Visual Communicator 3 is the first release of the product since Adobe acquired Serious Magic. Any doubts I might have had about the quality of it post-transfer were immediately alleviated; the company has added some very cool new features to VC3 while preserving its powerful core feature set.

Visual Communicator lets you create professional-style, broadcast-quality video presentations using the software, a video camera, and a supplied greenscreen background. You can combine your personal narration with video effects, graphics, stock audio, etc. to create television-quality video presentations in a fraction of the time it would take using traditional video editing and titling tools.

Using VC3 you can create video for Web in traditional Web sizes (320 x 240, 160 x 120), or for DVD in 720 x 480 NTSC or 720 x 576 PAL video, or traditional video post-production.

VC3 accelerates the production of video presentations by automating the process with a teleprompter-driven set of transitions and effects. Basically, if you can narrate a PowerPoint presentation, you can create a professional-looking video presentation using VC3 and never edit a frame of video.

The Main Interface window is where you "drive" VC3. It contains the Video Preview Window, the Control Area, the Teleprompter, and the Action area, where effects, graphics and other goodies can be synchronized to the Teleprompter script. The Media and Effects library contains project elements, and you can save and re-use your favorites.

Existing users will appreciate that the familiar multi-pane User Interface window has not been redesigned; they can immediately create VC3 projects using the same methods they used in VC1 and 2. If you’re a new user, you’ll appreciate the added "coach" window feature that helps guide you as you familiarize yourself with VC3’s workflow.

Adobe has added some other great enhancements, including: the V-Screen Wizard, a guide to setting up the internal greenscreen keyer; Animated Titles and Lower Third Graphics, for even more professional looking results; support for still image edits- you can now crop, resize or stretch images to fit; a Mini-Switcher, which supports up to three live video cameras as video sources; Live Video Streaming, which uses Adobe Flash Media Server to stream FLV movies; and Pack-n-Go, a new feature that lets you export/import VC3 projects between PCs.

Visual Communicator 1 and 2 were great tools, and Adobe’s new and refined features make VC3 a powerful addition to anyone’s toolkit. I love the new version, and am already using it to create online tutorials for my Web sites.

Bruce Nazarian is CEO of Digital Media Consulting Group, Inc. an award-winning DVD producer and author, a globe-trotting DVD consultant (known as "The Digital Guy"), and President of The DVD association.