If the recent FCPX release has left you with itchy feet, or you want all the benefits of 64bit native editing in all the cool new HD formats with a more "traditional" user interface, then we have the ideal course for you.

The FCP to Premiere Pro switchers course will provide you with all the skills to port over to the award winning Premiere Pro CS5.5.

The course includes:

Essential shortcut keys and workflows in Premiere Pro.

Bringing FCP projects into Premiere Pro

Dynamic Link to other Adobe apps

Using Premiere Pro with other Final Cut Studio apps, including Motion, Soundtrack Pro and Color.

Editing in Premiere Pro (including Multi Camera)

Effects in Premiere Pro

Exporting using Adobe Media Encoder

Basic Blu-ray and DVD authoring in Encore

The course will be run by Apple Certified Master trainer and Adobe certified Instructor Andy Day and is available in Auckland, Wellington, Sydney and Online LIVE.

For details contact us here or in the sidebar

Despite all the controversy over the latest release of Final Cut Pro there is no doubt that it's an awesome video creation tool, even if it's not ideal for all Professionals at this point.

If you're creating video content for the web, DVD or Blu-ray then the combination of FCPX, a tapeless camera and Motion 5 is a very powerful toolset. Of course you'll need Adobe Encore to author a Blu-ray disc, but luckily we have courses for all of these software packages.

I have created courses for FCPX, Motion 5 and the new Compressor to appeal to new users and FCP 7 users moving over, including all the new shortcuts and workflows for the latest Final Cut "Studio" package.

The first FCPX course in NZ is being hosted by DVT on July 6th, with more to follow. Go to the course dates page for more details.

FCPX Complete course outline

This course is ideal for existing FCP 7 users coming to FCPX, iMovie users upgrading or new users.

This course is very “Hands On” so a workstation will be provided for the course.

• The Interface


• Keyboard Shortcuts


• Organizing, Optimizing & Analyzing Media


• Importing Files & Folders


• Importing from a Camera


• The Event Library


• Organizing Media with Keywords


• Editing with FCPX


• Using the Trimming Tools


• Working with Storylines & Compound Clips


• Working with Audio


• Retiming Video


• Applying and Modifying Transitions & Effects


• Applying and Animating Titles


• Color Correction


• Exporting to Quicktime, DVD, Blu-ray and the Web


• Exporting using Compressor

The course will be run by Apple Certified Master Trainer Andy Day.

For Final Cut Studio 3 users we also have courses in all the old Studio apps including Color, Motion 4, FCP 7, Sound Track Pro and DVD Studio Pro. Go to the course dates page for more details

The Adobe Online Creative festival is in a weeks time !!

If you want to get some tips from some great industry professionals, such as :

Josh Logue : 2009 ARIA winner- Director of Empire of The Sun's video clip, 'Walking on a Dream'. One of Australia's most sought-after, up and coming TV commercial directors. Want to get your dream walking? Then you need to drain his brain at OCF5! 

Andy Williams : Senior Digital Strategist- Resn - a Top 100, multi award winning Wellington-based company. Want to push the boundaries of digital design? Maximise the potential of current and emerging interactive technologies? Andy has the know-how. 

Matt Drew : Art Director Roadshow Films- Matt was there when Photoshop 1.0 was born, and has done it all : finished artist, designer, retoucher, typographer, illustrator, photographer, Art Director. Watch, learn and ask Matt about his hot Photoshop techniques gained from creating high impact work at ad agencies like Y&R, George Patts, Mojo & Whybin. 

Just click the image above to register.

If you want to top up your Photoshop, After Effects, Premiere Pro, In-Design, Flash Catalyst or general CS5 skills then check out our courses.

With the launch of Adobe CS5 last weekend we can finally share the amazing new features of CS5 with you (We've been beta testing CS5 for 4 months already !!).

We’ll be posting FREE regular tutorials on the website over the coming weeks & our new upgrader courses start on 18th of May at the Renaissance training facility in Auckland.

There are 3 specialised courses for Web, Design & Video, which comprehensively cover the new features in CS5 & are designed to get you up & running in the shortest space of time.  As a bonus buy your CS5 upgrade at Magnum Mac & get the training course for half price !!

Individual Adobe CS5 application courses will be launched in early June in our new "Beginner to Pro" 1 Day course format.  These are comprehensive studies of each CS5 application.  Details will be published here on the blog once they're finalised.  All courses include high quality course notes & free 1 month subscription to our new weekly subscription training video series (more details to follow).

Comment below or Sign up for Adobe CS5 training information here using the booking form on the left.



On 20th April at 7pm (New Zealand time) we'll be giving a FREE 1 hour Online LIVE session for new Mac users on getting started with iLife 09.

The session will be accessible to anyone with an Intel based Mac, a broadband connection, some headphones & an hour to spare.

Subjects covered include:

• Setting up your iTunes Library
• Editing with iMovie & Making a DVD with iDVD
• Making your own Website with iWeb
• Composing Music with Garageband.

The content is an extract from our new updated iLife 09 workshop which launches in May.

Online LIVE is the latest way to learn software from the comfort of your own home.  Participants can ask questions using the special chat window.  The experience is just like being in a live classroom, but with classmates from all over the world !!

Space is limited, so send us an email with FREE SESSION in the subject field & we'll send you a confirmation email & instructions on how to join the class. 

Once you subscribe to the RSS feed you'll be automatically updated with new blog posts or course information for any of our Apple, Adobe, Cinema 4d, Ableton or Digidesign courses.

Hope this helps..

Canon have recently announced a new FCP plugin for EOS DSLR users.  

This will make it easier to manage the inevitable transcoding process from the native H.264 files created on the Canon 5D MkII & 7D to Apple ProRes.

First reports indicate this will be improved by up to 2 times & allows import into FCP via Log & Transfer.  My main concern is the quality of the trancoding, so we plan to beta test the new plugin in the coming weeks before official release.

This workflow will also be part of our forthcoming Canon DSLR & Final Cut Studio/Adobe CS4 workshop to be hosted by top Auckland photographer Nick Tressider in his studio based in Parnell, Auckland, New Zealand.

Comment below if your working in DSLR workflows & have anything to contribute to the workshop content.

The new workshop will cover advanced features of Motion 4, including extensive coverage of the 3D environment, camera techniques, integration with Cinema 4D & lighting/reflection tips & tricks. Many of the techniques covered are beyond the scope of the Apple Certification curriculum, so are aimed at experienced users only.

Motion 4 is included in the latest version of Final Cut Studio and has many improvements over the previous version, most of which are covered in detail in the course.

The workshop runs for 4 hours & will be initially available exclusively through Handy Training Online course hosts only.

Details of the course content will be published on our course page so don't forget to subscribe to the RSS feed.

Comment below if you have any questions...

Handy Training Online are now offering new users of Cinema 4D a 1 day intro course to this amazing 3D modeling software.

The course is aimed at all users of Cinema 4D including Architects, Motion Graphic Artists, Designers & Video professionals.  If you don't already have the software a 40 day free trial version is available from the Maxon website.

Integration with other professional compositing applications is also covered including After Effects CS4 & Motion 4.

For more details see the new Cinema 4D course entry in our course section of the website.

We hope everyone finds it more usefull as an information resource than the old website.

There's loads happening this year with lots of new courses, including Cinema 4D & some new hands on workflow workshops.  The first ones are on getting video on the internet using all your favorite Adobe & Apple tools.  Others planned include Canon 5DMkII workflows & authoring for the new Apple iPad.

Don't forget to check out the free Final Cut Studio forum too & post any questions or issues you've come across.