Get Creative! the Digital Video Idea Book

Library Journal

People have been interested in creating DVDs for some time, but it has only recently become affordable for home users; these guides are for that audience. After an introduction to DVD and VCD (Video CD), Create highlights features of various editors, then covers capturing video and creating movies in each editor. Its CD includes demos of several DVD authoring, burning, and player packages. A good illustrated overview for all libraries; supplement with more thorough guides to individual packages. More in-depth than Create, SAMS teaches authoring to beginners through straightforward chapter objectives, summaries, workshops, quizzes, tasks, and exercises. Its DVD contains demo and shareware players and video authoring, music creation, and image-editing tools; it also covers choosing a DVD authoring product and includes more information on burning data DVDs, adding and creating music, and more advanced editing techniques. For all libraries; choose if you can afford only one overview. Intermediate users and more ambitious beginners will gravitate to Idea Book, which addresses creating different types of videos, from home movies and wedding tapes to features and documentaries. It provides more background on how and why to create "good" video rather than just how to use software and also offers tips for choosing camcorders and other equipment. Its CD includes sample clips and projects; a companion web site was inactive at the time of this review. For intermediate video authors seeking ideas on jazzing up their projects, 50 Fast contains step-by-step instructions for 50 different video techniques, organized into chapters from special effects and titles to exporting and CD or DVD. Its CD contains demo and shareware video, music, and image software; project video; finished examples; and sound effects clips. A full-color glossy insert further illustrates some techniques, each of which is described both in iMovie and Windows Movie Maker. Idea Book and 50 Fast are appropriate for medium and larger public libraries. Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.