Synopses & Reviews
Editing camcorder footage on a PC is nothing new. For $5,000 in circuit boards and high-end editing software, anyone can be a home-office Spielberg. But in 1999, Apple Computer made digital video editing almost as easy as using a word processor--and even less expensive. Built into each of Apple's wildly popular iMac DV computers is the circuitry needed to record pro-quality video from a digital camcorder, and then send the edited movies back to TV or tape with zero picture-quality loss. The crown jewel is the pre-installed editing software: iMovie.
Using this cleverly designed program, you can transfer DV footage from camcorder to hard drive; trim and rearrange scenes; and add crossfades, credits, and multiple sound tracks. In fact, iMovie includes almost everything you need to produce pro-quality video--except a manual.
That's where iMovie:The Missing Manual comes in. This entertaining guide takes you through every step of iMovie video production, from choosing and using a digital camcorder to burning your finished work onto CDs. The book's philosophy: giving someone iMovie without also teaching basic film technique is like giving a map to a teenager without teaching him to drive.
Far deeper and more detailed than the meager set of online help screens included with iMovie, the book helps iMovie users realize the software's potential as a breakthrough in reducing the cost, complexity, and difficulty of desktop video production. The book explains, for example, how to run iMovie on any recent Mac model (not just the iMac DV); uncovers the two secret clip-editing techniques that Apple's online help doesn't even mention; and provides a powerful workaround for iMovie's weak soundtrack-editing feature.
Synopsis
To help the process of editing camcorder footage on the iMac DV computer, an award-winning "MacWorld" columnist takes readers through every step of iMovie video production, from choosing and using a digital camcorder to burning the finished work onto CDs. The book also covers Apple DVD Player.
About the Author
David Pogue, Yale '85, is the weekly personal-technology columnist for the New York Times and an Emmy award-winning tech correspondent for CBS News. His funny tech videos appear weekly on CNBC. And with 3 million books in print, he is also one of the world's bestselling how- to authors. In 1999, he launched his own series of amusing, practical, and user-friendly computer books called Missing Manuals, which now includes 100 titles.
Table of Contents
Part I: Capturing DV Footage
Chapter 1: The DV Camcorder
Meet Digital Video
Why a DV Camcorder is Worth It
What's it Good For?
Buying a DV Camcorder
DV Camcorder Features: Which Are Worthwhile?
Which Brand to Buy
Where to Buy
Chapter 2: Turning Home Video into Pro Video
Film vs. Videotape
Film-Technique Crash Course
The Very Basics
Get the Shot
Is the camera ready?
Are you ready?
Is the camera actually recording?
How much to shoot
Replace the Microphone
Clip-on (Lavalier) microphones
Wireless mikes
Other microphones
Where to buy them
Limit Panning and Zooming
Tips for Keeping Zooming Under Control
Panning and Tilting
Keep the Camera Steady
Video Lighting: A Crash Course
Lighting Basics
General Guidelines for Lighting
Keep it in Focus
Manual Focus
Video Composition: A Crash Course
Kinds of Shots
The Rule of Thirds
Mind the Background
Framing the Shot
Camera Angle
Capturing Multiple Angles
Capture Footage for Cutaways and Cut-Ins
Dolly Shots
Chapter 3: Special-Event Filming
Interviews
Music Videos
Live Stage Performances
Getting Permission
Capturing the Sound
Getting Power
Capturing the Picture
Speeches
Sports
Photos and Old Movies
Shooting Photos
Shooting Slides
Transferring Old Movies to DV
Weddings
Where to Stand
Getting the Sound
Being Unobtrusive
Actual Scripted Films
Part II: Editing in iMovie
Chapter 4: Camcorder Meets Mac
iMovie: the Application
Where to Find iMovie on Your iMac
Installing iMovie-on Any Mac
Updating Your Copy of iMovie
Connecting to FireWire
Getting Into iMovie
Changing the Monitor Resolution
The New/Open Dialog Box
The iMovie Tutorial
iMovie Controls
Saving a New Project File
Downloading Camcorder Footage
How to Fix the Picture
Capturing Footage
How iMovie Organizes Its Files
The Media Folder
Sharing Clips among Projects
Switching Files
The Phantom "Revert to Saved" Command
Starting a New Project
Importing Footage from Non-DV Tapes
Approach 1: Use a Digital8 Camcorder
Approach 2: Record Onto Your DV Camcorder
Approach 3: Use a Sony Media Converter
Chapter 5: Building the Movie Track
Navigating your Clips
Select It
Select Several
Play It
Jump Around in It
Step Through It
Scan Through It
Rename It
Reorganize It
Put it in the Project Trash Can
Three Ways to Trim a Clip
Snipping Off One End of a Clip
Chopping Out the Middle of a Clip
Splitting a Clip
The Movie Track: Your Storyboard
Readouts in the Movie Track
Dragging to the Movie Track
Dragging Several Clips Simultaneously
Copying and Pasting Clips
Playing the Movie Track
Playing the Whole Movie
Playing a Segment of the Movie
While the Movie is Playing
Editing Clips in the Movie Track
Full-Screen Playback Mode
Chapter 6: Transitions, Crossfades, and Special Effects
About Transition Effects
Creating a Transitional Effect
Previewing the Effect
Applying the Effect-and Rendering
How Transitions Affect the Length of Your Movie
How Transitions Chop up Clips
Editing the Transition
Deleting a Transition
Transition Error Messages
Transitions: The iMovie Catalog
Circle Closing (Plug-in Pack #1)
Circle Opening (Plug-in Pack #1)
Cross Dissolve (1.0), Cross Dissolve Slow (1.0.2)
Fade In (1.0)
Fade Out (1.0)
Overlap (1.0)
Push Right (1.0), Push Right Slow (1.0.2)
Radial (Plug-in Pack #1)
Scale Down (1.0), Scale Down Slow (1.0.2)
Warp In (Plug-in Pack #1)
Warp Out (Plug-in Pack #1)
Wash In, Wash Out (Plug-in Pack #1)
Zoom In (Plug-in Pack #1)
Chapter 7: Titles, Captions, and Credits
Setting Up a Title Effect
Choose a Title Effect
Type the Text
Specify the Duration
Choose a Font
Choose an Animation Direction
The "Over Black" Checkbox
Choose a Color for the Lettering
Add a Backdrop
Inserting and Rendering a Title
Dragging the Title into the Movie Track
Rendering Begins
How Titles Chop up Your Clips
When the Title is Too Long
Checking the Result
Editing a Title
Deleting a Title
Testing the "TV-Safe" Area
Titles: The iMovie Catalog
Bounce In To Center (1.0)
Centered Large Multiple (Plug-in Pack #1)
Centered Large Title (Plug-in Pack #1)
Centered Multiple (1.0), Centered Title (1.0)
Flying Letters (1.0)
Flying Words (1.0)
Music Video (1.0)
Rolling Centered Credits (1.0), Rolling Credits (1.0)
Scroll with Pause (1.0)
Scrolling Block (1.0)
Stripe Subtitle (1.0)
Subtitle (Plug-in Pack #1)
Subtitle Multiple (Plug-in Pack #1)
Typewriter (1.0)
Zoom (Plug-in Pack #1)
Zoom Multiple (Plug-in Pack #1)
Chapter 8: Narration, Music, and SFX
The iMovie Soundtrack System
The Video Track's Soundtrack
How to Find Your Way
Manipulating Sound Clips
Fade In, Fade Out
Adjusting Volume for Multiple Sound Segments
The Narration Track
Hooking up the Microphone
Recording Narration
The Music Track
Inserting a Music CD
Copyright Considerations
Where to Find More Music
Adding Sound Effects (SFX)
The Resources Folder
The Apple Extras Web Site
Recording Your Own SFX
Turning the Entire Soundtrack into an SFX
The Missing Manual Workaround: Insert Editing
Chapter 9: Picture Files and QuickTime Movies
Importing Still Images
The Dimensions of an iMovie Graphic
Creating a Graphic from Scratch
Preparing a Scan or Digital Photo
Saving your Still Image
Importing the Picture into iMovie
Using Still Images as Titles
The Freeze-Frame Effect
The Layered Effect
Exporting Still Images
The Quality Caveat
Capturing a Still Frame from your Movie
Importing QuickTime Movies
Getting QuickTime Player Pro
Saving the file
Using the Imported QuickTime Clip
Chapter 10: Professional Editing Techniques
The Power of Editing
Modern Film Theory
Maintaining Continuity
When to Cut
Choosing the Next Shot
Popular Editing Techniques
Tight Editing
Variety of Shots
Part III: Finding Your Audience
Chapter 11: Back to the Camcorder
Why Export to Tape
To Watch It On TV
To Transfer It to Your VCR
To Offload Footage from Your Mac
Transferring Footage to the Camcorder
Notes on DV Tapes
The Two-Cassette System
Labeling and Logging
Long Play Mode
The Protect-Tape Tab
For Digital8 Camcorder Owners: MP vs. ME tapes
Chapter 12: From iMovie to QuickTime
Saving a QuickTime Movie
Understanding QuickTime
A Crash Course in Video Compression
About Codecs
The Canned Export Settings: What They Mean
The Expert Settings
Width and Height
Image Settings
Burning QuickTime-Movie CDs
Burning a Recordable CD-ROM
Burning a Video CD
Creating a DVD-Video Disc
Chapter 13: Putting Your Movies on the Web
Posting Your Movies via iTools
Signing up for iTools
Converting your Movie
Posting the File
Advertising the URL
Embedding Movies In Web Pages
Additional