The Refinery Project is a four chapter tutorial that demonstrates, in real-time, how to bring a static image to life in seven hours. Starting with a static photo of an oil refinery, Alex integrates 2D and 3D elements using Maya, After Effects and Photoshop.
Chapter One: Sprite Rendered Smokestacks
In chapter one, sprite rendered smoke is added to several of the refinery's smokestacks. Topics include: Importing the image plane, aligning the 3D camera, adding 3D reference geometry, volume emission, fields, sprite set-up, expressions, adjusting particle speed without changing behavior, hardware rendering separate elements, motion blur, particle disk caching, compositing, color correction and final integration.

Pack your bags for the Lost ActionScript Weekend. In this unique DVD training series, you'll learn how to program in ActionScript 3.0 with world-renowned ActionScript guru and educator Colin Moock. Course 1 starts with the basics and moves into intermediate programming techniques. Sit down in a relaxed outdoor setting with Moock, artist James Paterson, and technologist Hoss Gifford in this unique and intimate learning experience.

Kick off your shoes, grab some hot cocoa, and get ready for Course 2 of the Lost ActionScript Weekend . With this unique training DVD, you'll learn intermediate to advanced ActionScript 3.0 programming concepts with world-renowned ActionScript guru and educator Colin Moock -- ideal for experienced ActionScript developers and those who have completed Course 1 of this DVD series.

With the fundamentals of softbody effects understood, this lecture moves on to more specific applications. The first group of demonstrated techniques focus on a variety of ground plane effects including oceans, puddles, mud, sand and snow. Each of these are related, yet differ in how they react to external stimuli such as fields and collisions. Water reacts quickly yet the deformation is scale dependant: an ocean responds with large swells while a shallow puddle produces fast-moving, tight ripples. Mud, sand and snow effects are much slower reactions where the surface will gradually (if ever) return to smooth equilibrium. The lecture then moves on techniques for combining softbodies with rigid bodies, blendshape deformers and auxilliary spring effects for the creation of flags, saliva, and interconnected softbodies.

Carmen’s back and bringing total body fitness to the sexiest room in the house in Carmen Electra’s Aerobic Striptease: In the Bedroom. A follow-up to her top selling fitness series, In the Bedroom combines body-sculpting dance moves with sultry stretches and toning exercises you can perform on or around your own bed.

You can't help but let stress slide away if you unwind with this video of restorative yoga poses that replenish your body's energy and rejuvenate your spirit. Restorative means you're not working your body, but "undoing, allowing nature to restore you ...[and] the healing powers of yoga to reveal themselves to you," explains Patricia Walden, who teaches the first 30-minute session of resting poses. Your body is supported by props, such as folded blankets, a bolster, or a wall, so the stretches are not intense. The poses are taught slowly and quietly, with plenty of time to sink into each pose, open the joints, and relax the muscles. The second 30-minute session, taught by Rodney Yee, emphasizes forward bends, often sitting on the floor in various positions, with your forehead and arms resting on a chair for support. The instruction throughout the video is clear, complete, and patient. The whole experience is relaxing: with the instructors' soothing voices and the gentle music in the background, there's no rush to leave each pose.

In SonicAcademy.com's Music Production Using Cubase course our professional tutors take you step by step through one of the world's most powerful pieces of music creation software...

Make your movie.
Emmy-Winning filmmakers take you into the world of producing Hollywood-quality movies on a small budget, and using only local resources. With thousands of valuable techniques gathered from the trenches, "The Ultimate Filmmaking Kit" walks you through every step of producing your own movie.

WorkshopData ATI™ is our new information product available on CD and DVD. It is based on Vivid’s technical database, the most extensive repertory of car data in Europe.