Well it’s midnight and I just left a gig filming the Atlanta Press Corps News Anchor Roast. had a few beers and though I would just rant. I just started a new contract position with COX communications making training films. Awesome job, and awesome place to work. Anyway, one of the things that I feel will be huge in the future of training is mobil applications. Currently, the only mobil training available is simple MP4 videos. Well this are fine, but don’t offer any interactivity between the learner and the training. So I need to learn how to create mobil applicaitons for IOS and Anroid.
Enter Flash CC. The latest version of Flash allows you to create and publish both IOS and Android apps. These apps are called hybrids, and are accepted by Apple and Google for their respective operating systems and devices. I have ptogrammed with Flash and actionscript for over 10 years, so the learning curve for the programming askect is not going to be that bad. For example, I created a “Pong” game in about an hour. I do have a bit to refresh with XML parsing and writing, and then there is the whole writing to the SD card thing that is pretty knew, but all and all, this should be pretty simple.
In addition to learning how to create apps, I am busy learning Cycles. I just got a new computer with a NVIDIA card so Cycles is actually usable now. Sadly I am about a year behind in the learning curve. So I spend a lot of time reading, doing tutorials, and playing with Cycles. (I love cycles)
I am also working with several companies and bands creating music videos. One of the things I want to expand on if using a lot more CGI with my videos. Not “lazers” and “explosions” but more set manipulation where I enhance the set with things that are not really there. I do most of my compositing in AfterEffects, which I have been using for 7 years, except when I want to add a 3d element to the scene, then Blender is my primary tool.
So what am I bitching about? Well, just the time that I spend each week expanding my skills. Blender Cycles and camera maping, AfterEffects, video lighting, editing, creating mobil apps, the learning never seems to end.
And the WORST part, is I love what I do, so there is some pleasure with all the pain. In addition to 40 hours a week creating training for COX, I spend at least 20 or 30 hours a week enhancing my skills and learning new skills, and another 10 or 20 working side gigs creating videos for organizations and bands, etc… But I love every minute of it. The wife, well that is another story. She wants part of my time too. We just sent our last child off to college and we are empty nesters. So she wants to “reconnect” (which is a good thing). So I need God to extend the week by about 15 hours so I can get everything done that I need to so. Oh, did I mention I am 56 years old too?
Ok, I am done. I told you in the beginning I had a few beers…
