For the same partner events, I put this together: Top Reasons to Upgrade to CS4. I used Photoshop as my example or it would have been a multi-page handout.

One of the best features I didn't mention for lack of space, but it's worth noting here is doing video in Photoshop. I've wanted to learn more about video but every time I wandered into Premiere it felt like closing my eyes and sticking my hand into a knife drawer, I knew I would get cut. I'm slowing starting to get more out of Premiere (still weak on the codecs, keeping file size down with the video and sound quality maintained).

Mostly, learning more about video is thanks to Photoshop and working with video there. I've done a number of Photoshop live events and webinars (Adobe calls them eSeminars) and video in Photoshop is always a crowd pleaser and a feature few are aware of. Knowing Photoshop, it’s easy to get started. The example I use is a series of time-elapsed photos of a sunset/moonrise over Chicago. I have a series of 25 shots and use Bridge (another very handy tool) to load them into Photoshop layers (Tools> Photoshop> Load files into Photoshop layers).

Using the video workspace, with the Timeline, I set the time overall for 30 seconds and adjusted each layer (image) to the amount of time I wanted them to display. Because I can (in Photoshop CS4 Extended), I found a music clip of Harlem Nocturne and with Soundbooth selected a 30 clip and saved it as a separate file. Then I placed the clip in Photoshop. Once all was to my liking: File> Export> Render Video and voila, a time-elapsed video called Moonrise Chicago. Just for fun I posted it on YouTube and shared it with some friends: www.youtube.com/watch?v=NiIPIJvczG0

There is a bit more to this than the short overview. In fact, I spent days tinking with it and learning more about video. I rendered the video in all the ways available and tried different settings to get the right balance between size and quality. Overall for my first foray into video, I was reasonable pleased with the results.

I also found editing video in Photoshop was pretty easy as well. In this case I had a video of some guys I know skiing down a mountain in swim trunks. In Photoshop I was able to remove the blue cast and add a title. Again, my first experience, and an amusing video also posted on YouTube: www.youtube.com/watch?v=T-JMz1rD_Ns

Video aside, the attached PDF shows essential (IMHO) new features to Photoshop CS4 Extended.