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- Thread starter Koyote 11
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I have always been straight forward and honest with my assessments of instructional videos here on the forum. I don't plan to break from that practice anytime soon. So please be forgiving of my opinion but it's my honest critique of your video.
The technique you present is great!
Even though you have stated that you have over 20 years of Ps experience, I feel, based on this video, that you have a long way to go before you're ready to create functional and comprehendible Photoshop instructional videos using proper Ps terminology and current techniques.
Instructional videos should be concise, to the point, accurate, and most of all, legible. Avoid confusion by using proper Ps terminology that coincides with your screen recorded actions. Examples include, you say...."when you open the site it's daunting to the beginner", "They weren't up to date with updates", "click on the programs, open and find it" or you say "right click, save, and give it a name" when you mean "duplicate".
The following is ordered questionable content in the video.
At no time do you explain the sandwiching technique. I know you were referring to a "LAYER" sandwich, but not all viewers (of different origins) may understand what you mean by sandwich. This should be the top priority as it's the entire theme of your video.
You don't explain the opening still graphic.
What is and why use the navigator tool?
Making a copy and deleting the original is a redundant step and you offer no reason for doing so.
There's really no plausible reason to enlarge an image to accommodate filters and you don't explain why they might function better at the larger size.
When explaining how to duplicate the background layer, your still graphic already shows that it's been done.
"For the sandwich, we repeat this four more times". Repeat what? You should say we duplicate the layer four more times.
You explain the "upper crust" layer and you describe renaming the layer but you don't rename. You should always show naming of layer as this cut's down on confusion. Especially if you're going to reference them by name throughout the entire video.
"Turn off the lower and toppings layer, leaving the lower piece of bread". Again, having named these layers, it would be less confusing.
"A picture is made up of space and lines". What does this mean? You don't explain.
"In this layer, we will be concerned with the space". What does this mean? "There are many ways to achieve this". Achieve what? Something with the space?
"Gaussian blur to "there"........why blur? What does blurring do? Why not convert the "lower piece of bread" layer into a smart object and use a smart Gaussian blur filter? It's editable.
Opacity adjustment explanation is out of order and for no apparent reason at the time it was given. The viewer is left wondering why this was done.
"Turn on the toppings and click on the top layer". This layer will be concerned with lines". Toppings layer or the top layer? Both are now active. What are lines?
The "upper crust" layer should be converted to a smart object.
Find edges filter should also be applied as a smart object-smart filter to the "upper crust" layer so it can be edited at anytime.
"This picture needs stronger lines". Again what does this mean? Outlines? Is "picture" the whole of the outcome or just that layer image?
Levels should be a levels adjustment layer so it can be edited.
Black and White should be a B&W adjustment layer so it can be edited. You say, "click on each color"..........why? Not explained. Why are we making this layer black and white?
Note: These adjustment layers can also be contained within the smart objects PSB file.
Oil paint filter should also be applied as a smart object-smart filter to the "upper crust" SO layer so it can be edited at anytime.
No need for "fade" if you have been using editable smart filters. Fade is not the proper way to edit!
"Click on the triangle in the box labeled normal and you will have more choices". Choices of what? Don't you mean "blending mode options"?
The "toppings" layer should be converted to a smart object.
"Click on color dodge, click on the image, adjust it, and invert".......how do you invert?
Brush................???? "Lot's of fun with the brush here".....while you mindlessly scribble with the Brush Tool. What was the point of explaining the brushes if you don't demonstrate?
Solarize filter should also be applied as a smart to the "toppings" layer smart object-smart filter so it can be edited at anytime.
Flatten image? Why explain if it's not part of the technique? The viewer would not have considered flattening the image unless you instruct them to do so. It's sort of redundant.
Now we see the opacity adjustment that was explained earlier.
Merge visible demonstration does not show in your video. Both the top and bottom of the video is cut off.
You never explain the reason for the merge visible layer. Why make a copy? You just go straight to the Camera Raw.
Burn and Dodge Tools??? Why explain if they're not used? Like flatten image, the viewer would have not even considered the Burn & Dodge Tools. You never explain why you added this.
"And circle the one you want to make a circle, right there". You even threw me on this one! What are you trying to explain???? Maybe the "Radial Gradient" setting????
The Gradient Tool does not burn and dodge or paint (at least not in the literal term). Depending on the preset, it will use the colors in your foreground and background to apply gradients. While you show how to select the foreground to transparent preset, you never explain setting up the foreground and background colors.
"Rebel without the cause"? This slip should have been edited in post.
Overall while this seems to be a great technique, I feel it would be extremely confusing to newbies and novice Ps users. The confusing graphics and video are not in sync with the confusing narration.
Again, I truly apologize for my candid but truthful conclusion of your attempt at a Ps instructional video. I don't want to hurt feelings........I just want to be honest. These instructional videos are meant to educate perspective viewers and I would hope you would want to do your very best! There's definitely a large amount of room for improvement here.
The technique you present is great!
I don't think you're quite ready for advertising yet.
Even though you have stated that you have over 20 years of Ps experience, I feel, based on this video, that you have a long way to go before you're ready to create functional and comprehendible Photoshop instructional videos using proper Ps terminology and current techniques.
Instructional videos should be concise, to the point, accurate, and most of all, legible. Avoid confusion by using proper Ps terminology that coincides with your screen recorded actions. Examples include, you say...."when you open the site it's daunting to the beginner", "They weren't up to date with updates", "click on the programs, open and find it" or you say "right click, save, and give it a name" when you mean "duplicate".
The following is ordered questionable content in the video.
At no time do you explain the sandwiching technique. I know you were referring to a "LAYER" sandwich, but not all viewers (of different origins) may understand what you mean by sandwich. This should be the top priority as it's the entire theme of your video.
You don't explain the opening still graphic.
What is and why use the navigator tool?
Making a copy and deleting the original is a redundant step and you offer no reason for doing so.
There's really no plausible reason to enlarge an image to accommodate filters and you don't explain why they might function better at the larger size.
When explaining how to duplicate the background layer, your still graphic already shows that it's been done.
"For the sandwich, we repeat this four more times". Repeat what? You should say we duplicate the layer four more times.
You explain the "upper crust" layer and you describe renaming the layer but you don't rename. You should always show naming of layer as this cut's down on confusion. Especially if you're going to reference them by name throughout the entire video.
"Turn off the lower and toppings layer, leaving the lower piece of bread". Again, having named these layers, it would be less confusing.
"A picture is made up of space and lines". What does this mean? You don't explain.
"In this layer, we will be concerned with the space". What does this mean? "There are many ways to achieve this". Achieve what? Something with the space?
"Gaussian blur to "there"........why blur? What does blurring do? Why not convert the "lower piece of bread" layer into a smart object and use a smart Gaussian blur filter? It's editable.
Opacity adjustment explanation is out of order and for no apparent reason at the time it was given. The viewer is left wondering why this was done.
"Turn on the toppings and click on the top layer". This layer will be concerned with lines". Toppings layer or the top layer? Both are now active. What are lines?
The "upper crust" layer should be converted to a smart object.
Find edges filter should also be applied as a smart object-smart filter to the "upper crust" layer so it can be edited at anytime.
"This picture needs stronger lines". Again what does this mean? Outlines? Is "picture" the whole of the outcome or just that layer image?
Levels should be a levels adjustment layer so it can be edited.
Black and White should be a B&W adjustment layer so it can be edited. You say, "click on each color"..........why? Not explained. Why are we making this layer black and white?
Note: These adjustment layers can also be contained within the smart objects PSB file.
Oil paint filter should also be applied as a smart object-smart filter to the "upper crust" SO layer so it can be edited at anytime.
No need for "fade" if you have been using editable smart filters. Fade is not the proper way to edit!
"Click on the triangle in the box labeled normal and you will have more choices". Choices of what? Don't you mean "blending mode options"?
The "toppings" layer should be converted to a smart object.
"Click on color dodge, click on the image, adjust it, and invert".......how do you invert?
Brush................???? "Lot's of fun with the brush here".....while you mindlessly scribble with the Brush Tool. What was the point of explaining the brushes if you don't demonstrate?
Solarize filter should also be applied as a smart to the "toppings" layer smart object-smart filter so it can be edited at anytime.
Flatten image? Why explain if it's not part of the technique? The viewer would not have considered flattening the image unless you instruct them to do so. It's sort of redundant.
Now we see the opacity adjustment that was explained earlier.
Merge visible demonstration does not show in your video. Both the top and bottom of the video is cut off.
You never explain the reason for the merge visible layer. Why make a copy? You just go straight to the Camera Raw.
Burn and Dodge Tools??? Why explain if they're not used? Like flatten image, the viewer would have not even considered the Burn & Dodge Tools. You never explain why you added this.
"And circle the one you want to make a circle, right there". You even threw me on this one! What are you trying to explain???? Maybe the "Radial Gradient" setting????
The Gradient Tool does not burn and dodge or paint (at least not in the literal term). Depending on the preset, it will use the colors in your foreground and background to apply gradients. While you show how to select the foreground to transparent preset, you never explain setting up the foreground and background colors.
"Rebel without the cause"? This slip should have been edited in post.
Overall while this seems to be a great technique, I feel it would be extremely confusing to newbies and novice Ps users. The confusing graphics and video are not in sync with the confusing narration.
Again, I truly apologize for my candid but truthful conclusion of your attempt at a Ps instructional video. I don't want to hurt feelings........I just want to be honest. These instructional videos are meant to educate perspective viewers and I would hope you would want to do your very best! There's definitely a large amount of room for improvement here.