Research Resource Discovery

David Rivers has been recording elearning courses for lynda.com for over a decade. He's one of our star authors! In this interview (conducted from his home recording studio in Canada), he offers lessons from his 100-course journey with lynda.com. David shares his process for creating and recording course content, and provides inspiration for other authors who want to turn their knowledge into tutorials for the emerging elearning market.

In this workshop Adobe Certified Instructor Russell Viers distills his vast knowledge of Adobe Illustrator into 11 simple things that open up a whole world of possibilities. Before you know it you'll be playing around with art and logos and creating intricate designs by combining paths with the Pathfinder.

After years of watching colleagues and clients struggle with PDFs, Russell Viers was inspired to create this course, which takes a practical, nuts-and-bolts look at working with PDFs in a production environment. In a series of quick lessons, Russell shows how to look at a PDF and understand what's going on, diagnose potential problems, and fix those problems. Along the way, get valuable tips for preflighting, converting colors, editing PDFs in Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator, and much more.

Taking pictures is easy; managing images is a different story. In this workshop, Adobe Certified Instructor Russell Viers shares his techniques for sorting through your photo libraries. See how to breeze through images using Bridge and full-screen preview, how to quickly mark the ones you like and open them all for synchronized image adjustment, how to go from Bridge to InDesign and Photoshop for page layout and image optimization, and more. These 11 techniques show how to process your digital photos faster, and save precious time for shooting.

The 12 principles of animation underlie everything animators do, from making movies to video games. These principles are the same regardless of the software you use—2D or 3D, open source or advanced suite. In this course, award-winning animator David Andrade takes traditional student assignments (a bouncing ball and a lowly flour sack) and translates them into digital animations that illustrate each of these principles in detail. He uses Maya and Blender, but the focus in not on software mastery; it's about the techniques, not the tools. Follow along as he introduces the history of character animation and explores each of the 12 principles, from squash and stretch and anticipation to timing and follow-through. Take the challenge exercises to practice what you've learned along the way.

Animation has evolved tremendously in the last century, but some principles always stay the same. This foundation will serve you for a lifelong career.

With data breaches, leaks, bugs, and viruses on the rise, it's a good time to ditch personal passwords for more secure, randomized ones. 1Password helps you keep track of these hard-to-remember passwords and access them from one convenient, secure place. In this course, Abby Bok shows you how to get the most from 1Password, even on the go. Learn how to enter login and credit card info and add secure notes for multiple users and identities. See how to generate better passwords quickly Abby also shows you how to sync and back up passwords so you don't lose information, and demonstrates how the 1Password app works on iPads and iPhones.

As a presenting sponsor of the 26th annual Santa Barbara International Film Festival, lynda.com puts you in the front row of four fascinating panel discussions with some of Hollywood's top filmmakers, including a number of Golden Globe, Emmy, Grammy, and Academy Award winners and nominees.

Moderated by the vice president and editorial director of Variety Peter Bart, these six directors speak to the pressures of being on the Oscar circuit and the need to get back to work as soon as possible. Unusual for a group of nominated films—with the exception of Toy Story 3 at an estimated $200 million—these are all relatively low-budget films, ranging from $1 million to a high of $14 million. The directors discussed how not having a big budget to work with forced them to be more creative and focused on the story.

This panel includes Darren Aronofsky (Black Swan), Charles Ferguson (Inside Job), Debra Granik (Winter's Bone), Tom Hooper (The King's Speech), David O. Russell (The Fighter), and Lee Unkrich (Toy Story 3).

As a presenting sponsor of the 26th annual Santa Barbara International Film Festival, lynda.com puts you in the front row of four fascinating panel discussions with some of Hollywood's top filmmakers, including a number of Golden Globe, Emmy, Grammy, and Academy Award winners and nominees.

Moderated by Patrick Goldstein from the Los Angeles Times, these six producers cover many topics not often discussed in the entertainment press. The struggle to get a picture funded, ratings battles with Motion Picture Association of America, where the lines are drawn making a dramatic film based on a real life event, and working with a difficult director. They offer amazing stories of perseverance and triumph.

This panel includes Darla K. Anderson (Toy Story 3), Iain Canning (The King’s Speech), Alix Madigan (Winter’s Bone), Todd Lieberman (The Fighter), Mike Deluca (The Social Network), and Jamie Patricof (Blue Valentine).

As a presenting sponsor of the 26th annual Santa Barbara International Film Festival, lynda.com puts you in the front row of four fascinating panel discussions with some of Hollywood's top filmmakers, including a number of Golden Globe, Emmy, Grammy, and Academy Award winners and nominees.

Moderated by Madelyn Hammond from Madelyn Hammond & Associates, the Creative Forces: Women in the Business panel features five talented women filmmakers whose talents range from visual effects and animation to documentary films. The women speak eloquently about how they each got their start, their mentors and inspirations, and the positive effect that they feel women have on the creative arts. We hear stories from the making of Toy Story 3, doing costume design with director Tim Burton on Alice in Wonderland, and working with George Lucas at Skywalker Sound.

This panel includes Darla K. Anderson (Producer, Toy Story 3), Colleen Atwood (Costume Designer, Alice in Wonderland), Gloria Borders (Executive Visual Effects Producer at Digital Domain on TRON: Legacy), Lesley Chilcott (Producer, Waiting for Superman), and Alix Madigan (Producer, Winter's Bone).

As a sponsor of the 26th annual Santa Barbara International Film Festival, lynda.com is delighted to put you in the front row of four fascinating panel discussions with some of Hollywood's top filmmakers, including a number of Golden Globe, Emmy, Grammy, and Academy Award winners and nominees.

Moderated by Anne Thompson from indieWIRE, the It Starts with the Script panelists talk about the development of their films, their research before sitting down at the keyboard, the evolution of the script, and finally, getting it to the screen. What's clear is that there's no formula, no easy path, and no shortcuts. The writers candidly reveal the obstacles each overcame on the way to seeing their vision realized. The anecdotes range from stories of triumph over adversity to remarkable collaborative efforts to just plain luck. Panelists are Aaron Sorkin (The Social Network), Scott Silver (The Fighter), David Seidler (The King's Speech), Charlie Mitchell (Get Low), Lisa Cholodenko (The Kids Are All Right) and Michael Arndt (Toy Story 3).

As the presenting sponsor of the 27th Annual Santa Barbara International Film Festival, lynda.com is once again pleased to open the door to four entertainment industry panels that feature some of Hollywood's top talent from the world of producers, directors, and screenwriters. Panelists are carefully chosen during the awards season and include many you'll see on the Golden Globes® and the Oscars®.

Moderated by Peter Bart (vice president and editorial director from Variety) the Directors on Directing panel features a who's who of Oscar®-nominated directors on their way to the Kodak Theatre on February 26, 2012. With a dynamic range of films, from feature animation to comedy to silent films, this panel offers a diverse group of opinions and stories from the set. Gore Verbinski (Rango) was shocked that voice actors were recorded one at time, so he arranged for his ensemble cast to be recorded at the same time to take full advantage of the actors' comedic interactions. Michel Hazanavicius (The Artist) talks about the challenge of getting a black-and-white silent film made in the 21st century. Terry George (The Shore) tells how he found humor in the serious subject of the conflict in Northern Ireland. Chris Miller (Puss in Boots) leaves room for improvisation in his script with his three main characters, two cats and an egg. Jennifer Yuh Nelson (Kung Fu Panda 2) shares her darker moments during production, assuring a nervous studio (a year into production) that everything will work out—despite having nothing to show them. Paul Feig (Bridesmaids), discovering the brilliant performance of actress Melissa McCarthy in rehearsals, rewrote parts of the script to take better advantage of her comedic genius.

All of the directors speak candidly about the importance of great casting, a strong story, and the ability to listen to their audience through prerelease testing.

As the presenting sponsor of the 27th Annual Santa Barbara International Film Festival, lynda.com is once again pleased to open the door to four entertainment industry panels that feature some of Hollywood's top talent from the world of producers, directors, and screenwriters. Panelists are carefully chosen during the awards season and include many you'll see on the Golden Globes® and the Oscars®.

Moderated by Patrick Goldstein (Los Angeles Times columnist for "The Big Picture"), the festival lit up the marquee with a panel of Oscar®-nominated producers you'll certainly see on the red carpet on February 26, 2012. These professionals cover a wide range of films, from huge-budget effects movies to smaller, ensemble-casted dramas. Graham King (Hugo), who marks his fourth film with director Martin Scorsese, tells how they worked together to shoot their first 3D film—and their first with kids and animals. Mike De Luca (Moneyball) needed to develop a working relationship with Major League Baseball, who had final cut on his film. Bill Pohlad (The Tree of Life) talks about the 10 years it took to green light his film and the obstacles along the way. Jim Burke (The Descendants) worked with director Alexander Payne to put every dollar on the screen while shooting in Hawaii, known to be an expensive location. Letty Aronson (Midnight in Paris) shares the unique working relationship she has with director (and brother) Woody Allen.

Despite the impressive resumes of all of these producers, getting every one of these feature films to the screen presented new challenges.

As the presenting sponsor of the 27th Annual Santa Barbara International Film Festival, lynda.com is once again pleased to open the door to four entertainment industry panels that feature some of Hollywood's top talent. Panelists are carefully chosen during the awards season and include many you'll see on the Golden Globes® and Oscars®.

Moderated by Anne Thompson from indieWIRE, the It Starts with the Script panelists share their stories of script development, writer's block, book adaptation, and, most of all, tenacity, on the way to getting their movies to the screen. Mike Mills (Beginners) tells us about turning his own story about his father into a screenplay. Will Reiser (50/50) also turned a life experience, his personal battle with cancer, into a comedy starring his best friend Seth Rogen. Jim Rash (The Descendants) walks us through his process as he turned the book by Kaui Hart Hemmings into a film nominated for five Academy Awards®. Tate Taylor (The Help) was roommates with author Kathryn Stockett, who wrote the best-selling book; he finished the screenplay (and owned the rights) before the book was even published. Writer J. C. Chandor (Margin Call) wrote about the financial markets, having grown up with his father immersed in that world.

With all of these brilliant writers, "write what you know" became their life's mantra while they worked on their screenplays. They share funny and poignant anecdotes about their experiences and processes on the way to the big screen.

As the presenting sponsor of the 27th Annual Santa Barbara International Film Festival, lynda.com is once again pleased to open the door to four entertainment industry panels that feature some of Hollywood's top talent. Panelists are carefully chosen during the awards season and include many you'll see on the Golden Globes® and Oscars®.

Moderated by Madelyn Hammond from Madelyn Hammond & Associates, the Creative Forces: Women in the Business panel features five talented producers whose films have been nominated for multiple awards—from drama and comedy to animation and independent short film. Julia Louis-Dreyfus (Picture Paris) talks about her short film written by husband/writer Brad Hall. A multi-award winning actress, Louis-Dreyfus describes her journey to the other side of the camera as producer. Dede Gardner (Tree of Life) tells us why Fox Searchlight Pictures chose not to include images of star Brad Pitt while promoting the film. Melissa Cobb (Kung Fu Panda 2) talks to the organic process of producing an animated feature that allows an ongoing evolution of the story during production. Denise Ream (Cars 2) also shares her journey in feature animation though the creative juggernaut that is Pixar Animation. And Leslie Urdang (Beginners) talks about the experiences of working with legendary actor Christopher Plummer, who was presented with the Modern Master Award at this year's festival.

These powerful forces in feature filmmaking offer an inside look at why women are no longer excluded from any role in production they choose. All it takes is desire and a lot of hard work.

While there are technically no limits when it comes to songwriting, here are 20 "unofficial" rules that songwriters employ to make songs more engaging and memorable. And it's not just commercial songwriters. These rules are used in many of the popular and GRAMMY-winning songs you hear today. In this course, Cliff Goldmacher reveals tips from the professional songwriter's rulebook, starting with 10 rules about lyrics: staying conversational, using concrete details, and keeping your rhyme schemes the same in similar sections. He then discusses five rules for melodies, including why you should keep melodies simple, unique, and accessible, and how to make them more memorable with repetition. The last five rules tackle familiar song structures and tips for shortening sections of songs.

Drawing and creativity are critical parts of human communication and personal expression, and are essential for success in every profession. Drawing is especially valuable because it improves hand-eye coordination, as well as your understanding of form and shape. It also lets you quickly communicate ideas that may be difficult to put into words. To help you hone your skills, Von Glitschka has developed the 21-Day Drawing Challenge. The goal isn't to turn you into a professional illustrator or fine artist—it's about improving your drawing skills and creative thinking, no matter if you're an expert or have never drawn more than a doodle on a notepad.

Von will assign you a drawing challenge for each day. Take the time you need to finish each challenge, and then watch the video where Von shares his own hand-drawn solution. There are no right answers here; his solutions should serve as inspiration! For more encouragement, look no further than the chapter on inspiring drawers. Each movie profiles a different artist, including people like Kate Bingaman Burt and Mattias Adolfsson. So, step up to the plate. You're just 21 days from a new creative habit. And don't forget to share your drawings via Twitter and Facebook! Use the hashtag #draw21days.

Songwriting can be a thrilling and rewarding profession, but it's not without its challenges. In this course, join professional songwriter Cliff Goldmacher as he explores the craft—and business—of songwriting through a series of short, self-contained lessons that offer practical solutions to common problems. Cliff shares creative workarounds for songwriting issues, explaining what to do when you're stuck finding the perfect line or you can't tell if a song is finished. He also goes over problems—and offers solutions—for songwriters that are working in the recording studio or trying to pursue a career in music.

Songwriting can be a thrilling and rewarding profession, but it's not without its challenges. In this course, join professional songwriter Cliff Goldmacher as he explores the craft—and business—of songwriting through a series of short, self-contained lessons that offer practical solutions to common problems. Cliff shares creative workarounds for songwriting issues, explaining what to do when you're stuck finding the perfect line or you can't tell if a song is finished. He also goes over problems—and offers solutions—for songwriters that are working in the recording studio or trying to pursue a career in music.

Capturing the movements of a horse, dog, or other such creature in 2D animation requires an understanding of certain principles and techniques. In this course, Dermot O'Connor explains how to animate four-legged animals as they walk, trot, and run. Dermot compares the anatomy of animals and humans, showing the analogous parts. He also demonstrates the basics of a quadruped walk, explaining how to create the leg positions for the front and the back, as well as how to offset them to create a realistic walk. Plus, learn how to add individual quirks to a run and create cartoony run cycles.

The varying sizes and anatomies of flying animals results in different flying styles and patterns. For example, imagine a hummingbird's wings and flight path as compared to a crow's. This course demonstrates how to animate the motions of different flying creatures, from a tiny butterfly to an enormous dragon.

Animating a convincing Dracula or zombie involves many of the classic principles of animation; however, in order to properly spook your audience, you'll often want to make your creatures move in creepy or unnatural ways. In this course, Dermot O'Connor shares 2D animation techniques for making monsters, aliens, and other supernatural subjects come to life. Dermot explains how to deal with muscular creatures, animate jerky creatures, and make eerily smooth movements. He illustrates how to apply each technique by drawing familiar monsters like ghosts, werewolves, vampires, and more.

Once you've completed a basic walk cycle, it's time to add character. Animator Dermot O' Connor shows how to take a basic walk and go beyond, building in personality, exaggeration, and attitude. Learn how to animate bipedal motion, stomps, sneaks, and goofy walks, and turn walks into full-on runs. Dermot also shows how to avoid common pitfalls such as jagged arcs. These techniques are 2D animation classics, and must-have skills for any animator, regardless of software.

One way to learn animation is an all-in-one course, the kind you can find here in our library. The other path is on-the-job training, and involves picking up an arsenal of tips and tricks as you work. Both methods have their benefits, though most students get an all-in-one style education. This course will give you that "on the job" experience in weekly doses. Every Tuesday, author Dermot O' Connor reveals a tip or trick that animation professionals use to save time and create more compelling characters. Learn to use delays, overshoots, and leading gestures to create looser, more realistic movement; draw different mouth shapes for male and female characters; create different styles of walks such as staggers; and more. Put this course in your playlist and each week a new video will appear in your queue.

There are four primary poses of a walk cycle, and the sequence in which they are animated is very important. In this 2D animation tutorial, Dermot O' Connor provides an introduction to the basics of all walk cycles. The principles apply to any animation student, regardless of software.

First, he reviews the poses—contact, down, passing, and high point—and the creative decisions you have to make about timing, frame rates, and placement. (Traditionally, walk cycles can be animated in place or across the screen.) In the following chapters, Dermot animates a character walking in profile and also from a front view. These two projects give you opportunities to see animation techniques, such as creating poses and in-betweens and troubleshooting arcing and timing issues, in action.

With today's wide range of game development tools and engines, it's easy to get started making 2D games with very little effort. But for your game to succeed, you need to plan it right from the start. Jesse Freeman walks you through everything you need to know to design and develop your first 2D game, from picking an engine, building artwork, and incorporating sound, to publishing and marketing the finished game. Along with high-level strategies, Jesse reviews the tools that you need to make development easier and faster—because the last thing you want to do is reinvent the wheel. Learn the fundamentals to designing 2D games from scratch and spend your energy on making great games.