Video Production Books

I use Shake, and for simpler stuff, Final Cut's little compositor or else and old version of After Effects.
Wright's approach to principles makes the shifts easier. He explains well.

I found the second edition to be a worthy upgrade from the already very good first edition.

For those looking for an image slice tool as used throughout the book, if you use Adobe After Effects you can get the image slice tool as part of the Test Gear plug-in for After Effects.

(Disclosure: I helped create the Test Gear product. But the image slice tool *is* a very useful tool and it's otherwise not commonly available, despite it featuring prominently in this book.)

If you've ever been on set and heard the catchphrase "fix it in post" this book is for you.

Not only is the information detailed and thorough, but also extremely readable. Some ironic asides demonstrate Wright has the experience to back up his text. He covers all levels of compositing, from basic luminance keying to green-screen/blue-screen, to color corection and matching foreground and background elements, motion tracking, alpha-channels (to premultiply or not premultiply) and the differences between film and video.

The book is not software specific, and the enclosed exercises and demonstrations can be done on most software with compositing features -- including Photoshop!

Why four stars and not five? The extra money demanded for addional exercises seems to be an unfair gouge. But the book is definitely worth the cover price! Even if you have no immediate aspirations at all to composite something, you'll at least see just how tough it can be.

Producers, Directors and Camera departments (aspiring or experienced) can all learn something here -- and with any luck they'll learn it before they light their next green/blue screen.

Too bad the cover is so damn ugly.

I bought it based on the first Edition and I wasn't wrong.
Its even better.

This is a very complete and engaging book.
It's generic enough so that you can learn a lot regardless of your software/manual tools;
But it focuses enough on certain programs, that it is still useful for those specific users as well.
It was a gift for a relative, but I spent a few hours reading before giving it away...

I like the overall value offered in this book and the coverage of topics is pretty nice. However I find the author is slightly pessimist or maybe pragmatic (who knows) and that is the biggest turnoff of this book. I hope if the author had written with a slight optimist POV it'd have been much better. Every one knows that the Film industry is pretty competitive but you don't have to be pessimist to convey the message.

This is 600 pages packed with deep analysis. It will take a while to read, but you will probably know more than many Hollywood directors by the time you finish it.

Of course like anything take it with a grain of salt. I find many of the example films he uses boring and pretentious. The kind of things praised by critics but don't mean much to audiences. He really stresses subtext and that is good because it's missing in many films, but the main story line has got to be compelling and fresh along with a good subtext to make a great film in my opinion.

This book helped me to understand the inner philosophy of cinema and its techniques. I'm a Director in film and tv industry. I tried to find resources about the art of my specialty. This book is what I wanted it's writing about Low budget film making but in a totally profecional way. I was so bored of these books writing about the "HOLLYWOOD" filmmaking standards. I appreciate that this book brings the art of Cinema in the hands of ordinary people, with no money to make the "extraordinary production" films but in people which trying to find the real essence of Cinema.

A little discouraging...but helpful. I don't think it will take nearly as long to break into the industry as a writer/director as Rabiger suggests. I think Rabiger's view is more intended for those who want to make it big in the studio production side of directing...I would definitely recommend this book as a resource and I think anyone that wants to be a director should read it....but don't take to heart too much of his pessimistic attitude towards becoming a successful director. I think if you have talent and determination, you can supersede all that "working in other areas of the industry to pay your dues B.S." Read it with a grain of salt....extract what is helpful and ignore his jaded attitude.

I have read many books on directing, and recently been directed my first project with a real budget, real crew. This book is the best for learning the production process, and covers it all in a plain-speak nuts & bolts fashion. A great resource ro prepare a director who wants to work at the professional level.

The Encyclopedia of Underground Movies (written by Phil Hall) is beyond a doubt - one of a kind. It is an exceptional take on the genre of underground films. From a filmmaker's stance, it is a realistic approach to the world of independent movies - where lines can get blurred between what actually IS an underground film and what is a Hollywood production parading as "underground".
Mr. Hall doesn't waste anytime as he defines the genre right from the get-go in his introduction. For anyone wanting to know where the lines exist between Hollywood or art house productions and the underground cinema look no further than here.
From there, the door is opened into the world of underground cinema for us. Using hundreds of movie descriptions and interviews with filmmakers who can't even afford the film they shoot on, Mr. Hall gives us a first-class look into the TRUE independent films of today. We are taken for a ride through various topics that cover the genre: from documentaries and experimental films to the low budget horror films that seem to dominate the underground universe. Aside from the filmmaking aspect, light is also cast on the distribution of these films, from theatrical, to DVD, to even internet broadcasts - no stone is left unturned.
Throughout this book, we a given a taste of underground cinema and then pointed in all the right directions as to where we can feast on the movies covered and then some. Extensive lists of top underground films and film festivals are given. And for the militant film fanatic in all of us, website links are printed throughout - giving anyone with the internet complete access to the genre. Mr. Hall takes us so in-depth, that he even highlights the collectors (not just filmmakers and distributors) of underground movies.
As I read this book, I couldn't help but smile. As a true independent filmmaker myself, I know very well, how much effort it takes to make a film and how those efforts are soon forgotten when the next multi-million blockbuster opens at the local Cineplex. What we have here is so truly special - a document that guarantees a place for the underground cinema on book shelves for years to come. The films, filmmakers, distributors, and collectors that Mr. Hall opens our eyes to would normally have disappeared into oblivion, but this book gives them all a voice and an identity.
The book wraps up with closing advice for up-and-coming underground filmmakers. This is greatly appreciated and needed in a world where inspiration usually takes a back seat to profit. I smile in the thought of how many new gems will be brought into this world after some high-school student with a camera gets inspired by Mr. Hall's words and takes that scary first step into the process of no-budget filmmaking. From that vantage point, The Encyclopedia of Underground Movies proves to be a special and welcomed addition to the world of cinema.

In a time when a great many books on so-called underground cinema exist merely to flaunt the author's ability to namedrop and ensure their place as glorified indie hacks, The Encyclopedia of Underground Movies is nothing less than revelatory. Phil Hall explores the fringes of cinema culture so thoroughly that this book is one worth returning to over and over. My life would have been much different had I not been exposed to some of the ambitious and talented filmmakers Hall mentions throughout the book (Shanti Guy, Jimmy Traynor, the unstoppable Antero Alli). Prepare to be awed.

Phil Hall's great new book on the "FRINGE PEOPLE"!  All the facts and fictions behind the true independent movie makers;  the ones that aren't financed by fat wallet investors or rich relatives.   These are the loose cannons with a camera who aren't making movies for the mainstream beehives,  but pursuing their own vision,  albeit often warped.   More eye opening than the first shot of  "Un Chein Andelou."

I'm shocked this book has gotten reviews as good as these (although at least one of the people below, josh k, appears to be interviewed in the book, so...) It's terribly written and poorly researched. After reading several chapters, I still didn't get any sense of what 'underground cinema' was supposed to be, except basically using as a word for independent cinema, as that word used to be used.

Would you like to know more about movies than what's playing this week at the multiplex? Then take an incredible journey through the world of Underground Cinema with film critic Phil Hall as your guide. Hall's first book, "The Encyclopedia of Underground Movies" will blow your mind about thousands of films "which rarely find their way to audience, media or industry recognition" - including horror films, documentaries, comedies and gay-themed films. Because you'll want to find many of the movies Hall mentions, he has included websites for the films, if available. When a website is not available, Hall provides a link to a review of the film or to the Internet Movie Database's title listing. Do you want to make an underground movie of your own? If so, Hall also gives you some helpful tips. As if all this weren't enough, Hall's groundbreaking book is as entertaining to read as it is enlightening. His "Encyclopedia" is a must-read for film buffs!

I'll tell you right now, I haven't read many books on independent filmmaking. As a matter of fact... this is the only one. Yet I still found it very useful and jam-packed with information. Merritt tells it like it is (rather quickly, of course), and doesn't try to hide the fact that filmmaking is not all show and glory. If you're anywhere near interested in producing movies, check this book out. It tells you EVERYTHING you need to know about being a producer. And if you're actually getting into movie-making already, I'd take this along as kind of a "second Bible" as a reference guide. From initial casting to distribution, it covers every aspect of the film business. My only real complaint -- and I hope it doesn't come across as much of one -- is that Merritt doesn't go into detail about techniques. This is a book on HOW TO make a movie, not on WHAT makes a movie. Does that make sense?

This is one of the best introductions I've ever read on making an independent feature film. It covers everything from writing the script to distribution in foreign markets and does so clearly, concisely, entertainingly and within 238 pages. As a film editor, I can say the chapter on editing basics is right on. The sections on money (both raising it and receiving it once your movie is distributed) are both eye-openers. It's a very realistic, honest source of information about making an independent feature.

As for criticism: Written in 1997, the book gives a pretty short shrift to DV, but it does admit that things will change. Also, it focuses primarily on features and not shorts. And at 230 pages, it's still just an introduction, but honestly, I can't think of a better introduction to give to a first time filmmaker -- who's either starting her first short or making that first feature.

Highest recommendation.

For me, this book was too general to be of any help.
The best I've read so far is FROM REEL TO DEAL.

this book covers all topics of movie productions. a must have to serious filmmakers!

After "The Blair Witch Project" and similar success stories, I was looking for a good general book on film production that included all the real dope on how the best known people have made successful low-budget movies. I was amazed by how much clear, precise info "Film Production: The Complete Uncensored Guide to Independent Filmmaking" has, such as precise budgets, deal-negotiating tips, crew member roles, distribution company reviews, and on and on. I also liked the way the book is organized. It takes you from the script and raising the money all the way through all the details of pre-production, production, and editing to selling the movie, promoting, and beyond. It answered all my questions (from stupid to tough) along the way.

Hey..just wanted to know if anyone have read the Film Makers BluePrint? I hear its really really detailed as far as the process of filmmaking at a low budget...is it better that this book? Let me know...thanks...

Don't be fooled by the title. There is precious little in this book that will be of use for the no budget independent filmmaker. If you want a truly useful and comprehensive guide on low budget independent moviemaking then I recommend "Digital Filmmaking 101" by Dale Newton and John Gaspard. The Guerilla Film Makers Handbook will be worthless to you unless you have a budget of a million dollars or more. Skip it.

first,let me mention that the book takes a great approach in giving you the facts. this is the book i've been searching for.
THIS IS NOT A GUERILLA FILM BOOK WHERE IT TEACHES YOU HOW TO SHOOT A FILM FOR $50 AND AvOIDING GETTING ARRESTED. if u want to shoot a film that way than obviously u r not prepared to shoot a good film and your script probably stinks.

If you want to get advice from people who were recently in your shoes and are now working in the industry as professionals than BUY THIS. a lot of very important things are brought up.

DEVELOPMENT, FINANCING, PRODUCTION, POST, AND DISTRIBUTION are all well explained. especially the legal aspects of things.

You want investors, well you first need to know who to handle the whole PPM manner so that you dont get sued. These types of books are all i read.

If you want to produce than read: this book+"from reel to deal"

Directing: "Directing actors"+ buy the 6 dvd set of HOLLYWOOD
CAMERA WORK which is $480 but worth every penny trust me.

If you want to write then you must buy "STORY" by robert mckee and learn how to format form any other book.

I did my homework so listem to me and stay away from film schools. they are thieves and you will come out dissapointed. read my other reviews. ONLY LISTEN TO THE INDUSTRY PROS and POSITIVE PEOPLE. EVERYONE ELSE IS FULL OF CRAP AND FILM SCHOOLS LOVE TO DISCOURAGE STUDENTS CAUse they know all 500,000 students they get every year arent going to make it. COLLEGE TEACHERS ARE MOSTLY PEOPLE WHO ARE TOO WEAK MINDED TO MAKE IT SO THEY TEACH. HAPPY FILMING AND GOD BLESS YOU.

This book is AWESOME! It covers everything you need to know to start out making a movie. The interviews are with working professionals, the majority of whom started out on guerilla films and who talk about the differences between the low budget guerilla movies and the big Hollywood blockbusters that many work on today. And peppered within the interviews are these helpful hints that give the low budget/guerilla tips on how to save money and play with the big boys when you have no money. I found this invaluable as I know I'm getting my advice and tips from the experts who have made it and not unknown filmmakers who can't move on from the doldrums of guerilla films. After having read this book I feel like I've sat down and had meetings with all of these experts and boy! do I feel informed! I'm a filmmaker who has to start out guerilla style but hope to move out of the guerilla world and into the professional world. This book gives me a guide and the inspiration. Sure it might not be easy but at least now I'm armed with everything I should know! As with all serious filmmakers, you have to actually go out there and make a movie which is obviously what the book can't do for you but it can certainly lead you in the right direction and tell you what you're up against. None of the other books out there seem to compare with this one. Thank you!!!!

i read the other reveiws on this book and bought it. then returned it. it is packed full of all kinds of great information from industry experts, which is great, but i was looking for a book on filmaking for rebel independent film makers. It seems to be written for people with LOTS of money. which i don't have. in their defense the title does not say anything about independent, which is what i assumed. when i think of guerilla i think of rebels. this book is a bit out of my league.

This book is a great place to start learning about the webcasting. It gives you all of the basic information to decide if you want to research further into the world of streaming media.

I liked this book enough to buy another of his books "The Business of Streaming & Digital Media". While I have not finished reading it I think it will be just as good.

I wanted to get a book to teach me the basics. This did the trick and was an easy read. Overall it does what I expected. I could use more techncical details, but that is for the engineer in me.

Dan Rayburn and Steve Mack are two industry veterans with incredible insight into the process and business of event webcasting. Steve brings a wealth of hands-on experience producing high profile events, and Dan knows the ins and outs of the business models and the digital media industry landscape.
This book does a great job detailing, step by step, all the things you should consider when producing your own webcast...from how to deal with contracting issues, where to place cameras and microphones, how to deal with venue staff and third party vendors, and many other practical tips.
If you want to get a head start on webcasting, this is the best book out there to get you going.

Maybe a great book for people who are not at all familary with webcasting. But if you have done one before, this is NOT for you!

I was very disappointed that advanced concepts were skimmed over in just a sentence or two. The book only covered default choices and basic setup.

Amazon asks us to rate books by stars, but when I read a book about webcasting -- especially when it purports to be a guide for beginners -- I use the "Yeahbut" scale. As in the number of times I scream "Yeah, but..." when the author(s) make some simplistic statement about a complicated issue.

I'm happy to report that the "Yeahbut" issue really never came up with this book. Scattered throughout the chapters are sidebars -- some labled "Alerts," some "Author's Tips," and others "Inside the Industry" -- that do a nice job of expanding on issues raised in the main text. Overall, the authors do a fine balancing act between being too simplistic and overloading the reader with detail.

Disclosure: Part of my job is producing webcasts, and until recently was in an academic setting where I also taught classes on the subject. I am acquainted with both authors through professional meetings and their other writings. That being said, I have no hesitation in strongly recommending this book.

What's unique about the structure of this book is that it covers both technical and business issues equally well. It's straightforward in its approach to technical matters -- lots of screenshots to illustrate settings and controls -- but it also lays out some essential considerations that are all-too-often overlooked by the beginner. Does this webcast really have to be live? What can I reasonably expect from an audience in terms of its connectivity? Can we handle this ourselves, or do we need to outsource this? Can we afford the bandwidth to do this? Folks just starting out seldom realize that getting a computer to spew out video and audio packets over the Internet is darn near the easiest thing in the world to do. Having content worth seeing, well, that's the hard part.

One of the challenges of writing about webcasting is that the subject's a moving target. Examples in the book are heavily weighted toward RealNetworks and Microsoft's Windows Media. Quicktime is covered with respect to embedding the player in web pages and creating metafiles, but is generally sold short as a streaming platform. Likewise, Flash is largely dismissed. Both decisions were reasonable at the time the book was written and released. QuickTime Broadcaster wasn't the product it is now with it's use of the H.264 codec, and Flash 8 was still some months away. I'd expect a second edition to use more examples from each of these, but the real meat of this book -- the business, video and audio production, budget and personnel considerations -- are really quite independent of the particular streaming architecture one happens to use. And, for all the hype surrounding Flash here in the Spring of 2006, Windows Media and Real are still the industry heavyweights.

There are other good books about the technical side of webcasting -- Damien Stolarz's "Mastering Internet Video : A Guide to Streaming and On-Demand Video" comes to mind as a non-Steve-Mack-authored example -- but Steve Mack and Dan Rayburn have written a unique book: a comprehensive survey of an often misunderstood topic that is both clear and immediately useful in a practical way. If you're new to webcasting, make this book one of your first purchases.

Unlike most books on the psychology of color, this one focuses on film and relies heavily on the author's personal experience teaching the subject. Useful for film students--and others.

As a student first looking into the true meaning behind film, I enjoyed "If It's Purple Someone's Gonna Die". In order to recognize the cultural significance of a film, its necessary to notice and understand the emotions that the director wishes to display which cannot always be conveyed through dialogue. Through references to films that have greatly impacted American society, Bellantoni does an excellent job of helping the reader see the crucial role color plays in film.
One of the things I enjoyed most about this work was the stress placed on the feelings and reactions of the audience when certain colors take over the screen. For example, purple, seen as a color that represents royalty from an intellectual perspective actually has associations with the noncorporal in the context of human emotion. However, I did feel that Bellantoni did not provide evidence to support many of her claims. For example, when discussing the color green, Bellantoni states that people hesitate to consume green foods or drinks because of its correlation with evil. Though this may be true, her statements sometimes seemed subjective. Statistical evidence may have made these points more effective.
Lastly, I thought that Bellantoni's work is an overall success in expressing the role color plays in film because of the connections made to the reader. Whether or not one is a film student, Bellantoni cites groundbreaking films that have had an effect on all of our lives. Many can recall the girl in the red coat in Schindler's List and our implied connection to her or the progression through the primary colors representing an emotional and intellectual journey in Malcolm X. These examples presented in the text make it possible for the reader to refer back to a film whose use of color affects them physically and emotionally. By relating to her audience, and providing memorable, relevant examples, Bellantoni makes it possible for the reader to understand the visceral effects of color in film.

As a student in a university level film-studies class, I found this text to be not only intriguingly insightful but also truly helpful in regards to one's ability to intelligently dissect a film. The only minor drawback to If It's Purple, Somebody's Going to Die is Bellantoni's steadfast determination to reference anecdotal factoids without backing them up. While her insightful commentaries on how colors make one feel and what they indicate are impressively well researched, I found her off hand references to red cars getting pulled over more than others etc. to be a bit unfounded.

In addition to the aforementioned fact dropping, it appears Bellantoni starts every chapter by calling the color in question a dual-purpose, contradictory, or multi-use color. While she does always clarify how/why these colors have the ability to produce opposite reactions from the reader, the nitty-gritty of these explanations becomes tedious (95% white yellow, 50% white yellow, 100% pure yellow etc.).

Overall, once you accept the fact that Bellantoni truly knows all there is to know about color in film, and believe me, you will after you see enough people wearing purple die, then this text becomes an invaluable resource. I'm giving it four stars as an indication of how easy it is to ignore the few downsides mentioned above. Definitely an excellent resource.

This book is definitely on the beginners side of the spectrum. (no pun intended) You're not going to learn to be a production designer just from reading it, but it's a great start to becoming more aware of the use of color in film (or comics, video games or any other visual media) to influence underlying mood of the story. And once you're aware of color's presence, you can start making educated choices on how to use color in your own work.

Although a few more pictures would've been nice, the author does a good job of taking each of the six primary & secondary colors and defining its role in general and then giving numerous specific examples of the different visual and emotional tones each color can take.

If nothing else, this book added about 8 movies to my Netflix queue.

As an instructor of film-studies, I needed a text that tackled color-theory but used terms that first-year college-students could understand (i.e. a jargon-free examination of color in film). Bellantoni's work easily fulfills this need.

Foremost, Bellantoni logically divides her chapters by color (How refreshing to find a technical-work which travels a simple path!!) Within these chapters, are references to both well-known films (ex. "The Godfather," "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs," "Saving Private Ryan," "American Beauty," "Eyes Wide Shut," "Rosemary's Baby" and "Malcolm X") as well as lesser-watched films (ex. "Mi Familia," "Eve's Bayou, and "The Caveman's Valentine"). The tremendous range of examples ensures that every reader will find a film-favorite for each color entry. (No need to worry about this being another text brimming with obscure/out-of-print works!!)

Now, let me be clear about Bellantoni's work. She emphasizes that there are both "intellectual" and "visceral" responses to color. Her text focuses almost entirely on the "visceral" (which she repeatedly states). Some detractors of the Bellentoni's find fault with her "failure" to explore the "intellectual." Nonsense. Frankly, I prefer this focused approach to a broader (potentially sloppy) work. The richness of this text would have suffered if Belllantoni felt compelled to address every possible interpretation.

While I enjoyed Bellantoni's personal anecdotes, I was occasionally frustrated by her neglecting to cite sources for a variety of evidence. For instance, when she asserts that "red cars get more speeding tickets than cars of any other color," I would have appreciated a footnote citing her source (or even providing the data)(2). Nonetheless, these were minor irritations in an overall informative work. What compensates for this "problem" is her interviews with cinematographers. These frequent "blurbs" lend credence to Bellantoni's work ... if ever you doubted the importance of color, just read a few of these inserts and you will become a "believer."

In my class we read one chapter a week ... by the last week, my students were color-masters!! The assigned films had become exercises in color-exploration ... to the point where I had to stop my class and say "Let's look at other elements also!" What this tells me is that Bellantoni's work is easily accessible to every student and genuinely exciting!! While my class has completed readings on most film elements, they inevitably want to return to Bellantoni's work on color and camp there! That kind of enthusiasm ... well, that's rare!

Thank you, Professor Bellantoni for inspiring excitement in my students! What a gift you have given to professors and students alike!!

This book is great. I have been using iMovie '08 for two weeks and had some success in brute forcing my way through the editing process. Apple makes the program basics very intuitive so my success was more due to "even a blind squirrel finds an acorn once in awhile" than skilled execution. As I got better in the editing process (stumbling upon more acorns) I would become frustrated at the "limits" of the application - such as trimming background sound tracks to pull out the sections you want to incorporate. Now, the "limits" are rapidly going away as I read the text and discover far more power and utility in iMovie than I imagined. The text is easy to read and nicely laid out to make it useful as a desktop reference.

I originally bought the book to learn iMovie '08 editing but was pleasantly surprised to find basics on how to shoot better video (great video makes the editing much easier and produces a better result). The section on iDVD was very useful as well and easily walks you through the process of transforming your movie into a DVD that will play on computers or DVD players. It was also interesting to learn about the controversy surrounding the iMovie '08 vs. '06 editions and how '08 users can get a free download of '06 from Apple to replace the deleted functions - I haven't tried this yet as I'm still discovering more of the powerful functionality embedded in '08.

In summary, this book has pushed me up the "learning curve" much faster than I would have experienced without it. I like it a lot and the people who have to watch my videos will benefit the most:>)

This is an excellent reference taking you step by step from how to use a camcorder to producing a finished movie.

I think "The Missing Manual" series are the best software guides on the market. They are easy to read, interesting, funny, and provide most of the information I want.

I could use a bit more on some complicated issues, but I think these cover 98% of what most people are looking for (myself included).

The sending the movie from iMovie to Garageband (to add Chapter Markers and background music) and then on to iDVD for burning could be a bit more descriptive in detail and why you'd choose certain options, but with this book, I figured it all out.

I own five of the "Missing Manual" series and they're all very well done. Recommended.

I seek out "how-to" books written By David Pogue they're wonderful and funny.
I've bought his books for years because they are clear, step by step information.
His humor is an added plus and makes the reading fly

Strengths: There is no CD with the book but at the website you can find additional information that can be found and utilized. The index is well done. The book includes colorful screenshots which are very readable. Helpful hints and techniques

Weaknesses: Most of the information is in regarding iMovie. Troubleshooting ideas for using iDVD are missing for the most part. These are relegated to looking into 4 areas which include discussion groups, lists, official iMovie area and Official in regard to iDVD troubleshooting. I know there is more that could have been said.

Novice/Intermediate/Advanced

Rating: 4.5/5

Introduction

No doubt about it. Since I created videos with iMovie and iDvd for my private use as well as a for business. But I have not been real happy with iDVD. I have found iMovie and iDvd 6 a mixed blessing and lacking in several ways. In many regards, I think that the radical shift to Imovie 8 from iMovie 6 is due to that many Mac users have had problems with various parts of iMovie and iDvd or both. I know this is the case for me as I have had continual problems with iDVD. And I have not been able to correct them while PC users are humming along creating their DVDs. Maybe Apple heard about this from others as well or possibly was thinking that the two products were getting too close and taking away sales from Final Cut Pro or Express. In any case, I was hoping that the author could shed some light on using these two Imovie versions to a better extent and why.

This book series is written by David Pogue, the New York Times Technology columnist. He continues to be the author at the helm of this series of books called "The Missing Manual". These series of books are self help guidebooks for learning and using software and hardware that go beyond the meager original documentation /manuals. I like some of the series of these themed books. So I thought it would be interesting to review IMOVIE 08 & IDVD missing review for several reasons.

This thick book has 448 pages and not filled with "fluff" but has page by page insights that will help you along way with iMovie and iDvd.It is divided into 5 parts spanning 21 chapters. There is a good appendix with 4 sections (iMovie 08 menus, troubleshooting, master keyboard shortcuts listing and visual cheat sheet. There is a short hand system of arrows that replaces the use of "much more text information" that guides you through the learning process and where to use the applications. Other visual aids are in color, the screenshots are of a good size and readable. Throughout the book, there are helpful tips, help boxes, notes and more. Throughout the book, there are helpful ideas in the way of tips, (up to speed, FAQ -frequently asked questions, Poweruser information, Clinic, tips , notes gem in rough hidden techniques). This is a nice way of targeting specifically helpful information without having to wade through the text (which is well written, authoritative and insightful).

Additional highlight included the following. Chapter 1, tips on recording time (p. 25) was nicely done; chapte 2 framing and rules of 3rd is something I know of with photography but this is one of the only times I have seen it spoken and used in terms of videorecording. There are 22 different ways to use weddings was very interesting. Chapte 4 is packed with various iMovei strategies using digita 8 and recording dv, importing older imovie has some good ideas ( also practical information about the cables and webcam to firewire information). Chapte 5 (p.113) includes all videoscodes and recording onto DVD. Chapte 6, includes copying, posting and deleting most wil already know but Chapte 7 Favorites, Chapte 8 transitions and Chapte 9 histograms are done very well. Interesting tips in Chapter 10 title and credits how to Chapter 11 narrative and can isntall news and effects.
Chapter 12 has photo browser tips, and great tips concerning photo browsing, fimstrips, using fade to black and therer are some nice specific hints that I would like to use. The section on power editing and power up editing is excellent. Chapter 13 moving from v8 to v6 or vica versa is is well done and helpful to many videographers who read the book. Chapte 14 has an interesting section with ideas on expert ipod, iphone, apple tv use. Chapte 16 covers iMovie to Quicktime (o.285) while Quicktim while Chapter 17 QuickTime information about using the Quicktime player.

Finally there is more about dvd use and burning in Chapter 18. Dvd has the information for two ways to burn your DVDs (OneStep or Magic iDVD). These two different methods and techniques are included in step-by-step fashion. Chapte19 make up slide show while Chapte20 talks about the using of themes. Should you want to work with scripting, Chapter 21 is for you.


Conclusions

The frank discussion about iMovie O8 "hits you in your face". You know that this is a radical new "upgrade" in many ways but why this was done is really a mystery. You will have to make up your mind whether to use either iMovie version or like many , both. Solid, informative and packed with techniques, hints and ideas, this book is a great resource despite the new versions.

The Missing Manual is for those trying to make sense of this new shift and in that way this book has hit the mark. The screenshots, visuals and tips, techniques and other notes are well done and insightful. There is a six page section on working with iMovie 6 and iMovie 8 and while it is okay, I think it should have involved more troubleshooting information especially on the pros and cons and on transfering to iMovie 8. I would have liked to have seen a listing, when not to use iMovie 8 in plain language. Overall I think this book at well done but the proof in the pudding will be whether iDVD and iMovie work better for me and others. To get there you have to try and try again. This book may help you solve some of the short comings now and in the future for iMovie and/or iDvd. If IMOVIE 08 & IDVD Missing Manual can't help, it might be time to switch to another video editor and DVD burner. Time to read the book, try out the new version and see if you want to try it , use both or use the older versions.

New edition of a classic textbook by a well-known expert. Quite theoretical but very instructive. People take too many pictures unthinkingly, and should read on theory.

This book takes you--step by step with clear and often startling examples and with exercises to apply them--through the fundamentals of perception. That is the most basic of a photographer's necessary skills. Understand the concepts, practice seeing, do the exercises, understand your perceptions. Become a better photographer and, in the process, enrich your daily life as you see and understand your world in new ways. Highly recommended.

I know that I will draw a great deal of critique for this review, but personally i did not find this book worth my time.

For how well it might be written, for how easy and understandable the examples might be, for how precisely documented it is, it does not have what I was looking for in it: a partly theoretical and partly practical toolbox to expand my creativity when I create an image.

The text is, as I said in the title, little more than a collection of well-catalogued, wide-ranging information regarding different fields of perception. Some of them are overly and uselessly technical, some are little more than tautologies, few are actually useful or stimulating. I could not find any reference, for instance, to "the rule of the thirds" (which might not be the ultimate principle of composition but is still an important starting point) but on the other hand there were more than a dozen paragraphs on colour notations and names, constantly moving between the obvious, the superfluous and the merely technical.

On a sidenote, I do not understand why American writers in general assume that their readers have the attention-span of a goldfish and try to fit everything they have to say on an argument in half a paragraph, only to start a completely new one immediately after. It doesn't help, it creates unacceptable over-simplifications.
Teaching is not made of putting on the table individual information, sweetened by a profusion of quotes and aphorisms. Teaching is a sequential activity, it involves a long propaedeutic phase, it entails the creation of foundations and builds upon them to get in the end to the real content. A book that teaches well cannot be accessed randomly at any page without missing any context. Useless to say, this one can.


Andrea B., Verona

Encyclopedic in scope, but equally shallow and choppy.

This is a textbook. Illustrations are student grade, margin notes are random, and exercises are strained. May be useful if you never took a basic design class or thought much about perception. Book gives a survey, oriented toward defining terms and concepts, but it never takes them anywhere.

While it is true this book is somewhat erroneously subtitled WRT to the Photography bit -it is relevant not only to photographers but also painters, illustrators and others- there is a wealth of information presented in a detailed and well-illustrated manner. This book covers everything from color relationships and meaning, to "geometric" fundamentals such as symmetry and gestalt grouping, to the human physiology behind why some things appeal to our eye and others do not.

In short the book provides not only examples of what works in photographic composition (or a painting's composition), but explains *why* it works, without boring you to tears with a doctoral thesis in every chapter. Some books (such as Itten's color tome) do exactly this and it makes them almost painful works to finish, even though the information is valid. It provides just enough scientific context to give understanding, and then gets out of its own way by providing real-world illustrative examples (be they photos, drawings or illustration) to demonstrate the current concept.

And there *are* many references to things specific to photography such as a sub-section on color management systems and how color is controlled in the digital world. Is it the same as reading one of Bruce Fraser's works on color manegment? No, but it gives you enough to put it in context and understand why it's important. So it is with all the other chapters in the book. Highly recommended if you are an art student or photography student, or even a professional looking to hone your skills.

Independent filmmaker of 12 years' experience Michael Slone presents Special Effects: How to Create A Hollywood Film Look on a Home Studio Budget, a guide especially for small-time filmmakers on a tight budget. Chapters walk the reader through how to apply advances in technology, especially computer technology, to give life to one's dreams and dress up one's films with eye candy. Full-color photographs on high-quality paper illustrate what is possible, while assorted computer screenshots help underscore the nuts and bolts of the step-by-step instructions. Additional insider information from professional and Emmy Award-winning special effects artists round out this absolute "must-have" supplementary resource for aspiring, novice, and independent filmmakers.

This book is especially good for student film-makers, who will be inspired rather than intimidated by the art of special effects production; the book makes impressive illusion possible with little money necessary and with resources already available in many people's homes. If the reader is serious about film-making, they've met the only requirement needed to create worthwhile special effects.

I bought this book for my son, who is an attorney and wants to learn filmmaking as a hobby. I'm impressed by the photos and artwork, which take readers step-by-step through each phase of the projects. I ended up reading the book myself, and I can see it's all my son will need to get started. I recommend this book for all novice filmmakers.

My first attempt at special effects was doing stop-motion animation with an 8mm camera that was not equipped for stop-motion animation. The results were, well, terrible. My second attempt was cutting out a cardboard "Star Wars" tie-fighter, attaching a stick to it, poking it through a star filled sky backdrop (black cardboard with holes punched in it) and then to film the tie-fighter straight on with someone yanking and turning the stick in hopes to show "movement." In this case it looked like the tie-fighter was attached to a stick and shaken back and forth.

If you want to create REAL special effects, this book is for you. Mr. Slone does an excellent job of going through the various special effects you might want to attempt. Some as easy as: "Rent a fog machine." And others as complicated as: "Once you have downloaded your image, pull it up on the computer and going frame by frame you..."

Where this book excels, though, is in it's presentation and content. It goes far beyond the "physical effects" and "digital effects" and talks about careers in the field, working with sound effects even starting your own home studio.

The book is also FULL of websites, resources and contact information. The book also includes full page graphics showing, step-by-step, how to do some of the basic effects (gun shot, teleporting, light saber) that would impress your friends and neighbors.

The only complaints I have with the book are these: I would have liked a section on how to make break-away furniture. He notes where to order break-away glass, but a section on furniture - either how to make it, or where to buy it, would have been helpful. And it would have been a huge added bonus to provide a DVD with either actual step-by-step film clips, demo versions of software, or other types of media that could possibly better explain the ideas and concepts laid out in the book.

Still, those are minor complaints. This is an excellent book/resource guide.

Arguably the biggest revolution in filmmaking in the last decade has taken place in the field of special effects. CGI has irrevocably changed the way movie magic is created, and thanks to advances in computer technology many home users now have access to the same software used in Hollywood. So, in principle, professional-quality special effects are now within anyone's reach. The only question is: how does the budding SFX-enthusiast get started?
This is where Mike Slone's book comes in. Squarely aimed at the beginner, it details a number of the most common special effects used in filmmaking. Of course, not everything is done with computers, so the first part of the book concentrates on physical effects. These include creating fake blood and bullet hits, rain and snow, fake glass, disappearing tricks, the use of prop guns, smoke, dry ice, bullet and arrow hits and models and miniatures. Each of these techniques is explained in a clear and practical fashion, although if you intend to get into modelling, you'll obviously need to look for further detailed information.
The book then goes into digital effects, including green screen, gun flashes, and light sabres. There are extensive tutorials on each of these using Adobe Premiere Pro. The final chapters include interviews with a few SFX professionals and provide tips for starting your own FX company if you're so inclined.
Veteran SFX people probably won't find much that is new here, but anyone starting out in the field couldn't wish for a better introduction.