Learning to use Vegas well

aussiemick wrote on 6/16/2004, 7:24 PM
I have a suggestion that might help new users to become good users of Vegas.
Pick a topic to discuss eg; "Removing unwanted frames from events" or " How to capture correctly", and from the ensuing discussion new users may become clearer in how to do these things the best way.
The manual is great if you are familiar with how Vegas's workflow operates but confusing if tou don't.
Hate to see anyone give Vegas away because they are cofused as to the way it works. I know this may rehash old topics but there are a lot of new users!

Comments

BillyBoy wrote on 6/16/2004, 8:28 PM
Good point. Too many posters start threads with meaningless subject titles like 'I need help' and never say what the problem is on the subject line. Such posts have less chance of being read.

In forums and newsgroups you should make it clear what your QUESTION is if you're asking one otherwise you run the risk of many skipping it without it ever being read.
TheHappyFriar wrote on 6/16/2004, 8:34 PM
Yes. :) Read. :) It's good for all. :)
Grazie wrote on 6/16/2004, 9:51 PM
Oh yes aussiemick! Can't agree with you more! . . . . The manual is the nuts and bolts version of Vegas. It tells you WHAT it can do .. . So .. is "What it can do" the same thing as "How you do it" ? . . . . I don't think so. And I think this is at the root of a lot of people's misunderstandings of not only Vegas, but any s/w.

I like to think it is analogous to learning how to drive.

I could read up on the internal combustion engine; I could study fluid dynamics and control gear servo mechanisms; have a real in-depth understanding of the laws of thermodynamics . .. but all I wanna do is switch on the motor and move off and turn a corner and then stop! - This is why we have Driving Instructors - they make things very simple . . and mostly most people get their driving licence . . .Why can't a similar "approach" be made with s/w . .. Oh yeah . . howzabout the "For Dummies" range of booklets for "other" packages . . ooohhh you can't just hear the NLE snobs tut-tutting as they read this, can't you?

Look, I'm up for as many teaching aids as it takes . .. goodness only knows I'll beg, annoy, cadge, pester and make a general nuisance of myself to find out IN ANY WAY POSSIBLE way how to make my s/w and now my suite of Sony "Pleasure Doom" software, dance to my command, so I can travel in video-land better. - Yer know - the latest major piece of tutoring I received from Cheema and you Guys has been great! BUT but but .. . those little ole WMP files filmed at NAB by Liam and the SolCal possie really got me off like a rocket .. there where one or two wrinkles that made all the difference .. .

Sorry for the time I've taken up here . .. but I'm always learning .. sometimes, something new daily . . Am I making better movies? I think so .. I look back at some of the mistakes I made in VideoFactory and think - "Yeah, Grazie, you'll do!" - Is my workflow better and more responsive to my creative wishes? Yes again .. it's only the "technologies" of doing this stuff, and sometimes the majorally irritating "virals" that get in the way .. . Consequently - IMHO - that is NOT why I make video .. it's not purely, solely, centrally for gaining the understanding of the technologies - it IS about driving that super fast car, at speed through the country-side or any other country I wish!

Aussiemick - thanks for posting this .. you make a lot of sense .. .

Best regards,

Grazie
BillyBoy wrote on 6/17/2004, 8:29 AM
I also think the built-in Vegas help system is top rate. It gives many examples of some of the finner points of the application. Fine a few minutes each day to walk yourself through the whole thing. You'll be suprised at the nuggets of information that's there and nowhere else.
JaysonHolovacs wrote on 6/17/2004, 11:27 AM
I agree with this. The manual is useful but the first time you read it you get lost in the jargon of events, envelopes, effects, keyframes. There is so much coming at once that you miss most of it.

I ended up reading parts of the manual each day. I've read it through about 5 times now, each time after some more playing around with the tool, and each time it all makes more and more sense. I get to spots and I think, "ah, now I understand what they mean!" But getting to this point has been a lot of work and with some better background explanation I think it could have been much faster.

For example, I think the "New in Vegas 5" document has a bunch of useful examples that really teach you how to use the new tools. Now, if they made something like that that targeted a new Vegas user rather than just a v4 to v5 upgrader, it would have been really helpful.
BillyBoy wrote on 6/17/2004, 11:57 AM
I haven't checked in a long time but if its still on the Sony site look for the L O N G tutorial and support files (over a 100 MB I think) that came with version 3 of Vegas. If was a very detailed and excellent hands-on tutorial that went something like 30-40 pages in the full PDF manual and it really gave you a good starting point on many of features then included in the program.