“what makes this tutorial stand out for me is its producer and narrator, Stephen Smith. His humor and enthusiasm for his subject is absolutely infectious which makes working through the many sequential chapters considerably more enjoyable than similar discs I have reviewed narrated by knowledgeable but somewhat droll speakers.”

To read the full review click on this Moving with Motion review link.

The spot itself moves fast and is in constant motion to help convey the feeling of being in motion. To see for yourself check out the Moving with Motion commercial.

Moving with Motion

• 4 hours of training
• For Motion 3 and 4
• 5 free HDV clips
• Project files and artwork included

Moving with Motion, a training DVD for Apple's Motion is here. This DVD comes jam packed with 4 hours of training for Motion 3 and Motion 4. In this DVD, respected trainer Stephen Smith gives users a comprehensive look at Motion, part of the Final Cut Studio Suite. He explores the cameras, lights, behaviors, time remapping, particles, shapes and masks. Also included are in-depth looks at paint, as well as advanced motion tracking.

Stephen wanted to craft a DVD that would showcase "Motion's ability to produce high-end graphics." And he has! With over four hours of training, this DVD is jam packed with training to help your work stand out. Includes five free HDV clips and art and project files. Get "Moving with Motion" today. To learn more, watch the commercial below.

CHAPTERS:

Chapter 1: Design Concepts (9:12): It’s not enough to just learn Motion. This chapter will focus on coming up with a concept for your Motions project, as well as more specific details of your project, including fonts, size, color scheme and gradients.

Chapter 2: Getting Started (7:55): An introduction to the fundamentals of Motion.

Chapter 3.1: Behaviors (16:52): Learn the ins and outs of behaviors, a feature that can save you enormous amounts of time when creating content. You’ll learn how to make a behavior do what you want in very little time. This chapter will also cover how the unique parameter behaviors can play a role in your next project. Learn how to make an object animate to the beat of music.

Chapter 3.2: Behaviors, Logo Animation (26:13): Apply your behavior skill set to a real world logo animation and see how a complex animation can be created with ease. Also, gain an understanding of blend modes, how to import and work with vector images, and how to alter a text path.

Chapter 4: Content (8:16): Motion comes with over 1,000 free content items. This chapter focuses on how you can customize them to meet your needs. This tutorial also builds a foundation for working with gradients and how they can enhance a shape. You will also learn how to work with the shape in the canvas with the adjust 3D transform tool.

Chapter 5: Retiming (21:29): Changing the speed of a video clip is a great way to place emphasis on certain sections of a clip. In this video tutorial you will learn how to manipulate the speed of two free HDV clips that come included with this training DVD. By the end of the chapter you will know how to perform time remapping in the inspector, timeline, with behaviors and in the keyframe editor. In the keyframe editor you will also gain an understanding of how keyframes work. Learn how frame blending modes such as optical flow can enhance your speed change.

Chapter 6: Motion Tracking (18:48):Motion tracking is a must have tool that can impress any audience. This DVD will show you how a one point or two point motion track can create a big impression. You will learn how to track an object and match its scale. Plus, learn how to use the four-corner pin motion track.

Chapter 7: Shapes, Masks, and Track Points (30:34): In this chapter you’ll learn how to utilize shapes, masks and track points to create an opening that will get your title noticed. First you’ll learn how to create simple shapes and how to manipulate them into more complicated shapes. You’ll also gain understanding of how to create shapes with the bezier and b-spline tool.This chapter also covers working with and arranging text to create a professional look. You’ll gain an advanced knowledge of gradients, text style presets and how to replace that ugly default text style icon with your custom text style preset.Learn how to save time by relying on the free hand mask tool and the track points behavior to create a mask that tracks your image for you. This is a faster way to rotoscope a clip.

Chapter 8.1: Paint (16:12)Paint is a powerful feature that is covered in great depth. This chapter is broken down into three sections; in the first you will learn the fundamentals of paint. Then you’ll learn how to create a logo animation using paint dynamics.

Chapter 8.2: Paint - Write on Behavior(20:23): You will build a complex animation while focusing on the write on behavior.

Chapter 8.3: Paint - Writing on Objects Created Outside of Motion (14:39):
Clients will often supply artwork they want you to animate so that it looks as if it was being written onto the screen. In this chapter you will learn how to animate objects created outside of Motion.

Chapter 9.1: Particles for Motion 3 (23:25):Particles can be a daunting feature. In this chapter, Stephen demystifies particle systems so you can implement them in your next project. You’ll learn how to utilize the emitter and cells, how to modify them with behaviors and how to make use of particles in a real world project.

Chapter 9.2: Particles for Motion 4 (29:12): Particles can be a daunting feature. In this chapter, Stephen demystifies particle systems so you can implement them in your next project. You’ll learn how to utilize the emitter and cells, how to modify them with behaviors and how to make use of particles in a real world project. In addition, you'll get an in-depth look at reflections.

Chapter 10.1: Camera for Motion 3 (24:34): Using 3D space can help you create amazing visuals. This chapter focuses on how to animate the camera with behaviors and keyframes. You’ll understand the difference between constant and logarithmic interpolation methods and, more importantly, when to use them.

Chapter 10.2: Camera for Motion 4 (33:45): Using 3D space can help you create amazing visuals. This chapter focuses on how to animate the camera with behaviors and keyframes. You’ll understand the difference between constant and logarithmic interpolation methods and, more importantly, when to use them. You will also learn how easy it is to move the camera from one object to another with the framing behavior. Another helpful feature that will give your projects a more realistic look is Motion’s depth of field. You will discover the ins and outs of animating the camera in this chapter.

Chapter 11: Lights (9:28): You will learn how to enhance the depth and look of all your projects with lights.

Chapter 12.1: Camera and Lights in a Real World Project, for Motion 3 (31:03):You will learn how to build and light a virtual set while integrating it with motion graphics.

Chapter 12.2: Camera and Lights in a Real World Project, for Motion 4 (36:25): You will learn how to build and light a virtual set while integrating it with motion graphics. Plus you’ll get an in depth look at how you can create and manipulate realistic shadows.