How to Do Everything with Your Digital Video Camcorder (Paperback)

by Dave Johnson (Author), Rick Broida (Author), Todd Stauffer (Author), Chad Fahs (Author) "How to Do Everything with Your Digital Video Camcorder..." (more)
Key Phrases: Pinnacle Studio, Clip Viewer, Title Editor (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Wow! This great guide is packed with juicy tidbits on cameras and video techniques. Get updates on new camera models, new software, new imaging technology, and new buying recommendations. Learn tips and techniques for taking great pictures whether you're a beginner or a pro. Includes new projects, special effects and techniques for editing and using digital photos.

From the Back Cover

Whether you aspire to produce award-winning documentaries, shoot a television commercial for your business, capture the kids for all eternity, or just whittle your Hawaiian-vacation video to a tolerable length, you've come to the right book. With technical savvy and user-friendly language, authors Dave Johnson, Todd Stauffer, and Rick Broida show you the essentials of operating digital camcorders and using software to perform remarkable feats of moviemaking. You don't need a Titanic-sized budget, a degree in film production, or even a lot of technical know-how. You just need a camcorder, a computer, some video editing software, and a copy of How to Do Everything with Your Digital Video Camcorder.

• Capture beautiful digital video
• Find the right video editing software for Windows or Macintosh
• Prepare your computer for digital video production
• Convert existing analog video for use in your computer's video editor
• Grab still images and animate stills with pans and zooms
• Trim and reposition your clips, split scenes, and add transitions and visual effects
• Learn professional techniques to modify your shots and improve visual interest
• Add sound effects and a soundtrack to your movie
• Show off your production by exporting to many popular formats, including DVD, StudioOnline, and QuickTime

About the authors:

Dave Johnson is the author of the best-selling How to Do Everything with Your Digital Camera and three-dozen other books. He writes for PC World magazine and is editor of Mobility Magazine.

Todd Stauffer is the best-selling author of all three editions of How to Do Everything with Your iMac, the author of Get Creative! The Digital Video Idea Book, and the originator of the How to Do Everything series. He's also worked as a cable television host, writer, and producer.

Rick Broida is the author of several How to Do Everything series titles, including How to Do Everything with Your GPS. He is also the founder and editor of Handheld Computing, a magazine for users of PDAs, MP3 players, digital cameras, and other handheld devices.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 464 pages
• Publisher: McGraw-Hill Osborne Media; 1 edition (December 9, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 007223069X
• ISBN-13: 978-0072230697
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 7.4 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #474,819 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Practical, informative, useful book for..., June 7, 2004

By	Stephen Armstrong (Hadley, Ma USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

...beginners and intermediates.

I found this book very useful, full of technical details and practical information. It covers items from preparing your computer to preproduction (story boards, etc.), editing, using slideshows, sound, titling, and post-production. Information about the technical qualities of digital video cameras was also very helpful.

After a year, this book may be out of date, but for right now, I think it will help beginners and intermediates. I found it more useful than Ed Gaskell's The Complete Guide to Digital Video, because Johnson et al. were more practical and direct.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars For Extreme Newbies Only, April 1, 2007

By	Gregory Forest "BAKslider" (Red State, TX USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

More fluff than content and they are using a product that is popular I guess but hardly video editing standard. If you know anything about digital video you don't need this. If you are a complete newbie and using Pinnacle products, I recommend reading your manual before you buy this.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic video education, January 9, 2007

By	P. Colton (Springfield, VA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

If you want to learn the basics, and beyond, of filming, editing and rendering your video, home or semi-professional, buy this book. The guys, mostly Dave Johnson, that put this together write in a style and format that is fun, entertaining, and easy for a novice to understand. They have done an excellent job of producing a book that carries you step by step through the wonderful world of videography. I read a lot of books to gain knowledge about different subjects and I wish everyone wrote the way these guys do. Their title explains exactly what you can expect. Buy it!