The Digital Video Pocket Guide is concise, easy to use, and is overflowing with the techniques you'll need to know to create great movies. This book is organized, like the popular Digital Photography Pocket Guide, into three chapters: What Is It?, How Does It Work?, and How Do I...Tips, Tricks, and Techniques. Its compact size, organization, and detailed illustrations make it easy to find the information you need.In the first chapter, What Is It?, you're introduced to the ins and outs of your DV camcorder. Author Derrick Story builds the solid foundation that helps you better understand the camera you have now, and will prove invaluable when shopping for your next camcorder. For instance, what is a tally lamp, and do you need one? What is the difference between the optical and digital zoom? Should you spend the extra money for a 3-CCD chip?Chapter two puts the tools in action. It maps out, step by step, a sure-fire approach to successful movie making -- including home videos, tutorials, and even short features. This chapter takes the worry out of organizing and lets you focus on creativity.Next, you'll accelerate your prowess by learning the rock-solid techniques of video experts. Among the tips and tricks featured in chapter three are how the pros shoot action video, arrange lighting for an interview, and capture clean audio. Finally, the Appendix is packed with well-organized tables and charts on a myriad of topics and includes: a color temperature chart, a guide to color correction gels, a table of everyday lux ratings, a handy cable connector guide, a reference for microphone patterns, and much, much, more.Completely indexed, beautifully illustrated in color, and more compact than those bulky books that never make if off your bedside nightstand, the Digital Video Pocket Guide is the ultimate shooting companion that will help your create the videos you want to show to friends, family, or even the world at large.
About the Author: Derrick has been interested in photography since age 11, and a computer nut for decades. He's been waiting for years for these two passions to converge, and now that they have, it's everything he thought it would be. Managing editor of O'Reilly Network, Derrick focuses on Web authoring, digital media, and mobile computing. Favorite projects include O'Reilly DevCenters for Web Development and for the Mac. Derrick's experience includes more than 15 years as a photojournalist, a stint as the managing editor for Web Review, and a speaker for CMP's Web conferences. He is the coauthor of iPhoto 2: The Missing Manual and author of the Digital Photography and Digital Video Pocket Guides. Derrick also manages his online photo business, Story Photography.