Customer Reviews

Desktop Video Studio Bible : Producing Video, DVD, and Websites for Profit

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

If you do any kind of creative work, you will instantly realize that Desktop Video Studio Bible is about more than desktop production tools. It does make its central case better than any other current book: that the creative professional is now empowered with numerous inexpensive ways to compete in the world of print, video, CD-ROM, DVD and web site productions. That all of these products may be cut from one fabric is an exciting concept, and a new one. That many of the specialized tasks involved in such production can now be done by one person should be an eye-opener to many. It is the first purpose of George Avgerakis' book, and rates my 5 stars for bringing this Renaissance Person approach to a field that has been highly segmented in the past. He does a great service in all technical portions of this book by explaining key factors in desktop technologies, and presents enduring methods and concepts that can "ride" these several evolving technologies.

But occasionally a book rates more than five stars for achieving its purpose. Occasionally a book, while doing its main task admirably, tackles a much larger universe:It helps make sense of human beings and their dealings. What the real Renaissance Producers do, according to Avgerakis, is learn to create market outreach, sell themselves, make estimates, collect bills, write contracts, keep a good reputation, and in general fight the good fight that is the true subtext of all creative work. I have been in similar enterprises, and some not so similar, and this second aspect of the book is what truly sets it apart. The principles he sets forth for finding work, for managing client relationships, and for running a business as life and life as a business, give this book its larger -- and timeless -- dimension. What is ever so clear is that Avgerakis has been there, done that, in what should be called the Great American Adventure.

Even though I have over 16 years experience in the video industry, this book has given me the tools, advice and motivation that I'll need to finally realize my dream of owning my own media creation business.

Not only is the book extremely informative, it has a very readable and enjoyable writing style that made me feel as if the author were speaking directly to me. If you have even the slightest interest in getting involved in digital video production and/or web production, you need this book!

Desktop Video Studio Bible should be re-titled The Complete Idiots Guide to starting out in video production and taking it to the limit!

George Avergakis has achieved what many have previously tried, but failed. George has created a technological how-to guide that reads as if you were sitting down and shooting the breeze with a good friend over a cup of joe. Well, a couple cups anyway (after all the book is 386 pages excluding the Epilogue and Index).

I have personally been in the video production business for 15 years. As a seasoned professional, I thought I had seen it all, done it all. Well, I must admit, my copy of Desktop Video Studio Bible is already dog-eared, highlighted and given a prominent home right next to my computer monitor (for quick and easy access).

One of my many responsibilities at B&H Photo-Video includes managing our booths for the many different video trade shows that we participate in every year. Many of the trade show attendees that I meet rely on my experience to help them solve some of their every day studio problems. Well, George has opened a whole new door for me to access with exciting ideas and solutions. My hat is off to you George on a job well done and for helping to make my job that much easier.

James MacFadden
Trade Show Coordinator/Technical Writer
B&H Photo-Video, Inc.

First of all let me say, this is from the perspective of web site design as this book is supposed to cover Video, and Web Site production. This book is a great overview book for multiple industries and is a very easy read. However, it lacks the detail I was expecting in regards to how he actually runs his company.

First of all he talks about how to get your first job, basically all common sense that you should already know if you've worked in the business world more a few weeks. Then he talks about actually starting the business and dealing with clients, a few helpful hints here that could be summorized in 5 pages instead of the 70 pages or so these two sections fill mostly with just common sense information again. Next he talks about budgetung and bidding for contracts, which could be helpful for a video studio but not much here for web site companies as he fails to go into any detail on project management and actually tracking progress and time spent.

The following chapter is about legal issues, a good read that will get you up to speed in legal matters pretty quick. Chapter 8 leads you into how to actually setup your web site studio and what equipment to buy. Very, very vague, mainly just covers audio equipment, not much information on web design at all. The final chapter is about managing your crew, subcontracting, and getting paid. A pretty good, interesting chapter to read.

In summary, this book is a pretty good overview of how to prepare to get your first client, but it is mainly common sense. It would have been better labeled "Desktop Video Studio Overview: Helpful Suggestions of How To Get Started In the Video, and DVD Industry" and leave out the web sites part as web sites are just an afterthought in the book.

I am an instructor at advanced multimedia classes at a Business School close to Copenhagen, Denmark. I've been around for a while and have been working with 3D, animation, database programing and webdesign and I have also read parts of this book with great excitement and can't wait to finish it. This is a book that has been a demand for on the Danish market for several years...and now it is here. Wonderful. I particularly like the very direct and bold way it describes how the future entrepreneurs should behave on the market in order to survive. Conclusion: the absolute BEST step-by-step book ever written on the topic and a must for anyone going into the media business.

One of the best career-related reference books I've read! This book really got my wheels turning. The information is laid out in a straightforward way which makes this book a pleasure to read and easy to comprehend. The author covers everything from creating demo reels to client relations, explains legal issues and advises on current technology. He gets the point quickly and gives you the bottom line. All that is well and good and the information is well thought out and insightful. But what really makes this book stand out from the rest is that the author infuses all this information with a mindset and a philosophy that is essential to being successful with clients no matter what your business is. I highly recommend this book!

George Avgerakis was one of the first people I came across in my career. A decade ago, he understood the value of videography and how digital media production would revolutionize an industry belabored by high cost production and exclusivity attainable by only a select few. With the release of the Desktop Studio Bible, he imparts his knowledge to readers, videographers, entreprenuers, and dreamers of all ages and levels. I was lucky enough to get trained by him personally, but finally now the masses can benefit from his wisdom. This is a great book, and I would recommend it to any student of communications and any one who ever looked at a video camera and thought, "What if?...." The best part about George Avgerakis is that he knows so much, and he knows how to share that information so that anyone could understand it. His humor and experience is apparent throughout the book. This book is a must-read. The book is especially recommended for communications professors to include in their courses if they really want to help their students be prepared for the real world.

This is a good book, that covers a lot of info. It also holds up as a book, and not just a how-to. All the info in this book is good info, but it is better suited for large markets. Don't expect to be able to read this book and be able run a business right of the gates, but at the same time this will help get you on the right track. Get this book, it is a good look into how someone got into the business and was able to make it work for a long time.

A great book that gives you the important information you need to run your own production company! I don't know of another title that actually tells you how to get the work that will support your financial needs. After all, you have to have work coming in the door or else...

"Desktop Video Studio Bible: Producing Video, DVD, and Websites for Profit" by George Avgerakis provides a roadmap for setting up and operating your own desktop video studio, covering both the powerful new tools and radical new business models created by digital technology.