Customer Reviews

Digital Video For Dummies

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

Kudos to Martin Doucette! I've been waiting for a recognizable personality to write a good beginner's book for Digital Video.

I always try to use the "...for Dummies" books in my classes because I think that they talk in plain English and lay a basic foundation for learning to take place. It's easy for the beginner to start at the beginning of the book and for the more advanced student to jump to what they need.

Digital Video for Dummies is no different. I'm using the book for the included software and its explanation of non-linear editing, but it is also a good refresher for my students on shooting and lighting.

Anyone that teaches digital video production should give this book a second look as a text. People who want to break into digital video production should use this as their bible.

While this book was certainly needed, it misses the fact that there are several capture devices, editing programs, and the like. Sticking with Adobe's Premiere, which has gradually become an inferior product at a very high price, makes this book really more for wealthy dummies, rather than the masses. Ignoring the importance of broadband webstreaming, missing most of the audio component, and approaching this subject with so much emphasis on Adobe means that this book really should be called Adobe media products for rich dummies. He completely ignores the Mac world, I edit on both Mac and PC. The fact that he also ignores shooting techniques for the majority of applications, and several other basics tells me that the book was thrown together predominantly on the basis of rewriting Adobe's manuals for them. How many people can afford 2500.00 just for the Adobe products that he continually points to, when there are dozens of other, equally or more popular formats at a substantial savings? Just visit any DV chatroom and you'll see what I mean. The book definitely imparts some great information. However, it's great information that the average dummy can't use, or has to really think hard to figure out how the information applies to his world.

I generally shy away from "Dummies" books because they are steep with inconsequential humor and sparse with actual practical content. This book proved me wrong. Completely new to the Digital Video world, this book spoke to my level and without insult or time wasted. I would recommend this book for newcomers to this growing field.

Some people are turned off by the title "Digital Video for Dummies," but if you have ever used one of the "for Dummies" series, you will find that perhaps the title should be "Digital Video for People Who Don't Know Anything About It." That doesn't scan well on a book cover, though.

The book covers everything from equipment to technique. It is quite thorough, considering its size, barely over 300 pages. There is some truncated software included to get you started on digital editing.

Simple clear explanations of the differences between digital and analog video are included, as well as the different formats that exist and the relative merits of each.

You could definitely save money on your first purchases of equipment by getting this book before you decide what to buy.

This is the most down to earth and comprehensive book i've read on video production. I wish they had this when I was taking video production in college. this book is a necessity for both the professional and the parent that wants to edit their child's birthday party. I learned as much in these few pages as I had earning a bachelors degree. If this had been published back in the 90's I wouldn't have lost all that money to tuition.

I really meant to give this book a review earlier. If you are new to digital video, then this book is a great place to start. I think the people who have said they learned nothing from this book are either already well versed in the workings of digital video, or are being overly critical (perhaps a bit of both?). If you are wondering what the difference between DV and Betacam SP is, what all the hype is about NLE or how you can use programs like Photoshop and Illustrator to enhance digital video, its all in the book. However, its not a manual for every aspect of digital video. Instead, its an overview of digital video's potential, and will give you ideas to get you going in the right direction. The CD ROM that comes with the book is actually very good, but again, only if programs like Premiere and After Effects are new to you. The tutorials are fun and practical, and very easy to follow. Like any good book, this one will leave you asking even more questions than when you started, but you will be asking better, more specific questions!

I want to start by telling you that this is a good book. I am a computer professional but DV novice, I was looking for a fast-track book to DV. This book nailed it. Many things I needed to learn about lighting, camera function and composition are to be found in this book. The book speaks in general terms about all things pertaining to cameras and shooting. However, the book begins to fall short when it comes to editing. It is too focused on Adobe software that it shifts from conceptual knowledge to simplistic tutorials.

If you are looking for a gentle introduction to digital video concepts this book is for you. But, if you are looking for an education in digital editing I would look into some other book.

While this book has some useful information, the author seems to go out of his way to avoid helping Macintosh users. Given the popularity of the iMac DV and G3/G4 Macs with built-in firewire, it would make sense to at least have some pictures and/or commands to use this with the MacOS. In addition, the CD is not compatible for use with same. Most of the books I have on Adobe products recognize that at least half (or more) of the users of Photoshop, Premiere, etc., are Mac users and manage to give information helpful to both Mac and Windows users with little difficulty. Apparently, this is beyond the capability of Mr. Doucette.

I purchased this book with high hopes based on my previous experience with the "dummies" series. Unfortunately, the author seemed to deliberately avoid helping Mac users, and concentrated too much on Adobe products. I am a beginner, with lots of VHS-C tapes that I want to digitize and clean up. I have had some early success with the XLR8 "Interview" digitizer, with Strata's Videoshop on my Mac G3, and wanted to learn more. When the author sticks with basics, it is fine, but when he concentrates on PCs to the neglect of Macs, and on Adobe's Premier to the neglect of others, he has lost me.

I am surprised this book didn't get better reviews. I found it very helpful. I am trying to learn more on the subject of DV and it was packed with important information on things like lighting and equipment. Things you wouldn't know unless you studied DV post production. I would definitely recommend this for the aspiring beginner videographer.