Apple Pro Training Series: Shake 4 (Paperback)

by Marco Paolini (Author)
Key Phrases: node view, color correction, render parameters, Time Bar, Lesson Review, Curve Editor (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Talk about making an impact: Apple's Shake compositing and visual effects software has been used in every Academy Award-winning film for visual effects since its debut. It's no wonder that trained Shake artists are in high demand, and there's nowhere better to begin getting that training than with this fully updated (for Shake 4) and comprehensive Apple-approved guide (which includes a free 30-day trial version of this multi-thousand dollar software) Using step-by-step, hands-on instruction, Hollywood effects wizard Marco Paolini takes you through Shake's interface and features, including its color correction tools, tracking and stabilization capabilities, integrated procedural paint, powerful new floating point technology, advanced keyframing, blue and green screen techniques, rotoscoping tools, and more. As with the other titles in the Apple Pro Training series each chapter in this guide represents a complete lesson, with a project to complete, a review section, and bonus exercises to help test what you've learned. The accompanying DVD includes the lesson files needed to complete the book's projects. You can work through the book from cover to cover to get an entire course or you can go straight to the lessons that interest you most. Either way, you'll find the coverage you need to confront even the most daunting compositing and effects tasks with Shake.

About the Author
Visual effects pro and Hollywood veteran Marco Paolini is the president of Digital FilmWorks in Los Angeles. Over the course of his careeer, he has worked on a long list of major Hollywood films, which includes Anna and the King, Men of Honor, Moulin Rouge, and more. He has also received numerous Telly and Addy awards for his visual effects, commercials, music videos, and documentaries.

Product Details

• Paperback: 480 pages
• Publisher: Peachpit Press; 2nd edition (November 4, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0321256093
• ISBN-13: 978-0321256096
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 7.3 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #46,103 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Nice book for beginers and students, February 24, 2006

By	Vikas Rajput "vikas rajput" (San Francisco) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This book is really good for someone who wants to start of with shake, gives you nice intro and then takes you all the way up, this book is not only full of tutorials but it also talks about the technical side, the humor makes me feel as if I am talking to the author. Its a good buy at the price and also there is no other material available on shake, I would like to see a part 2 of this book which is for film crew (compositors) who work with real difficult challenges cause each shot is different from the other.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars revamped and bettered, January 22, 2006

By	nicola (sf, ca) - See all my reviews

It might be that I've become more adept at compositing in the year since I tackled Paolini's Shake 3 Apple Pro Training book; or it might be the new chapter ordering and (slightly) changed exercises in this new version; or maybe it's just the color photos. Whatever the case, I learned much more about Shake and how to navigate its tricky UI from this newer book. The author's off-kilter sense of humor and sincerity are still very much intact, however. Thanks, Marco!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great guide but..., February 3, 2008

By	Monica Peña "Monica" (Mexico) - See all my reviews

This is a great way to learn Shake because it guides you step by step. The thing is that you need to know theorical concepts about compositing or have enough experience in another compositing software so you fully understand what he says, because sometimes the terms are not explained, just the way to do it, so if you don't know a lot about this I suggest you to first learn a little about how compositing works.