Digital media sales represent a growing market in consumer technology; in previous editions, this book has been the top-selling reference for digital video beginners
- Fully revised and completely focused on consumer digital video users and editors who have little to no experience with the equipment
- Walks readers through the basics of selecting equipment, installing software and hardware, shooting good video, getting files into a PC, editing, and outputting to the Internet, videotape, or a DVD
- CD-ROM includes trial versions of the editing software covered in the book as well as other digital video tools and sample files
User review
A Total SCORE if You Are New to Video Filming/Editing: Perfect!
This book scores on so many levels I can’t recommend it enough for beginners. As somebody who bought their first camcorder and will be making shorts which will involve editing software, I needed a 101 overview.
And boy, did this ever fit the bill. Written in a breezy, easy-to-understand style, the book first deals with what you should look for in equipment. It then moves into basic filming techniques but most importantly, the beginner mistakes that are all too common (bad lighting, zooming in during a shot, etc.). Even though I have a basic knowledge of film making, I found these tips extremely helpful.
But what really makes this book worth every cent is that it is basically a user’s guide for iMovie, Windows Movie Maker and Adobe Premiere. If you’re new to editing, you’re probably going to start with the super-basic Movie Maker or iMovie, and somewhere down the line move up to the more advanced Adobe.
For every editing step it shows how this is done in each respective program–a virtual user’s guide, complete with tips and enhancements.
It also covers advanced editing tricks, adding audio, lighting tricks, you name it.
If you want a primer for beginners, this couldn’t be more perfect. It was so interesting and easily readable I read the entire book in one day.
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Download Digital Video for Dummies, Third Edition |
So you have a camcorder and visions of being the next Spielberg. But how do you progress from shooting so-so footage to showing your own finished movie? Digital Video For Dummies, 4th Edition gives you the know-how and the show-how! Find out how to shoot and edit great movies, using iMovie, Windows Movie Maker, or Adobe Premiere Elements to add the finishing touches like special effects and your own soundtrack. With the latest information and lots of illustrations and screen shots, this friendly guide walks you through: Getting your computer ready to work with digital video (complete with information about FireWire) Choosing a camcorder, including features to look for and features that are useless Digitizing old VHS videotapes to preserve memories Purchasing other movie making gear, including audio and lighting equipment Shooting better video, with tips on lighting, panning, using the zoom, and recording better audio Creating your own sound effects such as footsteps, bones breaking, fire, thunder, insects buzzing, and more Capturing digital video using iMovie, Windows Movie Marker, or Premiere Elements Editing, including understanding timecode, organizing and previewing clips, and assembling clips in Storyboard and Timeline Adding transitions, titles, and special effects Importing and integrating video from phones and digital cameras Using audio rubberbands in iMovie, Premiere Elements, and other editing programs Adding narration, importing and working with CD audio, and adding a music soundtrack 
