Videocopilot...

Blade Borge

Blade Borge

Well-known member
I feel like a lot of people have been abusing the tutorials and have been using it as a substitute for their own creativity. What I mean is, they follow the tutorial point by point, they don't add any of their own originality, they don't try to do anything different with it. When you look at their demo reel, you know instantly where they got it from. That's not artistry, that's robotics.

I just wish some people would be more creative if they're going to follow his tutorials. I wish some people would stop using the effect just because they know how to or because they bought the software, but to use it at the right time to help tell the story or to help create the appropriate mood for the commercial/promo. I've seen some spots where it's replicated to a 'T' and it doesn't fit at all to the product being sold.

Hide your source and make it your own, can I get a witness?
 
Amen and hallelujah.

It's not just that site, of course. Everytime someone asks how to do an effect or if it can be done because they can't find a tutorial I feel like hitting my head on something. Whenever I respond to these posts I tell people some vague hints and say to experiment, figure it out on your own. Learning how to learn for yourself is more valuable than anything else. Although I also recommend using tutorials, that's just to learn the underlying values.

If I recall correctly, the guy who runs Copilot has mentioned numerous times in his video that doing your own thing is what it's all about.
 
Honestly what I do find nice about Kramer's stuff is not so much the content of his tutorials, but how he gets you to see filters in a whole different light.

Would I have to say I'm guilty of following his steps too well at times? Yes, of course, though I find the process of disassembling his work to be incredibly educational, and it's a shame more people don't take it that way.

The simple fact of the matter is this: Are we all going to make a complex particle system to simulate some energy flying around? No, but how many videos are floating around with that very concept in mind? Too many... The functions behind those particle systems, along with just about everything else he goes over, are what counts most, and it helps you learn where to apply them elsewhere.
 
I'm not dropping names, but I personally witness a SHITE-ton of Kramer tuts in the QuestFest flicks. EPIC TITLES anyone?

lol
 
I love video copilot. It's so informative, and still really entertaining. I've watched nearly all of the tutorials, and I don't even have AE...yet. But just learning about the masks and whatnot has actually helped me with my photoshop skills.

I recently watched a user submitted segment of "Indy Mogul" (youtube it your not familiar. The backyard FX segments are great).

And featured was some kid who copied Andrew Kramer's tutorial and claimed it as his own. Not cool.
 
Does it pull me out of the film if I notice? Yes. Are we the only ones that would notice? Yes. Should you use his tutorial frame for frame? No. Can you make use of the effect in your project? Yes, look at how many times bullet time has been used. It drives me crazy when tv shows use soundtrack loops. Top Chef uses them all the time. Make it your own.
 
Blade Borge said:
Hide your source and make it your own, can I get a witness?
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Totally guilty of the Kramer influence, wouldn't even attempt to deny it.

But aside from "borrowing" some elements from the tuts, I've learned a TREMENDOUS amount of info regards AE workflow, shortcuts, masks, blending modes and stuff I just never would have stumbled upon on my own. Kramer has an excellent way of explaining things, I'll leave it at that.

So yeah, bash away, I know I'm a hack. But Action Essentials 2 is fun as ***k!

PS-Great idea for a thread!
 
Use the concepts you learn from Andy K, not the materials he provides.

Andrew is just one among 4 or 5 I go to regularly, and without a doubt, I am most appreciative of the attention and respect he is bringing my beloved AE for serious visual effects work. Mark Christiansan has been trying to get people to recognize for years, and Andrew is really helping us out.

He is not at technical or theoretical as some of the other masters out there. What I like about his work is it is a very practical, easy, well instructed, and fast way to get serious effect work. He's not a programmer like maltaannon, he's more like me. I want "X" effect, I want it to look killer, and I don't give a **** what shortcuts I use to get that as quickly as I can.



As for people "stealing" his work, only scrubs with no real talent do that, and a potential employer is going to go over dozens of demo reels and see the same work on many of them, and then into the trash they go.
 
It's interesting to read the threads on Kramer's site. "Andrew, I just saw your latest tutorial used on The Tonight Show". Even on a national network level people are just grabbing his stuff. I see VC elements in bumpers and promos all the time. :cough: sure target :cough:
 
Cassius said:
It's not just that site, of course. Everytime someone asks how to do an effect or if it can be done because they can't find a tutorial I feel like hitting my head on something. Whenever I respond to these posts I tell people some vague hints and say to experiment, figure it out on your own. Learning how to learn for yourself is more valuable than anything else. Although I also recommend using tutorials, that's just to learn the underlying values.
Click to expand...

Absolutely true. But at the same time, don't forget sometimes people have different goals. For example, I prefer to work on the more production and editing side - not motion graphics. But if I have a client who wants motion graphics or need to do it for something work related, which happens sometimes, I often times just want to make it look good and get it done. I don't want to spend 20 hours toying with a program I don't care to know more about than I need to to get my paycheck for the job and make my client happy. So, for some people, a tutorial is perfect as it walks them through something and their client won't know care less if its from aetuts.com or videocopilot.net

Don't hear me wrong: this isn't, "if you aren't passionate why are you in it" - this is, I am into production/film/editing, but *NOT* motion graphics, but on occasion a certain job calls for motion graphics and I just want to get it over with mentality.

Anyway, I know that's not who you were targeting, so... tangent :) But maybe don't hit your head EVERYTIME someone just wants a tutorial - they may just want or need to get it done quickly w/no interest in becoming a better motion graphics artist.
 
I have no problem with people using Andrew's techniques. That's why he posted them. Also, it's a normal curve to learn how to walk before learning how to run.

AE is so complex, that no one starts out "creating".
 
Andrew Kramer addresses this "borrowing" in one of his tutorials. It doesn't seem to bother him too much so I don't know why it should bother the rest of us.
 
Deepfocus88 said:
Even on a national network level people are just grabbing his stuff
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I've seen a lot of his work on the big cable channels - no influence or inspiration. Just flat out taking his work as their own. If they at least changed the color it would show more effort than downloading the project and hitting render.
 
Wow I was just watching Conan,

They were doing some video contest and this guy sent in a really cool use of Action Essentials 2. Conan even commended the guy for his use of special effects. Nicely done whoever you were.
 
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