Product Details

• Actors: Aleks Monahan, WEB|CMS Squad
• Directors: WEB|CMS Squad
• Format: NTSC
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Number of discs: 1
• Studio: Stallion Press Group
• DVD Release Date: August 8, 2008
• Run Time: 120 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B001EDRPOG
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #199,602 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars So much more than I expected. Very pleased!, January 6, 2009

By 

Robert Hebron "Avid reader" (Arizona) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: How to Theme WordPress: From Blank To Beautiful in 2 Hours (from webcmssquad.com) (DVD)

I bought this DVD based on seeing various free/promotional clips from the same DVD on the 'Net.

Highly recommended. I expected just to learn about the workings of a Wordpress theme so I could modify other people's themes -- but instead, after watching this DVD a few times (and letting it run all day, on repeat, in the background while i was working), I know have an excellent grasp of CSS and have built my OWN themes -- instead of modifying others and not being satisfied with the results.

The first half of the DVD explains the workings of basic CSS, so if you already know HTML and have wanted to learn CSS, I can' think of a better start than this DVD. It's a fact Wordpress themes rely heavily on CSS, so even if you may not like learning something new, what you learn about CSS from this DVD will be extremely valuable.

The second half of the DVD covers theme creation from beginning-to-end (and it includes very specific information on a lot of Wordpress features that many web-based tutorials leave out).

If you learn visually and have tinkered with Wordpress themes at the source level (even if you didn't know exactly what you were doing, meaning trial and error) then this DVD will be one of your BEST purchases ever. You will learn a lot! Everything is broken down step-by-step and the results/changes are highlighted on the video in real time so you can actually SEE the results.

BTW, I did not buy any Wordpress theme-related books to go along with this DVD. The DVD is enough. You don't need to buy an extra book, IMHO.

In sum: How to Theme WordPress: From Blank To Beautiful in 2 Hours by Aleks Monahan is highly recommended. This is one computer-related resource that won't simply sit on the shelf unused or unviewed --- you'll be very happy with this DVD.

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars The presentation is terrible... but it has a few good tidbits., March 12, 2009

By 

Alexander Toth (Michigan) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: How to Theme WordPress: From Blank To Beautiful in 2 Hours (from webcmssquad.com) (DVD)

Let's start with the negative... This DVD is overpriced. For $35 I expect more. I have seen homemade videos on YouTube that have way better quality and I am not talking about the new HD vids. This video is grainy and the design sample as well as the wallpaper colors used in this presentation are absolutely horrible. I mean, it's bad. It is so bad, it is distracting to the viewer. Now I understand that this is not a presentation focused on the design process but the title of the DVD includes the phrase, "from Blank to Beautiful." C'mon, it wouldn't have taken much to improve in this area. If the author of this presentation would have considered the viewing experience for more than 5 mins, they would have definitely picked better colors than bright yellow, orange, red, etc in the design. The end result is an ugly, ugly, ugly presentation.

Another problem I have is how they approached the process of coding the theme. Why lose the flexibility of the header and footer template files on the other pages?? That is just ridiculous. The author needs to go back to the drawing board and revamp this presentation using competent programming logic.

Next, at the end of the vid, you are left with Wordpress on your local server and your pants down around your ankles. No discussion of the process of uploading or installing Wordpress on your web host. It just ends abruptly.

Lastly, I can't stand listening to Aleks' voice. It's very annoying to have to listen to her for more than a few minutes. Some people just aren't cut out to do voice-overs.

Now for the positives... If you need to install a local server, you will get an easy walk thru. Aside from that, there are a few tidbits here and there that may be found useful. The rest is disappointing. Hold your breath for the next "Advanced" DVD.

If you have any grasp of XHTML/CSS and/or slicing a PSD, you will find the entire first hour utterly useless. After that, you may find yourself arguing with the presenter on a few issues. This DVD was not advertised as a beginner level presentation. It is for newbies only.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Buy this one with Tessa Silver's "WordPress Theme Design", December 12, 2008

By 

Mike (San Jose, CA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: How to Theme WordPress: From Blank To Beautiful in 2 Hours (from webcmssquad.com) (DVD)

I agree with the reviewers who recommend purchasing this together with WordPress Theme Design: A complete guide to creating professional WordPress themes. Aleks Monahan takes a straight-forward, direct approach, and gets right into it. There's no fluff, just two hours of straight-ahead teaching. If you're familiar with the training videos on Lynda.com, you'll know what to expect here. Monahan explains that the "screen shots with narration" approach works best because her intention is to give as much value and teaching as possible. I've seen it done both ways...including training videos in which the camera spends half the time focused on the smiling faces of the hosts. I prefer Monahan's approach.

You are told at the beginning that Web | CMS Squad is already working on the advanced edition of this DVD. I agree with Monahan when she states that you need to be familiar and comfortable with the concepts before you tackle design masterpieces. If you want the basics, they're here. If you want to start cranking out blogs that are inspired by the advanced CSS masters in The Zen of CSS Design: Visual Enlightenment for the Web (Voices That Matter), it's not going to happen overnight. Buy this, buy the Silver book, put in the hours, be patient, and get ready for the sequel.