I just bought the Vegas 6 + DVD package and I'm looking for some training material - preferably something that has some lessons that include putting together an actual project, not just explanations of how different features work, like what's in the manual that comes with the program.

The Complete Training for Vegas 6 Class on Demand looks good from the description, but I haven't been able to find any demos that show what's in it.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

I just bought the Vegas 6 + DVD package and I'm looking for some training material - preferably something that has some lessons that include putting together an actual project, not just explanations of how different features work, like what's in the manual that comes with the program.

The Complete Training for Vegas 6 Class on Demand looks good from the description, but I haven't been able to find any demos that show what's in it.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

I knew nothing about video editing or Vegas and picked up DSE's book called "Vegas 6 Editing Workshop." That helped me out a great deal.

Hi Ron, and welcome!

There are several options for you. Would you first try doing a search within this particular forum? There are a few threads dealing with this, and if you'll type in something like "training DVDs" I think you'll find them. Links and all! :)

Thanks, Lorinda. I've done a search and reviewed some of the previous posts about training material. The Kleiner tutorials seem to get good reviews, but they are kind of pricey - $149 for each set (several sets for Vegas alone).

The Class on Demand is available for $119-129, but I haven't found anything specific to show what's in it. Is there anyone here who has seen it firsthand?

Are you a brand new Vegas user or upgrading? I have found the DVDs from VASST to be easy to understand and FASST. (to borrow their lingo) ;) But it's kind of geared toward the user who already knows his way around Vegas.

http://www.vasst.com/product.aspx?id=250e945e-d710-4d88-bf32-c5ad2ea5d3d4

Sorry, but the last Class On Demand DVDs I bought were done by DSE. They were darn good; now you'll find him at VASST.

Thanks, Lorinda. I've done a search and reviewed some of the previous posts about training material. The Kleiner tutorials seem to get good reviews, but they are kind of pricey - $149 for each set (several sets for Vegas alone).

The Class on Demand is available for $119-129, but I haven't found anything specific to show what's in it. Is there anyone here who has seen it firsthand?

The Class on Demand tools with Edward Troxel and Tim Duncan are quite good, there are the many books on Vegas from myself, Jeffrey Fisher, and Doug Sahlen.
The VASST site has over 2000 Vegas resources, many of them free tutorials. Edward has a grundle of tutorials on his website.
Videoguys has the widest overall selection of training materials, ask them what they like.
While checking out the Vegas Tools and Training product you might want to read this. (http://www.spottedeagle.com/kleiner/garykleiner.htm)

This forum and others like it are overall the best resource out there. I'd guess there are likely around 900 or so free Vegas tutorials between the VASST site, Edward's site, Sony, and a few variables here and there.

Lorinda,
I am new to Vegas, not upgrading. I've worked with some low-end editing programs and I was using the demo version of Premiere along with the Adobe Classroom-in-a-Book, but I decided to switch to Vegas. I'm looking for something that is not geared to someone who already knows his way around Vegas.

DSE - Thanks for pointing me to the VASST site. I'll take a look. I've read good things about some of your books, too, but it's really hard to decide without being able to see a sample of the product.

Douglas,

I'm looking at the reviews of your "Vegas 6 Editing Workshop" on Amazon.com and they are all over the map. I might take a chance on it anyway, since it isn't expensive. I'm not opposed to buying some training material that costs around $100 or so, but I'm leery of buying something like that sight-unseen.

Is your book suitable for someone like me who has just started using Vegas?

Given that the original chapter one started out with "insert the installation disc and follow the installation prompts for Vegas...." I'd suggest it's good enough for beginners, yes.
Problem with some of the reviews is there are people that have never touched any kind of media app, but they'll buy Vegas, and wonder why there are industry terms included in Vegas and my book, terms they don't understand. The book doesn't have a glossary, because it was already over paper size budget. (if a book weighs too much, it costs a lot more to ship than allotted by the publisher)

Anyway, the book isn't written for someone who has never worked with video, media, DVD, Flash, whatever. If you've never said the word "recording" in your life, my book likely isn't for you. My "Instant Vegas 5" which still VERY Much applies to Vegas 6, is somewhat less intense, but it won't help you understand more about industry terms. I had one guy scream at me for the term "Ken Burns Effect" in the book, and it's a fairly well known term in our industry. He felt I should have gone into why it's called that and offered a listing of Burn's brothers films. Sigh...can't please em' all.

You can also pick up past editions of the book dirt cheap. It's in it's 4th edition, 9th printing, so there are a lot of them out there. Amazon has used Vegas 5 books for 15.00...

Ron, you might also want to check you my newsletters. Beginning in the fourth issue is a "Beginner's Corner" series.

Ron Wrote:
"I've read good things about some of your books, too, but it's really hard to decide without being able to see a sample of the product."

Ron - There are samples available. Do yourself a favor and check out the online (and FREE) articles at the VASST site. You should find many subjects covered which provide an indicative sample of both the value of the information presented as well as the clear and concise "readability" of DSE's articles as well as those of the many other contributors.

If you simply must have a copy of the Editing Workshop in hand to see what it looks like, many bookstores carry this volume which is THE treatise on the subject.

The VASST site also provides many pro-level plugins/scripts at no charge in addition to their products. And no, I am not affiliated with them.

Ed Troxel's articles are likewise invaluable and his index is well organized if you are looking for specific "How To's".

Welcome aboard.

Brian

Ron,

I wrote you in a similar thread that I'd used Gary Kleiner's training materials and between DSE, Edward Troxel and Gary, you are sure to find something that fits. Edward and DSE are VERY active in this forum and so I feel like I owe them something for all the countless times they've answered someones question was something I needed or wanted to know the answer to also. I bought Gary's training videos, and Edward's Excalibur tool, so I guess the next training item or plug-in I buy will be from DSE just to show my respect for all his does in this community.

The point is, get some training, book, DVD, or personal instruction. It will shape your editing skills in ways you can't even fathom right now. You don't have to use every tool Vegas throws in there, but dang if it isn't nice knowing what they are and when the appropriate time to use them is during an edit.

Thanks for all the replies. I ordered DSE's "Vegas 6 Editing Workshop" from Amazon.com today.

I'm also going to take a look at Edward's newsletters (I haven't figured out where to find them yet, but I'll look around on my own before I ask that question).

Ron,

Go to Edward Troxel's famous Vegas Scripting & Newsletter website (http://www.jetdv.com/).

The newsletter archive is at the top. Download them all and STUDY them. He packs alot into each one and I normally don't catch it all on the first read-thru. Truly great stuff for Vegas users.

Thanks very much, Patrick. I'm looking at them now.

TI'm also going to take a look at Edward's newsletters (I haven't figured out where to find them yet, but I'll look around on my own before I ask that question).

The link is in my signature :-)
Glad you found them and hope they're useful to you.

Vegas Editing Workshop was a godsend for me...I am not exagerating when I tell you that it changed my life for the better! Very well put together and will take you far enough in to allow you to discover the rest (more or less) on your own.

Thanks for the input. My copy of "Vegas 6 Editing Workshop" is on its way - I'm looking forward to reading it and learning the program. In the meantime, I have printed out Edward's newsletters. Looks like there's a lot of good material in them.

Ron, I think you'll learn a lot from the book and the newsletters. Feel free to ask questions here as well.

I'm about halfway through the second chapter of "Vegas 6 Editing Workshop". So far, it's mostly just explanations of different menus options and features, similar to what can be found in the manual. That really isn't what I consider "step-by-step tutorials".

Dude, you've barely cracked the cover.

If you've got a (really) high speed connection, Sony has some (219 MB.!!) sample projects on their site at http://www.sonymediasoftware.com/download/step2.asp?DID=583

Mike

I'm about halfway through the second chapter of "Vegas 6 Editing Workshop". So far, it's mostly just explanations of different menus options and features, similar to what can be found in the manual. That really isn't what I consider "step-by-step tutorials".

There are nearly 100 tutorial veg files, with roughly 3 dozen of them specifically referenced in the book. The first part of the book is getting Vegas set up correctly, understanding digital video, and understanding the computer part of editing. The chapters about specific tools all reference veg files, and there are specific tutorials as well. If you want JUST tutorials with no background as to why things happen the way they happen, then Instant Vegas would have been a better and cheaper choice. It just covers "to achieve this, do this" and doesn't explain anything at all about the "why" that you're doing what you're doing.
Additionally, on the DVD in the back of the book, there are a lot of tutorials not found in the print segments of the book. As mentioned in the foreward, the book had a paper budget, and there was a lot more I wanted to say. So, there are many tutorials on the DVD as well.

sorry to hear you're not necessarily happy with the book, Ron. Send it back to whomever you purchased it from, and ask for a refund. In all honesty, you're the first I've ever heard of unhappy with the book. I'm sure there are a few others, but you'd be the first I've heard from.

No need to be defensive about it, Douglas. I'm reserving judgement until I get farther into the book. It's too early to say whether I'm happy or unhappy with it.

I realize there are some sample videos on the DVD - I copied them onto my hard drive when I got started - but so far nothing in the book has called for using them. Maybe that will change as I get farther into the book - I guess I'll find out. It would just be a lot more helpful if you explained the features of the program in the context of actual examples that were tied to the sample files on the DVD - something along the lines of the "Classroom in a Book" series.

Ron wrote:

>>>>I'm reserving judgment until I get farther into the book. It's too early to say whether I'm happy or unhappy with it.>>>>

Please consider a page by page update. The anticipation is just too great.

Seriously though, the benefits from any resource, be they DVInfo, Vegas 6 Editing Workshop, or anything else available is only what you yourself make of it.

If need be, try the index near the front of the book and go to a specific section of interest. Claiming this comprehensive treatise is not "Classroom in a Book" is almost like criticizing Vegas for not handling spreadsheets as well as Excel.

Brian

Claiming this comprehensive treatise is not "Classroom in a Book" is almost like criticizing Vegas for not handling spreadsheets as well as Excel.
Brian

Maybe that's the problem - I'm looking for training material, not a treatise. I didn't say it was a bad book; it just doesn't have as much hands-on training (i.e., actual exercises I can use to learn the program) as I was looking for.

What I'm looking for is really pretty simple - a book that is structured like a class, where I get to actually practice what I'm learning, not just read about it. Something like Adobe's "Classroom in a Book" series.

Ron,
I think you're right, your looking for more than a "self teach" reference. Spot mentioned his task oriented book (Instant Vegas 5) above as an alternative. I agree, you might be happier with that. However, consider the DVD's as they are more along the lines of "demonstration - performance" oriented and may be more helpful for those who like to learn by doing. Spot's books do have lots of "try this" exercises embedded in them but you do have to stop, load up the exercise .veg file, and follow along. Having tried much of the available training materials out there for Vegas (and Video Factory/Vegas Movie Studio), there is no better resource than the VASST site with their hundreds of tutorials, veg files, and top notch training materials. There are other sites that have good stuff on them too such as Spot mentioned in his earlier post. However, it's been my experience that I always end up coming back to VASST when I can't find how to do that bezier mask thing or how to use the parent/child techniques that I don't use that often. Of course, if I can't find it after doing my research, there's always these forum's. The Vegas users are the best resource in the world for support bar none! They are always there and someone has the answer or will actually do the work to help you find it. These are amazing people. The pro's who moderate these forums and author wonderful reference material are the best too. Imagine, being able to ask and have a conversation with a Grammy award winning musician, pro videographer, and world reknowned author about his work in real time. Nowhere but the Vegas community. I'd say that's pretty cool.
Happy editing.
Randy

There's no question that this forum is a great source of information. I'll be sure to check out the VASST material when I get through with the book. I'm about a third of the way through it now - at the point where I'm starting to see some of those exercises that use the material on the DVD.

Having tried much of the available training materials out there for Vegas (and Video Factory/Vegas Movie Studio), there is no better resource than the VASST site with their hundreds of tutorials, veg files, and top notch training materials.

Spot's books do have lots of "try this" exercises embedded in them but you do have to stop, load up the exercise .veg file, and follow along.

Randy,
What about the "Vegas 6 Class on Demand" - can you give me any specifics about the contents? Also, what about the Sony Seminar material? What I'm trying to find out before I buy any of these packages is exactly what's in them - i.e., do they have lessons where I get to actually do something instead of just watching someone demonstrate it? What little I've been able to find in the way of demos for those packages doesn't tell whether there are any sample files to practice the material in the lessons.

I've asked these questions previously, but the answers I get are always something like "Class on Demand is good" or "You won't go wrong with..." instead of specifics about what's in them.

I can assure you I have the DVD from the "Vegas 6 Editing Workshop" loaded on my PC and I'm using the sample files as the book calls for them. However, most of the material is NOT tied to the DVD - I was about a third of the way through the book (p145 - a demo on keyframes) before I had the opportunity to use anything from the DVD. There are also a ton of mistakes - unfinished sections of material (see p161, which ends with "Neverless," and doesn't continue on the next page), exercises that don't match up with the DVD files (the "Compositing Envelope.veg" project referenced on p168).

What about the "Vegas 6 Class on Demand" - can you give me any specifics about the contents? Also, what about the Sony Seminar material?

For details on the COD set, you can look here:
http://www.classondemand.net/classondemand/vegas-training/completev6.aspx
That page shows a complete list of topics covered on the DVD set.


Here's specific information on the seminar series:
http://www.sonymediasoftware.com/products/showproduct.asp?PID=993&SPID=373

Ron,
I don't own the Class on Demand DVD's or the Sony Semminar Series so I can't comment in depth on either. I have seen samples of each and have heard comments about them on various forums. The reviews are good but that doesn't help you with what you're searching for which, as you've said, is more actual project exercises that you can do to implement the technique just demonstrated or explained in the book or DVD, complete with source media. I understand what you are referring to relative to this learning method. It's the same as a collage course uses to determine if you have achieved an "understanding" level of the material presented through homework and testing. You get instruction (demonstration) and then have to prove you know it by doing it yourself (performance). What would be excellent is a workbook to accompany the DVD's or books for Vegas Training that has projects and exercises complete with media to practice each technique and command that Vegas is capable of doing. The products that I know about for a workbook like content are Sony's Digital Video and Audio Production http://www.sonymediasoftware.com/Products/ShowProduct.asp?PID=1003 and the Instant Vegas books and content (available from the VASST web site). I'm sure there are others out there that I just haven't had the opportunity to view/try. It would be great if we had a certification course for Vegas that we could get our hands on the training material to do as an on-line or computer based training self study. Hopefully, that will come soon. Right now, most of what we have is "instruction" or "seminar" that falls a little short of a classroom teaching experience complete with instructor, exercises, media, and student interaction. It comes close with the many training DVDs, books, available on-line tutorials, veg files, tips, scripts, source media, sample projects, huge forum support, and this great community so, right now, we have to pull it together to get that "classroom like" experience (my label not necessarily your objective). Lots of resources and folks out there ready to help. Hope you find what you are looking for. Make sure you post the source when you do.
Randy

Thanks for the reply, Randy. When I get finished with DSE's book, I'm probably going to take a chance on the Class on Demand. Videoguys are selling it for $119. Everyone else seems to be selling it for the $129 list price.

Edward Troxel's newsletters are really good, too. I put them together in a binder and I've started going through them. They are very well done - there are a lot of pictures that make it easy to follow the material.

Even though DSE's book isn't exactly what I was hoping for, it is still pretty good as far as getting an overview of the software and learning the basic features.

Ron,
Most of the Vegas training resources out there are pretty good. Make sure you get the stuff that matches the version of Vegas that you have bought. Vegas has upgraded every year for the last few years and each new version (on 6d now) brings a wealth of new capability. Sometimes the older version training DVD's go on sale for that reason but they are still good for the basics. For me, I'm never disappointed with the best I can find especially if the price difference is only $10 or so dollars. Be sure to check around to see what all is out there (which I'm sure you're doing already). By the way, as I've said before, I'm partial to the VASST stuff and they have just posted their new DVD training series "Absolute Vegas" which looks very promising. As far as I know, they are the most receent (and up to date covering version 6d) training DVD's now available for Vegas. Good luck with your hunting. Happy editing!
Randy