Interactive Books

DigitalFilm Tree's text, "Advanced Editing and Finishing Techniques in Final Cut Pro HD", is part of the Apple Pro Training Series--the curriculum for professionals studying to become an Apple Certified Pro. And that makes perfect sense, since the book mimics Apple's famous dedication to user-friendliness. The text is clear and concise, and the pages are filled with full color photos that mirror your computer screen. In fact, the learning process glides so seamlessly that the advanced techniques you learn feel like kid stuff.

You don't just read about how to edit, you cut and modify and apply effects to the footage supplied on the DVD-ROM included with the book. You actually key out a green screen, you actually color correct poorly-lit shots to match, you actually create a piece of music with Soundtrack and animate titles with LiveType. And in the bonus lessons included exclusively on the DVD-ROM, you actually perform a batch reverse telecine with Cinema Tools and output cut lists so that if you ever edit a project that was shot on film, you're fully prepared.

What's more, the book doesn't just teach you the how, it teaches you the why. You don't just learn the 3 way color corrector filter, you learn about the basics of color itself, how the color wheel works, how hue is different than saturation, and what complementary colors are. And then you take this knowledge into various primary and secondary color correction exercises. The book even teaches you how to calibrate your monitor.

Within the steps of the longer lessons, the book also interjects small, time-saving tricks and alternate ways of performing simple tasks. So while you're discovering new and advanced techniques, you're also honing your speed and comfort with the techniques you already know.

Because of its depth of knowledge and superb presentation, "Advanced Editing and Finishing Techniques in Final Cut Pro HD" is an essential book for any self-taught editor wanting to take his or her editing to the next level.

Note the words in the title Advanced Editing. This is a book written by professional video editors for professionals or at least advanced amateurs. This is actually the same as the book Advanced Editing and Finishing Techniques in Final Cut Pro 4. If you purchased the earlier book, you don't need this one.

This book is the official advanced training course for Final Cut Pro HD. It is a detailed guide to advanced editing and finishing techniques using Final Cut Pro, as well as the three programs that come bundled with it: Soundtrack, LiveType and Compressor. The premise of this book is to build upon the base of knowledge that the reader has by providing practical, professional techniques that will be used on a daily basis.

Compressor is the program key to creating quality digital content, and Compressor Quick-Reference Guide is a quick-reference guide any user of Compressor needs. Learn about workflows, import files, take advantage of job management options, and more with a quick guide which offers up a self-paced course any Compressor user needs. A fine pick for a computer library or individual learning.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

This is the reference guide I've been looking for! Easy and very intuitive. You'll be compressing your files and learning how to get the best look using this guide. I recommend it to any one working in this field. For beginners and pros. You can't go wrong.

I picked up a copy of this book just after Walter Murch and Sean Cullen's appearance at a LAFCPUG meeting last October. At the time I thought I was buying a techdork's guide to FCP that would help me optimize my system and get it flying, but it turned out to be so much more ...

Optimizing Your Final Cut Pro System is a far more comprehensive book than its title would imply. It his a handbook of how-tos and valuable get-it-done information that make it a must-have for anyone assisting on a show using Final Cut Pro, or whose job involves supporting FCP and integrating FCP workstations into Networked environments.

That the book has the feel of an Assistant's reference should come as no real surprise. Sean Cullen, one of the lead authors of the book, has been Walter Murch's Assistant (now Associate Editor) for about a dozen years. During this time he has been responsible for convincing Murch to make the leap over to Final Cut Pro for Cold Mountain, and taking up the mantle of Final Cut Pro evangelist to the editing community at large. (The struggles and successes Murch, Cullen, and the rest of the Cold Mountain editorial team are chronicled in Charles Koppelman's book, Behind the Seen: How Walter Murch Edited Cold Mountain Using Apple's Final Cut Pro and What This Means for Cinema. An excellent read that is also available from Amazon.) This successful effort lead to the Murch and Cullen using FCP on the 2005 Sam Mendes film, Jarhead.

The first six chapters of the book are called "Using Final Cut Pro in Real World Workflows", which details offline and online workflows for both film and video projects including project setups, organization, and project distribution. This section is loaded with helpful bits of information that can help the assistant avoid many common project mishaps.

Chapter four has a very good, hands-on, Cinema Tools tutorial, which takes you through the process of importing a Flex file into the Cinema Tools Database, Importing Clips, Synching Media with the Cinema Tools database and cut list generation.

The rest of the book's eight hundred plus pages address topics ranging from system configuration and optimization to networking and Xsan Implementation, and concludes with over a hundred pages of information on troubleshooting your Final Cut Pro system.

Although I strongly endorse Peachpit's Apple Pro Training Series (having learned the fundamentals of DVD Studio Pro and Shake from other books in the series) in general, Optimizing Your Final Cut Pro System is a must-have for any professional editor or engineer using FCP on the job.

First off, finding everything contained in this book will take you on a
very long surfing safari, plus many trips to your friendly
neighborhood post facility. Save yourself some time and money,
learn how to be an expert in your field, and spend more time doing
what you love.

Second, this is Apple-certified courseware, which means that it
comes in the regular APTS lesson-based format, with lesson reviews
at the end of each chapter, and material on the DVD-ROM. There are
now instructor-led classes devoted to the subject, as more and more
facilities switch from another platform to Final Cut Pro, or move up
from miniDV to the broadcast world. Now's your chance to learn from
the masters and become one yourself.

All in all, this is one of the best books of its kind that I've read. It fits
right in with the Apple philosophy of giving power to the users. I
recommend it to all you editors who not only need to know how the
system works, but why it works that way.

I wrote my first shake node about 3 months before this dvd set came out, and only recently bought it.

I'm just through the first dvd, and already I've gotten my money's worth. It is produced very well with excellent descriptions of the base classes, as well as major member classes in the SDK. The lecturer is an apple employee and works with companies whom are developing nodes. He has examples beyond the materials that come in the Shake SDK and goes from theoretical to practical application seamlessly.

Normally on training DVDs, I watch them once, and I never have the desire to go back and watch them again, which prevents me from buying many training DVDs. This set is PACKED with information, and already I feel that I want to go back and listen to some parts again.

Be warned, if you do not know object oriented c++, then this is NOT for you. If you don't know c++, go pick up a programming book first.

I only wish that I had this dvd set BEFORE I began learning the Shake SDK.


My only real "problem" with this dvd set is that they only seem to talk about OSX development, if they incorporated more linux based development it would be better...

I cannot, however praise this product enough. If you have a desire to learn image processing, buy the Mac version of Shake 4.1, then buy this, and you'll be in heaven.

I not to experienced in C++ now, but think its very good stuff.
All step by step, with project creating on mac.

And as writen "PC only" - not only!, its DVD Video and can be viewed on big tv screen! Great :)
(text nice sized, and good readable on TV).

The book was good.I liked the whole thing and couldn't resist reading it more than one time.It is full of fun and exciting jokes.So what are you waiting for? Go and read the book and you will be sure to love it.

This is going to be the coolest April Fools day ever! Michelle has a practical joke kit filled with awesome stuff--fake bugs, disappearing ink, pepper gum, and more. And she's going to use it all. Most of Michelle's friends think her jokes are funny. But there's on person who has a plan to get even with Michelle. And if Michelle doesn't find out who it is--she's going to be in so much trouble it isn't even funny.

This book kept my 3 grandkids from quarreling in the back seat of the van! Great entertainment!

This is a great book for long car trips or just to play at home.Some activities include:mini-mysteries, mazes, crossword puzzles, where to find this, coloring pages, car bingo and many, many other fun activities.Rand Mcnally is a great activity book company.I suggest getting this book, and SOON!

Combine your love for nostalgia, art, and relaxation so wonderful it'll lower your blood pressure with Art Deco Designs Stained Glass Coloring Book. This is another amazing winner from Dover Pictoral Archive Series, and if you are a fan of Art Deco, you MUST have this book.

Copy the PAGES, and you'll be in heaven working and re-working these pages, incorporating them into other crafts projects you dream up!

I LOVE IT!

Beautiful as always! I love the Dover series of stained glass coloring books, and the Art Deco designs are wonderful.

The Art of Play is a marvelous tool to accompany any artisitic endeavor that involves actors dealing directly and intimately with their audience. I found the techniques in the book to be clear and useful. Nothing extraneous or difficult to understand. Suddenly the world of intereative improvisation makes sense to me. I would recommend this book and it's companion, "Acting Interactive Theater" to anyone who is at all involved with this very popular method of entertainment. This second book really lays out the entire rehearsal process, complete with 150 excercises to get your troupe into shape. Mr. Izzo knows what he is talking about and very obviously has the experience from which to draw his worthy opinions. I have told all of my contemporaries in the interactive theater community as well as teaching colleauges to purchase this book and put it to use immediately. Never before has a book been so clear on this particular area of theater and improvisation. Sincerely, Niomi Lundy, Artistic Director, Parade of Fools Improv and Dinner Shows, New York, NY

Yes, I'm biased. I've worked with Gary for several years. But, I have not found another book that states so clearly the goals and purpose of interactive theatre. The techinique is invaluable, whether you choose to follow as written or modify to your own style. Most importantly, the book stresses how INCLUSIVE interactive theatre should and can be. Extremely valuable to those interested in working Renaissance Festivals. I would also recommend the book to educators looking for a new, theatrical way to spark their students' curiosity.

"The Art of Play" should be the foundation upon which you build your approach to interactive theatre.

My older son (now 9) had it when he was a baby and now I am buying it for my 8 month old again.

My daughter can't do without this book. I am amazed to see how many different words she learned. I strongly recommend it to the parents.

This is a very good book. This book covers from Basic to date advances in PET. This book should be used as hand book of PET.

Positron Emission Tomography (PET) is an imaging technique that provides physicians and researchers with unique information about the body's chemistry. Unlike computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), which primarily examine anatomy, PET allows us to visualize body function.

Positron Emission Tomography is a non invasive, diagnostic imaging technique for measuring the metabolic activity of cells in the human body. It is useful clinically in patients with certain conditions affecting the brain and the heart as well as in patients with certain types of cancer. The field of PET has been quickly emerging into clinical diagnostic medicine. PET has been in clinical use since the early 1990s.

There is considerable information about PET inside this book

This Atlas attempts to distil more than five year's of clinical PET imaging, it indicate chapter after chapter, to clinicians the role of PET in improvings patient care.

In Introduction and inside the first part, readers can find some information about technical aspects of imaging and the scientific bases of nuclear physics, positron annihilation, imaging acquisition, and scanners.

In the Second part, the most important, authors comment each clinical issues. 1. Lymphoma 2. Lung Cancer 3. Breast Cancer 4. Head & Neck Cancer 5. Colorectal Cancer 6. Melanoma 7. Primary Brain tumour And Evolving oncology applications (Thyroid & para, Oesophagus, Liver, Renal...)

In the Last Part, this book talk about other applications of PET in Neurology and Psychiatrics, Cardiology Fields.

Inside each chapter, you can find important indications, suggest algorithm incorporating PET, lot of illustration B&W and color, clinical cases, and bibliography.

Most of this atlas is devoted to oncology. I was very please to read this Atlas.