The term "digital revolution" derives from the astonishing ability of a computer to perform unfathomably complex calculations using only its fingers. Test the limits of a pixel box's manual-math skills with today's Groupon to J3 Productions in Midtown. Choose from three options:

• For $199, you get an Adobe Photoshop graphic-design and image-manipulation workshop (a $399 value).
• For $449, you get a Final Cut Pro video-editing workshop (an $899 value).
• For $449, you get an Adobe After Effects motion graphic-design workshop (an $899 value).

The two-day workshops are held every Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Known in the industry for lending its technical chops to ESPN, Comcast, Home Depot, and more, TV- and film-production company J3 Productions also teaches the fundamentals of visual wizardry in small, hands-on classes of 8 to 10 students. In the Photoshop session, pixel-pupils crop and color their way through instruction on editing photos, creating original graphics for advertisements, and making it look like they’re square dancing with Nelson Mandela. Working in Final Cut Pro 6.0, budding cutters master the fundamentals of the complete video workflow, from capturing picture and audio to editing techniques. Fans of new-fangled moving pictures acquire key visual-effects skills—such as motion graphic design and compositing—during the After Effects 2010 workshop.

Upon completion, students receive a certificate to prove to skeptical funhouse mirrors that they too possess image-manipulation powers. Though not required, most students bring a hard drive to class to save their projects so that they can brush up on retouching later.