Category: Training

Unwind and learn

Angie Taylor creates her own creative work in her studio – Creative Cabin. In-between freelance jobs she offers training and accommodation to other designers, editors and artists.

Angie Taylor has 25 years experience as a motion graphic designer and fine artist. She produces VR art experiences and teaches others how to make a living from art, design & animation. Click here to find out more.

She offers online and remote, one-to-one, bespoke training to designers & artists all over the world.

Software training is delivered on a one-to-one basis and courses are customised for each individual client. All levels of experience are catered for. You can choose from pre-designed training courses that cover all levels of user from beginners to advanced power-users.

Angie also designs bespoke courses to cover more specific or unusual requirements for those who prefer to concentrate only on specific features of the application?

Real World projects

Anyone can follow step-by-step tutorials but we don’t believe that this “watch and follow” technique is the best approach for learning software – it doesn’t cultivate confidence. Our aim is to get you to a stage where you use the software intuitively.

Problem solving

The best way to master any software application is to go through a process of problem-solving on your own projects. Together, you and your trainer will work out the best approach to get the results you want from the software.

We can provide purpose-built training files to teach you certain concepts and techniques but we can also work on your own projects if you’re happy to bring them along.

Angie Taylor is your trainer, she loves nothing better than helping her clients figure out the techniques they need to achieve their design goals. She believes in building your knowledge and confidence by showing you inspiring examples and encouraging you to work out the best methods to adopt. You can see examples of Angie’s training here on the Videos page.

Software applications covered

Adobe After Effects
Adobe Photoshop
Adobe Premeire Pro
Adobe Illustrator
Maxon Cinema 4
Adobe Lightroom

Angie also provides training in the following subjects; Sketching & Drawing, Storyboarding & Animatics, Principles of Color Theory, Typography Essentials, Principles of Composition, Creating a Showreel or Portfolio and basic website design with Wordpress.

Happy clients

At the Cabin Angie has trained a variety of clients. Previous clients include designers from BSkyB, ITV and Barton Willmore. You can read reviews of the training and acommodation here. To find out more about these affordable courses near Brighton and to view course outlines, please visit the Creative Cabin website.

Booking the Cabin

Please use the Contact page to contact Angie for more details about course content and availability. If you’re interested in booking the cabin accommodation, training or a package that includes both, please book here.

Benefits of one-to-one training

Angie Taylor’s courses are one-to-one and totally unique. There’s only you and Angie in the Cabin so you get her complete attention for the entire course – unlike corporate training courses where you often have to share the training with several other delegates.

Employers!

You can have employees trained individually for less than the cost of a group training course at a dedicated training centre – making sure they learn exactly what the techniques they need. It’s more cost-effective than you may expect.

No need for all of your designers or editors to be out of the office on the same day, leaving you short-staffed. Send them to the Cabin one-at-a-time for the individual training they need.

Go at your own speed

With a one-to-one training course at the Creative Cabin you can explore the software at your own speed while Angie guides you and suggests best practices with the software.

Work on meaningful projects and files

Angie provides well-designed, structured training exercises for you to follow that will get you up to speed in no time. If you prefer you can bring along your own projects so you and Angie can work on those together.

Solve problems and come up with solutions

Problem-solving and coming up with new ideas is Angie’s speciality – she loves to suggest ways to improve and refine your workflow to get the very best from your software.

Be trained by a working designer and author

Angie only offers training for a few days every month. When the Cabin is not being used for training Angie creates motion graphic and animation projects from the Cabin for her own clients who she works for on a freelance basis.

Over the past 20 years Angie has trained hundreds of motion graphic designers, video editors and artists on software applications such as; Adobe After Effects, Premiere Pro, Photoshop, Illustrator and Maxon Cinema 4D.

Angie is a published author with five books published on the subjects of Adobe After Effects and motion graphic design. She is also an author of training courses at Lynda.com.

Speaking at Flash on the Beach 2011

I was very pleased to get a call from John Davey, the organiser of the amazingly successful and entertaining “Flash on the Beach 2011” conference, asking me to speak at his event.

It’s an annual conference, held in my home town of Brighton. Bringing together the best designers, developers and minds in the Flash, design and web community, it’s a conference with a difference. It attracts an interesting and diverse mix of people and is focussed on the work that we do as well as the tools that we use.

I’ll be doing a session on creating Kinetic Typography animation in Adobe After Effects CS5.5. I’ll be featuring a breakdown of a real-life art project that I worked on in collaboration with Artist Richard Walker titled “That Day”. In this session I want to focus on the design process and demonstrate how After Effects allows creative flexibility throughout a project. For my more geeky attendees, don’t worry! I’ll also share plenty of my software tips and tricks as well as important techniques for structuring projects and optimising workflow in Adobe After Effects.

I’ll also feature some extracts from my book “Design Essentials for the Motion Media Artist” and will be giving away a copy of it, plus a copy of my “After Effects CS5 Learn by Video” training DVD. There are always lots of great parties, dinners and other networking events structured around Flash on the Beach and you’re guaranteed to meet and interesting and eclectic mix of creatives and geeky types. So why not book a place now, it sells out fast every year!

May 28, 2011
Speaking at Production Fiesta 2011

For those of you who can’t make it to NAB 2011 in Las Vegas this year there’s some good news! I’ll be delivering some of my sessions from the NAB Post Production World Conference here in London at the Post Production World Conference“>Production Fiesta on the 5th and 6th of May.

There will also be some other great speakers there as well, including the legendary Barry Stevens (responsible for the remarkable and ground-breaking music video for Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody amongst many others). Apple Final Cut Pro expert and filmmaker extraordinaire, Jonathan Tyrell will also be speaking there as well as other experts in broadcast and production workflows.

You can register for a two day pass here and find out about the location, schedule and opening times. Here’s a list of the sessions I’ll be delivering;

Strategies of a Successful Motion Graphic Artist
Friday, May 06, 2011 at 09:00

Angie Taylor will take you on a journey through a typical video project, showing the entire process including the creation of sketches, brainstorms and storyboards, audio production and clean up, editing and producing the final project. Angie will also discuss how creative professionals can bring unity and clarity to complex creative projects. Aspects of automating time sheets, liaising with clients, auditing jobs and packaging final files for delivery will also all be explored within this session.

Audience: If you are interesed in a streamlined way to look at the digital video process including tips and tricks using various software tools that will help maximize the project complexities, then this session is for you!

Combining Effects Creatively in Adobe After Effects
Friday, May 06, 2011 at 11:30

After Effects provides you with scores of effects that you can apply to your layers, allowing you to create virtually any look or effect you like. Imagine being able to animate all of these over time and you get a real sense of the creative flexibility that After Effects can offer you. This session tells you everything you need to know to combine effects creatively.

From Storyboard to Final Delivery in Adobe Production Premium

Friday, May 06, 2011 at 13:30

Witness the breakdown of a real-life animation project. In this session Angie will take you step-by-step through a real-life animation project that was created using Adobe’s Production Premium. She will show Drawing characters in Adobe Illustrator, Image editing in Photoshop, Storyboard and animatic production in Premiere Pro and then final animation and effects work in After Effects. Audio cleanup in Soundbooth and output via Media Encoder.

Dynamic Text Animation for Motion Graphics with After Effects
Friday, May 06, 2011 at 16:00

In this session, Angie Taylor will share an in-depth look at the options for working with text in Adobe After Effects. Angie will show examples of successful motion graphic designs and will discuss the components of design that make them work. In this session you’ll earn about the rules of typography and how to apply the rules of typography to your designs to make them easier to read and more dynamic. Angie will take an in depth look at the typographic controls available in After Effects and will also show you how you can use hand-drawn text to bring a unique aspect to your designs.

March 10, 2011
Speaking at NAB 2011 Post Production World Conference

I’m very excited to be traveling back to Las Vegas this year to attend NAB 2011. I’ve been invited to speak at this year’s Post Production World Conference.

Here’s a list of the sessions I’ll be delivering at this years conference. I hope to see many of you there. If you’d like to book a place at my sessions, here’s a link to the website where you can find out about the special offers and discount packages.

Introduction to 3D in After Effects
Sunday, 4/10/2011 11:45 AM – 01:00 PM

This session will give you a solid and thorough grounding with the 3D features in After Effects. Views and Axis Modes, Working with the 3D Tools and Interface, Manipulating 3D Layers, Cameras and Nulls, Lights and Material Options.

Using Grouping Techniques to Simplify After Effects Workflow
Sunday, 4/10/2011 02:00 PM – 03:15 PM

There are times when it makes sense to group layers together into a single item, either to simplify complicated comps or to make editing, moving, or applying effects a whole lot easier. In this chapter we’ll look at several methods for grouping layers together.

Dynamic Text Animation for Motion Graphics with After Effects
Monday, 4/11/2011 11:45 AM – 01:00 PM

In this session, Angie Taylor will share an in-depth look at the options for working with text in Adobe After Effects. Angie will show examples of successful motion graphic designs and will discuss the components of design that make them work. In this session you’ll earn about the rules of typography and how to apply the rules of typography to your designs to make them easier to read and more dynamic. Angie will take an in depth look at the typographic controls available in After Effects and will also show you how you can use hand-drawn text to bring a unique aspect to your designs.

Strategies of a Successful Motion Graphic Artist
Monday, 4/11/2011 05:00 PM – 06:15 PM

Angie Taylor will take you on a journey through a typical video project, showing the entire process including the creation of sketches, brainstorms and storyboards, audio production and clean up, editing and producing the final project. Angie will also discuss how creative professionals can bring unity and clarity to complex creative projects. Aspects of automating time sheets, liaising with clients, auditing jobs and packaging final files for delivery will also all be explored within this session.

Audience: If you are interesed in a streamlined way to look at the digital video process including tips and tricks using various software tools that will help maximize the project complexities, then this session is for you!

From Storyboard to Final Delivery in Adobe Production Premium

Tuesday, 4/12/2011 02:00 PM – 03:15 PM

Witness the breakdown of a real-life animation project. In this session Angie will take you step-by-step through a real-life animation project that was created using Adobe’s Production Premium. She will show Drawing characters in Adobe Illustrator, Image editing in Photoshop, Storyboard and animatic production in Premiere Pro and then final animation and effects work in After Effects. Audio cleanup in Soundbooth and output via Media Encoder.

Combining Effects Creatively in Adobe After Effects
Tuesday, 4/12/2011 03:30 PM – 04:45 PM

After Effects provides you with scores of effects that you can apply to your layers, allowing you to create virtually any look or effect you like. Imagine being able to animate all of these over time and you get a real sense of the creative flexibility that After Effects can offer you. This session tells you everything you need to know to combine effects creatively.

March 9, 2011