Twisted, dark and awesome. Three words that describe the work of the creative team and visual artists that make up McFarland & Pecci. Still relatively new Creative Cloud members, these fellas have wasted no time utilizing the broad range of tools and programs to create one-of-a-kind work. A documentary film for well-known “metal core” band, Killswitch Engage? They’ve done it. High concept cover art for the Boston Phoenix? Sure. See what we mean about twisted, dark and awesome?

We engaged in a lightning round Q&A session with them to get more details on why Creative Cloud works for them. The diverse amount of products offered, the seamless syncing, constant updates, and bug fixes are just a few reasons why this duo takes creativity to a whole new level.

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Adobe: Describe a project you are currently working on or have completed with Creative Cloud.

McFarland & Pecci: We signed up for Creative Cloud a few months ago and jumped right into a few projects with Premiere Pro, After Effects, and Photoshop. McFarland & Pecci is a creative team of directors and visual artists. We create everything from high concept photo shoots to feature films and documentaries. The past few months have kept us busy in post-production on the new Killswitch Engage documentary called “New Awakening”, the new music video for CZARFACE featuring Inspectah Deck from Wu-Tang, one of the final high concept covers for the Boston Phoenix, and an upcoming ”double secret” comic book film.

What was your inspiration behind the project?

We love to tell stories, and we tend to be drawn to darker subject matter and artists that are obsessed with their craft.  The film on Killswitch Engage was a fun project that allowed us to focus on the guys as a family unit and we kept our gear tight and our crew small. The CZARFACE video is deeply rooted in our love for Grindhouse flicks and Shaw Brothers films, and the ‘End of the World’ photo shoot was completely influenced by the epic magic of Michael Bay!

How has the Creative Cloud changed your creative workflow?

We switched to Premiere Pro to simplify our workflow. Plain and simple. We shot CZARFACE with the RED EPIC in 5K with Hawk anamorphic lenses.  The piece required a lot of compositing in After Effects and color grading. The fact that I could bring the raw files right into my timeline and directly export to After Effects made our lives so much easier. A competitor’s program has really dropped the ball when it comes to professional editing these days so we were looking for a smart move. Just the time saved by not having to transcode footage from the RED and/or DSLRs was enough of a reason to make the jump to Premiere Pro.

What tools specific to Creative Cloud enable you to work more efficiently?

As mentioned earlier, all the new benefits of Premier Pro were our big draw in the video side of things, but the new version of Photoshop and its retouching tools and amazing smart layers really helped us composite these giant “End of the World” files. We have always been Adobe fans in one way or another, but having it all in one spot really helps us.  The cloud helps us keep both systems identical in our edit bays, and the constant updates have fixed a lot of software bugs already.

Describe your style of work in three words

Really F$#Kin Awesome!

Fill in the blank: I couldn’t create without _________.

Our twisted minds and the tools that can keep up with them.

What advice would you give to an individual who is considering Creative Cloud?

If you are a video editor, make the jump to Premier Pro.  Just do it. Creative Cloud is the smart choice; you sign up and download everything you need. It even runs on two systems. Makes having a post house a lot easier.

Dig their work? Check out Mcfarland & Pecci on Facebook, visit our website to see more films – www.mcfarlandandpecci.com – or follow directors @MikePecci and @Ian_McFarland on Twitter for behind the scenes content and tutorials.

Creative Cloud does not just provide creative individuals with tools to take their talents to the next level, but also offers the opportunity to explore other creative areas of interest. Take Geordie Milne (@geordiemilne) for example. The use of Creative Cloud has evolved his creative workflow by enabling him to work with multiple programs on a single project. Not to mention, new updates (some exclusive to Creative Cloud users) gives Geordie the ability to try programs he may have never used before.

Read about his current project, check out some of his impressive work, and learn which tool in Photoshop blows his mind below.

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Adobe: Describe a project you are currently working on or have completed with Creative Cloud.

Geordie: I am currently using Creative Cloud for a project for themeditator.com and marinacowdray.com. I am taking photos of the jewelry and sculptures and creating graphics using Illustrator and Photoshop; as well as some time-lapses using Premiere Pro.

What was your inspiration behind the project?

Geordie: My current client’s work has a meditation feel & knowing its positive effect; I find pleasure in modifying it and creating patterns from it.

How has the Creative Cloud changed your creative workflow?

Geordie: It’s amazing to have access to all of Adobe’s programs! I probably would have never dipped into learning as many of them as I am now, and I’m excited to download some more.  I also end up using more than 1 program per piece such a making a time-lapse & then bringing it into Photoshop to apply some of the great new video capabilities, such as ‘Blur’ or ‘Liquify’. Creative Cloud gives me the ability to save and access files from any computer, and be able to share files with my clients and friends. As a visual person, I have found that Adobe Bridge helps me find files and stay organized.

What tools specific to Creative Cloud enable you to work more efficiently?

Geordie: I also work with drones (multicopters), so one essential tool for sure is Premiere Pro’s, ‘Warp Stabilizer.’  Illustrator’s ‘Pattern Options’, makes for quick, exact designs. Photoshop’s ‘Smart Objects’ offers a new, nondestructive workflow and is a great way to add filters.

Describe your style of work in three words

Geordie: Fun, Technicolor and Geometric

Fill in the blank: I couldn’t create without _________.

Geordie: I can’t think of one thing other than just answering, ‘Abode’ but one thing I absolutely LOVE is the ‘Oil Paint Effect’ in Photoshop… it blows my mind.

What advice would you give to an individual who is considering Creative Cloud?

Geordie: Do it, try it, you won’t regret it! I often urge people to sign up for ‘Creative Cloud’. Its monthly costs offer people who want to emerge into the creative industry, a financially strategic, practical step.

Anything else you’d like to add?

Geordie: I love signing into the Creative Cloud and seeing an update here and there. Adobe is pushing the creative technology like no other. I feel that I have also joined access to a like-minded community, have made some great connections and look forward to seeing everyone’s creations! 

Like Geordie, has Creative Cloud inspired you to try products you’ve been intrigued by, but have never tested out? If so, tell us about it on Facebook, Twitter or in the comments below.  Care to see more of Geordie’s work? Check out his blog here.

How has Creative Cloud changed your creative workflow? For user Jeffrey Fina, the ability to venture out and collaborate with other creative individuals is just one of many ways Creative Cloud enables him to grow as a creative professional. And that’s just the beginning. The most cutting edge tools, 20GB of cloud storage and ability to seamlessly work on projects on various devices enables Jeffrey to successfully operate a fine art studio and be on dad duty. We connected with Jeffrey after coming across the work he shared with us on Facebook and wall. You can learn about his current projects, where he sources inspiration and more in the Q&A below.

Want to have your work featured? Share your work with us on Facebook, Twitter or in the comments below.

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Adobe: Describe a project you are currently working on or have completed with Creative Cloud.

Jeffery: Most recently, I have been working on high resolution abstract 3D forms created in Trimble Sketchup and rendered in Photoshop. These projects are designed at full size for large format printing and can take time to render. I own and operate Hudson Valley Giclee, a fine art and digital printing studio, where I will create the large format digital prints of these works. This project is one of many that will be part of an expansion into print publishing and art consulting that my colleague Bruce Bleach and I are formulating. We plan on starting in the Hudson Valley and the tri-state area and expanding nationally.

What was your inspiration behind the project?
The inspiration behind this and most of my personal and professional work is being able to utilize all facets of what digital technology can produce and finding an aesthetic that goes beyond a sometimes engineered digital look. For me, Photoshop has become the crossroads of all these applications. I can throw a number of file formats at it… and boom; they open.

How has the Creative Cloud changed your creative workflow?
Prior to the Creative Cloud, I was truly bound to my studio computer. My business requires me to venture out and collaborate with artists in their native spaces. My workflow is seamless now because I always have my software and files on board.

What tools specific to Creative Cloud enable you to work more efficiently?
Photoshop is a work horse. It’s what a paintbrush is to a painter. Bridge is my viewer for all file types. The 20GB of cloud space is super helpful in having access to project files on the go. I am a new father so when I am on baby duty, it’s not easy to sit with a cup of coffee in my studio. Having all my files on my laptop is great. As a fine art studio, having client files on the go is helpful when proposing a mockup of a full resolution image. In fine art printing and studio work, detail is key.

Describe your style of work in a few words.
I like to break the rules…

Fill in the blank: I couldn’t create without _________.
Coffee, music, and integrity.

What advice would you give to an individual who is considering Creative Cloud?
I would tell those who want to be more creative that it’s best to grow ‘into’ a tool then to grow ‘out’ of one. You should use the most powerful tools to accomplish your creative goals instead of being limited by inefficient tools. The learning curve is also longer and deeper but doesn’t prevent you from moving forward with your ideas and concepts. I’ve been using Adobe products for 8 years and I average 30 hours a week face deep in the software one way or another. I’m still excited about what these tools can do and what the future brings.

See more of Jeffrey’s personal work at http://www.ultimaars.com/.

Here is the second half of our countdown to our top 12 moments of 2012. We hope you’ve enjoyed the year as much as we did. As we look forward, we’re extremely excited for what’s in store in 2013. Here’s to an amazing new year!

Moment #6 | Creative Cloud Scavenger Hunt 

Back in April, we got creatives involved in a scavenger hunt right in our backyard in San Francisco the day of the Creative Cloud launch – and it sure was a blast. The grand prize was $10,000 and a lifetime Creative Cloud membership, with two runner-up prizes of 1-year Creative Cloud memberships, which ended up being grabbed by some very lucky winners. Thanks again to all those who participated! We had some great memories from your social documentary.

Moment #5 | Create the Web

Kicking off the first leg of the tour in San Francisco, we announced key updates for the web development community, including Dreamweaver updates and new Edge Tools & Services, exclusively for Creative Cloud members. This also included the first release of Edge Animate (formerly known as Adobe Edge). With these new apps added to Creative Cloud, we’ve seen a tremendous appreciation from you – landing its rank at number four.

Moment #4 | Create Now Live

This online event pulls into the number three spot due to the big feature updates we were thrilled to announce for Creative Cloud members. Photoshop updates included Retina Display support and more, Muse acquired a way to create mobile versions for websites, and the very popular announcements of Creative Cloud for Teams and the addition of Creative Cloud Training. You can still watch the keynote and other snippets from the event on our Create Now Adobe TVchannel.

Moment #3 | Adobe & Behance

We’re thrilled that the Behance community will be joining our family! 2013 holds more in store for how we deepen the connections between our creative tools and services via Creative Cloud and creatives like you around the world.

Moment #2 | Creative Cloud Launch

This is where it all began, which is why were placing this in the runner-up spot for our notable moments. Along with the launch of Creative Cloud, we were excited to introduce the new version of Creative Suite 6, loaded with major feature updates to all our CS applications.

Moment #1 | Top 3 Creative Cloud Facebook Posts

None of the moments up to this point would have mattered if it weren’t for you, our community. A big thanks goes out to our Creative Cloud Facebook fans. We hit our 50,000 likes milestone just before the end of the year! Here’s a look at our Fan favorite moments based on your engagement.

We can’t believe 2012 is about to come to a close! Before we start planning for 2013, we wanted to reflect on some of the most memorable moments this year. Join us in counting down our top 12 most notable memories of 2012. Check out the first half of our list below and stay tuned for part two!

Moment #12 | Acrobat XI Launch
October marked a milestone for Acrobat with the release of Acrobat XI. This version is focused on simplifying everyday work from editing PDFs more intuitively to building forms from scratch in limits.

Moment #11 | Exclusive features for Creative Cloud Members
2012 was certainly a great year for Creative Cloud members. Just as we promised back when we introduced Creative Cloud in April, we’re providing exclusive tools and feature updates for fan favorite Creative Suite applications like Illustrator, Photoshop, Dreamweaver and more. And this is just the beginning. Just wait and see what we have in store for you in 2013!

Moment #10 | Digital Publishing Suite, Single Edition Added to Creative Cloud
In September, we launched Digital Publishing Suite, Single Edition to members, allowing them to create, develop, and deliver iPad apps – all without writing code! As of our Create Now event this month, there have been more than 20,000 apps published via our Digital Publishing family.

Moment #9 | Muse added to Creative Cloud
Added to the Creative Cloud in August, Muse has continued to receive updates that allow users to design HTML websites like never before. At the recent Create Now event (more on that in part 2), Creative Cloud users learned about added features, which enable users to design for mobile with ease.

Moment #8 | Lightroom added to Creative Cloud
In June, photo buffs certainly received a treat when they found out that Lightroom 4 was available as part of the Creative Cloud membership. The Lightroom team was exceptionally proud of this release – as they found the right balance between powerful controls and an intuitive user experience. Combine that with publishing tools and you have one magnificent update to Lightroom.

Moment #7 | Illustrator 25th Anniversary
On March, 19, 1987, drawing and line art changed forever. Enter Adobe Illustrator. This flagship product turned the big 2-5 this year and took vector graphics to a whole new level with the release of the CS6 version, offered in the Creative Cloud.

While you may have one favorite Adobe app, I’ll bet you’ve also used them together in combinations: for example, placing a layered Photoshop file in InDesign to take advantage of the flexible Layer Comps feature.

Adobe’s “No App Is an Island” contest challenged participants to describe your own multiple-product workflows. We recently chose the winners, and they’re a great cross-section of how today’s creatives make the most of our software.

For example, Theo Lipfert, an award-winning filmmaker and associate Professor in the School of Film and Photography at Montana State University, demonstrated how he combines Illustrator and After Effects to create animations that can range from simple to sophisticated:

For his video tutorial, Professor Lipfert goes home with the Grand Prize: a year’s subscription to the Creative Cloud.

Another winning how-to, by Howard Pinsky, used Lightroom and Photoshop to create a high-dynamic range photo with rich detail in the shadows and highlights:

The remaining winners are Jason Anderson (“Complete Map-Making Workflow”), Sara Frances (“Photo Effects and Filters”), Mike Gentilini (“Customizable Twitter and Facebook Logo Videos”), Kirk Nelson (“Create Cool Pie Charts”), and Kelly Vaughn (“Acrobat Highlighters that Don’t Require Recognizable Text”). Theo Lipfert was also recognized for two other entries: “Using Lightroom as a CinemaDNG importer for After Effects” and “CinemaDNG Round Tripping Between After Effects and Premiere Pro”.

In the coming year, look for all of the tutorials to appear in several places across Adobe. But in the meantime, anyone interested in cross-product how-to’s should download issue 2 of Adobe SWAPP, a free iPad publication. Every article in issue 2 (created by such experts as Von Glitschka, Ben Willmore, and David Blatner) is a multi-product goldmine.

Thank you to all the contest participants, and a big congratulations to the winners!

The Create Now event has officially come to a close. If you missed all of the news and demos, check out the keynote on-demand above and additional Meet the Pro sessions on Adobe TV. And for those looking for the highlights, we have you covered, including snippets of the #CreateNow Twitter chat with our evangelists. Check out our recap below:

Adobe Photoshop – Big feature updates including Retina Display support, Smart Object support for Liquify, Copy CSS, and Conditional Actions. Check out these, including additional features and services on the Creative Cloud team post about Photoshop version 13.1.

Adobe Muse – Now, you can create mobile versions of your website without writing code. Get all of the details on how graphic designers can create mobile sites from the Creative Cloud team.

Creative Cloud for Teams – The much-anticipated service for teams is now available! The team offering includes centralized license management, 100 GB of cloud-based storage per team member and access to expert product support.

Creative Cloud Training – Exclusively for Creative Cloud members, in one week you will be able to explore a new library of online training content from Adobe and leading training partners like Kelby Training, video2brain and Attain.

read more…

Are you excited to hear what’s next in Creative Cloud?

Tune in, today December 11 at 10 a.m. PT for our Create Now event to hear what’s next in Adobe Photoshop, explore new ways to take your design skills from print to online and mobile, learn how teams can work better together with Creative Cloud, plus much more.

Don’t miss a beat; watch all the action here:

Be sure to follow @CreativeCloud on Twitter and join the conversation using #CreateNow. And get your questions answered by Adobe Evangelists during our Twitter chat from 11:30-12:30 PT. Just post a question using #CreateNow.

Director Ross Ching has mastered the art of the time-lapse video and has recently done it in very innovative way. He has created an eerie video series, titled “Empty America,” by removing the hustle and bustle that normally is the heartbeat of major U.S. cities, using Creative Suite 6 applications, Photoshop, After Effects and Premiere Pro. Check out our exchange with Ross on his inspiration and some of his quick video tips.

Adobe: Can you give a quick description highlighting your creative process/creative workflow for Empty America?

Ross Ching: People really find connections with things they recognize in situations that they don’t recognize. It’s almost as if the viewer is in on an inside joke. It’s something that I always try to incorporate into my work, and that’s why time-lapse, super slow motion and stop motion are so prevalent on the Internet. So when deciding which cities to feature in this series, I wanted people who have never even been to the locations to be able to pick out landmarks that they’ve seen before. 

What was your inspiration behind the project?

I live in Los Angeles. I drive in Los Angeles. I think about traffic a lot in Los Angeles. A couple years ago, I discovered Matt Logue’s Empty LA photographs. I didn’t think much about it at the time, but every time I was stuck in rush hour all-hour traffic, I found myself thinking, “What if tomorrow everyone’s car disappeared?” What would that scene look like? How would people react? How quickly would the atmosphere rebound from centuries of fossil fuel emissions?

So I took Matt Logue’s still photography concept and applied it to something that I do best — time lapse. That Los Angeles video was very successful, and so I pitched an expansion of it to Thrash Lab, a destination for digital filmmakers created by Ashton Kutcher’s Katalyst Network. They really liked it and believed in my work, and it’s now the biggest set of videos on the channel.

Do you have any useful tips or techniques to share with the community?

When creating something for the Internet, people’s attention span is VERY short. Think about how you look at other videos on YouTube and think about the how long it takes you to either skip through the video or click the back button. Our main goal as a video creator is to get the viewer to watch from beginning to end without skipping or hitting the back button. If they’re able to do that, they’re MANY times more likely to share the video with a friend — and that’s how seeds of viral videos are made. So let’s look at the elements to do that:

Must be short — 3 or 4 minutes or less. I’ve got many other tabs open and my pot of water on the stove is about to boil.

The 10 second hook — Probably the most important aspect. We need to WOW the viewer right off the bat. That means either showing them something they’ve never seen, or some kind of filmmaking technique that’s really unique. Whatever it is, if your friend doesn’t say WOW when you tell them the first 10 seconds of the concept, it’s back to the drawing board.

Sustainability — Once you have them hooked, you need to create a device that pulls them to the end. Some examples: a story, beautiful cinematography, creative art, exciting visuals that are rarely seen. Anything that will get them interested in seeing what happens at the end.

Check out more from the Empty America series on Thrash Lab’s Facebook Page.

Be gone the days of lugging around a laptop, the days where confined space would limit your creativity, the days where designing was restricted indoors. Adobe Touch Apps is a game changer when it comes to creating on-the-go, and one user who knows that better than many is Jessica Garza (@jessicamariedesign).

Jessica’s talents were discovered via Twitter. After identifying her as a veteran Touch Apps user, we threw some questions her way to better understand her creative workflow, discuss the creative projects that she is most proud of, as well as get tips for otherTouch Apps users. Check out the full Q&A below and visit our social channels (Facebook and Twitter) to see her work on display.

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Adobe: How has the integration from Touch Apps through to the Creative Cloud features changed your creative workflow?
Jessica: Adobe Ideas has allowed me to create on-the-go. I used to create using my Wacom tablet and laptop, which was fine, except in situations where I had limited space. Now, I carry my iPad with me and create with Adobe Ideas. I can design at the park, by the pool, or on a flight – all without having to carry all my equipment.

What are your favorite features in Adobe Ideas?
What really made Ideas essential to my creative workflow was that it exports my art work in vector. I would not have much use for the app if my final product was just a JPEG, as I take what I create and refine it using Illustrator and Photoshop.

Which Adobe Ideas project are you most proud of and why?

I’d have to say the project I am most proud of is my “Gameday Dress” sketches. I created a template in Ideas to show my customers what their “Gameday Dress” would look like with specific colors and designs. Ideas made it easy for me to duplicate my original and edit the template by adding layers.

What tips/suggestions do you have for creative individuals thinking about getting into Adobe Touch Apps?

Do it! You won’t regret it. Ideas will give you the flexibility to create on-the-go. Whether you are sketching or creating complete works of art, Ideas makes it easy for you to do so. Even if you don’t consider yourself a digital artist, you will find a use for Ideas.

For veteran users like yourself, what tips and/or techniques can you offer them to improve their creative workflow?

When I used my sketchpad, I was hesitant to begin drawing until I had an idea of exactly what I was going to do. Now that I use Ideas as my digital sketchpad, I draw out all my ideas and work with new layers to refine the original sketch. My tip for users is to create without hesitation. You can always create a new layer or work on your file in Illustrator/Photoshop to refine it.

Stay up-to-date with all of Jessica’s projects by visiting her design blog. Also, remember to reach out to us on Twitter, Facebook or in the comments below for the chance to be featured. That’s all for now. Until then, keep on creating!