PapaJohn's Training and Support Services
Photography and video have been life-long hobbies, and as a 6-year Microsoft MVP awardee, providing services to Movie Maker and Photo Story users is now my career...
I provide free support on websites, newsgroups, and forums, along with daily email responses and monthly classes at my local Portage, Michigan public library. There are also free downloadable items such as custom profiles for Movie Maker and Photo Story from my website at www.papajohn.org.
Private Fee-Based Training and Consulting Sessions
To schedule a paid support or training session at the usual rate of $75 an hour (less than an hour is pro-rated)... email me at papajohn@chartermi.net.
I'm in the Eastern time zone of the USA. My work day usually starts about 1 pm.... and ends about 3 am... 7 days a week. I'll setup a remote computer session as needed and do the calling.
This PayPal 'Buy Now' button makes it easy for us both. With either a PayPal or charge card account, you can fill in the two blanks... the item being purchased and the amount.
One of my online support activities is being a writer for the digital video channel at Bright Hub. Click the image to go there.
Beyond free support, there are many fee-based products and services to help you capture, preserve, edit and share digital memories.
Training/Support Service....
It's an online 'virtual' working session. After a quick and easy setup of the 'GoToMeeting' software on your computer, which I guide you through, we then work together at your place or mine for an hour, or flip back and forth. It's totally devoted to whatever it is you want to learn or explore... I don't have a canned package to present.
We can jointly work on a movie or story project, have a training or problem solving session, look at Vista on XP systems... or just have some interactive fun.
Here are the usual steps: Send an email (papajohn at chartermi dot net) so we can plan a convenient time for the session.
I'll setup a 'virtual internet meeting' from my end, and invite you by email. The email will provide the link for you to setup the meeting software. When our computers are connected, I'll call you on the phone so we can talk for the hour as we work together. You can preplan the session, or we can do it impromptu.
The fee is $75 for a one hour session, prorated for shorter or longer ones... payment is via the PayPal 'BuyNow' button above or below, which accepts credit cards or PayPal accounts.
Here's what a session looks like from my Windows XP laptop when I'm using DVD Maker on my desktop's Vista system. In this case it's my laptop, but it could just as easily be your XP computer in such a 'virtual' arrangement.... most of the time it's your computer that I'm seeing on mine, with both of us using the keyboard and mouse.
I've used the Citrix-based GoToMeeting software many times and find it works easily and well on both XP and Vista systems....
Interactive Group Sessions
Attend a monthly one hour free session about topics of and at a time of my choice... or pay $10 to be part of a group of 5 to 15 in a session about topic(s) of your choice at our first mutually convenient time.
The free sessions are open to the first 15 who sign up by sending an email. Here's the upcoming schedule:
Use this 'Buy Now' button to pay for a $10 session. It'll accept PayPal or a charge card. Fill in the two blanks with... online training session and the amount - $10.
When signing up for a free or fee session, send an email to papajohn@chartermi.net to let me know your preferred days/times and topics. I'll cover items of most interest to attendees, holding the session as soon as there are 5 to 15 attendees.
I use GoToMeeting software. You'll get an email invitation before the session that looks like this.
When you click on the link, GoToMeeting will setup the software on your computer (which takes about a minute the first time) and connect you to the meeting, where you'll see my computer screen and be able to text and phone chat with everyone in the session.
Products
Use these links to get them from Amazon, or find them in your local bookstore or library.
Movie Maker 2 - Zero to Hero was the first book published about MM2. I was one of 3 authors and wrote about half of this APress publication.
Movie Maker 2 - Do Amazing Things was published by Microsoft Press
I wrote the first chapter of Learning VirtualDub from Packt Publishing.
Maximum PC is available by subscription, or at your book store (in the US and some places in Canada).
My latest article is a 6 page one (starts on page 78) about making movies in Vista... from a camcorder tape to a standard video DVD. It was in the Spring 2007 issue.
A 7 page tutorial about Photo Story 3 starts on page 68 in the summer 2006 quarterly issue. The pictures of the rodeo were taken by Hilarie McNeil-Smith.
The Winter 2005 quarterly issue had a tutorial about making a killer movie with MM2 in Windows XP.
Use this software to make custom transtions. Patrick Leabo programmed it and this website is the only place to get a trial version or purchase a copy.
193 issues were published to subscribers from mid-May 2004 to mid-March 2008. All are online, accessed by links on pages throughout this website.
The tool I made to store my notes about Movie Maker and Photo Story, along with all my other personal notes. The database evolves over time, and what I sell is a copy of the version I'm currently using. It's a small but very functional utility.
The link takes you to another page with more info and a tutorial.
I have 62 tunes available at 99 cents each (MP3 or WMA format). Here's a Sample - 45 seconds from 'Groove 2'.
I don't have a full set of online samples yet, but if you hear something you like in one of my videos, there's a good chance it was done by Randon. Send an email.
Services include:
Fee-based work is done to your schedule, and at your location if desired.
If you have a short or long project that involves getting your multimedia items into the digital environment, editing them there, and distributing, and are willing to pay for assistance, contact me by e-mail first (papajohn@chartermi.net) and I'll help you define the scope of the project...
My standard hourly fee is $75 an hour + direct expenses, or a fixed price for the project, whichever you prefer.
Use this PayPal button or contact me to make other arrangements for payment...
The products above are those I personally sell.
My website has many links to other items that I don't own, distribute or sell. Some share proceeds from clicks or purchases but most don't.
