Make Fantastic Home Videos: How Anyone Can Shoot Great Videos! [Paperback]

John Fuller (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1995

MAKE FANTASTIC HOME VIDEOS is a simple yet complete handbook on shooting home videos with a camcorder.

Editorial Reviews

From the Author

I wrote MAKE FANTASTIC HOME VIDEOS for the camcorder owner who knows nothing about shooting home videos. However, the experienced videomaker can read it and correct bad habits and pick up new ideas and techniques. The shooting techniques described in the book really work. I know. They are the same techniques I use every day as a television news cameraman for WXYZ-TV in Detroit. FANTASTIC VIDEOS is a book that will never become outdated. The shooting techniques are the same regardless of the camcorder or the advances in technology.

MAKE FANTASTIC HOME VIDEOS picks up where the manufacturer's instruction book leaves off. When you purchased your camcorder the salesman told you that "all you have to do is point and shoot." After looking at your video you have undoubtedly discovered that it's not that simple. There are some simple things you need to do to make your videos more enjoyable. If you follow my suggestions you will see instant improvement in your videos. And if you practice my techniques you'll soon be shooting enjoyable home videos with little effort.

There is one comment I would change in the chapter on Autofocus. Autofocus has improved to the point that you can depend on it most of the time. By reading the book you'll soon recognize when you can't depend on it and will be able to make the necessary adjustments.

Read my book and you'll soon be MAKING FANTASTIC HOME VIDEOS!!!

About the Author

John Fuller has been a television news cameraman for more than 35 years. As a TV news reporter for a small Illinois station he not only had to dig up the stories but had to shoot the film, process it, and then edit it. In those days motion pictures were shot on film. When technology brought about videotape he switched to electronic cameras. Fuller has worked on the staff of WXYZ-TV, Channel 7, in Detroit since 1968. He has shot breaking news, features, documentaries, sports, and commercials.

Product Details

• Paperback: 117 pages
• Publisher: Amherst Media (October 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0936262370
• ISBN-13: 978-0936262376
• Product Dimensions: 10 x 7 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,605,907 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

32 of 33 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent For Improving Home Movies, March 3, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Make Fantastic Home Videos: How Anyone Can Shoot Great Videos! (Paperback)

I was looking for a book that gave me the secrets of movie making that the pros use, without having to wade through a bunch of technical terms. I only wanted to make my home movies (shot on my camcorder) look more interesting and professional. This is the book! It is clear and concise with helpful illustrations. It is short enough to read in an afternoon and the tips are so practical that anyone with a camcorder can begin using them immediately. He tells you how to "pan" and "zoom" correctly as well as how to get the best shot. He also gives examples for how to shoot birthday parties, family picnics and vacations so that you can begin to put all of the "shots" you take together. I was especially intrigued with the idea of editing in the camcorder. He tells you how to make your home movies look like they've been edited while you're shooting them, so that you don't have to invest in all kinds of editing equipment or hook up vcr's to each other, etc. Overall, I found this book to be very easy to understand (especially with the illustrations) and practical. I will definitely keep it in my camcorder bag for future reference!

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Book Is Too Basic for the Price-No Editing Advice, October 16, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Make Fantastic Home Videos: How Anyone Can Shoot Great Videos! (Paperback)

This book is written at a very basic level, and the subject matter is better covered by Deni Bown's book "101 Essential Tips on Video" at one-third the price. I was looking for advice on the best techniques for editing my videos using my camcorder and a VCR. Fuller dismisses the idea of editing, claiming that most people are too lazy to edit their work, so they end up with "2-hour videos of Junior's birthday party," etc., which gather dust in a drawer because they're "too long to watch." People who are that lazy aren't likely to have the discipline to learn and follow his methods, which amount to planning and shooting the finished product as you go "in the camcorder", without allowing for errors which could be edited out later when you make copies with the VCR.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Book Is Too Basic for the Price-No Editing Advice, October 16, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Make Fantastic Home Videos: How Anyone Can Shoot Great Videos! (Paperback)

This book is written at a very basic level, and the subject matter is better covered by Deni Bown's book "101 Essential Tips on Video" at one-third the price. I was looking for advice on the best techniques for editing my videos using my camcorder and a VCR. Fuller dismisses the idea of editing, claiming that most people are too lazy to edit their work, so they end up with "2-hour videos of Junior's birthday party," etc., which gather dust in a drawer because they're "too long to watch." People who are that lazy aren't likely to have the discipline to learn and follow his methods, which amount to planning and shooting the finished product as you go "in the camcorder", without allowing for errors which could be edited out later when you make copies with the VCR.