Testimonials & Recommendations

Below are a few of the kind words that students, colleagues, clients and YouTube viewers have said about me. It is a pleasure to work with such a diverse group of professionals.

Course & Workshop Reviews

WordPress Workshop

“My coworker and I had a two day WordPress session with Ben. He was extremely easy to schedule with, knowledgeable about the subject and very patient with the numerous questions we had. He asked questions about what we were looking for and planned our two-day course around that. It fit our needs completely and made the full two days worth while. I would highly recommend Ben to anyone looking for help with WordPress!” Ashlyn Heintz, 2019

Adobe InDesign Workshop

“Ben was a pleasure to work with! I did a one-on-one 2-day workshop that was both detailed and extremely useful. Ben was patient, kind extremely knowledgeable and answered any questions I had regarding the Adobe InDesign program. Ben both audio and screen recorded our entire sessions in case I needed to look back on the sessions for future reference. I felt that Ben provided me with the necessary tools and resources to get started on my own. I would highly recommend his services!” Mattea Columpsi, 2019

Adobe Premiere Pro Workshop

“Beyond pleased with the knowledge and expertise Ben brought to our two-day on-site training. Extremely helpful, patient and understanding of our needs and always happy to answer questions. Thank you, Ben!” Saskatchewan Construction

Video Production & Editing

“Working with Ben was incredibly easy and stress-free. He was patient when I asked (sometimes, silly!) questions, repeated things when I didn’t quite understand, and the videos he provided allow me to go back and refresh my memory on some of the finer details. All in all – a great training experience!” Lindsay at SaskPower, 2016

Photoshop Class on Skillshare

“Straight to the point and true to his promise, this class is worth much more than the ten minutes he presents the material in.” feedback left by Nick R. on “Banksy Yourself” – Create a Silhouetted Portrait in Photoshop

Final Cut Pro X

“Ben was great and was easy to interact with. He’s very knowledgeable about Final Cut Pro and I highly recommend his training seminars.”

Microsoft Word & Excel Training

“I found Ben’s Microsoft Word and Excel training to be very helpful. He taught me at a beginners level and didn’t rush through anything. He made sure that I understood what he was teaching me. This training will definitely help me  do my job more efficiently.” Jordyn Laatsch, Regina Elevator Co. Ltd

Adobe Illustrator Training – Online

“Working with Ben has been great!  Whether he was teaching me Adobe Illustrator or creating images for me in Adobe Illustrator, I was very pleased with the results. I have already recommended him to several people!” Flannery Good

Adobe Photoshop Workshop

“After a few years of using photoshop spending countless hours restarting projects, I knew that I needed help improving my skill set. I was able to get the projects done, but in the back of my mind I always knew that there was a better, more thoughtful way of using this program. Ben was able to teach me how to use these tools I would need to be able to use this program to its full potential.

Every Photoshop lesson I had with Ben he brought compassion, humour, patience (a lot), and experience to help me get the most out of each lesson. He has carefully created each class with exercises that demonstrate each tool’s extensive uses in the program.

Being a part of one of Ben’s classes was one of the best decisions I have ever made for expanding my knowledge and making me feel comfortable with Photoshop. I recommended his services to anyone who wants to bring their Photoshop skills to the next level.” Jeremy Bastian

Video Editing Services

I was extremely pleased to find someone with Ben’s skills to help fix my wedding video! Not only did he do a great job, he was extremely cooperative with regular communication and the task was done in a short time. It was a real pleasure doing business with a personality like Ben’s! The whole thing was easy and I wouldn’t hesitate to call on him for future projects!” Blondell Stengel

Adobe InDesign Workshop

“Ben is a very knowledgeable and excellent teacher. He’s still very helpful when I have a question or two. I would hire Ben again.” Debbie Rupert

Adobe After Effects Workshop

“I had the pleasure of meeting Ben after signing up to take an Adobe After Effects course he was teaching.

As a neophyte in the animation and graphics field, I worried I would be overwhelmed and out of my depth trying to pick up and learn this complicated piece of software. Fortunately, Ben understood my predicament and was readily able to reduce the key concepts and make them accessible and understandable to me. He managed to educate without being patronizing and to drive home core concepts without oversimplification. The result of his teaching is that I now feel at ease and at home using the software and feel confident that I can successfully take an After Effects project from planning to rendering without fear or frustration.

Throughout my training with Ben, he demonstrated a consistent level of knowledge, competence and friendliness that made the experience rewarding and enjoyable. I would highly recommend Ben as a teacher of the Adobe Creative Suite, especially to anyone who is trying to build a strong foundation while trying to find a means of overcoming their fear of learning in this complex field.” Joseph W. L. Griffiths

Testimonials

Simon Thomson
Head of E-Learning at Leeds Beckett University

Ben and I developed and worked on the Broadcast Media Technologies BSc award together and he took over the course leadership. Ben always put students at the heart of his teaching, bringing innovative approaches to design, delivery and assessment. He has a broad range of digital expertise and is able to communicate complex subjects to a range of learning levels. Above all Ben is easy to work with, his calm and pleasant manner ensures that he is able to get the best from colleagues and students.

Aaron Krohn
Designer at Eukleia Training Limited

Ben taught me for 2 years at University which prepared me for the creative industry. He got me thinking and made me push myself and my ideas to their maximum potential. He always encouraged individual thinking and planning which helped bring out skills and attributes which has helped me now in the industry.

Imran Ali
Founder at Carbon Imagineering; cofounder of LSx

I’ve been a big fan of Ben since his work on Our City Our Music, so it’s been a real pleasure to work with him directly in recent weeks.

Seeing Ben coordinate and mentor a team of student filmmakers up close (at a recent event I produced) was an eye opener.

A great mentor and teacher blended with a creative technologist’s brain are rare qualities, and I’m hoping this is the beginning of a few more collaborations 🙂

Salam Strudwick
Principal Lecturer at Leeds Beckett University

Ben’s work ethics are high. Students are top of his priorities, he is very caring and supportive to all.
Ben is a good member of the team too; he shares his skills with other members of the team, offering free tutorials to those who ask him for help.
Ben is an asset to any institution he works for, he is hard working and conscientious, I strongly recommend him to any educational institution.

Peter Hamilton
Artist, Digital Media Trainer & Technology Consultant

Ben is a talented artist, lecturer and an Apple Certified Final Cut Pro Trainer. I had the privilege of working with Ben at Leeds Metropolitan University where I found him to be dependable and an excellent team player. Ben has a broad knowledge of digital creative practices and his expertise in video production is exemplary.

Juliet MacDonald
Research Fellow in Art at University of Huddersfield

I worked with Ben for a few years at Leeds Met, not only was he brilliant at setting up networks, scripts, software and systems, he was also excellent at supporting students, explaining to them in clear, friendly, non-patronising terms how to resolve their various software struggles and technical hitches. Because of his art and design background he was also great at understanding how students’ work in the computer lab related to their creative projects and future professional practice.

Ian Truelove
Principal Lecturer at Leeds Beckett University

I have known Ben since 2002, when he joined the staff team in the School of Contemporary Art & Graphic Design at Leeds Met. I have worked closely with Ben throughout his time at Leeds Met, and between 2007 and 2009, I acted as his line manager in his post as Principal Learning Officer.

Ben’s main responsibilities were for supporting and developing the digital media unit for the School of Contemporary Art & Graphic Design, delivering high-level software training in the areas of interaction, design and moving image production as well as providing individualised point-of-need support.

As well as Ben’s Apple certified trainer status, I have witnessed him presenting lectures, engaging in tutorial situations and running practical workshops as part of his Learning Officer role, and through his external art and research practices. Ben performs exceptionally well in all of these areas.

Ben had the highest level of skill and knowledge or any member of staff in the then Faculty of Arts & Society with regard to digital media production, digital video editing, 3D computer modelling and rendering, digital audio production and multimedia authoring. His geo-located and interactive work were particularly innovative and effective.

In his role as team leader in the digital media unit, Ben clearly, concisely and effectively communicated often complex issues regarding the provision to both myself and colleagues. In the planning and preparation for our move to new accommodation, Ben worked diligently and efficiently to communicate the complexity of the relocation of the provision to a new building.

Ben always proved to be reliable and trustworthy, working on his own initiative, whilst keeping me informed of important issues and seeking advice when appropriate. His high levels of motivation made him an easy person to manage.

Kevin Lycett
Online Marketing & Web Development at twosixtwo

Ben has a rare combination of great design skills coupled with good coding. He also had a mature approach to work and was able to talk to clients and take briefs. This coupled with a friendly personality and bright mind made him a valuable and enjoyable employee.