Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/312687
22 Post • May 2014 www.postmagazine.com well as the most efficient workflow. "Because manufacturers have created software with so many capabilities, people's job descriptions are constantly changing," says Rothberg. "Offline, online, sound, VFX, com- pression — it's all in the hands of one person now. Those who thrive are the all-around content creators — they've got to know everything, and that's a challenge. So the need for quality training has never been greater. People are spending a significant number of hours to stay on top of their craft." On the technical side of the business, he cites FMC's roster of Mac IT courses. "We offer a series of courses and cer tification for Apple IT professionals," says Rothberg. "The Mac platform is growing in popularity, especially in terms of personal iOS devices. Even if a company is PC-based, executives want to know how to integrate their iPads and smar tphones into the company's IT and ser vers." FMC appears to have cornered the mar- ket with an unusual take on training: Its con- ference division, run by Kozuch, holds about a dozen training events annually in conjunc- tion with shows such as NAB in Las Vegas, Premiere Pro World Conference, After Effects World Conference, the LA Post Pro- duction Conference, the Editors Retreat, and the New York Post Production Conference at NAB's Content & Communications World. "All the major trade shows include our training component," Kozuch says. "Over 1,200 people trained with us at NAB this year. It's the industry's largest mega-training event." CLASS ON DEMAND Not all training takes place in person. For reasons of location, price or convenience, many people opt to take advantage of online training today. Paul Holtz, founder and CEO of Class On Demand (www.classondemand.com) in the northwest suburbs of Chicago, got into train- ing about 20 years ago when the delivery medium was VHS tape. A production profes- sional and expert Pinnacle trainer, he pub- lished his own series of successful training videos. After hearing customer requests for more subject matter, he recruited other big name gurus to come into his studio and produced them going through the paces on their software. Holtz devised the name Class On Demand "well before there was on- demand anything," he laughs. Holtz's products migrated from VHS tape to DVD, then to downloadable video, and now streaming video. DVD-ROMs are still available for those who favor them, but most people want to stream programs, which are viewable on any handheld device or com- puter. Titles are available individually or via an all-access program offered on a monthly or annual basis. Some of the company's top sellers include "Complete Training for Avid Media Com- poser," whose lessons include everything from the basics of getting started to advanced instruction on audio, VFX and color correc- tion. "Complete Training for Adobe Creative Cloud" is also a top seller. Hundreds of other subjects are available, covering cameras, light- ing, editing, visual effects, the Web, IT and more. "We try not to assume that the customer has used the software before," says Holtz. "The first couple of chapters are about get- ting up to speed and creating a cool project so customers feel a sense of accomplishment early on. We supply all the high-quality con- tent used by the instructor. "Then we get into the real meat with stepping-stone chapters. We have a tremen- dous fan base of professionals who come back for updates, and many of them say, 'I've been using the software for 10 years, but I never realized I didn't know about X until now.' If we can teach one tip that will save an editor hours of effort, we're worth the price of admission," he notes. "We always offer a healthy dose of tips and tricks designed to generate more business." Class On Demand also includes pre-cer- tification for manufacturer testing by HP, Cisco, Avid and NewTek as part of its com- plete training package. It also partners with NABET/CWA and IBEW on certified train- ing for their union members. Class On Demand has professional cus- tomers from broadcast and cable networks and numerous post facilities. High schools and colleges have licenses to stream training to augment classroom learning; graduates turn to products to update and refresh their skillsets. Some college students even select Holtz's programs as "a pretty inexpensive alternative" to another session on campus. Among the new training titles offered by Class On Demand are "Windows 8 Deep Training," "Apple OS X Mavericks," "App Creation," and new "Camera" and "Color Correction" modules. Coming soon is instruction on 3D printers, which Holtz believes will appeal to "all sorts of markets." Class On Demand has also launched Stu- dioBacklot.tv, a consumer training site where professionally-produced elements are includ- ed with training to let video enthusiasts of all ages create highly-polished videos for work or to share with friends and family. MEDIASTORM Based in Brooklyn, NY, MediaStorm (http://mediastorm.com/train) began offering interactive CD-ROMs 20 years ago. Founder Brian Storm, a documentary photographer turned filmmaker, started to offer training to help others replicate the experience he enjoyed when he added sound and moving images to his repertoire. MediaStorm's chief business is filmmaking, MediaStorm produces films in addition to offering training. Class On Demand's Paul Holtz. Training