 26, 2017
With any small business owner or freelancer, you’ll wear many hats. You will likely be the artist, the marketer, the accountant, the custodian, and more. You’ll constantly be thinking about your current job, your next job, who you can rely on to help you. It’s a lot of work and it’s sometimes exhausting! Not only this, you’ll end up taking on a higher amount of tax burden than someone who works for a corporation. Still, the appeal of being your own boss and working your own hours is very appealing.
This is the first in a series for those who are freelancing and those who want to be their own bosses. Some of the tips will be specific to video and digital media, and others will be more general. Today’s topic is creating your brand, which has to do with marketing, sales, and protecting your brand.
In Depth: Keying and Background Removal in Photoshop, Part 2: Primatte Chromakey
February 14, 2017
Part 2 of this series on background removal covers Digital Anarchy’s Primatte Chromakey and how to use it with Photoshop for the best workflow possible.
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