Producing Great Sound for Digital Video [Paperback]

Jay Rose (Author)

Book Description

Series: DV Expert Series | Publication Date: December 15, 1999

To help readers create engaging soundtracks for video using any computer or software, this problem-solving guide examines the four key areas of audio production: technical principles; pre-production - the initial steps that guarantee a better track-designing, planning, scheduling, and budgeting; acquisition - the recording process both in studios and at indoor and outdoor locations, including basic room treatments, temporary acoustic fixes, voice-over sessions, and sound effects recording; post-production - everything from equipping the editing station for sound, to digitizing original content, synchronizing, manipulating, mixing, replacing the final sound on videotape, and more. This text features clear examples, step-by-step instructions, shortcuts, and expert tips and advice. The companion CD-ROM demonstrates how the techniques and processes discussed actually sound, and offers practical exercises.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Producing Great Sound for Digital Video educates beginning and experienced filmmakers on the intricacies of creating an outstanding soundtrack, from preproduction planning through the final mix.

The entire book is fascinating: it's absolutely packed with useful information and tips. Most of us remember learning in high school physics that sound travels about 1,100 feet per second, but besides gauging the location of a lightning bolt from how long it takes for the thunder to reach our ears, we never found it useful. Imagine, however, shooting a scene from about 90 feet away with a camera-mounted microphone. In this scenario, the audio will lag behind the image by about three frames--not much, but it's certainly noticeable. The problem gets worse as the distance increases. The workaround is to put a microphone next to the subject or slide the audio track so that it syncs with the images.

The book presents other solutions to showstopping problems that, because of lack of experience, a filmmaker wouldn't realize until getting to the editing room. Other critical issues such as preproduction planning, the art of production and recording (including environmental factors and microphone setups), and post-production editing and effects are also discussed.

The advent of low-cost, high-quality video production equipment has ushered in the birth of AV producers and AV presenters who have grand intentions but negligible experience. Digital cameras, inexpensive computers capable of capturing and playing back high-quality digital video, and full-featured editing software offer all kinds of ways to create visual eye candy, but embryonic filmmakers don't always realize that the picture is only half the story. Producing Great Sound for Digital Video explains how the other half works, what to watch out for, and how to achieve professional results. --Mike Caputo

Review

"Digital artists are very much hands-on, and Rose is the right man to write audio books for this new generation." -- S.D. Katz, millimeter magazine, February 2003

...a treasure chest. Jay has written a delicious compilation of tips and tutorials that I can honestly recommend... -- John Hartney, Creativecow.net --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 349 pages
• Publisher: CMP (December 15, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0879305975
• ISBN-13: 978-0879305970
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 7.4 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.7 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,031,936 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

38 of 38 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Get this book!, March 26, 2000

By 

Robert J. Withoff (Minneapolis, MN USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Producing Great Sound for Digital Video (Paperback)

Having enjoyed Jay Rose's columns in DV for some years, I was happy to know that he had a book coming out. Jay's style has always been clean and conversational, and his columns filled with good information. I was sort of expecting the book to be a collection of his previous DV articles, but I was happily suprised to find that it was an entirely new work covering the gamut from the physics of sound through the production process and on into how to deal with talent.

Jay provides information in an extremely easy-to-understand manner without being patronizing. The information he provides is practical, do-it-yourself kinda stuff that takes the mystery out of getting great sound. He also provides information on the when and why of making creative choices, which is much needed information for the audio professional. The only problem I have is with the title; this book provides very useful information for independent filmmakers, radio theater producers, and anyone who works with audio as a part of their craft. Highly recommended for anyone wanting to get better sound for any production.

28 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Jay Rose delivers, February 12, 2000

By 

Mark Arnett (Gilbert, Arizona) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Producing Great Sound for Digital Video (Paperback)

I am convinced that audio is the biggest diference between professional productions and home video. People will "watch" anything, but if the audio is bad the whole project is bad. Jay Rose makes it clear how to get the best sound tracks you can get on video and how to make them better in post production. This book covers everything needed, and the CD is actually filled with useful sound clips. In just a few days I learned what I was doing wrong and how my projects could be much better. I found the book very well written as well. If you produce digital vidio, this book is a must.

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Top Resource for Anyone who does Serious DV Recording, April 22, 2005

By 

John A Lee III "jal3" (San Antonio, TX) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Producing Great Sound for Digital Video (Paperback)

This book is a top shelf resource. It is useful to both novices and those with more experience. Starting with the very basics, and that does involve some physics, it works its way through virtually all aspects of sound production for digital video.

Do not be fooled. You are not going to learn much to improve the built in recording that comes with your camera. The author is unapologetic in his broad condemantion of the built-in stuff in terms of both quality and usablility. He goes into the reasons and gives a bit of advice on making the most of what you have but this is not what the book is about. Instead, it is about exactly what the title claims. Unfortunately, this is seldom if ever achieved with the built in stuff.

After going over some of the basics of sound and recording, different types of equipment are described in terms of suitability to task and cost. After that, the actual use of this equipment is considered in a variety of situations. The book is not just concerned with equipment and its use, however. There are chapters on editing and even on the use of prefessional talent. In short, the assumption is that you want to get good quality audio for your video production. The author then describes how to do exactly that in a variety of settings. Unfortuately, doing the job sometimes takes a bit more effort than just pushing the record button on the camera. It also take a bit more money although it does not have to take a great deal more. It depends on what type of sound is needed and how you are going to use it.

If all you want is to catch the background sound in a home video, spend your money on something else. If you want to learn how to get the best possible sound for your particular need and preserve that sound to use with video, you need this book.