#(especially if you want them to run editing software)

[zorosdimples]

beyond frustrated that i can’t edit any pictures right now

[nanowrimo]

Write Smarter, Not Harder: 5 Ways to Conquer Chaotic Writing

Every year, we’re lucky to have great sponsors for our nonprofit events. ButterDocs, a 2023 NaNoWriMo sponsor, is an all-in-one writing app built for productivity, collaboration, and a more joyful writing experience. Today, the folks at ButterDocs share a few tips on organizing your writing to meet your goals:

NaNoWriMo is about to start, and you're champing at the bit to get to 50,000 words. But that's no easy feat! Because life doesn't stop when NaNoWriMo starts.

You're still going to have climb a mountain of chaos to reach your goal: Chaos like not being able to find your notes and outlines when you need them since they're scattered across multiple apps, or the constant lure of internet distractions.

And of course, once NaNoWriMo ends, the writing process continues. You'll need to get feedback, be able to actually easily take advantage of that feedback, and make revisions (especially if your ultimate goal isn't just a rough draft, but a polished novel).

Here are five tips from ButterDocs to beat the chaos and make your writing workflow less work and more flow.

1. Know what you're about to do.

We know you want to start maximizing your word count from Day One, but you'll thank yourself on Day Twenty if you lay the groundwork for yourself. Take some time to organize your research, develop your characters, lay out your major plot points, and consider your themes.

You don't need to buy and learn advanced plotting software. A digital whiteboard can be as intuitive as pinning index cards to a cork board.

2. Write in the best environment for you.

You're about to spend a lot of time writing. It's a good idea to get comfortable.

Think about what environment you write best in. Do you need the hubbub and energy of a busy coffee shop? Or the serenity of a cozy nook?

Once you find the right place, put the same effort into finding a writing app you'll actually enjoy writing in.

3. Stay in your writing flow.

Focus and dedication during NaNoWriMo is the whole ball game. Lose either, and your chances of hitting 50,000 words are harder.

Whatever your NaNoWriMo goals are, give yourself the best chances to succeed with tools that will help you get and stay focused. A timer, word counter, and goal tracker will help you with timed writing sprints and hitting daily writing goals.

4. Recover from distractions.

Distractions will happen. Chaotic writing aside, the human brain wants to wander for dopamine. And life inevitably gets in the way.

What's important is how you recover. Don't let one distraction or missed writing day snowball into another and another. Give yourself tools that help you get back on track. A simple notification to come back to your writing can be a big help.

5. Pull others in to help you move forward.

You may be participating in NaNoWriMo as an individual, but know this: you are not alone.

You have the entire NaNoWriMo community, among many other writing communities and groups you can turn to for any genre of writing.

When you feel stuck or need feedback on a draft, don't be afraid to ask for help. Just be sure to invite people into a writing app where you have control over the collaboration.

ButterDocs Early Access + NaNoWriMo Resources

Conquer chaotic writing by using a writing app built for exactly that. With ButterDocs, you can plan, write, share, and edit your writing all in one place, without the chaos. It's by the team that built Arc Studio, a leading screenwriting app with hundreds of thousands of users.

ButterDocs launches today in early access and we'd love to invite you to check it out for NaNoWriMo.

All NaNoWriMo participants can receive a free year of ButterDocs if you sign up by December 1st, 2023.

We're running a free online event on October 25th for everyone who signs up: "Getting (and Staying) in Your Creative Writing Zone During NaNoWriMo." with Grant Faulkner (Executive Director of NaNoWrimo), Matt Trinetti (founder of London Writers' Salon), and Allison Trowbridge (founder of CopperBooks). If you can't make it, we'll email ButterDocs users the recording afterward.

Visit https://butterdocs.com/NaNoWriMo to learn more about ButterDocs, claim your free account, and enter an exclusive sweepstakes giveaway for NaNoWriMo participants!

[astrogre]

What gifts to buy for each Venus sign

Christmas is among us, my favourite season and time of the year. Venus is the planet of love, by nature it can display what we like to receive from others but if you don’t know their Venus or the house it’s in you can try to look at the persons Sun sign instead but Venus is ideal.

A gift based on their:

Sun sign will make them feel seen and like you know them well, it will be a gift they may appreciate

Venus sign is all they’ve ever desired it’s the pinnacle of their ideal gift. Especially as Venus represents how we like to receive and experience love

Aries/ 1H Venus

Gym membership, running shoes, thrill seeking experiences like tickets to bungee jumping, rock climbing, a skydiving event, gym outfit, tickets to their favourite artist, tickets to festival, cool lighter, archery classes, tickets to sports games, a shirt with their teams logo or merch from their favourite artists, scissors set, cooking tools, hair styling products like hairspray, hair dye, Fitbit/apple watch, knives set, sports gear, heavy bass headphones, tickets for those room smashing experiences, take them clay pigeon shooting, family destroying board games like Risk or Catan, diy tattoo kit, diy piercing kit, theme park tickets.

Aries Venus are by nature thrill seekers, Aries is ruled by the head and has 1st house influences, they can certainly appreciate something that ignites passion, they are impulsive and quick by nature to pursue what they desire. They need gifts that match their decisive nature and to let out that pent up energy they have in them, I honestly think experiences are the best for them. Or a box of hair dye for their impulsive moments

Taurus/ 2H Venus

Hire a chef or take them to a really good restaurant for a 5 course meal that serves orgasmic food and has impeccable visuals/atmosphere OR you can even arrange a 7 course homemade meal with the finest of recipes! , fine jewellery adorned with a gemstone, culinary experiences, cooking classes, kitchenware, go to fragrantica.com and find a high quality perfume to give, premium home decor, art, antique items, antique furniture, comfortable cosy clothing, hot water bottle, gardening tools, plants, selection of seeds for their garden, diffuser, essential oils, desserts like baklava/ferro rocher, luxury goods, wellness retreat subscription, day at the spa, tea set, comfy velvet winter pillows and bed sheets

Oh my Taurus natives, they know how to break a bank for Christmas and if not they can enjoy luxury on a budget! They enjoy the finer things of life of course Venus ruled, they know how to induge in pleasures and satisfaction. Due to the earthy influence they have a green finger and a natural affinity with plants and gardening, they may love flowers or want to grow plants themselves. Taurus venuses are rather easy to gift, if you know them they usually have a vice, it may be sleep, food or pure laziness, get them something according to their vice and they will treasure it.

Gemini/ 3H Venus

Really cool stationary, Spotify subscription, comedy show tickets, books from their favourite genre, a notebook, Grammarly subscription, cards against humanity board game, Duolingo subscription, multiplayer games, home kit recording studio, language learning stuff, calligraphy classes, kindle, portable car charger, Bluetooth speaker, karaoke machine, suitcase, travel accessories, a musical instrument, sealing wax kit, creative hobby supplies, microphone, podcasting equipment, audio editing software, a car, vr headset, Nintendo online subscription, Netflix/HBO/youtube/crunchyroll subscription

Gemini rules communication, short journeys and social engagement. Blessing these natives with tools to enhance their pleasant hobbies will make them swoon in gratitude, if you want to get them something make it engaging and whimsical. These natives are ruled by mercury and always welcome something that requires the mind.

Cancer/ 4H Venus

A cooking set, baking set, comfort food, commission artwork of the family, family photos, some really nice home decor, a keepsake/musical box adorned with velvets and soft materials that will store sentimental objects, a locket necklace, family recipe book make a recipe book of all their favourite foods and some foods you know they’d like, soft fluffy blanket, the family heirloom, hand crafted quilt, hand painted ceramic mug, animal crossing game, sims 4 game, games relating to the home, bring and fly in family that are far away as a surprise and cook their favourite meal together, household utilities, lush bath products, a personal chef for a day, a personal butler for a day, custom family tree art, ancestry DNA kit (please be careful though once you use them they keep your data and if they get hacked your information is out there), home movie night, comfy slippers and pyjamas, family board games, this christmas make them Christmas dinner this time.

Cancer rules the home and there’s nothing more appreciated by a cancer Venus than things that remind them of this. They are by nature expressive and nurturing, this time let them be pampered!

Leo/ 5H Venus

Hair care products, gift card for their favorite store, make them an edit no joke like a TikTok edit that makes them look really cool, one of those light up mirrors or a pretty handheld one if they don’t have one already, book them a photoshoot together if they don’t like the camera maybe post them on your social media and show affection for these bold natives, theatre tickets, bold sunglasses, luxury watch, good jewellery, VIP experiences like backstage passes or reservation to exclusive invite only restaurants, designer clothing that is a prestigious brand they love, commission style artwork, make them a playlist of songs that reminds you of them, fine wine, personalised fragrance creation that allows them to create their own signature fragrance, personalised makeup makeover, hire a stylist for them

A perfect gift for Leo’s need to have an element of self expression, luxury and incorporate their personality that garners attention from peers. They need a gift that makes them feel special, something tailored specifically for them that cannot be gifted to anyone else. Personalised gifts do well either this placement too. When I think of these natives I just think of that Meghan Trainor music video “Me Too” watch that and you’ll get their vibe.

Virgo/ 6H Venus

Skincare products, a blender for smoothies, lots of cleaning products, multi purpose aesthetic storage containers, Quora or chat gpt subscription (these guys like to be well informed), give them scientifically researched bath products that have all that vitamin breakdown qualities, make them a notion template to help them plan, quality office supplies like a desk organiser or chair, practical fitness gear like a yoga mat, a fitness tracker, get them a personal nutritionist, tailored meal prep services, bookshelf organiser system, a stylish briefcase, home office makeover (BUT PLEASE GET THEIR PERMISSION FIRST), online course subscription, digital subscription to news feed, you can never go wrong with practical things, an ikea haul, Costco membership, minimalist decor, multi vitamins, a precision watch, set of labelling and sorting tools, a neat tidy chess board, get them a nice little pet, honestly for some reason whenever I think of Virgos I think of matcha. Get them something matcha based.

Virgo Venus natives need gifts that resemble their routine and organisation, they can be rather difficult to purchase for since they have such a specific taste in mind. Gift cards are practical for them but they really need something that allows them to be more prepared. Take them out for comparison price shopping like say if you want to get them a sofa tell them you’ll take them out to Costco, Amazon, ikea, and compare the best ones. They are also very clean and efficient.

Libra Venus/ 7H Venus

Trending Make up like the fenty hot chocolit heat lip gloss, Korean skincare products, beautiful piece of art, a wedding ring 😏, bouquet of flowers, take them to a beautiful botanical garden, fashionable accessories like a silk scarf, books and courses on design, take them to a couples romantic date, a couples workshop, write them a love letter, museum date, tickets to an art exhibition, fine dining, an astrology synastry reading, if they’re single set up a blind date with someone who you KNOW they would like (make sure they’re handsome/pretty), couples retreat, love coach Patreon subscription, pottery/painting classes, relationship podcast subscription, relationship psychology books, fine fragrance/cologne

Libra is ruled by Venus and 7th house, all things related to love beauty and pleasure align with this native, even if they are single they have a natural gift for delving into relationships. Make sure that whatever gift you give them it is pleasing and sensual

Scorpio/ 8H Venus

Intimate gifts, a psychological crime documentary playlist like Epstein island documentary or YouTubers who speak of renowned cult leaders, personalised astrology reading, a dark seductive fragrance, dark artwork, dominance and submission guide book, shadow work journal with a lock on it, dark poetry and literature, escape room adventure tickets, monopoly game, dungeons and dragons game equipment, bdsm accessories, personalised erotic art, leather/latex clothing, bonding activities, empowering books like 48 Laws of Power, martial arts training, taxidermy, personal development workshops, intense workout equipment like a punching bag, chess, daggers, locks on their door or for their belongings like installing a lock for their drawers, buy them a ring camera and subscription, wine tasting experience

Give them something sultry and deep, it has to be psychological and empowering. They are not impressed by superficial gifts that mean nothing to them. They really like gifts that allow them to explore their nature and the darker aspects of existence.

Sagittarius/ 9H Venus

A scratch off map that allows you to scratch off countries you’ve been to, a surprise holiday where you take them abroad, Duolingo subscription, a wanderlust journal for them to document their experiences, passport accessories, an electric guitar, drums, take them to a fireworks display or do one at home for them, a telescope, a drone, binoculars, philosophical books or religious books based on their own beliefs and religion, running shoes, horse riding in the sunset experience, musical instruments, motivational and positive affirmations book or make some for them yourself, a book collection of all their motivational and positive messages they have said, a compass, pay for their tuition for a course they’ve always wanted, traveling stuff like suitcases, pillow for travelling, a portable flask, a disposable camera, a Polaroid camera, a tent, tickets to a cultural festival, hiking gear, skiing gear, camping gear, sketchbook, a donation in their name

Sagittarius Venus and 9H venuses love the concept of exploration whether it be in the mind or physically, the best gift you could give them is one that allows them to take in so much culture, information and experiences.

Capricorn/ 10H Venus

Customisable credit card (CUCU is a good site for this), a nice power suit like business attire, vintage pocket calculator, cufflinks or a tie, formal shoes, pay for their CV to be analysed by professionals in their industry, elegant timeless clothing and jewellery, make them business cards, get them a corporate slave (an assistant will do), pay for business class flights for their next trip abroad, project management courses, tickets to Ted Talk event, take them to and big them up at networking and entrepreneurial opportunities, a sleek desk, submit their work for trophies and awards, quality furniture, Starbucks or their fave coffee place gift cards, a fountain pen, personalised desk name plate, professional photoshoot, designer accessories like a Swiss watch, leather wallet, cheque book, pay for a professional calligrapher to design their signature, time management software

Our sweet cap Venuses and 10Hers need their professional acknowledgment, give them anything timeless and a way for them to better themselves. They love being the best of the best so give them things that support their ambitions.

Aquarius/ 11H Venus

A 3D printer, high tech phone, a gamer console, smart home device like Alexa, chat gpt subscription, AI art pieces of them, rubix cube, VR headset, bespoke one of a kind art piece, tickets to a science technology conference or musem, networking events, phone case, futuristic home decor, membership to an niche club their interested in, mini indoor garden like a plant terrarium, pay for an astronomy stargazing experience for them, alt clothing, goal setting journal, a camaraderie for their friendships can be a bracelet for an example, tickets to a unique workshop according to their niche interests, video editing software, a unique invention prototype for the industry their interested in say if it were cars then a mini Tesla or something, volunteer together, design software, film festival tickets, social cause merchandise, unique fashion piece, astronomy kit, an AI boyfriend or girlfriend, take them a Ted talk.

Always remember the specific niche interests of these natives they like things that are very niche and so sometimes asking them is actually the best thing to do. But make sure it’s something they’re passionate about not all of these natives live tech but they certainly are innovative.

Pisces/ 12H Venus

Seashell necklace, watercolour paints, fantasy book collection, their favourite mangas, handmade artwork, stained glass window art, dream interpretation book, flowerpedia book, vinyls, yoga mat, contact lenses, tickets to their favourite artist like mitski or the sort, create a playlist for them that’s about fantasy and imagination, they might like Disney consider taking them to Disneyland, windchime, subscription to mindfulness app, astrology book, go to the aquarium together, windchimes, art supplies, a dream journal, sound healing instruments, pay for their spiritual retreat, zen garden decor, a mystical music box, water fountain, take them to a mesmerising body of water, prayer mats, diary, write them a heartfelt letter of how amazing they are, take them to a nature retreat, wearable art

Dreamy imaginative gifts would be perfect for these people, they need gifts that allow them to appreciate their escape world where they have a reality that’s just better than here. Give them things that are as beautiful as their inner world.

[dragonmarquise]

How to Deal with Windows 10/11 Nonsense

This is more for my own reference to keep all of this on one post. But hopefully others will find this useful too! So yeah, as the title says, this is a to organize links and resources related to handling/removing nonsense from Windows 10 and Windows 11. Especially bloatware and stuff like that Copilot AI thing.

First and foremost, there's O&O Software's ShutUp10++ (an antispy tool that help give you more control over Windows settings) and App Buster (helps remove bloatware and manage applications). I've used these myself for Windows 10 and they work great, and the developers have stated that these should work with Windows 11 too!

10AppsManager is another bloatware/app management tool, though at the moment it seems to only work on Windows 10.

Winaero Tweaker, similar to ShupUp10++ in that it gives you more control over Windows to disable some of the more annoying settings, such as disabling web search from the taskbar/start menu and disabling ads/tips/suggestions in different parts of the OS. I think ShupUp10++ covers the same options as this one, but I'm not entirely sure.

OpenShell, helps simplify the Start Menu and make it look more like the classic start menu from older versions of Windows. Should work with both 10 and 11 according to the readme.

Notes on how to remove that one horrible AI spying snapshots feature that's being rolled out on Windows 11 right now.

Article on how to remove Copilot (an AI assistant) from Windows 11. (Edit 11/20/2024) Plus a post with notes on how to remove it from Windows 10 too, since apparently it's not just limited to 11 now.

Win11Debloat, a simple script that can be used to automatically remove pretty much all of the bullshit from both 10 and 11, though a lot of its features are focused on fixing Windows 11 in particular (hence the name). Also has options you can set to pick and choose what changes you want!

Article on how to set up Windows 11 with a local account on a new computer, instead of having to log in with a Microsoft account. To me, this is especially important because I much prefer having a local account than let Microsoft have access to my stuff via a cloud account. Also note this article and this article for more or less the same process.

I will add to this as I find more resources. I'm hoping to avoid Windows 11 for as long as possible, and I've already been used the O&O apps to keep Windows 10 trimmed down and controlled. But if all else fails and I have to use Windows 11 on a new computer, then I plan to be as prepared as possible.

Edit 11/1/2024: Two extra things I wanted to add onto here.

A recommended Linux distro for people who want to use Linux instead of Windows.

How to run a Windows app on Linux, using Wine. Note that this will not work for every app out there, though a lot of people out there are working on testing different apps and figuring out how to get them to work in Wine.

The main app I use to help with my art (specifically for 3D models to make references when I need it) is Windows only. If I could get it to work on Linux, it would give me no reason to use Windows outside of my work computer tbh (which is a company laptop anyways).

[viktorrights]

I don't think I've ever been this frustrated with a fic before. It's genuinely one of the best reads this fandom has to offer; the plot, the characters, the pacing all work very well. And yet! Each time I got immersed in the story, something (like a lack of periods at the end of sentences, characters' names without capital letters, no commas in obvious places, sometimes a word or two that got skipped for no reason) kicked me out of it.

I'm just really confused why you didn't think it'd make this fic even better, if you put each chapter in any free writing app (even google docs) and check it for spelling and punctuation mistakes. You don't need a beta. Your writing is great. It would take a moment, and then your work would be excellent.

Maybe minor mistakes catch my attention because I'm a teacher and English is my 3rd language. I get you don't want to obsessively check every paragraph or you're dyslexic. We have software for this!

You're clearly very hard-working, so it shouldn't be a problem to check your text for silly mistakes (that we all make). Correcting them, next time you write something, won't take more than 5 minutes of your time. But the effects will be there.

hi condescending internet stranger! i've actually been in the process of slowly going back and doing some basic edits. i'd like to bring to your attention that I am in graduate school, I work TWO jobs on top of Freelancing and still make time for this. this was originally supposed to be something fun for me and what I assumed was the couple hundred or so people that would engage. it's been deeply overwhelming for me to see the response its gotten. usually it's great. but people like you are making putting out more work extremely stressful because the pressure to be perfect is umm. a lot. and not why i started fic writing in the first place. this is a free labor of love i am putting out because I LIKE IT.

i guarantee you that diligently going over every single word of a 90k long piece of work takes up a LOT more than five minutes of my time, which may i remind you - you aren't entitled to any of. I do the best i can considering I often have 12 hour days.

i actually do run it through a basic checker. so miss me with that. what i will not do is run it through an AI software - which based on your tone is what I'm guessing you suggest I do. and accusing someone of having a learning disability is kind of insane - especially for a teacher ?! i'd really suggest you watch yourself with that kind of language. much more harmful than missing a few periods.

have a nice day :)

[detailtilted]

hi! I'm sorry if you've talked about this before, but I've been wondering how you enhance the spn con videos. like, how does it work? cause your videos look amazing, especially in comparison to the previous footage!

Thank you so much for being interested enough to ask!

At a very high level, the visual enhancements to the original videos themselves are made by running an upscaling program and then manually adjusting color-related settings in my video editing software. Sometimes I also fix aspect ratios if the original videos are squished.

Below are way more details than you probably ever wanted. 😅 I’ll put my very long answer after a break...

Upscaling

The very first thing I do when I start a new video is to take all the video sources I can find, pick out the ones I think I'm most likely to want to use, and see if I can get them to upscale. This is actually one of the easiest parts of the whole process, at least in terms of the actual time that I myself have to put into it. The computer does most of the work.

The upscaling is done through a software program. I don't actually have any idea, but I imagine it might be a dumbed down version of the type of software that movie studios use when they create upscaled Blu-ray releases of older films. I know the obvious question is, “What’s the software program?” I’m a little scared to say it without some explanation first, because it has “AI” in the title. I know and understand (and agree with) why AI is such a hot button today. However, this is not generative AI where it generates a new work out of nothing, and it’s performing a function that a human could not reasonably do.

The way I understand it, it runs an algorithm to analyze all the frames in the video and figure out how it can remove some of the visual “noise” and also add missing details to some frames based on what it finds in other frames. It then updates every single frame in the video. The videos I’m currently working with have 30 frames per second. A 30-minute video would therefore have 54,000 frames. For a human to compare 54,000 frames and make all the tiny changes required to each one would be… impossible I think. So anyway, after that long preamble, the name of the software I’m using is “Topaz Video AI”.

There are a variety of settings you can tweak, so I focus on upscaling one video source at a time because the same settings that work with one source may not work for a different source recorded with different equipment. I try different combinations of settings to small sections of the video until I find settings that seems to return noticeably improved results without adding any weird distortions. Sometimes I have to give up and proclaim the task impossible. If the video has too much noise and/or not enough good detail already there for it to work with, then it won’t upscale well. I get much, much better results with original video files than I do with files from YouTube. I think the videos were compressed when they were uploaded to YouTube and lost some of their quality.

If I find a setting that works, I tell the software to apply those settings to all of the videos from the source I'm currently working on and then leave my computer to crunch through them. That can take hours, and it makes my computer sound like it's preparing for liftoff, but it doesn’t require my involvement. I’ll often let it run overnight, then check it the next day to see if it came out ok. Sometimes I have to go back to the drawing board because I find parts of it didn’t come out well at all, but usually if the sample looked good then the full result also looks good.

Then I take my next video source (another set of videos recorded by a different person on different equipment) and repeat the process.

Color Corrections

This is all done in my video editing software. I’ve been using Adobe Premiere Pro. There’s free software out there that might be a better choice. I tried one early on and didn’t do very well with it, but I had no idea what I was doing. Video editing is new to me. So for me, the advantage of using a very popular software program was that there are tons of answers out there for just about every question I’ve ever thought to ask. Now that I have more experience, maybe I’ll give some of the free options another try. I have to decide whether or not to renew my current license at the end of the year and the price is pretty crazy, especially considering it's only for a limited period of time.

So… back to color corrections. My original attempts at this did not start out well. My first set of videos were the CHICON 2007 videos and those colors looked fine to me, so it never even occurred to me to adjust colors. When I moved on to Comic-Con 2008, I was confronted by a bunch of badly red-tinted and green-tinted videos and I thought, “Hmm, I wonder if this video editing software can do anything about that.”

And I tried. I drove myself absolutely mad. I’m not good with colors in general, I’d never worked with color adjustment settings before, and my eyes were going crazy trying to figure out if I was making things better or if I was just creating a new variety of bad. I put out a plea for opinions/advice here on Tumblr with some screen shots showing what I’d done so far, and sensitivehandsomeactionman came to my rescue. They took one of my screen shots and adjusted the colors in their own software to show me what could be achieved. And it looked amazing. Having that example to reference was a huge help. It was still a challenge for me, but I eventually got pretty close to what they did.

I’m not as good at it on my own, but I learned a lot through that process that I’ve been able to apply to my subsequent videos. I think every video I’ve worked with since then has had at least slightly wonky colors, so I've had a lot more practice. There are a bunch of complicated color-related settings in Adobe, but eventually I found the “Lumetri Color” panel which has a simpler set of set of controls consisting of a few sliders that let you adjust between two opposites until you find the right balance.

One slider is for Exposure and it basically changes the lighting from darker to lighter. Then there are two color-related sliders. One shifts between blue and orange and the other shifts between green and purple. I play around with those sliders until I think the colors look more natural, focusing mostly on their skin tone. Then if needed, I’ll adjust the Saturation slider a little to tone things down. For the most part, playing with those 4 sliders usually gets me something that I think looks decent.

Some videos are more difficult than others though, and I still consider this to be very much outside my wheelhouse. When I announce a new video on Tumblr, I usually display a comparison image of the original video versus the enhanced. Those help me see that the end result does in fact look at least a little better than the original. Sometimes after staring at the video for hours on end, I start to doubt.

If there are any wonky aspect ratios making the video look squished, that’s a really easy fix by just changing the scale percentages for that video in my video editing software.

All The Rest of the Work

All those things I just babbled about probably take up only 25% of the time I spend on each video. Less if the videos don't give me much trouble with upscaling or color adjusting. I could write another book about the rest of the process, but what I've already typed is probably overkill as it is so I'll try to be brief since this stuff isn't as much about the visuals anyway.

This is when I move on to the process of choosing which videos to display at which times and editing everything together into one (hopefully) cohesive video. I also try to choose the clearest audio that covers most of the panel. Audio changes are very noticeable, so I try to minimize them and use a single audio throughout the whole video as much as possible. Often the audio you’re hearing was from a different video than the one you’re seeing.

Once I have all the footage edited together, that’s when I start adding the subtitles and the extra content. These things are by far the most time-consuming part of the process, especially the subtitles.

I hope this answered your question. Thanks again for asking! If I didn't answer your question and if you want to risk having another book typed to you, let me know. 😅

[backagainpodcast]

Hello! I absolutely love BABA, it is everything I need in a comfort media, especially during exam season. Do you have any advice for people looking into writing podcasts? Like audio editing programs or writing tips or anything else that's come up in your process? If you do, thanks so much! But regardless, I adore this podcast and I hope you're having a wonderful day!

hello! thank you so much for listening, and I really really hope your exams go well <<33

My writing advice is the kind that I feel like deserves to get me shook, but it's the truest I know --- write a lot, write every day or as often as you can manage it, write like it is the thing that you must do to keep you alive. Write like it's at the top of your to-do list, write knowing that as long as you write something that day, whatever else happens, it can be enough. Choose a word count and try to reach it every day. Choose a duration of time and make sure you set it aside. Just --- write. Note the things that are important to you and mean the most to you, and you'll never run out of ways to talk about them.

When I am drafting, I aim for 500 words a day (but please god find what works for you don't take this as anything other than an example.) Sometimes I kick and scream to that point and don't go any further. Oftentimes, after 500, the words are loose enough that I can keep going. Stack 'em up. The more you have, the less each one matters. The longer you get into the habit of hitting a word count, the easier it is to do!!

From the podcasting side of things, I have no idea what I'm doing, ever, which means that I am NOT the best person to get good advice from, but I CAN tell you how to duct-tape a podcast together. My tips---

Take the time to learn how to use Audacity (or whatever audio editing software you'd like -- audacity is just FREE, we LOVE) get yourself a mic that fits in your budget (my blue yeti has been going solid for years and years and has survived several moves!), and get talkin'.

Likewise, take your time editing. Get a sense of how much you can reasonably do between episodes, and don't overwork yourself. It's better to have a consistent schedule for releases than a sporadic one, even if that means episodes are farther apart :) BABA comes out twice a month and I could not consistently do any more without losing my mind. Maybe that's not the case for you, but figure it out!!

Uh --- I use Anchor, which is now "Spotify for Podcasters," because, again, it's free. Freemusicarchive.org is where BABA's theme music (Nightingales by Pierce Murphy) comes from, and just do some googling about what each attribution right means so you're respecting people's wishes.

I also cannot recommend enough writing the whole season before you start recording. Editing and recording and editing episodes is enough every two weeks -- I couldn't imagine also having to write the episode on top of that :')

(But again -- maybe you're different!! Maybe it's no problem for you! The biggest thing is figuring out how you can stretch and how you cannot and adapting.)

But I think the biggest thing is having a story that you want to tell and that excites you, if no one else. It's going to be a lot of talking to yourself in empty rooms and listening to yourself through headphones and the only way to get through is to love something about it :')

I finally must encourage you to take all of this with a grain of salt, as I'm just Some Guy with no real qualifications except that I snuck in the back door and no one kicked me out fast enough. But that is the glorious thing about audio drama!!! Anyone can make anything!!!

Good luck, good luck, and always reach back out if there's something more substantial I can help you with :)

Very best, always,

Abigail <3

[magicalgirlmindcrank]

Your new miku this week has reminded me I've been wanting to get into digital illustration, so I wanted to ask.

What drawing tablet and software do you use? And do you have any recommendations?

Sorry, we didn't see this just now! We currently have two tablets technically, though we don't use the old much outside of edits on PC. One is an Artist 12 pro, which plugs into the computer, and the one we use now is an S7 FE. We use Clip Studio Paint on both, though we own 1 on the PC and have a CSP 2 subscription for the tablet. They are largely compatible.

There are some issues with the S7 FE - it often claims it's running out of memory while drawing, and cites that it may crash. It never does, and auto saves like every two minutes, but the pop up is obnoxious. I can't seem to transfer any files directly off it to my PC, and Patreon doesn't let me upload from it either. If I try to upload an image to discord, discord crashes. Maybe these things have fixes we didn't find, maybe it's just that I bought an older tablet to save a bit of money. Who can say. It's probably our fault for drawing 300dpi on big canvases. I would suggest maybe trying the S9 FE or something else.

CSP is really good though, and we love it a lot. It has a ton of cool features we don't really know how to use cuz we're too lazy to learn them, and a bunch that we do understand! It also can use Photoshop brushes and has a pretty extensive online market of its own brush and asset wise. It's a really powerful program that can do whatever you want it to.

We've also heard great things about iPads for drawing, which also support CSP. We've never used Procreate but that's also really good we hear, and on both Android and Apple systems.

As for what we recommend, uhhh, a standalone tablet is expensive, but the ability to whip it out and doodle is hard to match. They are pretty expensive compared to something like the Artist 12 pro however. I think we paid 325 for the S7 FE and another 50$ for the s pen pro, vs like 100$ for the 12 pro, but one let's me draw at work or in bed or cuddled up, and the other needs me to be at my computer.

It really comes down to what you can afford and the screen size you want though - you can definitely get an older or refurbished iPad for cheaper and it will probably run just fine. The S7 FE we have is only 4gb memory and does great despite its whining. Of course, it's the only thing we use it for, especially when drawing, so ymmv.

[zer0psd]

never used photoshop so im curious to see your opinions about photopea vs photoshop

ok things to be known: 1) adobe can suck my cock and balls theyre evil and i wish that the corporate entity that is adobe would go up in flames, a corporation shoud NOT have that much insight in your privacy, files, sensitive info, etc 2) photopea is great and built off a small dev team as a basically a passion project, which is awesomesauce! i'm not knocking them at all, and i think ppl should support them in anyway they can

i've been a graphic designer and photographer for years now, and in hs i became adobe certified. i literally spent four years of my life learning on an industry standard. it becomes muscle memory after a while. beside that i was a roleplayer so i became VERY familiar with edits and gifs and all that. again everything became muscle memory. adobe suites are the industry standard for a reason, and for GOOD reason. i think they have an amazing interface and work hard to update the experience and make shit easier for artists; like i will give them that even if i sound like a bootlicker. i never paid for it tho lol as a student i got it for free and i would use cracks/torrents.

when i got my new computer it wouldn't let me run bootcamp so i couldn't crack the adobe suites like i used to :/ new mac processors or whatever don't rely on intel anymore, so not intel = no bootcamp. most cracks are pc based so i just couldn't find one that worked for me. apple went ham on protecting IP and combating torrents so it's like impossible to crack without an extensive VPN or else adobe will literally send a cease and desist to your internet provider. its sincerely fucked up.

i switched to photopea bc of this. i really liked it, but im autistic so having to relearn my own workflow that ive had for years made me want to hashtag die. the interface is VERY close to photoshop, so it wasn't hard, but it doesn't have the same capabilities i was used to w ps. i do NOT like edited photos in photopea; i think its way too laggy and glitchy to work with giant raw files, which really sucks!!! for making small edits and doing my graphic design tho??? i do really like it. it doesn't have the same capabilities as ps sure, but once i just fucked with the filter galleries and different plug ins and worked my process around what photopea could accomplish, i was good as gold. i've been producing quality work on commission through photopea. it's a learning curve for sure, especially if you have zero experience with an editing interface like that, but the more i use it the more i learn.

all of that being said, i think photopea is fucking awesome for being completely free and open source. it has its issues —— sometimes its way too glitchy for me and pisses me the fuck off, i have to frequently save my psd files and hope that they don't fuck up, and then reopen so it's less laggy and rinse and repeat bc some of my stuff takes hours lmfao —— but i think its pretty darn close to the photoshop i was using like less than a year ago. its glitchy, its laggy, the ads are annoying and clog up the screen, but i simply cannot complain to much when its a smallish dev team working on a shoestring budget (last time i checked) and for FREE. like its open and usable on any browser and computer and i think thats rad.

if i could go back to ps without giving them money i would in a heartbeat. ps is awesome for the work i do, and i like that there's constant improvements and updates. it just boils down to look, feel, and workflow to me; ps is rarely laggy and glitchy, its meant to handle giant projects, there's so many plug ins you can find online, etc. i just wish it wasn't a subscription based software; honestly if i new adobe was less like the elf on the shelf and i could make a one time purchase, i would. but alas.

anyways i'm pro photopea all the way. idk if any of this was helpful its mostly rambly lmfao. but yeah. i don't do much photography anymore, so i don't have to work around the glitches and lags and all of that with photopea; i focus on graphic design for event fliers and social media content + rp resources. it has room for improvement for sure for sure, but it's lovely and helpful in its own way.

[melbrewer367]

Reschedule Tasks In Windows

I kept experiencing a dip in FPS and I couldn't figure out why. I've followed all of isimp4sims tutorials, I use Process Lasso and ISLC, both of which did make improvements (even more noticeably on my older pc) but, occassionally, it'd sound like my computer was doing overtime and my FPS would drop to 16-20 fps when it should be 60 fps.

I finally realized it was because my computer was running scheduled tasks while I was playing and those tasks were set at high priority. I've since rescheduled all of these tasks to fall outside of my playing hours (and every now and then I find one still scheduled while I'm playing and notice the immediate difference when I fix it) and it's made a huge difference.

So, this is for people on Windows 10 (though it should be same/about the same for other versions of Windows). The first step is to open Task Scheduler. Just click your windows button, start typing the name, and it'll come right up.

This is what you should see and, down at the bottom, you can see all your upcoming tasks.

Do NOT completely disable any of these! Your computer needs to run these things to keep your computer up to date and protected and all that fun stuff. We're just going to change when it does that.

I play late in the evening, and then my computer stays awake for 2 hours before it puts itself to sleep so I have set all my tasks to occur after 1 am. One of the tasks that sucks up a huge amount of CPU usage is related to Windows Defender, we're going to change that one first.

On the left hand side, click the drop down arrow and navigate down to Windows Defender.

Here you can see, I already have mine for after 1am.

Double click on the first task in the list in the upper middle.

Here you can see down near the bottom that this task is set to "Run with highest privileges." Since I'm having this run outside of my hours, I went ahead and left it for this particular set of tasks but insignificant things like Google Chrome updates and iTunes updates, I removed that regardless of what time they run. Now go to the "Triggers" tab.

This is where you'll find the schedule for this task. If it's your first time doing this, there's probably going to be a lot of triggers. Things like, "at startup," "when user logs on," "daily at [time]," and things like that. In this case, Windows Defender is searching for viruses and malware, depending on whether or not you're using other software for this you may want to stick with daily. You can just highlight the triggers and click "Delete" to get rid of them. Then when you only have the one trigger left, just go ahead and click "Edit."

Here's where you can pick the actual schedule. When you're done with that, click "Ok" and this screen will close, then go to the "Conditions" tab.

This section is mostly important for people on a laptop. You can tell it to only start the task if the computer is on AC power, meaning only when it's plugged in, so you don't have to worry about it draining your battery. When you're done here, click "Ok" and then you can move on to the next task.

I would definitely suggest checking Windows Defender, it was a huge offender of having a ton of triggers that ran during my gameplay and you could look at Process Lasso or Task Manager and see that it was sucking up tons of my CPU power. Beyond that, I would just go back to that first screen and scroll through your upcoming tasks, and do your reschedules from there. Just keep checking it throughout the week and eventually you'll get all the pesky ones scheduled outside of your game time.

Again, don't fully disable any of these tasks. Some of them, it won't even allow you to edit, especially ones that say "custom trigger" because your computer depends on this stuff. You really just want to reschedule scans, whether it's scans for viruses or scanning for updates, to still happen on a regularly occurring basis and often, just outside of your peak hours.

Hope this helps some of you too!

[nowritingonthewall]

hello chrissie! I hope you're having a good day!

do you have any tips on gifmaking for someone who wants to start?

Hi Nonnie, thank you so much for your ask, I hope you're having a good day, too 🥰

Tbh, I always feel like I am not really qualified to answer these questions, because – unlike me – most of the wonderful gif makers on this site use photoshop and if you have access to that software, I would always recommend using it because it’s easier, faster, the outcome is so much better and the opportunities it offers are endless. (There are a lot of beginner tutorials on this site if you search for gif + tutorial in the search bar 😊)

However 😉 If you don’t have access to photoshop or your cpu can’t handle it or you are simply overwhelmed by the vastness of the program, you can always try GIMP 😊 It’s opensource, you can download it legally for free and it runs on all platforms. The main drawback is that it doesn’t have the timeline feature, which means that you have to edit every single layer separately. (The program literally wasn’t designed to create gifs, it’s just that a few clever people found a way to work around that 😆)

I would recommend starting with this tutorial here. It explains how to create a gif in GIMP in general, how to create screencaps, how to import them, how to resize, how to crop and how to export your gif.

As for the really fun part (editing your gif), I think for a beginner it would be easiest to concentrate on three basic steps: brightening up the gif, adjusting the colours, and sharpening the gif. You’ll find all the editing tools that you need for that under “Colours/Colors” in the menu bar.

The brightening/contrast tool of GIMP can give weird results, so it’s usually easier to use the exposure tool, but that’s just my personal opinion.

As for playing around with the colours, the tools that you would want to look into first are “curves”, “levels” and “components -> channel mixer”. The channel mixer isn’t nearly as good as the one in photoshop, of course, but it makes me so giddy that GIMP finally has a proper one implemented 🙃

Also, if you’re just starting out, I would always recommend working with the largest quality source material that you can find (at least 1080p). I spent most of last year giffing really low quality vids because I’ve never been able to resist a cute Oscar moment, but if you’re just learning how to gif, the quality issue might become really frustrating, especially in the beginning.

And of course, the most important part: Allow yourself to have fun playing around and trying new things 🥰 Every new gif poses a new challenge, so don’t be discouraged if a certain editing step doesn’t result in the outcome you’d expected, you’ll soon get the hang of it ���

I hope this was at least a little helpful 🥰

[quaddmgd]

Get to know me!

Thanks for tagging @oranzuwu and @ghostoffuturespast <3

Unfortunately, I don't know who to tag, feels like everyone has been tagged already :/ Please if you reading this and want to take part, do so and tag me so I can read it <3

1. are you named after anyone? 

If I remember correctly, my parents just chose names they liked. Mom chose one for a boy, and dad for a girl.

2. when was the last time you cried?

The day before yesterday, I think? Lately I've been crying more out of laughter than sadness tbh... I can only hope it stays that way.

3. do you have kids? 

I don't and I won't!

4. do you use sarcasm a lot?

More than I would like to, especially when something pisses me off or confuses the hell out of me.

5. what sports do you play/have you played?

I enjoyed basketball and volleyball during our P.E. But since my high school mostly consisted of boys, I spent most of the classes on the bench watching them play soccer.

6. what's the first thing you notice about other people? 

Their attitude towards other people. I find it easy to tell if someone cares about what you say to them. A Mutual respect during a conversation is something I can remember and cherish very long after.

7. eye color? 

Blue.

8. scary movies or happy endings? 

Scary movies, when they're any good. Psychological horror is one of my favorite genres. Especially the stuff that stays with you for a long time.

9. any special talents? 

Some people were surprised that I write my fics in Vim, so I guess that's my special talent lmao

10. where were you born? 

In a mid-sized city surrounded by woods and lakes. Still living there and trying to get out! The city stinks (literally and figuratively), but I love running away to the woods whenever I feel like I need to catch a break.

11. what are your hobbies? 

Damn, I have so many. First and foremost - video games! But I do programming, photo editing, sometimes video editing too. I'm into free and open source software, I love tinkering with it, I follow cool reverse engineering projects. Outside of my puter I enjoy long walks and photography.

12. do you have any pets? 

I'd love to have a dog, but I probably wouldn't be at home enough to give it the attention it deserves.

13. how tall are you? 

Oh last time I measured myself I was 18yo or so. If nothing changed since then, I'm 187cm/6′2. I'm s tall girl!

14. fave subject in school? 

Art and IT as a child. And in IT School I loved programming and PC assembly/maintenance the most!

15. dream job? 

Working full-time on a game I have in mind. Just fully commit and create something I'd enjoy myself and be proud of!

[division-d]

How To Forecast and Calculate the ROI of SEO (With Template)

March 22, 2023

By: Dan Ansaldo, SEO Specialist

With the continued rise of AI and ChatGPT, constant algorithm updates, and the never-ending goal of beating the competition, understanding the ROI (return on investment) of SEO has arguably never been more important.

How do you know if your SEO is effective? How can you determine if it’s going to create positive ROI? Is it even possible to forecast like other marketing channels?

These are critical questions to ask and answer. Let’s dive in!

What is the ROI of SEO?

Return on Investment (ROI) is the monetary gain you receive from investing in Search Engine Optimization (SEO). The goal of SEO — and all marketing efforts for that matter — is to earn you (or your client) more money than what you spend.

When you receive more website traffic, conversions, and ultimately leads and sales from your SEO efforts, that’s the positive return coming into effect.

While SEO is very effective, and arguably the most effective digital marketing channel long term, it’s complicated to understand — especially when calculating SEO ROI or forecasting potential ROI.

So can it be done? Yes, but it can be a bit cumbersome at times.

Why It’s Important To Determine the ROI of SEO

Like any other business investment, it's crucial to determine the impact of your SEO campaigns. Understanding the effect is key to making the most of your SEO efforts. If left in the wrong hands, SEO can become nothing more than an expensive housekeeping service for your website.

But when in the right hands, a thorough SEO strategy can be a powerful tool that sets you (or your client) up as an authority in the industry and attracts invaluable, converting website traffic. Being cognizant of the cost and conversions stemming from SEO helps you better understand the impact SEO is having.

How To Calculate The ROI Of SEO

Calculating the ROI of SEO for Ecommerce sites is different from lead generation sites. No matter what kind of business you operate, this process starts with conversion tracking and a solid look at your Google Analytics account, so have that handy before moving on.

Identify Your SEO Expenditures

First, you need to identify your SEO expenditures. If you hired a freelancer or an agency to do your SEO for you, this is simple. Your SEO cost is the price you pay the freelancer/agency each month.

If you’re doing SEO in-house, you need to take all of the following into consideration:

Software/tools: Whether it be cloud-based or downloaded on your computer, every successful SEO needs their tools. Moz, Semrush, Surfer, Screaming Frog, ContentKing…the list goes on and on.

Content Production: If you have a copywriter in-house, calculate the time (and cost) it takes them to write each article. If you outsource, how much do you pay for your content?

Editing and Plagiarism: Do you use Grammarly or Hemmingway to edit your articles? How about running through CopyScape to check for plagiarism? These may be small costs, but they all add up.  

Graphics: If you use graphic or image software like Canva, Adobe, or iStock, you’ll want to account for these.

Misc: There are other SEO-related costs that can come up (speed optimizations, citation building, etc.), so make sure you track them all to make your ROI calculations as accurate as possible.

Set Up Conversions for Ecommerce Sites

The first thing you need to do for your Ecommerce site is set up conversions in Google Analytics. This allows you to capture the conversions occurring on your site. Once Ecommerce tracking is set up, you can see the overview of your sales data by going to the Conversions tab on the left navigation panel, then Ecommerce, then Overview if you still have Universal Analytics.

This is what that looks like:

Remember, Google is putting Universal Analytics to rest for good, so switch to GA4 as soon as possible if you have not done so.

If you are using GA4, then you would go to Reports, then Monetization, and finally Ecommerce purchases. Below is an example of Google’s online store. The chart and data will automatically sort by items viewed, largest to smallest, but you can select items purchased to see the items that have been purchased the most for the time frame.

Now, in GA4, click on the plus sign at the top next to “Item name” to add a filter, and filter to include Session source/medium. Then click google/organic (click apply) to see conversions coming from organic search or at least partially attributed to organic search.

Set Up Conversions for Lead Generation Sites

If you don’t sell items directly on your site, it can be a bit more challenging to know how much money comes from your site. The first step you need to do is create events in your Google Analytics account and then mark them as conversions. You also need to assign a value to each conversion. Here’s how you do that:

Identify your top conversion events (form submission, “call us today” button, “get a free quote” button, etc.)

Count how many of those conversion events/leads become paying customers

Calculate the average amount of money your customers spend

Divide the total revenue by the total number of conversions to get a value per conversion.

For example, let's say 100 people clicked on your “call us today” button in a given month. If you have that selected as a converting event, you get 100 conversions.

Of those 100 people that clicked, 10 became customers and spent $6000 collectively. That means on average, each “call us today” conversion was worth $60 ($6000 total revenue/ 100 conversions).

Now you can mark the “call us today” button with a $60 value. Repeat this process for the other conversions. When you’re done, you’ll have a nice list of conversions set.

If you don’t know how many conversions you get from each event (and thus can’t calculate the value of each conversion type), you’ll have to gather data for a couple months.

From this point on, you’ll be able to see how many conversions were attributed to organic search by going to the Advertising tab.

Calculate Your ROI!

Once you have all of the above information at your fingertips, it’s time to calculate! This is by far the easiest step. Here’s how you calculate your ROI:

SEO ROI = (Revenue From Organic Conversions - Cost of SEO Investment) / Cost of SEO Investment

Time for another hypothetical. Let’s say your revenue from organic conversions in one quarter was $80K and you spent $15K on SEO services. This would be your calculation:

($80K - $15K) / $15K = 4.33

Multiple 4.33 by 100 to get your percent, and your ROI from your SEO for that quarter was 433%. Not bad at all!

How To Forecast Potential ROI from SEO

Perhaps you are not investing in SEO at the moment (you probably should though) and you’re curious about what the potential ROI could be. Or, you need to calculate it for a potential client, here’s how you would go about forecasting potential ROI.

Disclaimer: This is a forecast, not a guarantee. Since there are many moving parts to the equation, the final ROI can be different from what you calculate.

Identify the Keyword Search Volume

The first step is to go to your favorite SEO tool (like Semrush) and look at the search volume for your target keyword. If you wanted to rank for “San Francisco SEO Company,” you’d plug that into Semrush and see that it is searched about 210 times per month.

Now, multiply that number by 0.276 because that’s the average click-through rate (CTR) of the number one organic ranking position in Google. That gives us 58 (rounding up).

That means if you rank #1 for that keyword on Google, you can assume you’ll get about 58 people coming to your website from that term each month.

Multiply 58 by your average conversion rate for all of your conversion events. Remember those from earlier? To get your average conversion rate, divide the number of paying customers by the number of leads/converting events.

Using the lead generation example from earlier, if 100 people total clicked on a converting event (form submission, “call us today” button, “get a free quote" button, etc.) in one month and 7 of those became paying customers, your conversation rate is 7% (7/100 = 0.07 x 100 = 7%).

If we multiply 58 (the number of monthly assumed visitors from the keyword “San Francisco SEO Company,”) by .07 or 7% (your average website conversion rate) you get 4.06. This is the average number of MONTHLY purchasers you can expect to gain from ranking #1 on Google.

Finally, multiply 4 (round down to the whole number) by your average order value (AOV) to get the potential income from that keyword on a monthly basis. For instance, if your average customer spends $5K monthly (not too bad for an SEO company) then your potential monthly revenue if you rank #1 for “San Francisco SEO Company” is about $20K (4 x $5K).

Annually that would be over $243,000 from a single keyword. Now do you see why SEO is so valuable?

Here is the ROI forecasting spreadsheet you can use to calculate the potential SEO ROI

Need Help With SEO?

If you need help with your SEO — as a business owner or an agency — shoot us a message. Whether you’re an Ecommerce business or a lead generation business, we can help you (or your client) gain visibility in the SERPs and take advantage of the compounding power of SEO.

READ OUR LAST ARTICLE: 5 Tips For Your Next Influencer Campaign

[nitw]

hiii just want to ask when you do mp100 edits how do you decide on which part to use and how to make clean scene without subtitles? Is there like a simple how to in making edits?

hi there!! you didn't specify which kind of edit so i'm going to assume you meant videos? i'll try to explain what my typical process looks like!

video editing, especially when it comes to things like amvs or other projects that require specific timing, is a lot of rinse-and-repeat. the nanana amv i made that only lasts the length of the song took me MANY hours to make, and i undoubtedly spent most of that time running scenes back over and over to check if the timing could be improved, or if a clip from the show could be replaced by a different one. i've been doing stuff like this for over 5 years so i've kinda developed the patience for it along the way but now you've been warned, it can be a pretty tedious process lol.

when it comes to choosing which clips to use for stuff like this i only have my super autistic special interest memory to thank GJSJEJFHSJF....i barely had to rewatch anything in order to make that video because i already had a pretty clear-cut idea of the direction i wanted to go, and i remember this whole show pretty intensely. but regardless, it's good to already have some kind of specific theme or template to go by in your head before you start editing, so you don't end up wasting a bunch of time on something you end up changing anyway! (this can still happen though =w=)

this is more for amvs/music edits specifically, but here are some tips for timing clips to a song:

make it consistent! try to select clips that have a similar ~vibe~ to them so a cut doesn't feel out of place. also take the song's genre, tempo and lyrics into consideration to make it all fit nicely with the theme you're going for! it's a Music Video after all, right?

timing is important but FLOW is most important! giving your transitions or cuts into new scenes a smooth, rhythmic, but also visually appealing flow is what makes any good video project. it's often best to avoid making all your clips the same length and cutting after every beat - instead try to really listen to the song you're using, and think about creative ways you can incorporate your clips into the song's short individual sections! though this MIGHT also depend on the genre, i've found that fast-paced rock songs are some the easiest for playing around with this.

lay out guidelines, notes, templates, etc for as much as your can beforehand! i don't have a lot of experience with any video editing software other than vegas pro, but one of my favorite features are MARKERS. markers are like pins you can place at any section in your video project, that stay in place unless you decide to delete or move them, and automatically redirects your cursor to that point when you click on them. you can mark as many sections as you want in your project, and that REAAALLLY helps with planning the flow of your video cuts before you get your clips. but honestly, just use any tool you can think of that might help you speed up the process and keep track of your own ideas!!! even writing down text notes could help!

this got a bit longer than expected but i really hope it helped!!!! :]

[theartlogic]

Top 5 Budget-Friendly Motion Graphics Software for Beginners 

Motion graphics are an important tool for branding and storytelling. When businesses are interested in positioning themselves in a highly competitive market, creative yet affordable motion graphics video production India can help as you can create excellent content for your target audience that not only engages well but also remains memorable.  

If you're trying to create engaging promotional videos or create unique posts for social networks, using the appropriate software can create your dream without spending much. If you're beginning your journey and have budget constraints, you have plentiful options that won't limit creativity or quality.  

Let's take a look at the best software options for creative motion graphics for branding and ideal people who are new to motion graphics video creation in India! 

The Importance of Motion Graphics 

Motion graphics have changed the ways brands communicate. They are a combination of visual storytelling and lively animations that draw attention in just a few seconds. 

The animated images simplify complicated concepts and make them accessible. In advertisements and explainer films, motion images enhance the viewer's engagement and retention. 

Furthermore, they add value to branding initiatives. Motion graphics with a creative design can communicate the brand's values and personality effectively. They provide unforgettable experiences that stay with viewers for a long time after they've seen them. 

Alongside their visual appeal, motion graphics can be utilized across different platforms, ranging from social network feeds to websites. This versatility assures that your message will reach various audiences with creativity and interest. 

With the rise in digital advertising, including custom 2d motion graphics animation in your marketing plan is more important than ever to succeed today. 

Top 5 Motion Graphics Software for Beginners: 

Blender 

Blender is an extremely powerful tool for beginners who are just starting to explore Motion graphics. Blender is a free software that comes with multiple functions that make it a complete solution. 

With Blender software, you can design amazing 3D animations and models without spending a penny. The intuitive interface makes it easy for newbies to start quickly but also offers more advanced features for users seeking the most depth in their projects. 

The vast community support is a further benefit. There are countless tutorials and forums to help users solve problems or discover new methods. This means that Blender is not only an application but also a part of a fun learning experience. 

Its capabilities go beyond simple animation. It can also be used to edit video and video editing capabilities. This feature is especially useful for creating affordable motion graphics video production India or enhancing creative motion graphics for branding purposes. 

HitFilm Express 

HitFilm Express offers a fantastic starting point for beginners who want to learn more about motion graphics. This software integrates advanced video editing capabilities and visual effects into a user-friendly interface. 

One of the standout features of this tool is that it allows users to create stunning animations without having deep technical expertise. Drag-and-drop allows you to manipulate elements of your project easily. 

HitFilm Express also has an active community that allows users to learn from tutorials and showcase their work. It's a great option for people who want to develop their skills and connect with other creative professionals. 

Also, the software is compatible with 3D Composition. If you are interested in creating custom 2D motion graphics animation, HitFilm Express provides plenty of tools to let your imagination run wild efficiently. 

OpenToonz 

OpenToonz is an open-source software that provides a comprehensive set of tools to create breathtaking animations. It's particularly attractive to those who are looking to explore the motion graphics world without breaking the bank. 

With its easy-to-use design, OpenToonz simplifies complex animation tasks. You can make customized 2D motion graphics quickly. 

The platform supports a variety of options, including vector and bitmap drawing. This allows users to experiment with different styles and techniques within their artistic projects. 

Furthermore, OpenToonz comes equipped with various effects and plug-ins that can help to enhance your animations. When you are making shorter graphics or longer ones, it offers a wide range of possibilities for playing with them. 

If you are interested in low-cost motion graphics video creation for India, OpenToonz stands as an excellent option that does not compromise in terms of high quality or innovation. 

Synfig Studio 

Synfig Studio is a powerful open-source 2D animation program that is geared towards beginners as well as skilled artists. The unique design based on vectors allows users to create amazing animations without the requirement of drawing frame-by-frame. 

One of Synfig's best-known characteristics is its ability to manipulate shapes quickly. Users can alter parameters like scale, color, and rotation without difficulty, making it ideal for custom motion graphics projects. The tool can also support advanced features, such as the use of bones and cut-out animation methods, which can enhance creative possibilities. 

Moreover, Synfig is a huge online community that allows users to access tutorials and other resources to help them learn faster. This community-based environment makes it easy for beginners to explore Motion Graphics. 

If you are looking for a creative motion graphics for branding or seeking to enhance your brand with innovative graphics, Synfig Studio stands out as the best option. 

Pencil2D 

Pencil2D is an excellent starting point for animators who are aspiring. This open-source program specializes in traditional hand-drawn animated animation, which makes it ideal for those looking to learn more about how to create 2D motion graphics. 

With its in-built interface, beginners can easily learn to use the tools on offer. Drawing directly on canvas creates a more natural process. You can effortlessly switch between vector and bitmap graphics, allowing you to be flexible depending on the needs of your project. 

The ease Pencil2D offers allows users to run smoothly, even on less powerful computers. It's a great option if you are in search of affordable motion graphics productions in India without any compromise on the quality of performance. 

Collaboration is made simple by its community-driven resources and tutorials. When you are designing custom motion graphics or trying out different designs, Pencil2D makes learning fun and easy. 

Conclusion 

Motion graphics are now a crucial component of the internet as it impacts everything from advertising to social media. If you are a beginner and want to dive into the world of motion graphics, there are a variety of software options for budget-conscious users that don't sacrifice quality. 

The choice of any of these tools can open new possibilities for creativity without burdening your budget. Motion graphics are awe-inspiring, particularly when it comes to solid resources designed for those who are just beginning to develop their capabilities in the field of creative motion graphics to promote branding or personal projects. Make use of these platforms so that your creative ideas can run wild! 

[visualstudio2022]

Speeding Up Your Workflow with Visual Studio 2022 Shortcuts

In the fast-paced world of software development, every second counts. Efficiency is key, and one of the most effective ways to speed up your workflow in Visual Studio 2022 is through the use of keyboard shortcuts. These shortcuts are designed to save time and reduce the need for unnecessary mouse clicks, enabling developers to stay focused and productive. In this article, we will explore how Visual Studio 2022 shortcuts can enhance your development process, making it more streamlined and efficient.

1. Navigating the IDE

Navigation is a critical part of the development process, and Visual Studio 2022 provides several keyboard shortcuts to help you quickly jump to various parts of your code and the IDE itself.

Ctrl + , (Comma): This shortcut opens the Go to All window, enabling you to quickly search for and jump to any file, class, method, or symbol in the solution. Instead of manually scrolling or hunting through folders, you can locate your target element in seconds.

Ctrl + Shift + A: If you want to quickly access commands or tools within the IDE, this shortcut opens the Add Command dialog, giving you immediate access to settings, extensions, and various IDE commands.

Ctrl + T: This shortcut opens the Go to File window where you can search for specific files within your project or solution, saving time when managing larger projects.

By mastering these navigation shortcuts, you can quickly switch between different parts of your codebase and development tools without interrupting your workflow.

2. Efficient Editing

Visual Studio 2022 offers a variety of shortcuts designed to speed up the editing process. These shortcuts help minimize the effort required for repetitive tasks and maximize code efficiency.

Ctrl + D: This shortcut duplicates the current line or selection, which is extremely useful when you need to quickly copy code while maintaining your current position. It's perfect for handling boilerplate code.

Ctrl + K + C and Ctrl + K + U: To comment and uncomment lines of code, these shortcuts allow you to add or remove comments instantly. They save the time it would take to manually place comment syntax around each line.

Ctrl + Shift + F10: With this shortcut, you can easily open the context menu for any code block, whether it's a method, class, or variable. This can help you find options like refactoring tools or calling a function with ease.

By using these editing shortcuts, developers can work with much less effort, allowing them to focus more on actual problem-solving rather than repetitive actions.

3. Debugging Like a Pro

Debugging can often be time-consuming and tedious, but Visual Studio 2022 includes several shortcuts that help streamline the debugging process. These shortcuts allow you to identify and solve issues more efficiently.

F5: The Start Debugging button can be accessed with this key, initiating the debugging session for your application.

F9: Set and remove breakpoints at the current cursor location with a simple press of F9, making it easier to inspect your code and pause execution when a certain condition arises.

Ctrl + Shift + F5: Use this shortcut to restart debugging when you want to begin from a clean state without needing to stop and start again manually.

These debugging shortcuts allow you to quickly move through a cycle of running, pausing, and analyzing your code without losing focus or wasting time.

4. Refactoring Code Faster

Refactoring is a crucial task for maintaining code quality, and Visual Studio 2022 makes it fast and simple with its range of shortcuts dedicated to improving code structure.

Ctrl + . (Period): This shortcut opens the Quick Actions and Refactorings menu, which allows you to instantly perform common tasks like renaming methods or extracting code into reusable functions. It’s an excellent tool for making refactoring easier, especially in tight deadlines.

Ctrl + R, R: This shortcut renames the selected symbol—a method, variable, or file—without needing to navigate through the code manually. You can rename across your entire project quickly, ensuring your refactoring is applied consistently.

Ctrl + Shift + R: This option invokes the Refactor menu, where you can directly access tools that will make your refactoring process smoother.

With these refactoring-focused shortcuts, you can keep your codebase clean and maintainable with minimal manual effort, resulting in better-quality software in less time.

5. Managing Solution and Projects

Working with larger projects often means dealing with multiple files and assemblies. Thankfully, Visual Studio 2022 includes shortcuts designed to simplify managing solutions and projects.

Ctrl + Shift + N: This shortcut opens the New Project dialog box, allowing you to create a new project instantly, streamlining the process of starting new development tasks.

Ctrl + Shift + O: For those moments when you need to quickly open a file, this shortcut helps you locate and open the file in seconds without sifting through folders.

Ctrl + Shift + B: With this shortcut, you can easily build your entire solution or project, meaning you can focus on writing and testing code without worrying about lengthy manual build steps.

With these shortcuts, managing large projects becomes far simpler, allowing you to focus more on writing code and less on project organization.

6. Working with Multiple Files and Windows

As web developers and software engineers often work with multiple files simultaneously, managing these files without distractions is crucial. Visual Studio 2022 provides a range of shortcuts for handling this.

Ctrl + Tab: Quickly switch between open files or windows in Visual Studio using this shortcut. This enables a fluid and quick workflow as you bounce between code files.

Ctrl + W, S: This shortcut is used for splitting the editor window into multiple panes, making it easier to view multiple sections of code at once. This is invaluable when working on files side by side, improving multi-tasking and collaboration.

These features enhance multitasking and help you move seamlessly between open files, all without breaking your focus.

Conclusion

Mastering Visual Studio 2022’s shortcuts is one of the easiest ways to boost your productivity and make your workflow faster and more efficient. Whether it's navigating the IDE, editing code, debugging, refactoring, or managing projects, these shortcuts are designed to help developers save time, minimize repetitive actions, and keep their focus on writing quality code. By familiarizing yourself with these time-saving shortcuts, you can improve both your development process and overall productivity in Visual Studio 2022.