Byron Cortez is currently the Technical Manager of the Audiovisual Production Center at FADCOM. This month, the Adobe community recognized his contributions as a speaker in Latin America, trainer, and post-producer.
When did you obtain your Adobe certification?
The first certification I received was for Premiere Pro in April 2017. I felt happy and proud because these certifications are highly sought after by professionals in post-production, and obtaining them requires passing a complex exam.
As a result, I motivated myself to prepare for the After Effects certification exam in December of the same year, which is even more complex. Currently, I am the only Ecuadorian to have achieved this official certification. In January 2018, I joined the ranks of Adobe Community Professionals (ACP).
Last year, I obtained the official DaVinci Resolve certifications during the pandemic. The opportunity to prepare and achieve these certifications presented itself.
What do you value most about being part of the Adobe community?
One of the most notable aspects is the contact with other professionals and fellow ACPs internationally. This includes highly esteemed individuals who have won post-production awards at major Hollywood events and Adobe’s own team. It's incredible to participate in meetings with ACPs and the development teams of After Effects or Premiere Pro, applications I've used throughout my professional life. Additionally, meeting people who appear in the application's splash screen and being able to suggest improvements is fantastic.
The primary goal of this community is to support users worldwide and make them happier with Adobe's brand. It provides benefits and a great sense of satisfaction to help users who come to us after trying everything else. Solving their advanced problems is fulfilling because it allows them to continue with their projects.
Although the collaboration in Adobe Community Forums is not exactly a job, ACPs receive benefits for their involvement. The badges we earn make us feel identified with the brand. Being part of this community involves more than just answering questions; there are special spaces not open to all users but only to ACPs, such as the Community Recap, where this recognition was given. Adobe’s acknowledgment is motivating and encourages me to continue.
How long have you been teaching courses?
I started teaching in-person courses in 2012 and continued in this mode until 2017, when I began offering online courses and on-demand training.
In 2019, I began working with Crehana, and I now have over 19,000 students worldwide. They contacted me through my website and discussed the proposal, leading to the course “Premiere Pro Desde Cero.” This course has helped me establish myself as a professional due to its great acceptance and the positive feedback on my teaching methodology. I also have a course titled “After Effects Completo y Desde Cero” on Udemy, another prominent on-demand teaching platform.
What do you find most rewarding about teaching on recognized online platforms?
It’s a beautiful experience because, after years of professional work and effort, it becomes evident that it has been worthwhile. Academic preparation is crucial, and one never stops being a student, especially in technology, which evolves rapidly. What stands out the most is that people appreciate my work, my courses, and my teaching style. I receive many internal messages requesting various types of courses, though I can’t fulfill them all.
What challenges did you face transitioning from in-person to online classes?
The transition revealed that online teaching, especially for practical classes, is entirely different. The main challenge is the lack of fluid interaction with students and the issues with internet connectivity, class sizes, and the robustness of students’ systems. It’s a real challenge to conduct a virtual class impeccably, but we must adapt to the situation.
What do you highlight about your role at ESPOL as Technical Manager of the Audiovisual Production Center at FADCOM?
After nearly seven years at FADCOM, managing a department like this has allowed me to understand how learning can flow not only for students but for professionals of all ages. The CPA serves various people with whom I must coordinate many aspects during recordings. I’ve learned to work with different teams, including students, teachers, professionals from other fields, and people unrelated to audiovisual communication. This has taught me how steep the learning curve can be for each project at the CPA. Honestly, I’ve been stricter with students as they are in training and need to learn important aspects for their future, such as punctuality and adhering to norms regarding audiovisual equipment and studios.
What challenges did you face during the pandemic as a trainer and post-producer?
As a trainer, I was affected because I could only conduct one in-person course in 2020; I also held an online live course and remembered how challenging this method of teaching can be, having previously taught one in 2017. As a post-producer, it didn’t affect me much because we generally work with pre-recorded material or content needing animation or post-production. I even had the opportunity to work on animated videos for artist J. Balvin, now featured on his official YouTube channel in the “Colores Singalong Videos” playlist.
Byron Cortez holds Adobe Certified Expert (ACE) and Adobe Community Professional (ACP) certifications in After Effects and Premiere Pro, as well as DaVinci Resolve Certified End User and Certified Color Correction certifications. These are official certifications from Adobe and Blackmagic Design, two leading companies in professional post-production applications. Additionally, he occasionally performs as an Adobe Speaker, conducting webinars for Adobe, Crehana, or his social media platforms.
Voice-over work is another area Byron is passionate about. Like post-production, it’s a field where continuous learning is essential. He mentions wanting to dedicate more time to this. Whenever he has free time, he practices with his microphone, knowing that it requires much practice, technique, and study. He is aware of how much he still has to learn but considers himself fortunate to have voiced for important brands. Currently, he is the institutional voice of ESPOL, and his voice is recognized, indicating he is on the right path and will continue to work towards becoming a better commercial voice-over artist.
06/07/2021
