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Digital Video for Beginners: A Step-by-Step Guide to Making Great Home Movies »

Book cover image of Digital Video for Beginners: A Step-by-Step Guide to Making Great Home Movies by Colin Barrett

Authors: Colin Barrett
ISBN-13: 9781579906689, ISBN-10: 1579906680
Format: Paperback
Publisher: Lark Books NC
Date Published: March 2005
Edition: (Non-applicable)

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Author Biography: Colin Barrett

Book Synopsis

Digital video cameras have become more affordable and reliable than ever, and with the help of former television producer, editor, and cameraman Colin Barret, new owners of this hot technology can produce a memorable video right at home. Barret offers the fruits of his expertise in a thorough, practical introduction that covers it all. In addition to advice on choosing a camcorder and tips on getting the most out of its features, illustrated tutorials explain how to shoot creatively and master techniques such as point-of-view, close-ups, cutaway shots, and effective lighting. Spice up the sound by incorporating audio tracks, and find out how to create special effects. There's even a detailed description of how to set up a fully functional home editing suite.

Table of Contents

Introduction6
What you need to know about your camcorder12
Anatomy of the camcorder14
Useful accessories16
The lens18
Focusing20
Getting the right exposure22
Low light24
Artificial light and color temperature26
Timecode28
Built-in camcorder effects30
Widescreen32
Step-by-step shooting techniques34
Planning the shoot36
Shooting to edit38
Establishing shots40
Backgrounds and surroundings42
When to zoom and pan44
Action shots46
Get in close48
Shooting cutaways50
Reverse shots52
Over-the-shoulder shots54
Point-of-view shots56
Composition58
Color60
Natural light62
Difficult lighting situations64
Sound recording66
Audio dub and commentary facilities68
Organizing your footage70
How to shoot great home movies72
The natural look74
Filming children76
Children's birthday parties78
School plays and concerts80
Filming babies and toddlers82
Video portraits84
Weddings86
Christmas and special holidays88
Halloween90
Summer vacation92
Winter vacation94
Sports events96
A video tour of your house and yard98
A video portrait of your neighborhood100
Step-by-step digital video-editing techniques102
Video-editing software104
From camcorder to computer106
The rough edit108
Trimming clips110
Insert edits112
Transitions114
Sound editing116
Adding sound at the editing stage118
Titling120
Illustrated titles122
Video special effects124
Showing and sharing your movies126
Making a videotape128
Making a DVD130
DVD menus and interfaces132
Video compression134
Movies and the Internet136
Glossary138
Index142
Bibliography, online resources, acknowledgments144

Subjects