The Final Cut Pro User Group Network (FCPUG) “SuperBooth”, part of NABShow 2009, will offer a full 4 day schedule of free immersive sessions with Final Cut Studio, Adobe and digital filmmaking Gurus who will answer questions, demo user-driven production and postproduction workflows, and screen content created with Final Cut Studio and other Macintosh based software. The SuperBooth will serve as an extension of the the Eighth Annual NAB FCPUG SuperMeet, to take place on Tuesday, April 21, 2009 at the Rio Hotel.

“We have always wanted space on the NAB show floor, but could never find the resources or money to afford it,” said Michael Horton, founder of the Los Angeles Final Cut Pro User Group and co-producer of the SuperMeets. “But this year we have gotten tremendous support from the community who are donating their time and expertise to make this booth happen. Our plan is to make the SuperBooth a social gathering spot for all Final Cut Studio users and Digital moviemakers who find themselves in need of learning and connecting.”
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The producers of Welcome to Macintosh, “‘The documentary for the rest of us.’ the first documentary of its kind to mix history, criticism and an unapologetic revelry of all things Apple into a movie experience,” have extended a special offer to Mac User Groups everywhere to make their creation part of your upcoming meetings.

By signing up to be part of their User Group Tour and host a screening, your group will receive a variety of benefits, including publicity, give-aways, discounts on purchases of the DVD version of the movie for your members, and more.

For all the information on the program, visit the User Group Tour page on the Welcome to Macintosh site, and sign your group up.

You can hear co-directors Rob Baca and Josh Rizzo talk about their film on MacVoices #8150.

The current roster of groups participating in the tour include:
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As anticipation builds for the upcoming WWDC announcements, it is time to take a trip down memory lane…the whole way back to January and the sold-out Adobe User Group Breakfast. Can’t remember all of the details of the products shown? Just want a refresher? No problem. In late January we released the audio of the event both here on The MUG Center and in the MacVoices audio feed. For presentations like this, however, audio only goes so far.

Now, we’re pleased to release the video of the event’s presentations here, exclusively on The MUG Center. Feel free to download any or all to share with your group’s members or to show at your next meeting. Be warned, however, these files are large, since they were shot in high definition and are being delivered in that format, to preserve as much of the detail as possible.

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Hartley Jim Jackson of the Northern Vermont Macintosh User Group has authored an impressive 125-page eBook, Exploring Pages ‘08 with Pages ‘08, and is offering it to Mac User Group leaders and members for free.

The book covers all aspects of Pages, from word processing to page layout and beyond, including working with images drawing, tables, charts and graphs and much more. The complete book, and 8+ meg download, can be downloaded here on The MUG Center.

Mac User Groups are encouraged to relay this information to their members, and to use it as a basis for future meetings.

Thanks to Hartley for his generosity in sharing what was obviously a significant amount of work with the MUG community.

The complete table of contents includes:

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Tim Verpoorten of the excellent MacReviewCast is extending his support to Mac User Groups by offering original articles for their newsletters.

Tim is authoring a monthly article on some of the best Mac freeware that he’s found and covered on the show, and is making it available to Mac User Groups for free.

There are two ways you can receive the articles: Tim is placing them in the Public folder of the surfbits .Mac account (in the sub-folder “MUG”). There are also some companion graphics that can be downloaded as well.

Even better, Tim has agreed to publish the articles to The MUG Center’s Newsletter Content Email List. Subscribers will receive the article automatically by email as soon as it is available. Tim’s articles join Mac 911 by Christopher Breen and regular summaries of the TidBITS articles by Adam and Tonya Engst , along with materials submitted by other list members anxious to give their authors global distribution.

Be sure to join Tim for his weekly roundup of the best new Mac shareware and freeware by visiting the MacReviewCast site or subscribing in iTunes.

If your group is doing a Macworld wrap-up meeting this month, or if you’re just looking for some fodder for discussion of new and interesting products, consider using one or more of MacVoices’ Expo-themed interviews as a basis for or supplement to your presentation.

MacVoices recently completed deliver of 63 different Expo-floor interviews, presentations and panel discussions, including 5 from the Adobe Professional Association and User Group Breakfast. You can easily feature the interviews at your group’s meeting by visiting the MacVoices Macworld 2008 Playlist page and simply hit the play button for the one(s) you want.

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Didn’t make it to Macworld Expo? Couldn’t get in to the sold-out Adobe User Group Breakfast? Can’t remember all of the details of the products shown? No problem. MacVoices has published the audio of the event so you can enjoy the informative and entertaining presentations by Terry White, Dave Helmly and Mike Downey.

Broken down into five separate editions, the topics range from the Adobe User Group Program to the latest Adobe release, Adobe Photoshop Elements 6. The complete list includes:

• MacVoices #824: MacVoices at Expo – Terry White’s Adobe Breakfast Welcome and Discussion of Adobe User Group Program

• MacVoices #825: MacVoices at Expo – Mike Downey of Adobe Introduces Air at the Adobe Breakfast

• MacVoices #826: MacVoices at Expo – Dave Hemly Moves The Adobe Breakfast with Adobe Premier

• MacVoices #827: MacVoices at Expo – InDesign Workflow by Terry White at the Adobe Breakfast

• MacVoices #828: MacVoices at Expo: Terry White Shows Off Adobe Elements 6 at the Adobe Breakfast at Macworld Expo

Take Control: The Mac OS X Lexicon is the most recent effort from author Sharon Zardetto. Now, Mac User Groups can share some of Sharon’s work in their publications.

Sharon is offering “The X-Lex,” excerpts from her book, for MUG publication reprint, each for a limited time. These short articles define and explain terminology from the world of Apple in an informative and entertaining fashion.

To get a copy of the current X-Lex, Just visit The X Lex at 33Things to get the current version. While Sharon isn’t requiring any registration to use the articles, she would like to know who’s publishing her articles, so be sure to sign up and thank her for her support of user groups.

Listen to Sharon talk about Take Control: The Mac OS X Lexicon, and her background with Mac User Groups, on MacVoices #803.

Mac User Group leaders can get a free copy of Take Control books for review or raffle, and offer their members a discount on this and all Take Control books by joining the Take Control User Group Program. Check our Vendor Programs page for details.

The audio of the discussion at the first User Groups 2.0 Virtual Conference is now available for listening and download.

The MUG Center’s first gathering of user group leaders to discuss the state of the MUG community, exchange ideas and look to the future was held on October 29, and keynoted by James Lee of Tropical Software. Jim addressed the group with his top 5 Tips for welcoming a vendor to your user group.

The participants in the conference included:

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The most recent announcements from the Peachpit User Group Program feature the offer of a free resource to help make your next meeting special, a new video series, news of upcoming Final Cut Pro and related titles, a new web design conference, as well as Peachpit appearances at several different conferences in the coming weeks, the monthly book selection and more.

The Peachpit Experience Double Feature is a 2-hour, 2 DVD set that captures the activities and speakers from the Peachpit booth at both Macworld Conference & Expo in San Francisco and Phoshop World in Las Vegas. Speakers include Graham Nash, R. Mac Holbert, Scott Kelby, Sandee Cohen, Bert Monroy and more. The Experience is free to all Mac User Groups, and includes some munchies, books to raffle off, flyers and a chance for one of your members to attend the upcoming Voices That Matter: Web Design Conference for free. Sign up to get your copy now.

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