Digital Video for Beginners: A Step-by-Step Guide to Making Great Home Movies (Lark Photography Book) (Paperback)

by Colin Barrett (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Digital video cameras have become more affordable and reliable than ever, and with the help of former television producer, editor, and cameraman Colin Barret, new owners of this hot technology can produce a memorable video right at home. Barret offers the fruits of his expertise in a thorough, practical introduction that covers it all. In addition to advice on choosing a camcorder and tips on getting the most out of its features, illustrated tutorials explain how to shoot creatively and master techniques such as point-of-view, close-ups, cutaway shots, and effective lighting. Spice up the sound by incorporating audio tracks, and find out how to create special effects. There's even a detailed description of how to set up a fully functional home editing suite.

Product Details

• Paperback: 176 pages
• Publisher: Lark Books (March 1, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1579906680
• ISBN-13: 978-1579906689
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 8.3 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #202,249 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #29 in	Books > Entertainment > Movies > Amateur Production
  #48 in	Books > Entertainment > Movies > Video > Technical
  #52 in	Books > Professional & Technical > Engineering > Telecommunications > Television & Video

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent book to learn Video Photography without the jargon, May 19, 2006

By	C. Biswas (California) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

After an extensive research I tried my luck and bought this book (as I could not preview the content), and I am really impressed with it. This is the perfect book for someone who really wants to learn video photography, as opposed to just learning to buy the greatest gadget and press the right buttons, thereby capturing worthless video.

I am an advanced amateur photographer for the last 15 years, and I know that taking good photo is 90% work of the mind - finding out the perfect frame and the perfect moment to shoot a great photograph, and 10% work of the hand to use the camera. Most of the other Digital Video books focus mostly on the later 10% aspect. Not this book - It teaches you extensively what to look for in a good video and how to get them.

The book is divided into 5 sections:-
- What you need to know about your camcorder
- Step-by-step shooting techniques
- How to shoot great home movies
- Step-by-step digital video-editing techniques
- Showing and sharing your movies

The sections about "shooting techniques" and "great home movies" are the largest in this book, and that's what I liked. The author is a professional in this field (former television producer, editor and cameraman), unlike authors of other books who are either wannabe movie producers or small movie makers. The other books instruct you to write down a storyboard on paper which is not feasible in a vacation movie or capturing unpredictable activities of your newborn. Here you will learn how to think so that you can create a great story on the fly.

This book is filled with lots of tips used by professionals, one good example is: not to use the zoom during shooting. Most professional productions do not contain zooming sequence. They take a wide angle shot to show the background, then next shot they show a close up of the subject, the zooming being done off-camera. Lots of zooming sequence is the typical sign of a poor home video.

On the whole, this is a perfect book to study before diving into the world of serious video photography.

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Covers all the basics from choosing the right camera to using it efficiently , August 5, 2005

By	Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

Whether it's your first camcorder or whether you're moving into digital video from analog, you need Digital Video For Beginners, a guide which goes beyond the owner's manual: one that covers all the basics from choosing the right camera to using it efficiently and getting great shots from vacations, events and more. The examples are quick and easy to follow whether you're reading cover-to-cover or looking for quick answers. A handy little guide which should've been packed with every digital video.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Nice Book..., June 30, 2007

By	Marco Escobar S. - See all my reviews

I liked the presentation, organization and the the printing of the book wich I consider is of the highest quality, It also has good color ilustrations and photos, I didn't find errors of any kind. But even when I'm a beginner videographer, I consider the information contained in the book is very general and the book is oriented to explain that "there are easy ways of making things..., that you can use several good applications available in the market for you..." But I would have liked the book explained: "ways of making... and the steps for finishing your projects.." I mean the book lacks of "How to...or the step by step for beginners". But in general is a good book. Please be aware of that...So you won't be disapointed.