I have already expressed some of my views with Andy on these sessions so I will keep this gripe brief.
There is a huge difference between teaching and imparting knowledge from the basis of industry experience, and knowing how to operate, in this case a computer programme, for your self project work. My only motive for this opinion is from the fact that I am here to learn as much as possible from industry standard people and unfortunately I feel the days spent trying to learn After Effects have been wasted for me. I know that I am on a steep learning curve as far as the programmes are concerned due to my lack of computer experience but there is a distinct difference between my understanding of Maya and Flash now, and After Effects.
Bascially the best solution in teaching programmes is to cover 2 angles:
1. to demostrate the programme on the projection screen whilst the students are following the instructions (as James White did with Maya and Andy did with Flash)
2. to have written instructions to accompany the demonstration, to follow if you are slower or for students who are more advanced to work quicker
It can be very helpful to have another person in the studio as well as the tutor if possible to help individually, and keep the pace of the lesson going.
I thought this was going to be brief!
Reading notes from the monitor is very tiring and the notes should just be instructions with screen prints to show anything complicated as the Maya and Flash notes. Not everyone will need written instructions but they can be helpful to keep people busy if the pace is too slow. And most importantly the notes need to match what is being taught in the demonstration which in the case of After Effects did not and the session became totally confused.
Gripe over!
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Feel free to gripe. From our point of view I always think this form of instruction is difficult as people learn in so many different ways. Some like to go through manuals, some like to play around and see what happens, while others like clear step by step guidance. I don't want the course to be a 'software training' programme, but a nuturing bed for ideas. Hopefully we have given you a basic understanding of what these programmes can do, and know it is up to you to apply them to your ideas. I'm so glad you are thinking creatively again. There will always be help in software, and we will be running smaller sessions in various levels from now on.
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