As the cost of the technology associated with film and video production continues to decrease, new enthusiasts and professionals continue to enter the field. These new users of media production technology have spawned a whole new industry: training.

As media professionals, we've all become eager consumers of our own wares. Video and audio lessons or screen captures on CD, DVD and movies downloadable on the Web all seem to be very popular these days.

That's where Dean Velez's Anvel training series is different. No video. No sound. You'll find simple PDF instructions that are well thought out and clearly communicated, along with all the necessary assets to complete a project. At first, it seems a little disappointing. Where's the animated open or the introduction to the philosophy of the author? As a DVD-based trainer myself, I wondered how well I might pick up the material in the Anvel training CDs. As it turns out ... very well, thank you.

If you've ever viewed a training DVD or video, it can be very helpful to see what is actually being done as the instructor goes through the procedure. However, I've found over the years that I learn best when I have a project to work on. Watching someone else do something to learn works pretty well, but actually doing it yourself is even better. Anvel focuses on the doing-it-yourself part.

Following the instructions on the PDF documents may feel like reading the manual to some (the nerve!), but the difference is that a manual teaches the reader the tools, whereas Dean Velez teaches you technique. Each exercise reveals more about the seemingly-endless depth of Adobe's After Effects and Adobe Photoshop. Anyone who has become proficient with After Effects can tell you that there is nothing as good as experience. You need to jump in and start working to develop a feel for the software, even if it means simply training yourself through exploration.