Last month, Adobe finally released the full version of Adobe
Creative Cloud, also known as Adobe CC. With
the release; many people are asking questions and showing genuine concern about
their new model. Adobe Creative Cloud is very different from the familiar feel of
the older Adobe Creative Suite package. Well I am here to put to rest all doubt
and tell everyone that CC is absolutely amazing! Having used two versions; both a business version
with multiple licenses and a personal version - I can't stop gushing about it.
So enough of the buildup, here's four reasons you should get Adobe CC if you're a video maker.
1. It's inexpensive!
The latest
Creative Suite, CS6, was priced at $2,500 on Amazon.com. That included
everything from Premier and After Effects, to the lesser used but just as
powerful Lightroom. For a normal
professional user the cost of CC is $49.99 per month for access to all the same
programs (though they ask for a 12 month commitment, you still only have to pay
$50 a month). Do some simple math and you’ll
find out how long, at $50 a month, it would take you to get to $2,500. I'll wait. You back? Well? Did you find that
it's a whopping 50 months until you meet the price of CS6? And those familiar with Adobe know they
release some big new products every 2 years or so. In those fifty months that you're paying for,
you now actually get 3 full packs for the same price as CS6. I know that you get discounts for the newest
packs but you're still putting more money down. The best part, if you're a student or a teacher,
you get full access to CC for only $19.99 per month! I certainly wish I had access to that when I
was in school.
2. Don't fear the Cloud
When
someone puts the word “cloud” attached to something I become instantly wary. To
me the word “cloud” brings to mind open and fast internet connections with
questionable security - It was never something I was comfortable with. Adobe uses the word “cloud” very differently
in this case. It means that you can
download the apps using the Creative Cloud app but they live on your desktop -
just like they would in a Creative Suite. Initially, you’ll need a connection to download
all the programs; but, after that, you can do your work in the middle of field
for all CC cares. CC comes with a
partnership with Behance; with this you can share you work in a public forum
with other CC members. It's kind of a “more
exclusive” Vimeo for CC members. With a
basic membership you also get 2GB of cloud storage that can be accessed from any
computer.
3. It works just like the Creative Suites, only better!
Once you get
all the programs on your computer you'll find very little difference between
CS6 and CC. You open the programs all the same. CC saves the project files
directly to your computer - you don't need internet access to open your
projects. Your files will even work with CS6, in much
the same way CS6 files could work with CS5 – you’ll just miss out on the newest
additions. The best part about being in the cloud is access to instant and
constant updates. If you have the CC app
running in the background on your computer you can tell it to automatically
update every program with a new update - you can even work in the program while
it is updating. Also, like I mentioned earlier,
you'll get every new addition like Premier or After Effects as they come out rather
than having to wait for the next Creative Suite bundle.
4. The New Additions are Stunning!
Now for
some nitty-gritty tech-stuff - you know the fun stuff! Adobe has added so many cool new features that
I could do separate blogs on Premier, After Effects and Lightroom. So, I'll just give a quick overview here as to
why upgrading from CS6 is completely worth it.
Moving Workstations - for those of us doing freelance or who
move from company to company, this is a really big deal. Now with the Creative Cloud, you can save your workstation, layout and
settings and sync them with any other computer running Creative Cloud. You can
even do it on a friends' computer without signing them out of the “cloud”, you
just put in your information and it simply imports your workstation and
settings. It will reset as soon as you
close the application.
Refine Edge tool (AE) - this is the holy grail for
compositing and background replacement. We used to have to work with hard mask
edges or green screens that just couldn't catch hair properly without some
light spill. With the new refine edge tool the program automatically sees those
fine details. It can be found in the Roto-brush option and has made some of the
cleanest grabs I have ever seen. With pans and moving shots you still have to
go through frame by frame but it's completely worth it once you see the alpha
channel.
RAW photo filter (Photoshop) - we've been able to color
correct video in Photoshop for a while now but it's always been a hassle and
the color/dynamic range have always been limited. Now with the new RAW filter
you can color correct your entire video in a RAW range that makes almost any
footage savable. Once you color correct one frame you can add it to all the
others and it'll generate a clean image sequence which you can then just export
or render back into a video.
Linked missing files (Premier, AE) - Until now, if media was
missing in a project in AE or Premier you got a little window that said “missing
files cannot be found” and was a real pain to try and go re-link those files if
you were working with someone else's project or on a new computer. Now when the programs see the files that are
missing it gives a detailed list of the name of the file, where it should be
found and where it fits into the project (in case you decide it's unimportant)
making finding and linking these files infinitely easier.
Cinema 4D lite (AE) - I saved the best for last. Adobe and Maxon, the creators of Cinema 4D,
have joined forces to make 3D compositing and animation easier than it has ever
been. AE includes a version of Cinema 4D
lite, but if you're already running Cinema 4D it will now work with the full
program as well. The best part is no longer having to render from Cinema and animate
in After Effects. In the past any changes that had to be made to
the 3D object had to be re-rendered before it could go back into After Effects.
Now the programs work simultaneously so
the only time rendering is accomplished when the project is complete and ready
for the final render - any changes made in 4D automatically update in AE.
Written By: Jeremy Hatfield
Edited By: Adam Willemssen
Filmmaker/Tech
EFillF Productions, LLC
