Goodbye Adobe, It's Time to Move On

[@Watersurf]

Here's the TL;DW: Adobe has made some changes with their software that has pushed some users over the edge in leaving. I also talk about the expensive subscription model and talk about alternative programs that I use for my content creation purposes. I have listed all the programs in the description for those curious to check out the other programs, along with others not mentioned in this video. Please note that this video is my opinion and I still believe Adobe has some fantastic products it's just they've gotten a little too expensive for my budget. More power to you if you still can use them. Also yes, I am aware of how I look in the video. I'm still expirimenting with this "video essay" format so you can obviously tell I'm reading off a script that's off screen. Next time, I will be putting it at eye level or something so it looks a bit more natural. I usually do skits and films where the lines aren't a paragraphs worth. Thank you though for watching my video!

[@candraprasetiatama2032]

It’s very nice of you giving tldr, my phone battery about to die

[@jonathanm5446]

Bro, you're good. Great video overall 💪🏾

[@LVC85costa]

You pay a subscription to be a Beta tester for a billion dollar company

[@siheedsalaam4712]

Exactly like where’s my check😂😂😂😂😂

[@Dave102693]

Basically

[@nanngahatoori]

That's why I cancelled it and using pirated photoshop as I am okay if I get attacked with virus .. but not okay if I pay and still data get stolen legally

[@Ubreakable-lr2dk]

sounds like WoW

[@zeemon9623]

Gaining permanent access to Affinity is cheaper than permanently losing access to Adobe.

[@keepitshort4208]

Well a present version is cheaper as it's a one time buy for a version like affinity 2 but it feels like you will have to buy affinity 3 again. Although you can keep using the affinity 2 because you own it, which is a lot better than Adobe.

[@zeemon9623]

@@keepitshort4208 Yeah, I can still use Affinity Photo 1. Of course you get all the updates immediately with Adobe but I don't need that.

[@zeemon9623]

@@keepitshort4208 Yeah, and don't forget that there are years between main versions of the software and if you're happy with it at some point so that you don't need an upgrade you won't have to pay more money for the next version. With Adobe you pay for the new version whether it benefits you or not. Affinity photo came out in 2015 and version 2 came out in 2022 so taking this as their release schedule that's 7 years between payments. A full-price license of the 3 Affinity programs is like $200. So if you upgrade at full price as soon as possible every time, that's like 2-ish dollars per month. That's a great deal cheaper than just one Adobe product. You'd need yearly releases of Affinity software to even come close to Adobe pricing. Sure you get a "huge discount" vs paying for each software individually if you just take the everything bundle but rarely does one person really need close to half of it. And this also very aggressively nudges people into just using the Adobe version of whatever type of software they need besides their main gig. Like "why buy Cubase when my Adobe subscription contains Audition?". That is another way they try to keep you in their bubble.

[@mischief9672]

3D art student here, the state of the Adobe Substance Suite is a joke. They've stripped assets provided with the one time license sold pre-adobe and locked them behind a paywall. You can't even complete the tutorials made by Adobe because of it. And 100% agree, the products are way to slow, crash way to much for what other programs do way faster. Sadly, much like Autodesk Maya, it is grandfathered in and companies will insist their employees use their products. I'm getting Procreate soon and have been using Ibis Paint. Both are one time payments. Blender can do most things Substance Suite can, including Designer. Nomad Sculpt, CozyBlanket (retoplogy), and Procreate (PBR 3D materials) No reason to take this crap from them anymore, time to switch and live better

[@Watersurf]

I’ve always just gotten the adobe creative cloud during black Friday for years, even after being a student. So I didn’t mind paying it. It’s just when I got out of my “grandfathered” price, I switched to only paying for After Effects and that’s just too much for it to be running like it does. I could only imagine it’s way worse doing 3D stuff because I didn’t realize Maya was so expensive as I used it last a decade ago. As a small creator or student, as cheap as possible is the way to go!

[@n-gon.]

As a 3D artist, I don't completely agree with you. From my experience, Substance Painter is highly efficient in production, especially for texturing 3D props for games. The mask and layer system in Substance Painter is more flexible and faster compared to Blender. Also, when exporting textures, Substance provides better quality than Blender based on my tests. Don't forget about environment artists who depends on Substance Designer to create beautiful, modular, and flexible materials. Without Substance Designer, it's challenging to achieve such results with speed, especially in a studio setting. So, I don't quite agree with switching from Substance programs to other software.

[@blacksolidChrome]

@@n-gon.Mari ist a Option, but yea. Substance is currently the best.

[@mischief9672]

@@n-gon. I agree with you, substance is the best. The issue is that it's coming from a scummy company that has shown it will flip the details of a contract on a whim and will diminish the value of its products. When I pay a premium, I expect premium service, premium features, premium reliability and support. Adobe offers none of these. Its your decision to make, I'd rather deal with the short comings of other software and not support them.

[@darrenliewjiaquan]

Vegas is good but Davinci Resolve is better

[@MichaelBTryn]

Yee, it has a free teir thats decent enough, and the software is used by professionals in the film industry. The Studio licence is a one-off-charge of £294.00 (as of now).

[@objektsatz]

i know but if he's happy with vegas, let him be happy

[@okidokidraws]

RiP Adobe I ditched that stuff as soon as the mentioned a cancelation fee. Time everyone Cancels Adobe.

[@scotdotwtf]

your channel is super cool!!! i love how your channel still feels like 2010 while keeping it modern!!!!!

[@Watersurf]

Thank you! I try to keep that feel with my videos since I enjoyed those early videos from YT. I try to capture that feel, especially in my skits and other films.

[@maxwelldavenport2589]

Adobe is really making it unaffordable for creatives too.

[@Watersurf]

The unfortunate part is that I’m sure the creatives are a small market so they can loose smaller creators as production companies will still pay for their subscriptions. The only upside is that at least it’s still cheaper if you are a student/teacher.

[@LV4EVR]

Yep. So: Affinity + DaVinci Resolve + Darktable/RawTherapee/ART + Blender

[@vaskoobscura_]

This is great. Totally agree with you. Adobe is way over priced for what you get.

[@okidokidraws]

I like Affinity designers one time fee. I'm willing to sacrifice Spherize for it

[@bebrusik_]

why would not just pirate?

[@I_love_miku39]

pirating=yes paying=no

[@morecarstuff]

Bro put the Vegas logo like I ever left Vegas lol. Still kicking it with good ol vegas

[@BarryBebop]

I wish VEGAS would just get optimized finally instead of the Devs trying to cram "AI features" into it. I would gladly pay for it if it didn't still have some bugs that were never patched since version 12 or 13. It's one of the easiest editing softwares out there which still can let you produce great content, but I'm just so done with it, I had to scrap a fully edited 20 minutes video once for a client, because Vegas decided that it will be resampling the videos in the time line even though I have unchecked every possible option when it comes to resampling/interlacing/whatever. The video just had so many glitches and weird frames that I had to start over from scratch in Premiere.

[@balsalmalberto8086]

My internet is acting up so I had to put quality to 480p. the low resolution and the editing of this video is quality early 2000s video *chief kiss* .

[@Watersurf]

I’ve always enjoyed early YT videos and the style they had. Most of my content, especially my skits and films, have that same feel.

[@jaaferelsadig]

Graphic designer for 10 years, switched to affinity a while back and I haven’t looked back since.

[@BukanIbuMu]

No AI generative fill tho

[@socialzombie234]

That's what I have recently started using as a digital artist. I do wish they had image tracing. I feel that's an essential feature for me.

[@LV4EVR]

@@BukanIbuMu Krita has it with a plugin, free. Plus TONS of other options for that

[@KilianMuster]

@@BukanIbuMu Pixelmator can remove stuff pretty well through ML (=AI) and has been doing that long before Adobe.

[@gordon7478]

Affinity Designer is a pretty fantastic Illustrator alternative. Wish there was a proper Photoshop alternative, aside from just pirating Photoshop and running it in Wine lol

[@SAYHI2JAMMY]

fuuuugk adobe, i've always hated them. ive been using gimp and other open source alternatives my whole life. The US government is currently sueing adobe for their awful pricing models w/ hidden cancellation fee. I hope they get more than a slap on the wrist. also, if i ever need to use an adobe product or something, i just download an old copy of it (Internet Archive). Before they introduced the bs live service model stuff. Often times newer software has LESS features, bc the live service modeled versions have features taken away.

[@Watersurf]

I've really only used After Effects throughout my time doing content. There was nothing else like it until very recently and I'm glad I don't have to pay montly (or yearly) fees anymore to use it. I actually ditched Adobe after finishing my second feature film back in 2022 but ended up coming back about a year ago because I heard their rotoscope tool got much better, like WAY BETTER. Now it's just like, why pay all this money when my editing software can pretty much do everything I was doing in After Effects. I don't see Adobe learning any lessons from this lawsuit but we'll see what comes of it. Regardless, I've moved onto Vegas Effects and Autograph for any heavier VFX. Thanks for watching!

[@RobinHeinrichs-gs3dl]

The worst thing is this shitty Creative Cloud launcher which will load an update what feels like every month. The fonts integration was really good tho, that's one thing I will miss

[@Watersurf]

Adobe fonts was amazing. Creative Cloud was the worst part of using any Adobe software.

[@Novaconis]

For animation there is also Krita

[@KilianMuster]

For animation Moho Pro beats even ToonBoom Harmony in many aspects (not to mention Adobe's shitty animation programs). And it's also a one-time purchase.

[@schwetang]

I switched to Serif's Affinity suite in 2021 and didn't miss Shady-be for a second.

[@LV4EVR]

Same. Good stuff. _Really_ good.

[@iRemmi]

Love the editing on this video! First time seeing your channel but it looks like this is a different style than your old ones. Keep it up! The greenscreen seriously cracks me up

[@Watersurf]

I normally film most of my stuff on a green screen but this “video essay” style is new to me. Thanks for watching!

[@Villager_U]

We got unreal engine and all advance 3d engine that can render millions of polygons in real-time but after effect still can't even handle 2d shapes(even the 3d one) without crashing,smh adobe.

[@Watersurf]

I still find it impressive that a free game engine can run better than professional software when you load in a triangle.

[@PCgmesforever]

Have you considered Davincii resolve for editing ? If yes, could you you please briefly sum up why you decided not to use that ? I have been using it sparingly and don't have enough experience so I'm curious if you could name some pros and cons of it.

[@Watersurf]

It’s one of those, stubbornness and been using Vegas for so long things. I’ve dabbled in Davinci but it feels closer to premiere than it does to Vegas. It’s not bad but it’s just not for me. I did list it in the description though for alternative software.

[@PCgmesforever]

@@Watersurf I feel like that might be the case for multiple editors. At least my editor voiced similar opinion on the subject. Maybe it isn't that comfortable to edit in? Could really just the matter of preferenc tho.

[@Watersurf]

At the end of the day, it doesn’t really matter what you edit in as you’ll still end up with a final product. It all boils down to personal preference, and what your operating system supports.

[@mronewheeler]

All of Adobe's products have free, open-source alternatives available. They won't be as powerful, usually, but for 99% of use cases they work just as well. Only eccentric and high-end productions actually require the polish of paid products for digital production. So you don't even need to pirate anything. People will literally make these programs and let you use them for free! God bless the internet

[@Watersurf]

This 100%!!! Free and open-source software is always an option, especially if for those just starting off. I mainly focused on the software that I use in the later half but that doesn't mean those are the only other options. The internet is a wonderful place and new stuff comes out everyday.

[@lucikens666]

I stopped using Adobe, I mostly draw and animate on my iPad now. I might get vegas once I save up enough money. 😅. To be able to edit again

[@whitebeartigtig]

the free version of davinci resolve could be a good option for you, definitely worth a shot anyways before spending any money. Works on linux/mac too if that's your sort of thing.

[@MehdiAmraniMarketing-rr2it]

Thank you for all the time and efforts making this amazing video, looking forward for v2 or maybe a series why we should stay away from Adobe, its been 4 years for me without using adobe until this year and now guess what! I give up on them again, Goodbye adobe.

[@Watersurf]

Thanks for watching! I might make a "follow-up" eventually on this topic in with more of a focus on the software I mentioned. Until then, this series is just a random grab bag of stuff I talk about as the last episode was on YT Shorts and the one prior was on being a small creator. It all depends on what I feel like talking about for this series.

[@Damian_h]

the only thing i regret is Adobe putting their nasty hands into Substance painter. Just as Maxon on Z brush.

[@yug1445]

i think the only part i disagree with is that adobe defenders exist

[@Watersurf]

I'm sure they are out there, even the most hated companies have their die hard fan boys.

[@LV4EVR]

Oh, they do. Weirdly so, but they're out there.

[@limbs1052]

and the Adopey defenders are shameless pirates they've no sense of shame and proud of themselves.😂

[@objektsatz]

@@Watersurfnestle

[@albin_joby]

I agree, instead of photoshop I use Pixelmator pro and instead of their after effects I use Final Cut Pro. Both are trial versions and when it expires I just run a code in terminal and bam trial has been reset!.....its like ultimate money glitch😘

[@nothingtoseeherelol]

I personally think Adobe's products are good, but sadly as a company Adobe sucks a lot, especially with their ridiculously expensive subscription fees despite how popular their products are, and not to mention they even recently added anti-piracy into their products as well as invading our privacy via the AI thing like you said before which makes me (and other people as well) very pissed

[@Watersurf]

Yeah, they have some great products but I know they make most of their money from companies rather than small creators. Plus, I already cancelled my After Effects subscription before they announced the AI privacy thing. I know that was the final straw with most users. I don't mind AI assisted tools but this was something else.

[@TheAnnyParker]

There's free, and cheap alternatives to pretty much everything Adobe offers. The only linitation is finding ways to do some of the more complex things, but its possible. I've used gimp since starting wirh digital art, and it does everything I need it to. For video production I've used Divinci Resolve, which is free with added features in a paid version. Audacity is literally the only thing you need for audio recording, but if you need more depth for mixing, there's options like Reaper, which is free in the same way win-rar is free. Sailing the seven seas is always okay, but finding cheap or free alternatives works just as well

[@kalpit3d934]

Why use GIMP for painting when fantastic program Krita is specialized in it with even faster brush engine than photoshop. I use krita for all layered editing work.

[@TheAnnyParker]

@@kalpit3d934 I haven't tried that yet. I'll have to check it out

[@LV4EVR]

@@kalpit3d934 Krita is amazing. I need Affinity Photo (and the entire suite) for my professional use, but I _love_ me some Krita.

[@gordon7478]

​​@@TheAnnyParker Krita is a lovely piece of software.

[@kelownatechkid]

Completely agree, it's time for more people to move on. I've never paid the subscription, that model doesn't appeal to me. Loved the video style, maybe your next production upgrade can get the laptop closer to the camera to avoid looking down? Excited for more!

[@Watersurf]

Thank you for your feedback! I'll probably end up memorizing my lines for the next style like this or make it easier to adlib off bullet points. It was a little janky but it seemed a bit better than just reading off my script. This whole "video essay" style is still new to me as I primarily do skits and films where I'm not reading paragraphs of dialogue normally. It's all trial and error in the end and I'm always looking to improve where I can.

[@kelownatechkid]

@@Watersurf more experimentation is good! Eventually you'll find the perfect setup 👌

[@BEPPEJHA]

I dont want to launch a heavy app like Photoshop just ti remove thr background

[@Rockotarthepurplehatguy]

As much as I won't defend Adobe (or really any large company in general). I don't think you realize how good of software Photoshop and Premier Pro actually are. They are top tier when it comes to art and video editing. Still, if you weren't actually using them to their full potential, or even that often at all, then I could see why you would drop it.

[@Watersurf]

Oh I understand how good those programs are, it's just I really only used After Effects. I don't judge those who still use it if they have the funds (or are funded) to use them.

[@parnordqvist3895]

But if you stop using Adobe and begin with something else, will it not be quite the same with downloading software and updates for money? And you still have to rent the software, you don’t get it on dvd with serial number. What will the big difference be? Or are there companies that still provide software on disc in a package?

[@modernmanueee_]

I'm fine with the subscriptions, I'm not fine with the ToS, lack of common sense and slowness of updates and QoL features and patches

[@kittymelody-9]

I use 2 Adobe apps, neither of which are part of the Cloud (I don’t sub to the Creative Cloud, or use any Adobe sub), but for everything else, I use Apple stuff (Pages instead of Acrobat, for example), or WEILO instead of Premiere/AE.

[@whitebeartigtig]

yeah, all this subscription model stuff is truly terrible. I personally use Adobe software still, and rely on near enough the whole suite. Being a student still, I do have the discounted price, but it's still not cheap. For the sort of thing I do though, it does work okay, but I am still looking at alternatives for sure. For at least the photo editing/graphic design stuff I do, affinity seems fine, and I have been trying it out, it was cheap enough for me to buy the license too. Now there is another thing to note, and that is I'm still running Windows (Windows 7 to be exact, yes, I'm one of the few stragglers left), and I really want to move away from it entirely. Linux is a no go, adobe stuff doesn't work on there, still gonna need it for school for the next couple years anyways, affinity is a no go, the video editing software I've been looking into, davinci resolve, does work, but has no aac support which is a deal breaker for me. Maya works, but vray doesn't, and I rely on that. So that leaves Mac, which can run everything. And no, switching to blender isn't an option, I need Maya for school at the minimum, and given I get it for free on student license, I see no harm in using it, and there's the indie license which is 300 a year after that. I'll switch when the industry does at large. After Effects is gonna be an easy one to let go of since I don't really spend that much time in it, plus Autograph works on both Mac and Linux too, so that's pretty sweet honestly. Audition I'll be replacing with Reaper (perpetual license, works on Mac and Linux too). Now that just leaves Acrobat, Lightroom Classic, Dreamweaver and Substance 3D. Acrobat should be pretty easy to kick honestly, gonna try out some alternatives and see what I like best. LRC should be relatively easy too, as a casual user, I really don't need much from it, darktable should probably be more than fine for my needs. Dreamweaver, well this one's gonna be a fun one, as poorly made as the software is, the design features are pretty nice to have, and it saves me loads of time. If anyone sees this and knows of a decent offline alternative, let me know, I haven't been able to find one. And finally, Substance 3D. Thankfully they do still offer perpetual licenses on steam of all places, and it works on Mac and Linux too, might end up using that until I find another alternative. So yeah, I use a lot of adobe programs for a lot of different things, so that's what has made this a headache to move away, along with the desire to move away from Windows. I know I can't keep using Windows 7 forever (being 4.5 years since eol already), but I'm going to have to for a little longer. Basically, MacOS on a new Apple Silicon Mac seems like the best way forward. Even an M1 MacBook Air with 16GB RAM could run rings around my i7 5930K and GTX 1080 system from what research I have done. My current hardware is aging, on the windows side of things it's not running Windows 11 without software hacks, and given Windows 10 already runs horribly on here and being my reason for sticking with 7 in the first place yeah, I really don't have much time left at all. My solution for now for security updates has been sailing the seven seas for esus, and force installing the ones intended for server 2008 r2, which works fine btw, but those run out in January 2026, so that's when I want to be fully away from windows by. I doubt 0patch will still be an option by then for win7, so time is running out. If you made it to the end of this massive wall of text, thank you, and I hope to join everyone else in fully ditching adobe (and windows for that matter) in the near future.

[@Watersurf]

I understand it's hard moving on and that's why I made this video in the first place. Sort of a way to say goodbye to using a software I've been using for over a decade. There are some things that you just get comfortable with but eventually that cost catches up. Plus, I do all this video creation for fun. I don't see any monetary value off of it, as of now, so why continue paying for the expensive software when the cheaper alternatives can do exactly what I need to do, sometimes even better. I know not all the alternatives in this video will help everyone, especially since I'm on Windows 11 and there are many other operating systems, but I figure what I have is good enough for me and might be good enough for others. At the end of the day, sometimes doing that extra bit of research to get what you need is the path we need to go down and unfornately there will be no alternatives for certain adobe software. It's why I was using After Effects for so long and thanks to Autograph (and Vegas Effects), it allowed me to finally let go. Anyway, I wish you luck trying to find alternatives for Dreamweaver and the other niches software you need. Windows/Mac/Linux, at the end of the day, creating what we like to create is what is important. Hopefully you can find something in the future for your setup as well and thanks for sharing your side as well. I'm sure others might be in the same niche boat as you.

[@gamingvydeoz]

I miss lifetime licences.

[@Watersurf]

I wish they still had them, don’t see why they can’t do what other companies do by having both options. But I get it from a business perspective, more money lol.

[@VaporPC88]

I'm still stuck in photoshop but soon I will move to Clip Studio Paint.

[@zlatkio]

laughs in pirate bay since 2010

[@nerdzone]

I would have also gladly dropped Adobe products if I have not already dropped them 5 years ago. :D

[@envyforeden]

I got an email from Adobe yesterday saying they're increasing prices.

[@bogdanvasut8915]

For many years most of the artists despised the free / open source alternatives for being less than perfect. They wanted them to have 1:1 features and someone to hold their hand while transitioning, if they ever deigned to. With a tenth of the money they gave Adobe for nothing they could have hired a UX guru to make Gimp usable. But nobody got time for that. Well, you made your bed.

[@zerker5723]

Bro u have such a Wierd Charm to your channel, keep it up!

[@cartooncrumbs]

Unlike Adobe you earned a sub to your channel bud especially with this videos editing, made it a fun watch.

[@Watersurf]

Thanks for watching and subbing!

[@someuser4166]

12:18 for the record clip studio is a lot more professional than Adobe animate. Flash / animate has been replaced by toonboom in the western animation industry but csp replaced RETAS in the Japanese animation industry and is currently the standard animation tool there.

[@Watersurf]

I had no idea. I never really did 2D animation. I just use clip studio for drawing purposes. Thanks for sharing!

[@KuttyJoe]

I hate subscriptions but if the software you need is the best game in town, then you might be doing yourself a disservice to screw around with something cheaper that is going to make you take more time to do the work. That is an easy calculation if you're using the software to earn money. I think the problem is with people who are not directly earning money with the software, but still wanted to use Adobe's best in class software. There was a point where that was the case for me, and even after I started making money I still didn't like the idea of the subscription. I also didn't like having to pay $700.00 for Photoshop and $650.00 for Illustrator prior to the subscriptions. Realistically, the competitors to expensive software tends to cost the same price. Affinity doesn't make anything that is comparable with Adobe although sadly, people compare Affinity and Adobe nonstop. It's like comparing a small pickup truck to a 18-wheeler.

[@Watersurf]

I really only used After Effects and it was really for chroma keying mainly. I don't do really do heavy VFX so it didn't make financial sense for me to spend 23 dollars a month for it anymore. Plus, Vegas Effects and Autograph can keep up with what I usually do for my channel. Now, if I truly need After Effects again, then I will get it for the small time I need it for, but realistically, I don't see that happening anytime soon. On top of that, I don't make any monetary value off my content (as of now) so of course I'll go with the cheaper stuff. For those who can afford Adobe software, or have it paid by their company, more power to them for using it. Adobe does still have some quality software it's just not what I need right now for what I'm doing and that's the whole point of this video. I made this video from my perspective and I'm sure others have similar takes that I do.

[@kalpit3d934]

Actually you are half right because the professional artist don't use Adobe products except photoshop. VFX artist use Nuke instead of after effects, professional film maker use Davinci resolve, best in class raw editing experience and color grading, even integrated fusion tab for VFX work. For 2d animation, cartoon animator 5 is unbeatable. In my country, People also use Corel draw instead of illustrator. Adobe products are just good for graphic design not for hardcore production stuff.

[@philippkemptner4604]

I love Vegas, it's awesome! Can't you just record audio directly to Vegas? As far as I remember it's audio engine is better than some audio specialists like Adobe Audition. Some missing fx could be implemented with vst plugins.

[@Watersurf]

Yeah you can record in Vegas, even screen record too I believe. I usually just use Audacity as it’s a program I used before I even used Vegas so I’m just used to it. Also, it’s a good program for those who need a free audio recording program.

[@boredfive3001]

I hate it but I need it unfortunately. When it was Macromedia it was stable and better. Now it's just a money grab.

[@Scudmaster11]

Does this mean we are ganna finally get actionscript 3 for godot or unity or some other game engine???

[@Savage_D_777]

Congratulations to everyone who canceled Adobe! Also congratulations to people who downgraded their plan and learning alternative programs to leave them in the near future!

[@morphingmandalas8703]

Can you share how you shoot with green screen...it is very neatly presented...can you share the technique

[@Watersurf]

Depending on the quality you are going for, you are going to need to get a chromakey green (or blue) muslin cloth along with some stands. I would recommend having a higher quality camera as lower quality cameras will pick up flickering from the creases in the green screen when chroma keying in an editing program; unless you happen to get a straight pop-up one but it all depends on what you are going for. Next is shooting, I recommend having your camera on a tripod or on a flat, stable surface as opposed to someone holding it. Next is editing, most editing programs now-a-days have something called chroma keying or color keying under their "VFX" tab. You would place that onto your clip and have a background go underneath your comped footage. There are tons of tutorials online on how to do this start to finish but that's the gist of it. I will be doing a video in the future on how I make my content, I'm just still figuring out how to write it so it so it can give a general overview of most of my content as I'm doing stuff like this along with a "podcast" and other miscellenaous films and skits. I want to say I'll have it out by next month or so as I wanted to tie together with my upcoming episode of my idea factory series; as that is the video I want to use as my basis or "tutorial." In the mean time, you can always check out some of my other work as a large majority is filmed on a green screen if you want some inspiration. Or you can always come back in a month or two to see if I got around to doing it.

[@JamesTDG]

I might recommend looking into getting something to hold your laptop up a bit higher

[@Watersurf]

It’ll be fixed next time.

[@camera-guy]

It's sad because I really like Adobe software, it's just literally everything else that sucks.

[@Watersurf]

I agree, they have good software just too expensive for my budget. Yeah I was frustrated with the sluggishness and the occasional crashes, but the rotoscope 3.0 in AE was amazing and the only reason I came back originally.

[@EricLefebvrePhotography]

Good video ... side note: telepormpters are pretty cheap these days. :)

[@Watersurf]

Thank you for watching. I’m still experimenting with my “video essay” format and I should have one by the next time I do this style.

[@jean_mollycutpurse_winchester]

Affinity? Pixelmator Pro? Krita? I’d be happy if I were able to paste an image into a selection. I could do that in photoshop 2

[@dendenisification]

Yeah, Photoshop CS2, which is officially free and have smart objects if I remember right.

[@jean_mollycutpurse_winchester]

@@dendenisification are you saying that Photoshop C2 is free now to download?

[@Kenneth_Cayabyab]

I don't use any of the adobe suite or even create content. I liked the video though.

[@M0n4rc]

is this sored by vegas pro? does seem like it is but it feels like it is. Don't get me wrong i hate adobe but this felt like a massive ad. idk maybe just bliefly mention what you use and a few other alternatives

[@Watersurf]

No, it's not sponsored by Vegas/MAGIX. I only mentioned the alternatives that I use in this video but did leave a few others in the description. On top of that, a channel of my size wouldn't normally get offered sponsorships. I've just used Vegas Pro for so long and try to recommend it to those starting out. I originally had some other programs that I don't use in the script but I opted at the last minute to cut them to keep the runtime down a bit. Plus, it's way easier to talk about programs you personally use as opposed to ones you don't.

[@nananou1687]

Great video!!

[@Keyboardwarrior42]

LRc -> DxO Photolab + Capture1 PS -> Afinity Photo 2 + DxO Pureraw + Topaz + Prophoto Studio/Body Adobe can tongue my a$$

[@SloMoMonday]

The way things are going, we're probably not far away from advanced users dropping Windows as well. Mac is a pretty stable environment for creatives but prices are way beyond most people. If you're going to be migrating or just starting out, look for toolsets with Linux compatibility. (Also AMD hardware for better integration). Once you're over the initial hump, you will have a much better grasp of your machine and control of you data. I'd happily take a slightly worse but free UX over a subscription for a constantly degrading one that steals my data.

[@Watersurf]

There was this other creator who showcased the power of linux and creating on there. It seems promisng. Maybe more programs will support linux in the future.

[@husepher]

Wish I could repost. I feel like I got scammed for paying for adobe for the past year or so. Works so much better whn not connected to the cloud

[@simontrickfilmer]

Looking forward to an Autograph deepdive. Gosh, im stuck on Ae and have no time to look at it 😢

[@Watersurf]

At least Autograph is pumping out tutorials on their YT channel for the time being.

[@VKTR_Tech]

I cancelled my Adobe subscription this week as well.

[@AustinOpt]

How did you not include Davinci!? I love it and it's free 😃

[@Watersurf]

I only mentioned the programs that I use or have. It’s in the description though.

[@guruware8612]

rumor has it, that many are leaving adobe but yet, stock is going up how come ? wishful thinking ?

[@bebrusik_]

why would not just pirate?

[@hisllagb]

there are bugs i see since photoshop 7, they really don't care

[@seazonegranec]

I recommend Krita and DaVinci Resolve

[@Watersurf]

I put both of those in the description for those interested.

[@The-Cat]

I'm still using CS6 lol but I got Affinity Photo as well

[@The-Cat]

900th LIKE by the way whooop whooop !

[@mr.j7899]

I can't live without the Adobe Substance apps though...

[@billyj.causeyvideoguy7361]

People forget adobe got as big as they are by buying up all their rivals… they always have been iffy.

[@gwen_dezigns66]

hi, i noticed that you were not looking at the camera filming you, but down at your script. it really doesnt establish eye contact with us. it felt very fake. why not, keep your script near the camera or get a teleprompter (if you can afford) to let you know what you have to say

[@Watersurf]

The next video in this style will have eye contact with the camera as I have a teleprompter now. I've gotten a handful of other comments about this, trust me I know. This video series is one I'm still experimenting with as I normally do skits and films where my lines aren't paragraphs long.

[@gwen_dezigns66]

@@Watersurf thats great!. i loved the funny bits of it. and the sudden zoom in and out. thats was the best part of the videos. wishing you best, fellow youtuber!

[@Watersurf]

@@gwen_dezigns66 Thank you for watching and the feedback! Good luck with your youtubes as well. c:

[@gwen_dezigns66]

@@Watersurf welcome!! and thank you

[@superpiki2000]

great video. the only thing i would change is how many times you look down, it looks like you are reading a script and it kind of breaks the connection with the viewer. otherwise this was great and on point

[@Watersurf]

Still experimenting with this “video essay” format and I should have placed my laptop at camera level next to it, it’ll probably be fixed next time I do one of these.

[@Tedrousek]

Good video

[@manurojastaibo9422]

My main argument to leave Adobe is that every program works slower in every update. You either need a really strong computer (if u can afford it) or make super simple projects for the programs not to crash or lag. I never had troubles with adobe but seriously, every update it gets worst and worst. Blender is a 3D free use program and It's way more efficient than FUCKING PHOTOSHOP (Im not even comparing it with After). Plus the prices, plus the IA (Useless btw), plus there's lots of free software improving every day. As a long time fan of this company, now I can say they have ruined my favourite programs and I AM LEAVING TOO.

[@Biajuuu]

Remember kids, pirating adobe products is always morally correct.

[@fkdump]

Photoshop is really over priced for most people who just use it for tweaking brightness, contrast, cropping, making text title etc...

[@Watersurf]

The onlything keeping photoshop going is name recognition. Everything else is in other programs, some of which are free.

[@Tubeytime]

Krita is the way. As for Vegas, it's only made for windows 10/11, linux and mac users are out of luck.

[@Watersurf]

Those on Mac/Linux can always go with Davinci Resolve. I just personally perfer Vegas as it's what I've been using for over a decade.

[@Morhamms357]

I was a Krita user, and the scars haven't healed yet. I use Adobe products, but I'd rather die than pay for them. Everybody hates Adobe because they're a shit company, but when I hear about people ending their services and boycotting them, I'm just thinking you were paying them to begin with? Lol

[@Tubeytime]

@@Morhamms357 Big wallet + ignorance = perfect target for scammers

[@gljames24]

Autograph support Linux! That's awesome. I've been looking for a great motion graphics editor on Linux.

[@Yipper64]

2:02 oh but it actually *doesnt* include everything. You want to use substance painter? Yeah that's going to be separate.

[@Watersurf]

“Everything”

[@ROVideos]

Great points. Great content. BUT, please get a teleprompter.

[@Watersurf]

Thank you for watching. I'll have it set up better next time, especially at eye level.

[@ROVideos]

@@Watersurf Yes. I was paying attention to your rant which was very well justified. It was just a little distracting seeing you glance all the time. I appreciate the editing with the support images it's actually funny and makes it entertaining.

[@Watersurf]

Yeah, I understand and I appreciate your feedback. The previous episodes in this "series" I was just reading off a paper script that I held originally. This time around I had a janky setup on a TV tray. I'm looking into teleprompters or similar. I usually do skits and films that don't usually have me reading off a script like this, so this "style" is still "new" to me.

[@dashyftw]

Insightful content! Do try to practice on expressing yourself though, you can see as a viewer that you seldom can complete a single sentence without jump cutting in it, it's a little distracting. PS: You can also see how often you're reading from a script. ;)

[@Watersurf]

Thank you for the feedback. I’m still trying to improve on this style of content. I normally do skits and films so those have a way different tone than these do. The “jump-cuts” are just editing out the breathes I take during sentences or merging separate takes together.

[@arandompasserby7940]

As one of those losers who uses GIMP (not a linux user, though - I do have SOME self respect lol) this whole thing has been quite fun to watch.

[@kalpit3d934]

Use krita, you will not regret...

[@arandompasserby7940]

@@kalpit3d934 I'll give it a look, thanks for the suggestion!

[@yueplushart]

Well, Adobe absorbed it and Substance Painter died, I replaced all Adobe products with ALT and I'm doing quite well. Mentally, I love my current environment because I don't have to be psychologically pressured by subscriptions

[@SkiftyKitty]

Remember, piracy is justified

[@bebrusik_]

frfr

[@heddshot87]

Ppl keep shouting Affinity. I tried it and it kept crashing plus I missed photoshop functions 😢 I hope a real competitor rolls around soon.

[@Watersurf]

You can also try out gimp or kitra. Both are free and have similar features to photoshop. If photoshop is what you are comfortable with then keep using it, this video was just my frustrations with Adobe and you don’t have to fall into peer pressure. Trust me, people keep telling my that my editing software is bad but I’m still making videos. Use what works for you at the end of the day. People only see the final result.

[@heddshot87]

@@Watersurf that's the thing, I rarely need it, and when I do a year subscription seems ridiculous. Back in the day I paid a single month at a time.

[@Watersurf]

I agree with you. I rarely use photoshop so it’s why I just went with in alternative software. While it does everything I need it to do, I barely use it. You can always just get the express version of photoshop or “borrow” the current version if you don’t want to spend loads of money.

[@Morhamms357]

Pirate it, it's really not hard. And don't feel bad for a second because Adobe doesn't deserve your money. Alternatives exist, but they do unfortunately have the best products. Remember, if buying isn't owning, Piracy isn't stealing.

[@daedalus547]

​@@Morhamms357stop with the crackhead logic... You aren't pissed off when someone rips off a application or game, but cry a river when the company rips you off..... Yea that makes sense.... "It's not fair, he stole from me before I could steal from him"... Do you listen to yourselves, like children....

[@s.patterson5698]

Davinci Resolve!!!

[@Btomaek]

I have not used adobe in years And vagus pro has a subscription but at least I can buy it

[@Watersurf]

You can usually find vegas pro on sale from humble bundle or steam, and get a permanent license through it too.

[@Btomaek]

@@Watersurf that’s what I meant by “but at least you can buy it” And Vegas monetary model feel nicer than adobe’s Tbh I’ve also used anything but adobe since their subscription model feels scummy with the whole early cancellation fee

[@Watersurf]

I understand. Vegas has a nice pricing range, especially for smaller creators.

[@goku8524]

u need to set up a teleprompter at eye level

[@Watersurf]

Yes I know, will be fixed in the next video like this.

[@cleep14]

Just done with subscription services as a whole. I mean we're already struggling why are these companies adding on subscription after subscription I guess the rich just like have control over 90% of people.

[@Watersurf]

That boils down to my frusturation at the end of the day. I always prefer the permenant option when available as it's better to pay once than pay monthly or yearly.

[@hypersonicmonkeybrains3418]

They're using your work and creativity to train their models to replace you.. Oh and you're paying them to do it. And btw don't expect any rights to privacy.

[@shinra358]

i already went back to cs6 lol. there's literally nothing different. you can use other free programs for ai

[@Watersurf]

On top of that, CS6 was actually more stable than the current versions.

[@heyditing]

After effects HAS to render frame by frame to run properly, don't compare AE to other apps please you are not meant to edit videos on AE edit: which does not mean Adobe, AE or Pr don't suck, they do suck for many reasons.

[@AashishJhaMusic]

crack it bro

[@aeriumsoft]

adobe killed flash, now we kill adobe

[@Jazyrie]

I swapped to DaVinci Resolve cause I also swapped to Linux cause fuck Windows 11

[@pstoxic5708]

I love paying money to get my job taken away from me

[@theremoteanater]

Wow you got viruses you should have been careful and looked at I mean if you're going to Pirate do it right

[@Watersurf]

That was a joke for the video. I just know my anti-virus program hates the cracked software.

[@Fleischkopf]

you forgot davinci resolve. its free and a better editing tool then premiere. not to mention the grading tools

[@Watersurf]

I only mentioned the programs that I use or have. It’s in the description though.

[@magnusrexus]

Davinci can do all of this for free

[@Watersurf]

Already put it in the description, this video was on the programs that I use.

[@jacobreviewseverything]

EXE cuse me, haha.

[@janosjulianes3006]

I stick with Adobe 👍😍