We hope you are enjoying the new series, without further ado, let us introduce Clarisse:

What do you drink to jump start the day:  Coffee!

How do you get to MAGIX: 25 Minute Bike Ride

How do you manage working for three countries at once?  It’s a great position in which every day is different and I get to know people from all over the world. And Affiliate Marketing is constantly developing, so I’m also learning new stuff every day.

Doesn’t she have a pretty view of Checkpoint Charlie?

My Favorite Youtube Video is F*@#ing Ben Affleck by Jimmy Kimmel

You can create your own presentation from a blank page, or the easiest solution is to start from one of the free Presentation Templates provided with Xara Web Designer. Viewers of your web presentation can move through it using the right/left arrows and Page Down/Up key to view the next/previous step or page. There is also a pop-up navigation bar, which appears at the bottom left corner of the presentation allowing easy on-screen navigation of the presentation pages. You can also add link buttons to your presentation to allow your viewers to move to the previous or next presentation step.

If you don’t have Xara Web Designer Premium you can download a free trial version to follow this tutorial.

Here’s a short example presentation about the Rotary organisation

Creating a Presentation
There are two main ways to create a presentation: start with a pre-designed template and then customize it with your own text, photos, color scheme and transition style or create a presentation from scratch.

Creating a Presentation from a Template

Open the Designs Gallery by clicking the ‘Designs Gallery’ tab in the Galleries bar on the right-hand side or select ‘File’ > ‘New from Designs Gallery’. Find the Presentations folder in the gallery and click to expand it. Then click on the Component Theme folder to see the pages in the presentation with their associated graphic files. Double click on the first thumbnail, named ‘Presentation’.

A new presentation document will open with each page or slide containing a number of separate steps. When viewing your Presentation each step animates onto the screen. You can control the animation styles for the individual steps and the page transitions.

The opened document showing thumbnails of the pages in the presentation on the right

A number of transitions have already been applied to the steps and pages. Notice that Web Designer has displayed a Presentation toolbar on the right of the top standard toolbar – this provides all the key controls to create and edit the steps.

Presentation Toolbar

Click this ‘Preview whole website’ icon to open a preview window, then use the arrows in the top right of the presentation (or on your keyboard) to see the steps and transitions in action. Also try moving the mouse pointer to the lower left corner of the Presentation preview windows to see the pop-up navigation controls. Close the preview.

Tip: If you’re viewing a published Presentation on an iPhone or iPad, you can swipe the screen to move to the next or previous step.

For this presentation we only need 6 pages so we will delete those not required. To do that right-click on the page and choose ‘Delete Page’, or we can delete multiple pages at once by selecting all the unwanted pages in the Page & Layer Gallery and hit ‘Delete’.

(To add new pages select the Page & Layer Gallery then click the ‘New Page’ tab or select ‘Duplicate’ to add a copy of the currently selected page.)

We will now customize page 1 with our own content. To change the pictures, simply drag one of your own photos from your computer file explorer and drop it over an existing photo on the page. It will fill the existing frame but you can drag on the fill arrows to rotate, or resize the image in the frame. To replace the text, select the ‘Text Tool’, delete the existing text and type or ‘paste’ your own text. If you are pasting from a word-processor you will be asked about the import format – select ‘unformatted text’ which will result in the text adopting the format of the text it is replacing.

Page & layer Gallery showing the steps of the presentation

As you saw in the preview, there are 4 steps on page 1 (the center photo, the right photo, the text and finally the left photo).

The steps within a presentation document are just different layers on the page. When viewing the Presentation, it starts by showing the first main layer (called the Mouseoff layer) and then each step just animates successive layers on top of this. The layers are typically called Step 1, Step 2, Step 3, etc.

You can jump to any step either by expanding the Page & Layer Gallery thumbnails to show the steps (layers) for this page or, even easier, use the ‘Jump to’ control on the top right of the tool bar.

Note: It’s important to understand that you only see the content up to and including the step you are on. For example, if you jump to step 2, then you can see the content of all the steps up to 2, but later steps are not visible (these layers are hidden).

So if you are on the final step (when you open a Presentation file it always puts you on the last step of the page) then you see all the steps up to that point. You can select (using the Selector Tool) any items on any step – the status line at the bottom of the window tells you what step (layer) the selected object is on.

I am going to show you how to perform common operations on your Presentation, such as adding new steps, merging steps, re-ordering the steps and deleting steps.

Adding a Step

We shall add another object to the page and make that a new step. I dragged a graphic logo from my computer files onto the page and positioned it in the bottom left. Web Designer has placed it in Presentation step 4 because I am currently viewing my page in step 4 mode. Using the Selector Tool select the graphic and then click the ‘Make new step’ icon which will add a new step 5 at the end of the sequence. Once the new step has been added, this becomes the new ‘current step’ and anything you add to the page will be on this new step. (If you don’t want the new step to be at the end, then you can drag re-order as described above).

Merging Steps

I now want to merge steps 3 (left-hand photo) and 4 (text) so the easiest way is to ‘select’ the photo and perform a ‘cut’ (Ctrl+X), then go to the ‘Jump to’ drop down menu on the Presentation Toolbar and select step 3 and ‘paste-in-place’ (SHIFT+Ctrl+V). Now they are both on step 3 and step 4 is empty.

Note: If you leave a layer empty, it will automatically be deleted (and steps re-numbered) when you Preview or Save the document.

Re-ordering Steps
I will now move step 5 to become step 1 and step 3 to become step 2. The order of the steps can be seen in the Page and Layer Gallery so click on the tab to open it, then click on the small arrow to the left of the page thumbnail to expand the view to show all the layers.

To re-order the steps, simply drag step 5 into the desired position below step 1 and drag step 3 into position at step 2.Note that the step numbers are re-numbered so step 1 has now become step 3 and so on.

The presentation showing steps 1 and 2 only

Deleting a Step

Using the Selector Tool, just select any object on the step you want to delete and click the ‘Delete step’ icon: This will delete the whole step (and thus all objects on that step).

Bulleted and Numbered Lists
Page 2 of our example presentation has a bullet list – these are a bit special because each step of the bullet list appears as a separate step in the presentation even though they are all one single layer. This makes it very easy to edit your list – just use the normal text editing controls to add or delete bullet items. e.g. pressing Enter will add a new bullet step.

You can change from a bullet to a numbered list using the usual text controls on the Infobar.

Tip: Pressing Shift+Enter starts a new line, but it’s not a new step, so doesn’t have a bullet or number.

If you don’t want each bullet point to appear as a separate step, in the Text Tool, right click in the list then select ‘Presentation’ > ‘Present by paragraph and deselect the option. Now when you export and preview your presentation the list is no longer split into separate steps.

Step Transitions
When you create a new step it takes the transition style from the last step. But it’s easy to change the animation style of any step. Just select any items on the step you want to change and click the Transition control icon which will display a drop-down list of animation styles and speeds.

Step Transition Controls

Page Transitions

Each presentation page can be given its own transition style. To add or change a transition for the current page, right click on the document page and select ‘Web page properties’. On the dialog there’s a Page transition effect drop down menu along with a speed control.

You can also set the page transition for multiple pages at once. Just select the pages you want to change in the Page & Layer Gallery (use Shift+click and Ctrl+click to extend the selection), right click and select Web page Properties…then change the transition on the Page tab, as above.

Page transition controls

Save & Publish

Now save your website presentation – select ‘File’ then ‘Save’, which will save your website as a .web file, which is the working format for Xara Web Designer. (If you want to save the HTML files for viewing in a browser you must choose the ‘File’ > ‘Export Website’ menu option. This creates one HTML file for each page of your website presentation and puts all the associated files into a folder next to this.)

To publish your presentation on the web for all to see, you need to upload it to your web space. (MAGIX provide you with 500 megabytes of web space and a personal web address for free.) Select the menu File > Publish website. If you’re using MAGIX Online World, which is the default, simply enter your username and password to your account – you don’t need to know anything about FTP nor do you have to enter and FTP details.

If you have an alternative web host then, on the Publish dialog, select ‘Publish to an alternative web host’ and enter your FTP settings for your website.

Xara Web Designer is probably the most flexible, powerful web design program that doesn’t require any knowledge of HTML. If you’re a creative designer your options are unlimited with Web Designer. If you’re less creative, or do not have the time, then just customize the templates as we’ve done here.

I hope you enjoy using Xara Web Designer.

In a future tutorial I will show you how to create a presentation from scratch , how to have it password protected and also how to use remote control so you can control the steps of a Presentation being viewed by others on the web.

In the short interview below we spoke to Craig, who has impressed us with his fascinating pictures. These were all made with our mobile app, MAGIX Camera MX. Read why Craig likes the app so much and how he is coming up with new ideas for his motifs. Hope you enjoy the pictures.

You can check more of his fantastic pictures on his incredible blog Fishuality.

How did you find out about our App CameraMX?

A friend recommended Camera MX to me as it had a Kaleidoscope setting so I looked for it in Google Play. I have now used it on my last 4 HTC phones and it is one of the first apps I install on a new handset.

How did you come up with the idea for your pictures?

I have always been captivated by kaleidoscopes and wanted to create my own, especially by using ordinary everyday objects as subject matter, I get a lot of people ask what it is they are looking at and they are often surprised.

How did the App help you with these incredible motifs?

Having a live preview of what the photo will look like helps me visualize the end result and Camera MX combined with the quality of HTC’s phone cameras means that I have been able to produce stunning kaleidoscopes time and again.

Gene has been working in the film and theater industries for over 25 years. As an actor, he has starred or appeared in over 30 films and television series including “When a Stranger Calls Back” (as the Stranger), “The Usual Suspects”, “NYPD Blue” and “Frasier”. More recently, he has spent the last two and a half years honing his NLE skills with VPX and MAGIX Video Editing Softwares while learning and developing his production, direction, writing, and NLE editing creativity. He began using his mobile phone videos to create simple videos showcasing reflections of moments of inspiration. They’re always shot spontaneously, he describes them as a fun way to keep the creativity flowing and to find beauty everywhere around us. He has also been working on music composition and writing for a series of feature films which will soon be released as a web-series.

His first feature film, which he will have created entirely on his own, is called “The Greis in the Woods” and takes place in the Harz Mountains in the late 1800′s. Should be release quite soon, pending some further filming in in Germany and the Harz mountains, which Gene describes as an absolute dream.

We caught up with Gene this week to ask a few questions about his video creativity.

We can’t wait to see ‘The Greis in the Woods,’ especially if it is as beautiful as your other videos. Why MAGIX Video software, what has you hooked on us?
MAGIX has, by far, the most user-friendly movie creation software available. I also feel they’re the most powerful in their class. I’ve tested the major professional NLE (non-linear editing) software as well as the prosumer level programs and found MAGIX to offer the most dynamic editing software out there (not to mention the most affordable respectively in their classes). But it’s the usability and user-friendly interface that puts your programs in a class of their own. Video Pro X 3/4/5 renders effects, alterations, and transitions far more quickly and efficiently than the other programs in their class. The ease of use, import, and access to tools within the program interface makes it a total pleasure to work with. Having all of the wonderful plug-ins that come with the software also makes it exciting. With New Blue FX or Magic Bullet ‘Quick Looks’ you can immediately find the right look or vibe you want and you can adjust them according to your taste with lightning speed. Your creativity within the programs is never stymied; it flows so naturally and allows for the continuation of inspiration from the moment you put your videos into the timeline. I would also like to point out that I don’t just use the NLE (non-linear editing) programs from MAGIX, but the music software as well as Xara and Photo Designer 7 for my work. I record my own sound effects which I work with in Music Maker or Samplitude and I score my own work in the same programs as well; everything you see or hear in my work has been in one MAGIX program or another. I regularly purchase the upgrades for each software and look forward to the next generation of enhancements, which are always incredible. The combination of usability, user-friendly interface, plug-ins, effects, eases the learning curve and made the transition from beginner to professional editing extremely comfortable and increased my creativity over time. As I’ve moved into the feature film realm, I naturally set up my shots with VPX in mind because I knew what I could do with the footage after bringing it into the program. I even write my scripts with the software in mind, it makes shooting so much easier, to know beforehand, what I can get out of each shot with it in the timeline. So lighting and lens/camera calibration now comes as second nature.
When did you first start making things with MAGIX and what was your first project?
About five years ago, I wanted to get into composing music, which was a life-long desire. When I went shopping around for the different software programs, I discovered MAGIX Music Maker 12. I loved the user interface and huge loop package; I felt it would be the best place for me to start. It also offered a lot more than the other programs out there and would clearly hold up as I got better, over time. My first project was called “She’s in the Rain” and was simply comprised of some of the loops available in the software. It was a start; I just needed to get my feet wet. Shortly after I started using the program, I went online to look up MAGIX AG and discovered all of their different software. I purchased Movie Edit Pro right away and I fell in love with it completely. I started with slide shows and moved into the video realm using my DVX 100A and experimented a great deal with it. When I felt I was ready, I purchased Video Pro X3 and began a documentary film called “The Miraculous State of Being” which takes place over 3 years. It’s almost finished.
Which MAGIX project has been your favorite so far?
I don’t really have a favorite project since, as an artist, we’re always a work in progress, so I’ll just share my last video which I shot on my iPhone 5. Mobile filmmaking is such a fantastic way to chase moments of inspiration since you can capture the inspiration so readily. I mean, its right there in your pocket or purse . I use my mobile phone more as a tool for artistic expression than a phone! The video is just various digital captures of nature in the springtime with some typography. I love the seasons and always like to capture various moments within them, that we may often overlook.

How do you get the video footage from your iphone into Video Pro X?
I import my iPhone videos into an external hard drive (I use a RAID) that is hooked into my computer which is important to have: this keeps the footage off of the computer’s hard drive so the MAGIX editing programs can be run most efficiently. An external hard drive is essential to keeping the computers disk space and graphics card in optimal mode for video editing. If you don’t do this (and too many people don’t realize this when they’re just getting into editing) it can effect the speed of the program (or any other programs) and slow up the workflow. I set my settings in VPX to save all of my work to the same external drive. So when I want to import the videos I’ve downloaded, into MAGIX VPX, I just open the program and they automatically show up in my media pool.
What advice would you give to people interested in beginning to create their own videos?
The most important thing beginners can do is just ‘do it’. They can use their mobile phone or camera to capture anything and everything they find interesting in the world around them. Then begin playing around with the editing program and explore what can be done with the footage. Everyone has talent inside of them but you have to take the first step to discover it. Shoot, shoot, shoot; edit, edit, edit. That’s how you’ll learn. Beginners should also visit Vimeo, which is the most creative and artistic video hosting platform & community in the world, and see what other filmmakers are doing. There are groups in Vimeo where only films which are shot on mobile devices are posted and even mobile film festivals awaiting entries. I would tell anyone, who is just starting out, to purchase MAGIX Movie Edit Pro as well as Music Maker so they can have complete control over the vibe of their work from sound to the visuals. YouTube also has a lot of tutorials on filmmaking, and using MAGIX AG’s different software programs, which can provide a lot of insight for beginners. In today’s world, the web can be one of the best schools you can find; you just have to know where to look. Fortunately, with filmmaking, there are so many sites the beginner can visit where they can learn so much in such a short time. I also love MAGIX online community and post my work there regularly for feedback from fellow members.
For a glimpse of his projects and more information about him, you can visit his Youtube channel or website www.genelythgow.com, which was developed using MAGIX Website Maker. He says, ‘That’s one more MAGIX program and service I use: they host my website and provide the best website software! MAGIX AG is my single favorite company in the world. It’s also my best friend as an artist and professional.’

To get started with Gene’s Advice, download a free copy of our software from MAGIX.com. 

The following information neither constitutes nor replaces legal advice and is intended for convenience purposes only. We do not give any warranties or guarantees of any kind and disclaim any liability. Any use of such information is at your own risk. Furthermore, please consider that statutory provisions and the legal situation differ from country to country.

Internet keeps on quickly and permanently revolutionizing our means of communication, and rises many legal issues that can eventually impact everyone. Every month, we will try to give you some inputs and solutions over a relevant topic. Have no fear, nothing complicated here! Just some tips for a happy and legal use of this amazing sphere that is Internet.

And our first focus is on one of the last evolution of blogging: microblogging, which draws its strength from the immediacy of the content, and from a more simple, quicker and instantly use. If Twitter has opened the way to microblogging with limited-to-140-characters messages, Tumblr is definitely the spearhead of this movement and has the advantage to present an easy-as-a-child’s-play user-interface, to be addressed to both the whole internet community and to the closed circle of registered „friends“, and allows users yo share their ideas, creations or crushes whenever they want to with just one click, thanks to the reblog function. If the easiness of sharing content explains the success of Tumblr, it emphasizes as well legal issues that could on a long term period seriously restrain the extension of this web, most of the users using works they do not own any rights upon.

Have you ever thought that just by clicking on „reblog“, you were doing something illegal? Did it cross your mind that this .gif made out of a Star Wars extract that you proudly posted on your Tumblr wall would expose you to face Disney for violation of copyright? A short introduction to the legal framework in this field is necessary. Law, whether coming from Common Law or from the continental European tradition, is substantially the same: it explicitly presents who is the owner of rights over a work of art (the „author“,who can be the original creator as well as majors, labels, movie production companies), and gives him the capacity to copy, distribute and make derivative works as he judges profitable to do so. Logical consequence: every persons exploiting, representing or reproducing the work without consent of the legal owner is operating illegally. But did you ask permission to the owner of rights upon the picture you just reblogged, or to the owner of rights upon the film you just made a gif out of and posted on Tumblr? In practice, people think that this rule can be translated by the citation of the source. Applied to Tumblr, this key requirement encounters at least three difficulties: first, citing the origin is not enough regarding the law, which demands an agreement from the part of the holder. Under certain conditions a part of a work without it (i.e. quotation) can be used, but even when sufficient, how can one find the source of a picture which has been reblogged thousands of times? Finally, you can cite every source you want, if you reblogged a picture originally illegally being on Tumblr, you are violating copyrights as much as the original wrongdoer.

It is important to mention that under certain circumstances law limits copyrights as well. It would be too complicated to explain the continental European traditions, these ones being multiple, narrower and more specific than the Common Law system which opted for a wider logic; so let’s have a better look at the last one. The “fair use” doctrine allows to circumvent exclusivity of copyrights as long as the use of the work is regarded as „fair“. Fairness is appreciated thanks to a large range of criteria (the purpose and character of the use, the nature of the copyrighted work the amount and substantiality of the portion used the effect of the use upon the potential market). For American lawyers and academics, Tumblr more than any other platform before it is putting a strain on the “faire use” doctrine. Firstly because the content there is often considered as “commercial by nature”, Tumblr being a commercial website: if this consideration became the general rule, Tumblr would difficultly be protected by the “fair use” doctrine anymore. Moreover, Tumblr getting bigger and bigger, tries to find new ways to finance itself, mostly through advertising: if Tumblr and its bloggers begin earning revenue by running ads next to copyright-infringing images, « lawyers will descend on Tumblr and its users like lions on an injured antelope » (Jim Edwards).

Having the general background, let’s now try to give you some advice to protect your work and to act consciously when re-using/reblogging the content of someone else.

Your creation

• Creative Common Licenses. Creative Commons is a non profit organization offering an alternative to the „all right reserved“ copyright. Inspired by the open source licenses, their goal is to to free creative works from some rights regarded as too restrictive, and as so to encourage creativity, sharing, circulation of works, and enrichment of the common public domain. CC works for instance with Soundcloud or Picassa. These particular licenses can only apply if you are the sole owner of every rights upon a work (don’t even think about trying to protect your .gif made out of StarWars or complain that it has been used without your authorization on Tumblr).

• Put your name or the name of your blog on your work. It may sound trivial, but it is the best way to protect your own work. There is a triple advantage: first, Tumblr under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act must take away any content circumvent to IP rights by notice of the right holder. Second, the more the picture is shared, the more it makes your own promotion. Third, it is still possible to track down the source.

Reblogging

• Cite the source. We said it before, this is not legal enough. But it is always recommendable and indispensable if you want to rely on any exemptions such as the “fair use” doctrine, for example. Besides it proves your good will and compliance with the principle of sharing on Tumblr, which is at least something even though it does not have any legal implications. And it is a clever way to show support and appreciation for the artist.

• Use specific websites. You just need a Google research to easily find free-of-rights pieces of work. Go for instance to sites actively working with the CC (Soundcloud, Flickr, Picasa). However, even if content is provided under a CC license this does not mean it is automatically free to use. First, this is subject to specific conditions (such as citing the author’s name or licensing your own works on the same terms and conditions). And second, there are many different types of CC licenses so you will want to make sure can comply with the terms. You can find an overview of the different CC licenses at www.creativecommons.org.

Sources:
Wall Street Journal, „A Guide to Happy (and Legal) Tumblr-ing“, Luke O’Neil, May 21, 2011
Lexology.com, „Copyright issues involving content sharing websites reach federal court: Perfect 10 sues Tumblr for copyright infringement“, Sarah L. Bruno and Luna M. Samman, May 24 2012
Photo District News, „Copyright Claim Against Tumblr May Test Immunity of Photo Sharing Sites“, David Walker, May 08, 2012
Legal Zoom, „Copyright Issues When You Re-Blog Someone in Tumblr“, Michael Butler
Pandodaily, „You Might Be Breaking the Law, and Tumblr Might Pay the Price“, Philip Bump, May 7, 2012
CBS, „Why Tumblr Must Kill What Made It Big: Porn and Copyright Violations“, Jim Edwards, September 12, 2011

There has never been a time in the history of recorded music when it was easier to hear and discover new music. In every part of society you are exposed to music, and not just at the usually music and entertainment arenas. With laptops, tablets and smartphones, the internet is a ubiquitous presence keeping us up-to-date and informed on all our interests. It is also the place where we discover new music, in fact these digital channels have become the number one source to listen to, discover and share music. This trend is set to continue, where the majority of music sales will now be made online, and as mobile music downloads. As such it is important for every musician to have a mobile strategy. This involves having your catalogue of work available online in an easy accessible location. In the past all that was required was a website. Social media has taken priority as a must-have tool to utilise.

Of paramount importance here is music discovery. Unless you already have a fanbase a website by itself is not enough. Of course this is also still required but you first need to get traffic there. Luckily there are an array of sites and tools to help you here, but you still have to know how to maximise your impact on these sites and make those valuable connections. All these strategies take time to develop, so it’s best to start as soon as possible.

In the Cloud

SoundCloud has become THE source for musicians interested in sharing music. It’s power comes from the ability to embed your work in your social media channels and in blogs, forums, and even emails, allowing you to spread your content. Just having your music hosted there is not enough though. In order to make the most of this resource you need to network, give feedback, and generally be active in increasing your presence and fans.

Be Social

Social media is huge and there’s no ignoring it. The modern musician needs to learn skills previously the domain of online marketeers. You need to study who your potential audience might be and target them where they “hangout”. This means researching Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, WordPress, and any source where people are listening to and discussing music and see how you can make them work for you. As the Internet is a place for speciality sites there’s no point spending time posting and networking where it wont have the most impact. Correct targeting here will get you the desired response and feedback.

Make a tent

While I still suggest that every musician should have a Myspace account (remember them!), which is still popular in certain regions, I think Bandcamp has come-of-age as a great resource for a musician to display and sell their work. It features some old schools but important tools, like a mailing list, which is still relevant, giving direct access to your growing fan base. While not as popular as SoundCloud it provides a no frills location to sell work and get a reasonable return. It also allows the customer to download files in a quality of their choice. Audiophiles will be happy to be able to download lossless audio, and not just low quality MP3’s offered by other more established sources.

Get Active

As mobile internet usage is predicted to overtake desktop internet usage by 2014 it’s important to take action now. Most of the sites and tools mentioned above have an App available, so it has never been easier to connect with fans wherever they are. A lot of articles I’ve read are aimed at established artists, but all these opportunities and even more pertinent to the undiscovered artist. Chances are that’s you. So don’t waste any more time, get online, and get active. It can be a slow process getting noticed but the more places you have your work the easier you are to discover.

Who isn’t familiar with this: Out of nowhere the perfect situation unfolds before you, the kind of event that only happens once in your lifetime and has to be caught on camera, so you can show it to friends and family. The big problem is that when things like that happen you don’t have a decent camera ready to record what’s going on! Of course, the camera is in a safe place at home, which is understandable considering how much it cost. The smartphone, our trusty companion, is almost always on hand to capture the moment just when you need it. The Swiss Army Knife of the digital age has everything you need to react quickly and record events at a moment’s notice. Normally the quality of the video isn’t too great and the sound quality is even worse. Fortunately there is something we can do to make the video look and sound better. MAGIX has the perfect solution!

And the solution is called: MAGIX Video easy HD! The new version (available from May 15th) now features a wider range of presets for optimizing the audio quality in videos. Lots of our customers expressed interest in having a tool like this. These presets were developed with for smartphones and tablets in mind so it is quite likely that over time an increasing number of people will use these devices to record videos. For example, the software allows you to optimize music recorded at concerts with a click. It’s also easy to enhance speech recordings – it’s so simple anybody can do it! The new audio tools can also be used to clean up recordings from analog sources such as VHS. Video easy features a noise reduction tool that guarantees incredible sounding results now matter how old the footage. What’s more the presets can be easily adjusted to suit individual requirements in much the same way as other settings on smartphones or tablet PCs.

Of course Video easy still features all the tools that made it famous in the first place with people who weren’t aiming to become video editing pros. New content in the program such as the wide range of transitions can help beginners to give their footage a dynamic edge in no time at all. No matter what kind of project you’re working on the new title presets and additional menu templates are guaranteed to give videos a professional look. The 21 new intros and outros are a huge highlight. Moreover, the eye-catching animations can give videos a real wow factor, and the best part is that anyone can use them without having to spend lots of time learning the ins and outs of the program.

Vadim Makhorov is a roofer. His very dangerous hobby basically consists of climbing everything he can find that poses a challenge. This allows him to take pictures from a different perspective, an angle that just a handful of people can experience. Vadim and his friends climb the tallest heights they can find: buildings, antennas or cranes, the higher, the better. Vadim comes from the Russian city of Novosibirsk, the capital of Siberia and is only 24 years old but he has travelled and climbed in many countries already.

His impressively vertiginous shots are also world known and are trending topics in Twitter, Tumblr and any other social platform on the Internet, mostly due to the scandal he provoked when he and his friends illegally climbed the great pyramid of Giza, following a dream of getting to see the view from the top. He started being interested in photography just four years ago: Vadim took pictures with his mobile phone during his walks (meaning horizontal or vertical walks), did some quick editing and posted them on his blog. People seemed to like his shots and he liked people liking them.

And I decided it was cool to make something that people liked. I began to photograph more, then I bought a decent camera and I started to improve the quality of my photography. In the beginning I tried to photograph everything I saw but then I understood that what I really like is to photograph the city from a height, because it was something that brought me the best results.

In the summer of 2011 Vadim and his friends drove 14000 km, stopping in more than 20 cities of Russia, Belarus and Ukraine. From this trip many amazing images came, one of them, our featured shot that was taken from the top of the 265 meter tall radio antenna of Shartash. The perspective in the picture is confusing at first and for people like me afraid of heights, it kind of makes me feel giddy, more when I noticed the tip of the shoes in the very top centre of the picture. The green texture of the tree crowns in combination with the complementary red of the metal structure of the antenna contribute also to make this shot something very special.

This radio tower was not active anymore but still guarded. Me and my friends climbed to the top and took some pictures. When we came down the guards were waiting for us and they took us to the police station. We showed them the pictures, they lectured us, telling us not to do it again and then they let us go.

You can get more inspiration in Vadim Makhorov´s photoblog and test your editing skills with the free trial version of Xara Photo & Graphic designer 2013.

Which MAGIX product did you use first, and how did you get hold of it?
My first MAGIX product was actually “Music Maker 7″. Back then I was just a curious boy without much money who wanted to find out more about digital editing. In lots of magazines and websites people talked about MAGIX and their powerful yet user friendly programs, so after lots of nagging my parents bought me a copy of the software for Easter (that must’ve been 2001/2002). I instantly fell in love with the design. It was magical!

What did you do with the software?
Well, I first started making stupid videos using my webcam to test out effects, correction options, and to check out the program’s sound library. I was amazed by what my little computer could manage, so I borrowed my dad’s camcorder and began recording mini films with my friends. In fact, I actually learned about Firewire data transfer using Music Maker.

For you what were the advantages of using MAGIX programs?
For me the biggest advantage was that you could “see and touch” everything I’d made. I was able to get my video clips from my camcorder to my computer and then rearrange them without any hassle. Even when projects exceeded the 10 minute mark I was able to keep track of everything, and my PC still ran smoothly.

Why did you stick with MAGIX products?
The deciding factor for me was that over the years MAGIX has worked hard and put in lot of effort to develop their professional products. The Video Pro X series has provided me with an incredible tool for quickly and efficiently correcting my short films for university. For example, that color correction feature can stand proud among its competitors in my opinion. Plus the wide range of formats means that the program is compatible with P2 material, Avid or FinalCut! Exactly what I need on a daily basis.

What do you want to see from the products in the future?
A native version of Video Pro X for MacOSX, then I wouldn’t have to constantly use Bootcamp If MAGIX did this then I don’t think I would have to use the new FCPX.

We hope you enjoy our new series, without further ado, let us introduce Benjamin:

What do you drink to jump start the day: Cappuccino

How do you get to MAGIX: Car (SmartCar / 30min.)

View From His Window