Adobe has updated its Creative Suite line of products to version 5.5, and the Production Premium package serves many needs when it comes to producing mobile TV — both for app design and video production, as well as content producing for mobile smart phones. The package contains a wide range of tools, including Photoshop Extended, Illustrator, InDesign, Flash Professional, After Effects, Audition and Device Central. Device Central in particular is the hub that brings all the content together for testing, emulation, design, rendering and deployment for mobile devices.
Adobe Premiere CS5.5 is the editing component of the suite and where the video production takes place. The new version has many new features, including a merge clips command for mixing different audio from different cameras shot in the field; new NLE shortcuts to speed up production; an optimized Mercury Playback Engine that hums along at 64-bit CPU and top-speed GPU levels; and support for all the latest cameras, including RED and Canon/Nikon DSLRs.
After Effects CS5.5 is used for creation of special effects and graphics. New features include stereoscopic 3-D workflow for next-generation 3-D smartphones, new effects such as Camera Lens Blur and an advanced Warp Stabilizer for smoothing out jerky camera movements.
Adobe Flash Professional CS5.5 has many improvements for mobile device content creation, including improved workflows to create once and then target many devices, advanced content scaling so one app or production could work on both a larger tablet and smaller smartphone without re-rendering or reengineering, and enhanced layer control for improved document structure and collaboration between projects.
Everything comes together in Device Central CS5.5, which is part of the suite where users can test out all their video, app and content, and see it accurately simulated on just about any modern phone via built-in templates. The template library is dynamically updated online, so you can be sure of always having the latest profiles of current mobile devices. Full support for Flash is included, as well as Adobe AIR 2.5, and video is a large element of the workflow via FLV emulation and import from After Effects and Premiere Pro. HTLM5 support is included and as more devices go toward Web-based interface solutions, Device Central keeps up with the controls geared toward rapid deployment. Flash Player 10.2 is built-in, and Flash Builder 4.5 is included for quickly doing mock-ups or even full-blown mobile creations. Device Central works with all the other programs included in the suite, and moving files in and out is easy and automated.
Overall, Adobe has created a vibrant, rich and feature packed new collection of software that is poised for the future of TV, desktop and mobile entertainment creation. The company’s website offers many different variations of the CS Suite, so you can pick and choose and even order individual programs aligning with your budget. Adobe keeps everything updated with the built-in Adobe Updater via the Web, and the package is a great start for anyone, regardless of team size, who needs to create mobile content for current and next-generation mobile TV devices.
