Customer Reviews

Vegas 5 Editing Workshop, Second Edition (DV Expert Series)

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I was disappointed by Vegas 5 Editing Workshop - because I was expecting so much.

This isn't a bad book; but it's a bad book if you're a beginner and want to be led through Vegas 5 with lots of excercises and drills like a 'Sams Teach Yourself *** in 24 Hours' computer book.

For a novice there's nothing better than being given spoon-fed examples just to get you going, and leaving the advanced stuff for later.

Douglas Spotted Eagle, who is a well known Vegas expert, seems to be talking to people who are either a) video editing savy b) Vegas savy or c) both.

He uses the whole book to tell you about all the amazing things you CAN do with Vegas, instead of actually showing you HOW you could do those things with 1-2-3 examples.

After a few chapters you'll become increasingly frustrated as you look for guidance and tuition. You won't find it here.

This book is a good reference for people who have already got their feet wet using Vegas, but for beginners, forget it.

A much better beginners Vegas is 'Naked Vegas 5' by Doug Sahlin, or 'Instant Vegas 5' by the same Douglas Spotted Eagle.

These books give you real life examples, explanations, and detailed How-To's.

I'll give it three because it is the only real book on Vegas 6 out there. It looses points for costing so much and it looses points for the horrible editing job on the book. You'd think people who work on Hollywood movies wouldn't slop together a book like this without proof reading it.

Nearly every page has an error and I'm not talking about just a misspelled word. I'm talking about just parts where the letters are jumbled like this: poiqwen mv poiqwen fjmoiew mkpwe. Was he drunk? Why didn't anyone actually read the book before going to press? There are wrong images to go with some of the captions as well.

I have learned from using this book. Someone said it's like having a guru sitting beside you. I wouldn't go that far. It's like having someone rewrite the user manual in a more coherent form. There are also little tips here and there that wouldn't be in a manual.

I was also pretty familiar with Vegas before picking this book up, so it may be damn near impossible for a newbie to get through this thing. Someone ought to write a Vegas 6 for Dummies.

Bottom line: worth a read, not worth the money, bigger than necessary (too many unnecessary screen shots and a bit wordy).

EDIT: After thinking about it a little more, I'd say that this book is probably worth buying. You may want to get a used copy. It's an excellent reference and the DVD that comes with it is packed full of resources.

One warning though: don't expect to sit down and read this book. It's huge and wordy, boring, and not really structured. Just a bunch of information compiled in a book. Your best bet is to use this book as a reference and look up topics using the TOC and index. Of course, if you want to know Vegas inside and out, read the whole book with Vegas in front of you... but that will take time.

I am the author of this book, and as some of the reviews indicate, I'm horribly embarassed by the quality of editing that this book received. I assure you that the manuscripts turned in are not what ended up on paper.
This is the reason I chose to not write a Vegas 7 Editing Workshop book, because of how this book was treated.
Please note that the majority of the reviews found here are regarding typographical errors, and at least one of the reviews here is significantly exaggerated, in my opinion.
My apologies to those that felt slighted by the typographical errors in the book. Although the publisher hired an editor to edit the book (which I did not see in galley or blue-line form), I am solely responsible for any errors, typographical or factual.

This comprehensive, well organized guide to using Vegas 6 is the perfect reference for the first time or experienced user. Spotted Eagle's style is light and easy to follow while still providing in depth, well detailed examples. Some very basic concepts, such as equipment connection schemes, will appeal to new users while complex video editing technique descriptions will be useful to editing professionals.

That the book contains countless typographical errors is annoying to the reader and also contributes to a slight unease as to the overall credibility of the book. This aside, Vegas 6 Editing Workshop is an indispensable aid when working with Vegas 6 software.

I'd recommend absolute beginners cut your teeth on Windows Movie Maker or iMovie or similar entry level app. Get some successes and gain a comfort level with the workflow and basic editing techniques. Later, graduate to Vegas, Premiere or Final Cut for more advanced capabilities.

Video editing (like you see in TV) requires a fair amount of learning. As a result this book is not geared for beginners, as the app IMO is not for beginners either. If you are determined, go for it, it's a great creative outlet!

Even with Vegas 7 release, this book is still very relevant and worthwhile if you want to get full use out of Vegas. DSE's knowledge goes beyond the manual. He helps explain WHY, and what tool to use, which the manual does not. The book is right by my side during sessions and it's a great reference.

As for the book, yes does need a good proofreader and some of the illustrations could be ommitted - all fair enough comments. What is off base are complaints about the price. Apparently they have not bought any technical books lately. Keep in mind the years of specialized knowledge you are getting... it's really a bargain.

I heard Douglas Spotted Eagle was the Vegas Guru, but had never read one of his books. Having used Vegas for a little over a year, I knew there was probably more I could learn but didn't quite know how much. Well, I can safely say, there was a lot more I could learn and I'm learning it. I love Vegas and love this book's style of writing. It's as if I have my own personal mentor sitting next to me. Great book!

Certainly an excellent reference book for anyone using Vegas. One serious problem seems to be in the proof reading.. hardly a page without something wrong, and at times we lose the plot when referencing diagrams. However, the astute reader can fill in the gaps. The core information from the Vegas Guru is solid.

I found this book to be very informitive. I would definitly recomend it to other vegas users, but I would hire a diffrent editor. There is a lot!!! of typo's. Hopefully this will be fixed in the next book???

I was looking for a beginner's guide. I'm sure this is an excellent guide for experienced users, but for a novice, this is not your book.

Having done a two day workshop on the basics of Vegas I felt I need an instruction manual to help me develop and advance my basic understanding of the program. I purchased Vegas 6 Editing Workshop and was very disapointed. Although the book had a lot of information the communication of this information lacked clarity. I then bought Vegas Revealed, The Official Guide by Doug Sahlin. Oh what a difference. It is easy to read and understand and the information just seemed to flow. I have hardly touched the first book since. However I have no doubt as my skills develop I may refer to it for specific information as it does appear to have a little more detail in ther somewhere. If you are wanting a book to teach you Vegas 6 Doug Sahlin's book is the only one to consider