It's been a great ride...
by Aharon Rabinowitz
on
Nov 12, 2008 at 4:59:44 pm
Hi Folks-
When I got started in animation, there were barely any tutorials on line – all of them were written tutorials, and some quite hard to follow. There were a few good books that were a great start, but mostly I learned After Effects through my interactions with the online community of AE users. People answered all of my questions, even the ones that were quite basic. So, once I started making money at it, I decided to give back to the community and help others through tutorials and answering questions at Creative Cow.
In December of 2005 I was approached by Ron and Kathlyn Lindeboom about doing an After Effects podcast. At the time, I thought podcasting was a fad. Boy was I wrong! After a few weeks it was clear we were on to something big, and since that time (almost 3 years!), I’ve been able to help people learn to use After Effects on a much bigger level than I ever expected.
People often ask me how I manage to balance work and life and tutorials. It hasn’t been easy, but it’s been very rewarding. However, after 9 years of marriage, my wife and I had our first child, and as it turns out, raising a child takes a lot of time and energy (who knew?). It’s been incredibly rewarding, but it’s becoming obvious that if I want to enjoy it, and be able to support my family, I need to switch gears.
So, with great regret, but with much optimism, it’s time for me to step back for a bit and focus on my family and work. Of course I leave you in the very capable hands of my good friend, and AE podcast co-host, Eran Stern. The podcast would have died long ago without his help.
The folks at Creative Cow have been great friends to me over the years – loyal to a fault - and I can’t thank them enough for the faith they put in me, and for the wonderful opportunity they have given me over these last few years to know all of you.
But, I’m not gone – You’ll still hear from me – that I can promise. You’ll still see me here at the cow, as time allows. And I love hearing from you, so please keep those emails coming. They really help. The work you’re doing inspires me. Thanks so much for letting me into your homes, work, and/or ipods. It’s been a great ride.
Once again, this is Aharon Rabinowitz for CreativeCow.net. Just wanted to say it one more time.
Re: It's been a great ride... by Simon Bonner on Nov 12, 2008 at 5:41:31 pm
It's a shame we won't be seeing any more of your podcasts, Aharon, but thanks a lot for all you've done for the community here at the Cow. It's fair to say that without your help I'd still be confusing my Composition panel with my Render Queue.
Re: It's been a great ride... by Caleb Armstrong on Nov 12, 2008 at 5:54:46 pm
Thanks for all of the fantastic help Aharon. It was because of you and the other great people here at the Cow that I was able to land my first job in broadcast (2.5 years and still learning) and develop my skills to the point where I can take on a freelance client here and there as well.
Good luck to you and all your endeavors and I look forward to hearing from you on the forums from time to time.
Re: It's been a great ride... by Abraham Chaffin on Nov 12, 2008 at 7:46:06 pm
Aharon,
It's been great fun working with you, watching your tutorials and laughing at your awesome sense of humor. You'll be missed by all around the COW. I know you'll be around and I have the feeling you will be back again in the not so distant future.
All the best to your new endeavors and your growing family,
Re: It's been a great ride... by Ron Lindeboom on Nov 12, 2008 at 8:00:40 pm
Aharon,
It has been a GREAT honor to work with you over the years. Not only for your sense of humor and your skills as a teacher, but just because you are also a magnificent human being whom I will always be grateful to have worked with and to have become friends with. Your sense of fair play, loyalty and friendship are exemplary and while I know that Kathlyn and I will remain in touch with you, there will indeed be a hole left behind here in the ole pasture.
We wish you all the best in your life and with your family, knowing that you will find great joy in what it means to be a parent.
You are a good man, Aharon Rabinowitz, and we are proud to call you our friend and to have worked alongside you for these last 4 years and more.
Oh, and thank you and Serge for taking such good care of Kathlyn and our daughter Stefani when they go to New York. I am sure they'll be flying out again soon, so all your new babysitting experience will come in handy. ;o)
Re: It's been a great ride... by Graham Quince on Nov 12, 2008 at 8:08:27 pm
I'd just like to echo all of the above comments, and wanted to let you know how much I have learned from you (I used those rounded TV corners just today infact).
Many, many thanks
Graham
http://www.shiveringcactus.bravehost.com - Free FX for amateur films
Re: It's been a great ride... by Dwight Spitz on Nov 12, 2008 at 8:07:25 pm
like everyone i'm sure, has mentioned your tutorials have been very helpful especially the rotoscoping one, if i'm not mistaken, good luck in the future...................
Re: It's been a great ride... by Don Days on Nov 12, 2008 at 9:55:11 pm
Thanks Aharon,
In such a competitive industry it's great to have people like yourself who are willing to go out of their way to share their knowledge and experience! I appreciate all of the work you have put out there and I wish you and your family the best!
Re: It's been a great ride... by Travis Roop on Nov 12, 2008 at 10:35:34 pm
I'm sorry to hear that you won't be around as much as your insight and sense of humor have been mainstays of my Creative Cow After Effects Podcast experience. We can all relate to the responsibility that raising a child and supporting a growing family requires. Thanks for everything you've gone up to this point and good luck with whatever you do in the future.
Travis Roop
Editor
bitMAX Hollywood
troop@bitmax.net
Re: It's been a great ride... by Jay Curtis on Nov 12, 2008 at 11:31:38 pm
Aaron, thanks so much for all you've contributed to our lives, not just in the depth of AE and ways of thinking about it that some of had never before imagined...
...but also the generosity of giving of yourself, and the value of lending time and expertise to the benefit of others.
Thank you!
In this stressful business that so often demands more that we thought we could give, congratulations on making such a dramatic choice to put your family first. Keep doing that -- you can't go wrong with that investment!
Re: It's been a great ride... by Paul Crowe on Nov 13, 2008 at 1:01:55 am
Thanks for all your hard work. I have a few of your DVDs as well as being a regular viewer of your on-line tutorials. You have informed and inspired me.
I have kids as well and as someone else here said they grow up to quickly. Enjoy fatherhood. As Lou Reed said "it's the beginning of a great adventure". Although I think he was talking about taking drugs. But you get the picture.
Re: It's been a great ride... by Kevin Reiner on Nov 13, 2008 at 3:27:45 am
Thanks for your commitment and good luck in all you do. I've really enjoyed and benefited greatly from your tutorials. You deserve a medal.
-Kevin
System Setup (for a more detailed list, see my profile)
HARDWARE
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9GB Memory
Two 16x SuperDrives
Dual-channel 2Gb Fibre Channel PCI Express card
Apple Cinema HD Display (23" flat panel)
ATI Radeon X1900 XT Graphics Card
AJA Kona LHe SD/HD capture card
Apple Xserve Raid 5.6TB
SOFTWARE
Mac OS X 10.4.11
Final Cut Pro Studio 2
After Effects CS3
Photoshop CS3
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Boris Continuum 5
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Roxio Toast
Digital Anarchy Anarchist Suite
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Re: It's been a great ride... by Peter Downing on Nov 13, 2008 at 4:42:15 am
Aharon,
I am fairly new to podcasts having been given a iPod Touch only 6 weeks ago. Since then (much to my wife's chagrin) I've been poring over my iPod watching yours and Eran Stern's tutorials. I've put your tutorials to good use, using the tools you have given me, and I am indebted to your gift of knowledge. (Impressing my boss too, which is a definate plus.)
As a father I too remember when my children were the same age as your daughter.
I will surely miss your humour, but you've left me a wealth of interesting techniques to work with.
I wish you all the best...children grow far too fast.
My Thanks...
Peter Downing
Media Producer
University of Saskatchewan
Re: It's been a great ride... by Roland R. Kahlenberg on Nov 13, 2008 at 11:50:02 am
BUGGER! Thank goodness you didn't have twins!!! ;-) I hate to imagine what wou ... - nah never mind. ;-)
Bestest to your good self and the family.
And bro, from one of the COW's AE Forum's longest serving cowhead - you've been a GEM and dynamite: all at the same time! Seriously, I can't imagine what it'll be like without your tutorials.
Take care and may the Almighty Bless you and your family.
RoRK
broadcastGEMs.com - the leader in customizable royalty-free animated backdrops
Re: It's been a great ride... by Steven Beers on Nov 13, 2008 at 3:14:45 pm
Aaron,
It will be sad to not see more tutorials from you, but it is the greatest decision you will ever make. I have just found the cow earlier this year, being a new company who has to find answers to problems from people like you. I have so many old tutorials of yours to still go through, but I have loved every one of them so far. Thank you for all you have done, and best of luck in the future.
Re: It's been a great ride... by nelson fernandes on Nov 13, 2008 at 5:03:58 pm
Hi. I'd like to thank you for having time to make some great AE videos. I'm a compositor from an architectural visualization company and I watched lots of them which've given me great tips how to improve my work flow. Some times, small tips that can have a huge impact.
Thank you once more and all the best for you and your family.
Best Regards.
Nelson Fernandes.
Re: It's been a great ride... by James Hooey on Nov 14, 2008 at 1:37:26 am
Congratulations on your new paths in life! I am already missing the thought of not learning some new aspect of After Effects from such a well spoken and exceptional teacher as yourself. I have certainly learned many things faster and in more practical and effective ways from your Creative Cow podcasts and tutorials than I have from hours pouring over the PDF manuals.
Re: It's been a great ride... by Paul Prescott on Nov 14, 2008 at 9:25:03 pm
Aharon,
You've been a great inspiration and a great teacher. When I first saw you at the AENY meetings it was a 'There He Is!' moment. Kind of like a kid seeing a rock star.
Paul
Re: It's been a great ride... by david bogie on Nov 14, 2008 at 11:06:27 pm
KING HENRY VIII: It grieves many:
The gentleman is learn'd, and a most rare speaker;
To nature none more bound; his training such,
That he may furnish and instruct great teachers,
And never seek for aid out of himself.
In sitting at your feet, the honor was all ours, Aharon, I assure you.
David Bogie, boise ID
This is my standard sigfile so do not take it personally: "For crying out loud, read the freakin' manual."
Re: It's been a great ride... by Aharon Rabinowitz on Nov 16, 2008 at 1:18:14 pm
Thanks folks. thanks for all of the kind words, and for letting me know you;re out there. I'm glad I've been able to help many of you, and I look forward to staying in touch.
And Mike, I'll probably be on Australian time for now - the baby has not let me sleep much these last few nights. I'm a zombie. If i did a tutorial, it would probably not make much sense and be something like "Turning After Effects on and Shutting it down." That would be a great one.
Re: It's been a great ride... by Frank Maier on Nov 29, 2008 at 11:27:48 am
Now thats really Bad News!
I am shure without you Aharon i never would have found a starting point in Motiongraphics.
It was so much fun learning all this stuff from you, thank you so much!
To me Creative Cow wont be the same without you. I wish you and your family only the best, you deserve it. Hope to see you again from time to time...
Much love from Germany :)
Re: It's been a great ride... by Carl Endres on Nov 16, 2008 at 4:22:27 pm
I could'nt have heard worse news, but I'm happy for you to be able to spend more time with your wife and new baby.
Aharon, I have been quitely learning so much about AE thanks to your video tutorials. I watch a lot of other tutorials as well. I mean this with all sincerity:
There is no one, and I mean no one, who has shown me the light in AE more than you, and there is no one who does higher quality and more informative video tutorials than you.
And for that I thank you and wish you all the best of luck in whatever you do.
Re: It's been a great ride... by Axel Rogge on Nov 16, 2008 at 6:12:32 pm
What a pity for the community and me. But what a wonderful decision for you and your family!
Or - was it vice versa??? ;-) Ahh, no, I don´t think so.
Enjoy your time with your wife and your baby - btw: boy or girl?
I won´t like to miss a second with mine. Well, maybe some frames but....
you know, what I mean.
So: THANK YOU, AHARON. You made a one-of-a-kind job. Thank you very much.
Re: It's been a great ride... by Eran Stern on Nov 17, 2008 at 8:11:57 am
Aharon,
Thank you my friend for opening this window for me. I'll always appreciate the things we did together (so far).
I know we'll still be in touch and I wish you all the best on your new exciting route.
Re: It's been a great ride... by Tom Sefton on Nov 17, 2008 at 9:59:03 am
I have watched many of your tutorials and I would like to take the time to thank you for your input to this forum. Watching your work has been very inspiring, and also, very helpful.
Re: It's been a great ride... by Aharon Rabinowitz on Nov 17, 2008 at 4:45:11 pm
FWIW - I try to respond to every single email people send me. I'm a little backlogged, but I really try. I love to see the work everyone is doing using the tips I've provided, so don't hesitate to send links to info- -AT- -allbetsareoff.com, or to just say hello.
Also, if you really want to say thanks, checks can be made out to The Aharon Rabinowitz Fund for Children Desperately in Need of Home Theaters with Dolby Surround Sound. It's a little known organization, but a worthy cause that I stand behind 100%.
To be clear - that is a joke. That organization does not exist. But if anyone wants to start it, give me buzz ;-)
BTW - the only emails I don't respond to quickly are the ones asking me how to do something specific in AE - that's what this forum is for. Sharing your question means other people can learn from the answers provided by other users, many of who know a lot more about specific areas of AE or video production than I'll ever know. That's how I really learned to do what I do, and I think it's the best most environmentally conscious way to share knowledge (if that makes any sense).
Another way to say thanks!, and Re: It's been a great ride... by Tim Wilson on Nov 17, 2008 at 5:06:07 pm
[Aharon Rabinowitz]"Also, if you really want to say thanks, checks can be made out to The Aharon Rabinowitz Fund for Children Desperately in Need of Home Theaters with Dolby Surround Sound. It's a little known organization, but a worthy cause that I stand behind 100%."
An outstanding organization that we also highly recommend.
Seriously though, if you'd like to say thanks, please check out Aharon's Creative Cow Master Series DVDs in the Cow Dairy Store. Just can also follow the "DVD" link in the orange nav bar at the top of this page.
You may THINK you've seen all of Aharon's podcasts and tutorials, but I can all but guarantee you haven't. After Effects: The Next Level contains the first **six hours** of Aharon's tutorials, in their full-size glory PLUS the project files.
After Effects: The Next Level vol. 2 contains the next FIVE hours of Aharon's tutorials with project files...PLUS 78 minutes of never-before-seen tutorials, building on new features found in CS3, obviously very much applicable to CS4 as well.
Last but not least, the best-selling Master Series DVD yet on creating and distributing web video, podcasts, video tutorials, and much more, Internet Killed the Video Star.
As you can imagine, these are really truly among the best disks you'll ever see. At the very least, you need to visit the product pages for those disks, which also contain some especially clever promos.
This is a great way for you to develop your chops, have some fun, and support one of the industry's very nicest guys. And of course, a nice way to say thanks. Take a look!
Re: It's been a great ride... by Tim Stonesifer on Nov 17, 2008 at 5:37:41 pm
Aharon,
Thanks for all the work you've done! You're tutorials are incredible, and you will certainly be missed.
Blessings on you with your family and the new child. That seems like it's quite exciting, and I'm sure it's the best place to be putting your priorities.
Re: It's been a great ride... by Tom Brooks on Nov 17, 2008 at 10:58:51 pm
Aharon,
You have been such a positive influence. With your help, I finally got past Square-1 with After Effects. Your tutorials always gave that, "If I can do it, you can do it," impression. Know what I mean? Thanks for everything! Enjoy that family.
Tom Brooks
Re: It's been a great ride... by Kevin Lee on Nov 18, 2008 at 1:50:12 am
Wow, Aharon!
I have so much enjoyed your artistic point of view here at the cow. You have changed and helped my understanding of A.E. tremendously. I don't post much here, just watch tutorials here and there and maybe answer or ask a question. It really has been a great ride. I hope to hear from you in the future! However don't take anything away from your family time. That is important. Thanks for everything!!
Re: It's been a great ride... by James Dierx on Nov 18, 2008 at 10:47:51 pm
Aharon,
You helped me out so much! I did creative cow tutorials @ my old job everyday. Now I'm sitting in a room with clients making changes on the fly. I'd say you sent me off on the right foot ;)
Re: It's been a great ride... by Andy DeVries on Dec 8, 2008 at 3:26:01 pm
Through the help of the cow and other resources I was able to get up to speed in AE just weeks after first launching it. With it under my belt I was able to realize projects I never thought possible and have since graduated from college and found myself hired as a junior editor at a post-production house. Wait, what?
It is quite possible that I would not be where I am today without the skillful guidance of Aharon, Eran, and the rest of the COW. I hope to continue to advance my skills and, God help us, even contribute my own words of wisdom from time to time. Thanks folks.
