Customer Reviews

Instant Vegas 5

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

 

 

I am actually only about 60 pages into this book. Started using vegas this past summer, actually first time I had ever used any video app. I fumbled along, trial and error using vegas, and have made quite a few home dvd's, nothing flashy or special. After reading some of this book, understanding what I CAN do is falling into place, as well as how to do it, the author gives pretty good directions that are easy to follow.
A book from this author (as highly regarded as he is) should be in color. That is my only negative.

For anyone using Vegas 5, this is an essential book. It bridges the huge gap between the Vegas manual (which explains what Vegas does) to how to do just about everything. Equally suitable for beginners coming to Vegas as their first NLE editor, and for those already using Vegas 5. If you can read a chapter a day, you'll soon become a Vegas expert and be able to find solutions for all your video editing problems. And once you've read it through, you'll be reaching for it as a constant "how-to" reference. It wasn't until I'd read this book did I fully appreciate what a great NLE Video Editor Vegas 5 is. The CD that's included is useful. Although graded as "Novice to Intermediate" I suspect that advanced Vegas users will find this book useful. I believe that it's the sort of book that Vegas users will keep next to their keyboard rather than on their bookshelf.

Although this book did get me farther along than I was without it, I don't like the fact that the author keeps pushing the use of other 3rd party equipment / purchased items instead of just the plain simple PC... standard mouse, keyboard, cpu, monitor. Makes you wonder if he owns stock in the products that he's "pitching" or if he is trying to get some money from the companies as sponsorship.

This book is excellent! It is accurate, & everything was explained thoroughly & easily, step by step. The techniques in it are so cool, too! Everything from the "Pleasantville" look, to simulating an oil painting with your video, to pointing out an Infrared preset, & these aren't even listed in the Table of Contents. Just check out the Table of Contents; it's what sold me on the book in the first place. Douglas & Jeff really, really know Vegas, all the cool things you can do with it, & really know how to explain it all.