Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/6179
January 2010 36 n n n n Education•Recruitment them. e job malaise will continue in 2010 due to a number of things: the weak economy, leading to a weak advertising market; FUD (fear, uncertainty, doubt) currently plaguing the entertainment industry; and continued fragmenting and decentralization of the post marketplace. Video Symphony will amp up its job-centric focus by publishing a how-to book, Hollywood Jobs, [from Flanagan] due out this month, and creating a sophisticated database-driven software system, code-named Career Aspirin, that will aid our graduates and others in finding good jobs." Lynda Weinman Co-founder/Executive chair of the board lynda.com Carpinteria, California www.lynda.com Offering online software training through the company's Online Training Library and DVDs to individuals, businesses, and academia. Strengths: "Online education and train- ing has distinct strengths: from convenient learning when and where a person needs and wants to learn, to saving companies expensive on-site training expenses. When used for stu- dents, it can be significantly less costly than text books in an academic setting." Weaknesses: "ere are definite advan- tages to face-to-face learning: having immedi- ate interaction with an instructor, the ability to ask questions and have them answered by an expert teacher, and receiving immediate feed- back on work. Online training works well as a supplement to that kind of training, where applicable. Since the dot-com crash and 9-11, both individuals and companies have smaller training and travel budgets, and educational conferences have folded due to high expenses and lack of attendees. As the economy has changed and technology has improved, the growth of online training has helped to pick up where these alternative methods of teach- ing have fallen short." Opportunities: "e market for online- distributed content is burgeoning due to new formats and growing worldwide audiences. From broadband Internet access through gaming/media centers in the home, to iPhone and other mobile media in everyone's pocket, content is accessible from nearly every corner of the globe. New markets include foreign audiences as content becomes more accessible and the demand for software training grows." Threats: "Many companies that offer con- tent for sale online face the thievery and illegal distribution of their content through torrents by those who believe that all content should be free. While that's a never- ending and difficult battle, a key to the continued success for companies like lynda.com is the fact that the experience of being a lynda.com member can't be duplicated and isn't solely based on the training content alone." Outlook for 2010: "Along with all other content and me- dia, online education resources will continue to grow by increasing content and their customer base. ere will be more courses, new topics, new kinds of courses, and more efficient types of content presentation. Improved technology will allow further collaboration with classroom teaching and better peer-to-peer and instruc- tor-to-student video interaction. While the economy promises to improve, consumers will continue to be frugal with their budgets, and will continue to seek sources from which to improve their skills and keep competitive to ensure financial security." Josh Apter Owner/Founder Manhattan Edit Workshop (MEWshop) New York City (www.mewshop.com) Offering a full range of certified classes in the art and technique of film editing. Customized classes are designed to provide top-tier training both to professionals and aspiring editors. Strengths: "Our greatest strength as an educational facility is the ability to keep pace with rapid developments in content creation and to offer cutting-edge, intensive training in its evolving disciplines. Whether it's new work- shops in DSLR filmmaking or niche classes in popular software plug-in sets, we can respond to the changing needs of our students while still offering the staples of certified training in Apple, Avid, and Adobe products. In recognition of our rapidly morphing technology environment, MEWshop was de- signed from day one to evolve our teaching methodologies to mesh with how students want to be, and need to be, trained. "Where someone with a working knowl- edge of Avid or Final Cut Pro may not see the need to take a refresher course, especially in this economic environment, we feel if we can offer something unique, be it an aesthetics of editing course, or a targeted low-cost class like the Filmmaker's Guide series (that focuses the technical aspects of After Effects to the specific needs of the filmmaker/film editor), we can appeal to a variety of student needs." Weaknesses: "ere will always be a need for the basic "brick and mortar," instruc- tor-led training that we provide at MEWshop, Lynda.com is utilizing the latest technologies to improve online training instruction. MEWshop students Katie Ainslie (standing) and Michelle Kim discuss film editing techniques, the focus of the educational facility.