Digital Video for Dummies, 4th Edition

first class

great reading very helpful

This book scores on so many levels I can't recommend it enough for beginners. As somebody who bought their first camcorder and will be making shorts which will involve editing software, I needed a 101 overview. And boy, did this ever fit the bill. Written in a breezy, easy-to-understand style, the book first deals with what you should look for in equipment. It then moves into basic filming techniques but most importantly, the beginner mistakes that are all too common (bad lighting, zooming in during a shot, etc.). Even though I have a basic knowledge of film making, I found these tips extremely helpful. But what really makes this book worth every cent is that it is basically a user's guide for iMovie, Windows Movie Maker and Adobe Premiere. If you're new to editing, you're probably going to start with the super-basic Movie Maker or iMovie, and somewhere down the line move up to the more advanced Adobe. For every editing step it shows how this is done in each respective program--a virtual user's guide, complete with tips and enhancements. It also covers advanced editing tricks, adding audio, lighting tricks, you name it. If you want a primer for beginners, this couldn't be more perfect. It was so interesting and easily readable I read the entire book in one day.

This is a good general guide to creating your own digital video masterpieces without being specific to any one software package. 'For Dummies' is always a complete misnomer, as the books are anything but dumbed down, in some cases being complex and demanding a fair level of competence. This, however, is a fairly easy read.

Yes, the book is a little outdated, but if you are a true Dummie like me, it's a great primer. Generally speaking, whenever I am exploring something new, I have found the "Dummie" series to be a good starting point.