Jason Levine – Healing People Daily with the Power of Digital Video & Audio

Hello, my friends! Well, if the title of this blog post intrigued you, it's actually something that a college professor of mine used to say, prior to taking the stage and 'conducting' the orchestra (he was a rather famous conductor, and I studied under him for several semesters). And yes...I studied conducting. And yes...I've actually used it, in the studio, on record ;) (an artform indeed, and the masters of this artform are genuinely, heavenly masters...I'm a mere mortal when it comes to conducting, believe me!)

So, what does conducting have to do with my recent travels? Well, seeing as Greg, Rufus and I have just completed the CS3 Masters Tour Europe, I may have mentioned how we were 'stuck' in Stuttgart, and sadly, unable to get to Berlin to present. In fact, I never did write that post, (tentatively titled, "the not-so-glamorous world of travel") as it was just too much going on. In short, bad weather, cancelled flights, shut-down airports, end of story.

However, our kind friends at Video2Brain decided to take it upon themselves to record our seminar in Graz, making it available online for those in Berlin and everywhere. And I have to say...this is truly one of THE BEST 'live recordings' of our presos that I've ever seen. I mean, technically, it just looks GORGEOUS! And the multiple cameras, changing from zoomed screens, etc, just looks amazing...even in full screen! Way to go, guys! Big kudos on a sincerely fab production! Only negative is that they didn't have the 'audience' wired for sound---so there's a lot of dead silence, because you can't hear the crowd's reaction (occasionally you can hear some bleed into our headset mics)...but still, brilliant job.

And speaking of brilliance...I have to say that our performances were really stellar. We three truly rocked the house. As always (with the last stop on a long tour), we tend to really 'let our hair down' (no pun intended) and it shows. ;)

In particular, you need to check out my section, 1.6 Videos bearbeiten mit PSX & After Effects. Mr. Monseur, dare I say? Brilliant, indeed! (there's that narcissism for ya!!) That being said, I need to lay off the loddar, bratwurst, wurstsalat, schnitzel and Weissbier (I'm getting a little puffy & swelled...not good for bathing suit season! Who am I kidding? lol) but even still...brilliant. (so modest)

Watch the CS3 Masters Live (courtesy of Video2Brain)

You can also check out the V2B blog about the tour (in German, with a nice pic of us on stage)

Video2Brain Blog

And, if you *still* can't get enough of the evangelists, check this out...

Evangelist Panorama, Graz

A fellow Adobe user (and fan of the Masters) came to see us in Graz (from Vienna) and was kind enough to shoot this amazing picture. You may have seen his previous one (done in Vienna on the last tour). This one was shot in the theatre lobby, and is just SO cool!

Alrighty, well, that's about all of me that I can stand to write about! HA! Yeah right! But seriously, I hope you'll enjoy watching the vids from the tour. We'll be doing some similar things in Asia, with a slightly modified twist ;)

Stay tuned for more, my friends. Thanks for reading, and as always...

Blog on.

Posted by Jason Levine at 2:37 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Hello, my friends! Well, it's hard to believe, but the CS3 Masters Tour (Europe) has come to an end! It's been quite the wild ride, with the three of us reaching thousands and thousands of users, all over the Nordics, Germany & Austria.

For the last two shows, Greg, Rufus and I spent six lovely hours together with several hundred of our 'closest' friends in Stuttgart and Graz. Sponsored again by Cancom, we covered the (now standard) workflow process, highlighting the entire creation-to-publication story across all 13 products in Master Collection. Graz, Austria was the last city, and it was truly a blast being able to spend some time (and spend our last day) there.

Naturally, no tour would be without it's share of chaotic moments (and reality-TV-esque stories); but I'll save that for the next blog post. ) That being said, allow me to simply say Danke, für alles to all of our friends, fans & loyal userbase, who came out to see us, and share an entire afternoon learning about CS3 workflow. ;) It was truly our pleasure, and we look forward to seeing you all again.

And now, some pics (because what would a wrap-up email be without pictures!)...

Greg & Jase finish a Weissbier, post-seminar in Graz

photo by Barbara Luef

Jase & Rufus share a laugh, overlooking the city on a VERY high ledge

Jase continues laughing (in the same position)...and hasn't noticed Rufus falling...lol

Is this pic real or fake? You decide.

So, until the next post, as always...

Jase, striking a pose, Graz 2008 (photo by Barbara Luef)

Blog on.

Posted by Jason Levine at 8:43 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Hey there! Well, it's been a little too long since my last post (Oy!) and the guilt is almost too much to handle; almost. ;) As such, this is just a brief update (and I'm waiting on some pics, so stay tuned) but wanted to keep everyone up-to-date on what's been happening in the Benelux...

So, we began last week showcasing FMS, Flash, AMP & Production Premium @ the A/V Manifestatie in Hilversum. Alongside our partners, Dutchview, Greg and I conducted multiple presos over two days, largely focusing on the abilities of FMS & Flash, and hyping some of the cool content (and flexibility) of Adobe Media Player.

The only great story I have for you (with regard to bizarre-occurrences on the road) is that Greg and I took the train (each morning) to the venue in Hilversum...and we consistently MISSED THE TRAIN, coming and going, three times! Now, this is NOT a usual occurrence. And what made it even MORE weird? The trains were actually 'there' when we walked/ran up to them. Twice, the doors had already closed, and we simply couldn't get in. The third time, the train wasn't due to leave for another 3 minutes, and a whole bunch of us stood there, trying to get in (with an attendant standing there, looking on) and then we literally watched the train pull-away, whilst we were hanging onto the door! Bizarro! Fortunately, train #4 was just fine, and we've been 'back to normal' ever since. But that was seriously weird. ;)

Jase & Serge Present Together, Multimania, Kortrijk '08

Following that event, we headed out to Kortrijk. In short...Multimania was a blast!! I presented @ the Keynote with fellow Adobe Platform Evangelist, Serge Jespers, to an inspired crowd of nearly 1000 people. The best thing about it? I got to 'sneak' a whole bunch of new technologies and things...and people REALLY enjoyed it! (note: Thanks to fellow Adobe colleague Bert H. for the pics!)

Following the success of Multimania (and an additional session that I presented on HD Workflow and Blu-Ray authoring) I headed back to Amsterdam, while Greg went off to France. We'll meet up again in Zurich, to kick off round two of the 'Master's Tour' along with Rufus.

Alrighty my friends, that's all for now. I've *got* to catch up on email...and sleep.

So, until next time...

Blog On.

Posted by Jason Levine at 12:22 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Hey there, my friends! It's been a few weeks since NAB, which means that we're further along into 'glorious springtime'; and all I can say is....Aaachooooo!! (gesundheit!)

Allergies. Blech!!! I have been sneezing my head off for weeks...and I'm literally going out of my mind. I mean, it's bad enough that the weather is so wacky everywhere, but on top of all that, the air quality is, well, not great either. As a result, I've got a runny nose, puffy eyes, and a constantly rotating supply of Visine, tissues, and Alavert added to my usual regimen of travel goodies (oh...and Twizzlers as well).

In any event, despite the allergy-hell that I'm in, there's a WHOLE BUNCH of cool stuff happening around CS3, upcoming events, and some *other* stuff that I just can't talk about (heheehehee). I'm so giddy about all the upcoming events, however, that I was actually full-on smiles yesterday. Want proof? Here's some pics...

Puffy-eyed and smiling...

The *usual* look, which my friend Daniel refers to as 'the Levine'

So, here's what I can tell you so far...Three events coming up in the Netherlands--Correction (puffy eyes to blame, and thanks Jeroen for catching my mistake!)...1 Event in the Netherlands over two days; 1 event in Belgium:

AV Manifestation, Hilversum. 21-22 May.

Multimania! Kortrijk, Belgium. 23 May.

Masters Tour (w/Greg & Rufus) Zurich. 29 May.
Masters Tour (w/Greg & Rufus) Stuttgart. 2 June.
Masters Tour (w/Greg & Rufus) Berlin. 3 June.
Masters Tour (w/Greg & Rufus) Graz. 4 June.

Alrighty, well, that's all the time I have for, as I'm about to hop a plane. I'll keep you posted, and keep sending all the great comments. ;)

Until next time, mes amis...

Blog on.

Posted by Jason Levine at 10:15 AM | Permalink | Comments (5)

So, just a quick note from the airport, en-route to the US. I'll be home in about 12 hours, and yet, I already hear the road beckoning again...(in about 8 days!)

That being said, there are couple of cool things that have cropped up over the last two days. First, the CREATE or DIE interview has been posted! It's a long one, but very informative, and quite funny. You'll get to see the three of us playing off of one another (albeit, at 9:30am!) and it's definitely worth a watch (if you've got the time). Bring popcorn...

CREATE or DIE - The Adobe Evangelist Interview

Also, another video cropped up on YT, taken of yours truly during our seminar in Hamburg. Hair model? What *was* I thinking...LOL (works every time!)

Why oh why was I having such trouble with my microphone that day? These things just happen. That's what I get for wearing the hair down, I suppose. Back to my Euro-bun!

Ok, well, that's about all the time I have for now. Just a quick 'Auf Weidersehen' to all our friends, colleagues, admirers, and fellow Adobe-philes. We'll see you soon, and stay tuned to the blog for upcoming events in the US, Netherlands, Germany & Austria!

Until next time, meine Freunde...

Blog on.

Posted by Jason Levine at 2:02 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Well my dear friends, the tour has ended. After a 4am wakeup & departure, we left Hamburg & headed to Wien. We wrapped yesterday evening and it was once again a very inspired audience (and this time, our A/V was without issue!). As is often the case, the 'final' show usually leads to some very funny, impromptu one-liners, new jokes, and occasional 'breaks from the norm' (during the presos), and indeed, there was a bit of that. ;) Pure fun, enlightenment and entertainment, and providing a bit of Master Collection inspiration. Also, we had a great deal of questions during the breaks, and it's ALWAYS great to meet face-to-face, and really discuss the issues (and the likes/dislikes) of our users. THIS is what really makes the show!

So, I put together a little video to thank EVERYONE, and to let you 'see' a bit of the appreciation Greg, Rufus and I received in all the cities. Spreading the love, indeed...

Well, there you have it. I'll be returning to Germany & Austria for an Educational Video tour (end of March/early April) so stay tuned for info regarding that. Also, I'll be presenting in the US (for a change) at some broadcast education conferences (again, details to follow), and then Greg and I will be back in Europe, heading to the Netherlands.

So, until next time, meine freunde...

Blog on.

Posted by Jason Levine at 8:26 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Guten morgen, Meine freunde! Yesterday proved to be another great day, despite some technical difficulties early on in the seminar. You know, you sometimes just have to roll with the punches, and technical glitches happen...period. But, it's how you keep the flow going that makes all the difference in the world. Enter Adobe Master Collection Evangelists! ;)

So, without skipping a beat, the seminar started on time, and we just worked thru the issues. It was another packed house yesterday, with people filling the aisles. In fact, we were oversold on the event, so CanCom set up a projector and sound system in the cinema lobby so additional attendees could watch the show.

Naturally, I snapped a couple of pics (including the now ubiquitous 'panorama'). In fact, Rufus had just completed a Designer event in Munich over the weekend, and did something *new* with his panorama...he left it 'uncropped'. Now, as a designer, he totally can pull-off that level of creative license. I decided to take his lead, and go 'designer chic'...so here's the 5-picture, auto-aligned panorama of the cinema crowd...das ist cool, ja?

My Rufus-inspired, un-cropped Pano of the Hamburg crowd

as you see, we evangelists tend to inspire one another as well!

All of this was done without flash, so here's another snap of us, in action, taken from the desk.

And then there were three...

In any event, it was another great day, with lots of good feedback after the show. Thanks again to everyone in Hamburg. We look forward to seeing you again soon.

And on that note, it's off to Vienna! This will mark a truly 'rock & roll' kind of experience, as on this day, we literally fly @ 7am, arrive Vienna @ 8:20; step off the plane, grab a taxi, off to the venue, do interviews and the show (8+ hours), and fly out to another city the same night. Good stuff. Could use more groupies though! lol

Incidentally, the second journalist (Thorsten Wulff) filmed our interview, and already posted it on YouTube. Here are Greg and I, giving a brief synopsis about 'what we're doing' on the tour...thanks, Thorsten!

So Meine freunde, until next time...

Danke, Auf weidersehen, and Blog on.

Posted by Jason Levine at 2:21 AM | Permalink | Comments (5)

Hello my friends! Well, Greg, Ruf & I are now back in München, and quite a 36 hours it has been.

This post, unlike any other, will detail the sometimes 'strange goings-on' in the world of traveling evangelists; it also highlights the good of man that still exists in the world (and once again, re-affirms my love for Europe)

Now, I had mentioned in one of the previous blogs that we did an 'on camera' interview with Create or Die. At the end, they had me play some music, but sadly, the guitar was out of tune. Cut to yesterday's chaos Which I'll detail in a moment), and I was feeling rather blue (though, still Zen!)... So, I dug up this little test recording (done on my older Nikon camera, a short while ago) where I did a little number from The Doors...Blue Sunday. It seemed appropriate at this time:

Continue reading "Breadcrumbs..." »

Posted by Jason Levine at 5:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

hallo, meine Freunde! Es war ein großer Tag in Köln! And if that didn't translate properly, what I was *trying* to say was that it was indeed a 'big day' in Cologne! With nearly 480 attendees, the Master's Tour really took a leap forward, and continued on the theme of inspiring the masses with the Master Collection workflow.

Rufus, Greg & I were in particularly good form today (with me, bursting into song, in German, singing David Bowie's "Helden"), and the 6 hours simply flew by! With a packed house (particularly during the middle section) we continued the theme of producing a website, an interactive PDF, and a DVD (with content created in Dreamweaver, InDesign, After Effects, Photoshop & Soundbooth) all from scratch, highlighting each step of the workflow process, and how we 'shared' the materials (back and forth) to create the 'final result'. Greg also managed to tag on a little about SPRY, which the audience REALLY enjoyed and appreciated.

I tried to take a bunch of photos and stitch them in PSCS3 as we've shown before. It was a little difficult (as the theatre was quite dark, and as you'll see, big spotlights were shining directly on us) so it was quite hard to 'capture' the natural light in the room (as there wasn't much) without completely blowing out the images. But still, this little auto-aligned/blended image will give you an idea of the packed house...

480 of our closest friends, in Köln...

Now, picking up where I left off on the last blog, today I continued with showing all of the Photoshop CS3 Extended integration, both via Vanishing Point Exchange, and with all of the new things you can do with Video in a PSD (ie, using tools like the healing brush, etc, as well as the application of Smart Filters for non-destructive processing of the video, across the entire duration! Wickedly cool) and people *really* understood the benefits. I wrapped up that section by showcasing a new Puppet Tool demo that I just worked up the other day, beginning in PS (using quick select), cutting out my subject, cloning in the background, and then going to town in AECS3. It never disappoints, forever changing the way people think about still photography...at least, that's what I ALWAYS say. Again, to my friends who attended...remember to use this feature for Good, not Evil! LOL

Following that, it was more integration with PPro/Dynamic Link, and bringing Soundbooth into the mix to repair audio (visually) using Photoshop tools. Again, a big winner with the crowds, and people really understand the concept of 'visually' repairing sound using Photoshop tools. Add to that the "louder" button, and adding Flash Cue Points (for subtitling in Fl CS3) and you've got a really cool workflow there. Again, taking advantage of the new caption component in Flash, Greg and I show this and it goes over big! Everyone should be doing this; if for no other reason than to make your sites (with video content) fully accessible! (want to know more about accessibility? Go to Stef's site)

Of course, my portion typically ends with showing the Adobe Media Encoder (and all of it's export options) including the new 'hit' of the week...the fact that we can export BLU-RAY from the Premiere Pro timeline *and* Encore CS3. Whereas Blu-Ray (and High definition DVD in general) seemed to be slightly 'under-the-radar', now that HD-DVD is no more, people are REALLY reacting to the fact that we do Blu-Ray. Very, very cool. ;)

So, because Rufus missed out in the video yesterday, and you only caught 'a glimpse' of his head in the previous photo, I figured he really deserved a spotlight shot here. Done without flash (and while he was in mid-demo) I think this captures the intensity of the presentation... But if you want the jokes, you'll have to attend the sessions! He was totally on a roll today! He literally had me and Greg laughing out loud during the preso. Great stuff, and great day had by all.

Rufus Rocking in Köln...

And on *that* note my friends, I think I'll end this post here. Our next stop will be Hamburg, and then onto Vienna for more CS3 Masters magic. Thanks again to all the attendees; thanks for all the great questions and feedback; thanks for the cheers and applause; and thank you to all for letting us come to your city and present the 'way's of the CS3 Master Collection.

Vielen Dank für alles

'Till next time...

Blog on.

Posted by Jason Levine at 10:14 AM | Permalink | Comments (5)

Hello, my friends! Well, I actually began this blog yesterday *during* the seminar (right from the show floor, in between *my* speaking parts!) but Greg, Rufus and I were constantly 'vamping' (with random jokes, etc.) and quite simply, we were just having a great time showing 'new' pieces from each of our demos that I just didn't get to finish!

So, in short, the tour has been an incredible success so far. Over 360 attendees in Munich, and approx. 250+ in Frankfurt! And let's not forget...this is a 6 HOUR SEMINAR! We're keeping people entertained, enlightened and engaged for 6 hours? Yes indeed. Thanks to EVERYONE who attended; you are all rock-stars!

As for the content, well, I focused largely on application integration, beginning with OnLocation CS3 (on Vista, using the MacBookPro, of course). This app proved to be one of the big highlights of the event, with MANY questions following the first break (all related to when it will be on the MAC!). And, showing live cutting in Premiere Pro *whilst* capturing into OnLocation really blew people's minds! Granted, thanks to the Intel processors in the MacBooks (and thanks Intel, for being one of our sponsors!) it really is possible to successfully capture, do a rough cut (while still capturing) play, review, scrub, and continue to the process over and over. It was awe-inspiring for many, and it performed like a charm.

Following OL, I bounced over to Leopard and began the theme of the Master's Tour by segueing from Photoshop CS3 into literally every other Production Premium Application. This started off with creating lower-thirds on Videos in PSCS3; animating text and objects, with Layer Styles...and then showing how to take it a step further by bringing the newly layered PSD (with Video layer) into After Effects CS3. Once again, leveraging people's Photoshop knowledge to do great things in AE, even if they're not AE users. This too garnered great reactions, and people were talking to me afterwards about d/l'ing the AE demo and wanting to get started! This also included using some of the animation/background presets, along with Shape Layers and integration with Bridge. Good stuff, and it keeps them wanting more!

From there, I would later segue into Premiere Pro, showcasing some more integration with After Effects via Dynamic Link (doing Green Screen work with Keylight, adding backgrounds, re-purposing the lower-third that we created earlier, also via Dynamic Link) and all the while, driving home the idea that we're using ALL of these applications together, using the same assets, in this really smooth, integrated fashion. People get it, and it never disappoints in terms of the reactions (smiles, cheers, screams of joy!)

So, there is indeed much more that occurred, but I'll have to end this post now, as we're do for a couple of press interviews before this next show kicks off in about 2 hours, here in Köln (oh yes, on the Cinema floor once again, pre-show time!).

In the meantime, here's a little vid, from the train, taken last night, after the show... Oh, and NICE still frame! YouTube, please allow us to change the poster frame for uploaded! Argh...I just look bad mid-video!! lol (damn narcissist that I am!)

Until next time, thanks again to everyone in Munich and Frankfurt. Can't wait to see you all again! And, if anyone took any video of the event (I saw a few of you!) let me know, and perhaps I can post some of your clips (appropriated credited, of course!) .

Oh...*and*, the three of us conducted a interview yesterday for CREATE OR DIE. They filmed it. It rocked. As soon as I have a link, I'll post it. It was truly a riot! ;)

Jase & Greg, going to Köln

Jase with Rufus peaking out in the background

Auf Wiedersehen, meine Freunde!

Blog On.

Posted by Jason Levine at 6:07 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)

Hello my friends! Well, once again we're out on tour. This time, Greg Rewis and I are joined by our fellow evangelist colleague, Rufus Deuchler. Over the next two weeks, we'll be hitting several cities in Germany & Austria, showcasing the entire Master Collection, and demonstrating a really fab, fully-integrated workflow, building up a project from Conception to Delivery (in this case, the AQUO Beach Tour assets that we've talked about). A similar presentation was first premiered at MAX Chicago & MAX Barcelona. We've taken that and augmented it a bit (condensing 8 hours to 6 hours) to provide a really concise, point-to-point presentation, highlighting everything that CS3 Master Collection has to offer.

I'll be posting more over the next few days (currently, in our first stop, Munich). If you'd like to attend and want more info about the tour (sponsored by Cancom) check out these links...

CANCOM Presents: The Adobe Masters Tour

and, for some quick bio information on 'we' evangelists...

CANCOM Master Presenters

So, for now I'll simply bid you adieu and say, Auf Wiedersehen!

Just before leaving for Munich, with my new Danish ProDesign Specs!

Until next time...

Blog on.

Posted by Jason Levine at 8:26 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Hello again, everyone. As promised, a final little post, right on the heels of the final day of this Nordic tour.

What can I say that hasn't already been said? It's been a totally fab trip, with universally great responses, comments, visits, chats, information-gathering sessions, and good times amongst colleagues. A big shout-out to all of our Adobe colleagues in Sweden, Denmark, Finland & Norway (namely, Matthias, Kenny, Per & Mikael) and a special thanks to all of our new friends and fellow Adobe-philes who attended our seminars over the last few weeks. You know, it's really our users that keep us doing what we do, and furthermore, continue to provide the inspiration to do greater things; thanks for hosting, and we hope to see you again soon!

That all being said, there was one more 'event' to attend before heading back to the states. A colleague of ours, Kasper Krogh from the Hello Brand agency is moving to New York (and subsequently launching a Hello Brand office there). He was kind enough to invite us to his 'going away' party. Indeed, it was another great time, chatting with fellow designers, developers, and genuinely inspiring people. Thanks Kasper, and we look forward to catching up with you in the Big Apple!

Anyway, here are some snaps from the last two days in Oslo; some from the VIP event, and a few from the seminar the following day. As captured by Greg's camera lens, I was really in full-on healing mode...all day. In fact, I believe there are a couple of blogged vids from the day's performance. I'll have to add a link to those later (oh...*and*...the Stockholm shows will be available via web stream soon, so stay tuned if you want to check out those series of presos)

So, in no particular order, a look at the final days of the tour (with hair down, for a change...)

Stef talks standards to the crowd

Mike fills the VIP crowd with AIR...


Greg Delivering and Inspiring with the CS3 Message

Greg & Jase do a little Adobe Media Player

Full-on Healing...In Oslo, 31Jan08

The Many Faces of Jase (healing, inspiring, training and such)

Now, if you're looking at the picture of me in the bottom-right hand corner of the 'Many Faces' pic and wondering, "What in heaven's name am I doing"... Simply: Greg had mentioned to the crowd earlier on that for this final performance, they really needed to participate; and more importantly, they needed to be loud; and really, they just needed to let their 'inner American' come out. (several immediately replied with "WootWoot" and "YeeHaw"... YeeHaw indeed!)

So, when I re-entered the stage, I wound up referencing the same comment (because I thought it was so funny--and so did they!)...but I immediately began seeing these weird flashbacks from "Alien" in my mind, and somehow wound up simulating my 'inner American'...coming out of my chest (well, not really...just poking a finger thru my shirt)...in full 'Alien' style (complete with personal sound effects---ah yes, people that know me know that I'm one sound-effects type dude!)...People were just rolling in the aisles laughing (as was Mr. Rewis)...Again, a good time, and immediately following that momentary diversion, I showcased creating lower thirds with animated text and objects in Photoshop CS3 Extended (and further expanding on that through editable layers styles in After Effects) ;) You see, keep 'em smiling, keep 'em learning; keeps them inspired (and *never* tired)...a key to the 4-hr seminar series.

But...the best part about this *whole* series of seminars was that I was able to showcase the fact that web designers, CSS wizards and Flash developers alike can do *all* of these cool things with Production Premium CS3 -- leveraging the knowledge, tools, and techniques they ALREADY possess. That's a key message, really, and from the responses we've received, it's clear that they really got it. Whether going OnScreen, OnLine or OnDevice, it's Sky's the Limit..and they want to begin working with it ALL (Master Collection, that is!)

And on *that* note, my friends, I will call it a night. Again, thanks to everyone involved, and we'll be back on the blog, shortly, reporting somewhere else in the world. Next stop: Dallas, Texas....and something to do with Johnny Encore (remember him??)

So, until next time...

Believe...in CS3 (and yourselves)...and Blog On.

Posted by Jason Levine at 11:46 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

As I'm sitting here, Mike Downey is finishing his presentation to 70+ VIPs here in Oslo, Norway. Tonight's event, like the ones held in Helsinki, Copenhagen & Stockholm, is catering to 70 of the top Web Designers/Flash Developers and reps from their respective agencies, all in an effort to showcase new technology, existing cool stuff in Master Collection CS3, and talk about some *new* Adobe tools and technologies, like the Adobe Media Player and Adobe AIR. The crowd tonight has been intense, and the responses, once again, have just been stellar. Mike, Greg, Stef and I all found our strides tonight...and the audience was rolling! Loving it! Thank you, Oslo. It was our pleasure. ;)

But, of course, it's not over yet, and we've got our full seminar tomorrow. Expect another blog post either tomorrow night or over the weekend (including some pics from tonight's event, held at the Kongresscentre, here in downtown Oslo).

Earlier this morning, however, whilst sitting on the plane, I suddenly got the urge to record a little video (normally, I'm sleeping). So, here we are, mid-flight, en-route to Oslo taken around 11am...**

**note: planes are NOISY! I denoised and brought up my voice (which was already faint) but decided to subtitle this video, just for added accessibility (Stef will be proud!)

But back to yesterday's seminar in Helsinki: quite simply, another great success (with great Q&A from some of the 250+ attendees). Following it's completion, the nighttime found us walking around the city, visiting a familiar restaurant, and re-visiting a semi-familiar pub. ;)

First, to celebrate the 'almost end' of this tour, Greg, Stef, Mike and I, along with our colleagues Kenny (from Denmark) and Mikael (from Finland) went to the famous garlic restaurant...blogged about back in November. I can only say that the garlic-haze that followed (and, of which I was totally prepared this time around) was EVER SO GOOD, ONCE AGAIN! Damn, that place is awesome! I can't tell you enough, how good the food is. Escargot, Garlic Beer, Garlic Schnaps, Garlic Pork, and even Garlic Coffee (a new one; didn't have that last time). It just fricken' rocked. No other way to put it! And the garlic-haze has nearly dissipated...nearly. lol

Following the dinner, we decided to visit the Absolut Ice Bar. Now, Greg and I have been to the classic Absolut Ice Bar in Stockholm, (in fact, my current promo picture that is circulated for our events was taken there!) and we wanted to check out the one in Helsinki. It's a little smaller, but still icy, cold, and very groovy, with cool lighting, ice sculptures, ice tables, and smooth euro-trance playing in the background.

Seeing as we took a bunch of pics, I figured I'd just post them all...so here are some of the moments at the ice bar...

Kenny, Mike, Stef & Jase enter the cold!

Absolut-ly Cool Backlighting (changing as Greg snapped the photo)

Absolut Evangelists On Ice (what *is* that face I'm making?)


Greg Re-enacts a scene from "Christmas Story" (but didn't get stuck!)

"They call me Hagrid; keeper of keys and grounds at Hogwarts"

The touring crew, 29Jan2008, Absolut Ice Bar, Helsinki

So there you have it, my friends. I must again take this opportunity to thank our colleagues from Finland, Denmark, Sweden and Norway, not to mention all of the fab people who came out to see us, both at the VIP events and at the seminars. Stay tuned for more over the weekend, as we're going to try and take (and post) more photos from tonight's 'performance' (and also, some possible 'video' of the event as well!)

Until next time...

Blog on.

Posted by Jason Levine at 9:34 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Hello again, my friends! It's been a busy week, and I suppose that's why it's taken me nearly that long to get another blog post completed! However, this one will be chock-full of pics, as Greg and Mike have been taking dozens of pictures at each venue, all with Greg's new Canon G9. Now, I'll tell you ahead of time...this is going to be one wickedly long post!!! Prep yourselves...but it's totally going to rock ;)

So...the schedule. Well, after the last post, we had just completed the VIP event in Stockholm. The next day, Greg and I (along with Stephanie Sullivan) presented to around 300 people, over 4 hours. We showcased the 'new' web/video workflow, with an emphasis on standards and 'best practices' for web design & creation. The audience was indeed fired up, and we got a couple of very cool shots from the venue. Probably the coolest thing was the screen...check out that pic of me on the stage. This was a classic theatre in Stockholm (the Skandia Drottninggatan) and the stage and screen were simply massive! Very grandiose, and a fab day indeed...

Jase on-stage @ the Skandia