Customer Reviews

Creating Hollywood-Style Movies with Adobe Premiere Elements 7

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Let me start this review by stating that Carl Plumer's prior book Hollywood Special Effects with Adobe Premiere Elements 3 (HSE PE3) is my favorite software application "How-to" book, ever. If there was a 6 star rating I would give it to the HSE PE3. When I first heard about "Creating Hollywood Style Movies with Adobe Premiere Elements 7" (CHSM PE7) by the same author, I bought it without any review, because I thought, if it was anything like HSE PE3 with new effects it would be worthwhile. Because the book had a slightly different name and due to the fact that the cover photo was not like any effect in the previous book, I was hopeful that this would be more like a Vol. 2, rather than a rewrite for PE7. If you haven't guessed, that's the disappointment, it's a rewrite. Now, don't get me wrong, there are new effects in CHSM PE7; just so few, that for owners of HSE PE3, you may want to save the $30 (especially in this economy:-)).

However, I'm happy to say though that the new version is as richly illustrated as that previous version (obviously for Premier Elements 7). The literal 1, 2, 3 stepped version points out for virtually every step, and doesn't assume you know or remember a technique that you learned in a prior chapter. So, if you don't have HSE PE3, and are looking for a great step-by-step guide to PE 7 this book will fit the bill.

If you can make the PE3 to PE7 transition (by the way, there is no such thing as Adobe Premier Elements version 5 or 6, so it is not such a dramatic change as it sounds from the last book) it is pretty much the same book for the user. To Carl Plumer and Paul Ekert's credit, all the illustrations and graphics are different (after all it is a new version), and I'm sure the authors felt like they were creating a new book. But a side-by-side comparison shows the similarity between the two books:

CHSM PE 7 -->Same as HSE PE3
Ch. 1 Adding a WOW Factor -->Ch. 1
Ch. 2 Using Color and Motion -->Ch. 2
Ch. 3 Narration, SmartSound, and Sound FX -->Ch. 2 (end)
Ch. 4 The Star Wars Title Effect -->Ch. 3
Ch. 5 Creating the PiP (Picture-in-Picture) Effect -->Ch. 11
Ch. 6 Using Preset Effects -->Mostly new some Ch. 8 & 9
Ch. 7 Custom Building a Movie Look -->Some new, some Ch. 2 & 9
Ch. 8 The Passing of Time Effect -->New clip, same as Ch. 4
Ch. 9 Fast Times -->Ch. 5
Ch.10 The Power of the Force-Reversing Time -->New clip, same as Ch. 6
Ch.11 The Hidden Identity Effect -->New clip, same as Ch. 14
Ch.12 #$% Word Removal-The Bleeping Effect -->New clip, same as Ch. 15
Ch.13 The Night Vision Effect -->Ch. 13
Ch.14 The Beam Me Up Effect -->Ch. 12
Ch.15 The Sinister Ghost Effect -->New clip, same as Ch. 17
Ch.16 Working with Clones! -->New clip, same as Ch. 18
Ch.17 Lighting Up Light Sabers -->New!
Ch.18 The Enchanted Elf Effect -->Ch. 16
Ch.19 The Nightly News Effect -->Ch. 10
Ch.20 The Super Hero Effect -->Ch. 19
Ch.21 Creating a Movie Trailer Using Instant Movie -->New!

The "Look Inside" preview was not available before I purchased this book (now it is), but all in all, this is another fine book, and if I didn't already have Carl Plummer's HSE PE3 I would have nothing to complain about. But, because I would have rated HSE PE3 a 6 star, and I probably should rate CHSM PE7 a 4 star, the two average to a 5 star for both.

I had purchased a similar book by the same author for an earlier version of Premiere Elements. I believe it was for version 3.
So when I upgraded to Premiere Elements 7 I decided to buy his latest book thinking it would contain new projects and new information.
Alas, most of the projects are exactly the same or nearly the same as the projects in the previous book.
So, if you don't have this author's book for an earlier version, then I can highly recommend this book. But if you have the previous book and are looking for new projects, then I would pass on this.

Instead of explaining the features of the the Photoshop/Premiere 7 bundle, which Steve Grisetti's latest book does so well, this is a profusely-illustrated learn-by-doing book.

Personally, I am interested in almost none of the Special Effects ("The Star Wars Special Effect," etc.) to which most of the book's chapters are dedicated, however, I still found the book to be a value at about thirty dollars, and here is why: There was enough new information, for me, in just the first two chapters, on the creation of titles, to make it worth that much. There is an excellent discussion of Motion Paths and Keyframes in Chapter 2 which I found VERY informative and useful for my work.

In addition, although I do not use it, the information on Smartsound and Sound FX in Chapter 3 was good to know.

Still another informative chapter, although I do not use the Videomerge function, is Chapter 10, including pp. 152-153, "Working with Green Screen Footage."

Lastly, the included CD contains some valuable materials.

I'm findng that, by using the built-in PRE 7 Help menu (NOT the online version) plus Grisetti's latest book and this book, I have all the movie-making skills that I need for my type of work, which is the creation of "music video," slide shows set to music.

A couple of years ago I purchased "Hollywood Special Effects" for PE3. I love this book it has the greatest tutorials. I have used it over and over. Carl Plumer you are the best!
A month ago when Amazon was selling pre-release copy of Carl Plumer's "Creating Hollywood Style Movies" for PE7, I said, I must have this. I wanted to see what NEW tutorials, NEW material I could discover with this NEW book. I was all excited.
Then I received the book earlier than Amazon estimated (Amazon is great).
I opened the NEW book and to my amazement I discovered that "Creating Hollywood Style Movies" is virtualy the identical book as "Hollywood Special Effects". Same book but with diffect Title and different Cover. This new book should have been called "Hollywood Special Effects PE7 edition". No new material unless you only care about PE7.
My recomendations: If you own "Hollywood Special Effects" Save your money, skip buying "Hollywood Style Movies". It will just gather dust.
If you DO NOT own "Hollywood Special Effects". DO buy "Creating Hollywood Style Movies. It should be a great book.

I spent money on this thinking it was a different book as it had a completely different title. Buyer beware.

Use the basic Adobe Premiere Elements program and add a professional look to movies using Creating Hollywood Style Movies with Adobe Premiere Elements 7, a survey of the basics using step-by-step project examples to producing professional results. From syncing clips and matching audio to video to adding music, creating scrolling titles, and animating and cropping to create illusions and special effects, Creating Hollywood Style Movies with Adobe Premiere Elements 7 is a 'must' for any who would use the program to produce movies.