by Keith Underdahl
Start Shooting Super Videos and Edit Them with Your MAC or PC
 |
| Digital Video 3rd Edition For Dummies |
Keith Underdahl lives in Albany, Oregon. Professionally, Keith is an electronicpublishing
specialist for Ages Software, where he serves as program manager,
interface designer, video-media producer, multimedia specialist, graphic
artist, and when the day is over, he even sweeps out the place. Mr. Underdahl
has written numerous books, including Teach Yourself Microsoft Word 2000,
Microsoft Windows Movie Maker For Dummies, Macworld Final Cut Pro 2 Bible
(co-author), and Adobe Premiere For Dummies.
Author’s Acknowledgments
When people find out that I have written several books, they usually
react with awe and amazement, because writing an entire book
seems like a monumental task. Writing a book is a monumental task,
unless you’re as fortunate and blessed as I am with such wonderful
family and friends. I can’t imagine getting up in the morning, much
less writing a book like Digital Video For Dummies, without the help
and support of my wife Christa. She has been my support staff,
cheerleader, business manager, and inspiration throughout my
writing career. Without Christa’s initial encouragement and tireless
ongoing support, I would not be writing.
Once again I must also thank my favorite movie subjects, Soren
and Cole Underdahl. Not only do they take direction well, but they
are also incredibly intelligent and look great on camera! Soren and
Cole are featured in screen shots through this book, as well as some
of the sample video clips found on the companion CD-ROM. Best of
all, because they’re my own boys, the Wiley Publishing legal department
doesn’t make me fill out all kinds of model releases and other
daunting forms. If someone writes Boilerplate For Dummies, I’ll buy the first copy.
Of course, I was working on this book before I even knew I was
working on this book, making videos and developing my skills.
I’ve received a lot of help from people in and out of the video and
software business, including Jon D’Angelica, Patrick BeauLieu, John
Bowne, Ingrid de la Fuente, havoc23, Linda Herd, Pete Langlois,
Andy Marken, Rick Muldoon, Paulien Ruijssenaars, Steve from Hard
Times, and probably a lot of other people I can’t remember right at the moment.
Last but certainly not least, I wish to give my unwavering gratitude
to the wonderful Composition Services team at Wiley Publishing.
Basically I scribbled this whole book on a stack of cocktail napkins,
and it was up to the folks at Wiley to turn it all into a coherent
book. I wish to thank Steve Hayes, Linda Morris, Barry Childs-
Helton, Dennis Short, and everyone else at Wiley. Keep up the
great work, folks!
Introduction
If marketing folks want to breathe new life into an existing technology, the
method du jour is to tack “digital” onto the name. Today we have digital
cable, digital cell phones, digital fuel injection, and now, digital video. But
unlike some other technologies that have recently earned the digital prefix,
digital video isn’t just a minor improvement over the old way of doing things.
Digital video is a revolution that is changing the way we think about and use moving pictures.
Regular folks have had the capability to record their own video for many years
now. Affordable film movie cameras have been available since the 1950s, and
video cameras that record directly onto videotape have been with us for over
two decades. But after you recorded some video or film with one of these old
cameras, you couldn’t do much else with it. You could show your movies to
friends and family in raw, unedited form, but there was no confusing your
rough home movie with a professional Hollywood production.
Digital camcorders provide a slight quality improvement over older camcorders,
but the real advantage of digital video is that you can now easily edit
your video on a computer. I don’t have to tell you how far computer technology
has progressed over the last few years, and you know that modern Macs and
PCs can now do some pretty amazing things. In a matter of seconds, you can
import video from your digital camcorder into your computer, cut out the
scenes you don’t want, add some special effects, and then instantly send your
movies to friends over the Internet — or burn them to a DVD. The capability to
easily edit your own movies adds a whole new level of creativity that was —
just five years ago — the exclusive realm of broadcast and movie professionals.
In a culture so accustomed to and influenced by video images, it’s actually
kind of surprising that personal moviemaking hasn’t burgeoned sooner. Video
is the art of our time, and now — at last — you have the power to use this art
for your own expression. What will you draw on your digital-video canvas?
Why This Book?
Digital video is a big, highly technical subject, so you need a guide to help
you understand and use this technology. But you don’t need a big book that
is so highly technical that it just gathers dust on your bookshelf. You need
easy-to-follow step-by-step instructions for the most important tasks, and you
need tips and tricks to make your movies more successful.
You need Digital Video For Dummies, Third Edition.
Needless to say, you’re no “dummy.” If you were, you wouldn’t be reading this
book and trying to figure out how to use digital video. Thanks to digital video,
high-quality moviemaking has never been easier or more affordable. I have
included instructions on performing the most important video-editing tasks,
including lots of graphics so you can better visualize what I’m talking about.
You’ll also find tips and other ideas in this book that you wouldn’t find in the
documentation that comes with your editing software.
Digital Video For Dummies doesn’t just help you use software or understand
a new technology. It’s about the art of moviemaking, and how you can apply
this exciting new technology to make movies of your very own. I have designed
this book to serve as a primer to moviemaking in general. Sections of this
book will help you choose a good camcorder, shoot better video, publish
movies online, and speak the industry technobabble like a Hollywood pro.
Foolish Assumptions
I’ve made a few basic assumptions about you as I have written this book.
First, I assume that you have an intermediate knowledge of how to use a computer.
Movie editing is one of the more technically advanced things you can
do with a computer, so I assume that if you’re ready to edit video, you already
know how to locate and move files around on hard drives, open and close
programs, and perform other such tasks. I assume that you are using either a
Macintosh or a PC. In writing this book, I used both Mac and Windows software,
and this book will be of use to you no matter which platform you use.
Another basic assumption I made is that you are not an experienced, professional
moviemaker or video editor. I explain the fundamentals of videography
and editing in ways that help you immediately get to work on your movie
projects. Most of this book is based on the assumption that you are producing
movies for fun or as a hobby. I also assume that you’re not yet ready to
spend many hundreds of dollars on highly advanced editing programs. In this
book, I show you how to make amazing movies using software that is already
installed on your computer (or that you can purchase for a modest sum).
I have elected to show how to perform editing tasks primarily using Apple
iMovie and Pinnacle Studio. iMovie is free for all Mac users, and Studio is a
powerful yet affordable video-editing program for Windows. A trial version of
Pinnacle Studio is included on the CD-ROM that accompanies this book.
Even if you are working in a professional environment and have just been
tasked with creating your first company training or kiosk video, this book will
help you grasp the fundamentals of digital video. Not only will this help you
get to work quickly and efficiently, but I also include information to help you
make an educated decision when your company gives you a budget to buy
fancier editing software.
How This Book Is Organized
Believe it or not, I did put some forethought into the organization of this book.
I hope you find it logically arranged and easy to use. This book is divided into
six major parts. The parts are described in the following sections.
Part I: Getting Ready for Digital Video
You may be wondering: just what is this whole digital video thing, anyway?
Part I introduces you to digital video. I’ll show you what digital video is and
what you can do with it. I’ll also show you how to get your computer ready to
work with digital video, and I’ll help you choose a camcorder and other
important moviemaking gear.
Part II: Gathering Footage
Editing video on your computer is just one part of the digital video experience.
Before you can do any editing, you need something to actually edit.
Part II shows you how to shoot better video, and then I show you how to
get that video into your computer — even if you don’t yet have a digital camcorder,
or you just have some footage on old VHS tapes that you want to use.
I also help you record and import better audio because good audio is just as
important as video when you’re making movies.
Part III: Editing Your Movie
Until just a few years ago, video editing was something that required
professional-grade equipment, which cost in the hundreds of thousands of dollars.
But with digital video and a semi-modern computer, editing video is now
easy and very affordable. In Part III of this book, I’ll introduce you to the basics
of editing. You’ll find out how to arrange scenes in the order you like and trim
out the unwanted parts. I show you how to add cool transitions between video
clips, use titles (text that appears onscreen), and top off your creation with
sound effects, musical soundtracks, still graphics, and special effects.
Part IV: Sharing Your Video
When you’ve poured your heart into a movie project, you’ll definitely want to
share it with others. This part helps you share your movies on the Internet or
on videotape. You even find out how to make your own DVDs in this part.
Part V: The Part of Tens
I wouldn’t be able to call this a For Dummies book without a “Part of Tens”
(really, it’s in my contract). Actually, the Part of Tens always serves an important
purpose. In this book, it gives me a chance to show you ten cool tips and
tricks for better moviemaking, as well as ten tools that will improve your
movies and make your work easier. Because there are a lot of video-editing
programs out there to choose from, I also provide a chapter that compares
ten of them, feature by feature.
Part VI: Appendixes
The appendixes provide quick, handy references on several important subjects.
First I show you how to use the CD-ROM that accompanies this book.
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Product details
Price
|
|
|---|---|
File Size
| 13,073 KB |
Pages
|
409 p |
File Type
|
PDF format |
ISBN
| 0-7645-4114-5 |
Copyright
| 2003 by Wiley Publishing, Inc |
Contents at a Glance
Introduction
Part I: Getting Ready for Digital Video
Chapter 1: Introducing Digital Video
Chapter 2: Getting Your Computer Ready for Digital Video
Chapter 3: Getting Your Digital Video Gear
Part II: Gathering Footage
Chapter 4: Shooting Better Video
Chapter 5: Capturing Digital Video
Chapter 6: Capturing Analog Video
Chapter 7: Importing Audio
Part III: Editing Your Movie
Chapter 8: Hollywood Comes Home: Basic Editing
Chapter 9: Using Transitions and Titles
Chapter 10: Working with Audio
Chapter 11: Advanced Video Editing
Chapter 12: Working with Still Photos and Graphics
Chapter 13: Wrapping Up Your Movie
Part IV: Sharing Your Video
Chapter 14: Putting Your Movies on the Internet
Chapter 15: Exporting Digital Video to Tape
Chapter 16: Recording CDs and DVDs
Part V: The Part of Tens
Chapter 17: Ten Videography Tips and Tricks
Chapter 18: Ten Tools for Digital Video Production
Chapter 19: Comparing Ten Video-Editing Programs
Part VI: Appendixes
Appendix A: About the CD
Appendix B: Glossary
Appendix C: Installing Apple iMovie
Appendix D: Using Pinnacle Studio
Appendix E: Using Windows Movie Maker
Index
Table of Contents
Introduction.........
Why This Book? ...........
Foolish Assumptions ..............
Conventions Used in This Book .....
How This Book Is Organized .................
Part I: Getting Ready for Digital Video .......
Part II: Gathering Footage ......................
Part III: Editing Your Movie .............
Part IV: Sharing Your Video ......
Part V: The Part of Tens ......
Part VI: Appendixes ........
Icons Used in This Book .......
Where to Go From Here ...
Part I: Getting Ready for Digital Video ...........................7
Chapter 1: Introducing Digital Video . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9
What Is Digital Video? .....................................................................................9
Comparing analog and digital video .................................................10
Warming up to FireWire ......................................................................11
Editing Video ..................................................................................................13
Comparing editing methods ..............................................................13
Editing a short video project .............................................................14
Performing Hollywood magic at the click of a mouse ....................16
Sharing Video .................................................................................................20
Exporting a movie ...............................................................................20
Playing your movie ..............................................................................22
Chapter 2: Getting Your Computer Ready for Digital Video . . . . . . . .25
Resolving the Mac-versus-PC Debate Once and for All ............................25
Upgrading Your Computer ...........................................................................27
Using a Macintosh .........................................................................................28
Buying a new Mac ................................................................................28
Upgrading ye olde Mac .......................................................................29
Choosing Mac video software ............................................................32
Using a Windows PC .....................................................................................33
Buying a new PC ..................................................................................33
Upgrading your PC for digital video .................................................35
Choosing Windows video software ...................................................38
Optimizing Windows for video work ................................................39
Choosing Analog Capture Hardware ...........................................................42
Selecting capture cards ......................................................................42
Selecting external video converters .................................................43
Improving the Human-Machine Interface ...................................................44
Working with video monitors ............................................................44
Using a multimedia controller ...........................................................46
Chapter 3: Getting Your Digital Video Gear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .49
Choosing a Camcorder .................................................................................49
Mastering Video Fundamentals ...................................................................50
The mechanics of video recording ....................................................50
Broadcast formats ...............................................................................51
Interlacing versus progressive scan .................................................53
The many aspects of aspect ratios ...................................................54
Color ......................................................................................................55
Picking a Camera Format .............................................................................56
MiniDV ..................................................................................................57
Digital8 ..................................................................................................57
Other digital formats ...........................................................................58
Analog formats .....................................................................................59
Choosing a Camera with the Right Features ..............................................59
Accessorizing Your Camcorder ...................................................................62
Sounding Out Audio Equipment ..................................................................63
Choosing a microphone ......................................................................63
Selecting an audio recorder ...............................................................65
Shedding Some Light on the Scene .............................................................65
Stabilizing Your Video Image .......................................................................66
Part II: Gathering Footage ..............................69
Chapter 4: Shooting Better Video . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .71
Planning a Video Production .......................................................................71
Composing a Shot .........................................................................................73
Evaluating Lighting .......................................................................................73
Choosing lights ....................................................................................75
Bouncing light ......................................................................................75
Diffusing light .......................................................................................77
Dealing with backlighting ...................................................................78
Using lens filters ..................................................................................80
Controlling Focus and Exposure .................................................................80
Setting Up Your Camcorder .........................................................................81
Shooting Video ..............................................................................................82
Panning effectively ..............................................................................83
Using (not abusing) the zoom lens ...................................................84
Avoiding timecode breaks ..................................................................84
Recording Sound ...........................................................................................86
Managing ambient noise .....................................................................87
Creating your own sound effects .......................................................88
Video-Shoot Checklist for Dummies ...........................................................90
Basic checklist .....................................................................................90
Advanced checklist .............................................................................91
Chapter 5: Capturing Digital Video . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .93
Preparing for Digital Video Capture ............................................................93
Making room for video files ...............................................................96
Connecting a digital camcorder to your computer .........................97
Capturing Digital Video ................................................................................99
Capturing video in Pinnacle Studio ...................................................99
Capturing video in Apple iMovie .....................................................106
Troubleshooting Capture Problems .........................................................108
You can’t control your camera through
your capture software ...................................................................108
Frames drop out during capture .....................................................108
Capture stops unexpectedly ............................................................109
Chapter 6: Capturing Analog Video . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .111
Preparing for Analog Video Capture .........................................................111
Preparing your computer for analog video ....................................112
Setting up capture hardware ............................................................112
Capturing Video ...........................................................................................115
Adjusting video-capture settings in Studio ....................................116
Capturing your video ........................................................................118
Chapter 7: Importing Audio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .121
Understanding Audio ..................................................................................121
Understanding sampling rates .........................................................122
Delving into bit depth .......................................................................122
Recording Audio ..........................................................................................122
Recording audio with your Macintosh ...........................................123
Recording voice-over tracks in Pinnacle Studio ............................125
Working with CD Audio ..............................................................................127
Importing CD audio in iMovie ..........................................................128
Importing CD audio in Studio ..........................................................129
Working with MP3 Audio ............................................................................130
Ripping MP3 files on a Mac ..............................................................131
Ripping MP3 files in Windows ..........................................................132
Part III: Editing Your Movie .........................135
Chapter 8: Hollywood Comes Home: Basic Editing . . . . . . . . . .137
Starting a New Project ................................................................................137
Working with Clips ......................................................................................139
Organizing clips .................................................................................140
Previewing clips .................................................................................142
Trimming out the unwanted parts ..................................................143
Turning Your Clips into a Movie ................................................................146
Visualizing your project with storyboards ....................................146
Using the timeline ..............................................................................148
Fine-Tuning Your Movie in the Timeline ..................................................152
Trimming clips in the timeline .........................................................152
Removing clips from the timeline ...................................................155
Undoing what you’ve done ..............................................................156
Adjusting playback speed ................................................................156
Fixing Color and Light Issues .....................................................................159
Adjusting image qualities in Pinnacle Studio .................................159
Modifying light and color in Apple iMovie .....................................161
Chapter 9: Using Transitions and Titles . . . . . . . . . . . . .163
Using Fades and Transitions Between Clips ............................................163
Choosing the best transition ...........................................................164
Adding a transition to the timeline .................................................167
Adjusting transitions .........................................................................168
Giving Credit with Titles .............................................................................171
Creating titles for your movies ........................................................171
Making effective titles .......................................................................172
Using Studio’s Title Editor .........................................................................175
Editing titles .......................................................................................175
Changing backgrounds .....................................................................179
Creating Titles in iMovie ............................................................................181
Changing the Length of Titles ....................................................................183
Chapter 10: Working with Audio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .185
Using Audio in a Project .............................................................................185
Understanding audio tracks .............................................................186
Adding audio to the timeline ...........................................................187
Adjusting volume ...............................................................................188
Working with sound effects ..............................................................192
Adding a Soundtrack to Your Project .......................................................194
Adding music from a CD ...................................................................195
Generating background music with SmartSound ..........................196
Chapter 11: Advanced Video Editing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .197
Using Video Effects in iMovie ....................................................................197
Reviewing iMovie’s effects ...............................................................198
Customizing effects ...........................................................................201
Using Video Effects in Studio .....................................................................202
Stepping Up to More Advanced Editing ...................................................204
Chapter 12: Working with Still Photos and Graphics . . . . . . . . . . . .209
Using Still Graphics in Movies ...................................................................209
Adjusting the image size ...................................................................210
Getting the colors just right .............................................................212
Inserting Stills in Your Movie .....................................................................212
Using pictures in Apple iMovie ........................................................212
Using pictures in Pinnacle Studio ....................................................216
Freezing Frames from Video ......................................................................219
Chapter 13: Wrapping Up Your Movie . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .223
Previewing Your Movie ...............................................................................223
Casting a critical eye on your project .............................................224
Previewing on an external monitor .................................................225
Exporting the Movie ...................................................................................226
Choosing AVI settings .......................................................................229
Setting MPEG settings .......................................................................232
Part IV: Sharing Your Video .....................235
Chapter 14: Putting Your Movies on the Internet . . . . . . . . . . .237
Choosing a Video Format ...........................................................................238
Streaming your video ........................................................................238
Comparing player programs ............................................................239
Exporting Movies for the Online World ....................................................243
Making QuickTime movies with iMovie ..........................................243
Exporting Internet movies from Studio ..........................................248
Putting Your Movie on the Web .................................................................251
Finding an online home for your movies ........................................252
Creating a (very) simple Web page .................................................252
Chapter 15: Exporting Digital Video to Tape . . . . . . . . . . . . . .255
Prepping Your Movie for TV Playback .....................................................255
Setting Up Your Hardware ..........................................................................256
Exporting the Movie ...................................................................................258
Exporting to tape in Apple iMovie ..................................................259
Exporting to tape in Pinnacle Studio ..............................................261
Chapter 16: Recording CDs and DVDs . . .. . . . . . . . . . .267
Understanding DVD Basics ........................................................................267
Getting ready to record DVDs ..........................................................268
Comprehending DVD standards ......................................................268
Making Effective Menus ..............................................................................272
Creating a menu .................................................................................272
Previewing your menu ......................................................................276
Burning DVDs ..............................................................................................277
Part V: The Part of Tens .....................283
Chapter 17: Ten Videography Tips and Tricks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .285
Beam Me Up, Scotty! ...................................................................................285
Seeing Stars ..................................................................................................287
Forcing a Perspective .................................................................................288
Making Your Own Sound Effects ...............................................................290
Filtering Your Video ....................................................................................291
Working with Assistants .............................................................................292
Rehearse! ......................................................................................................293
To Zoom or Not to Zoom? ..........................................................................293
Dealing with the Elements .........................................................................294
Compositing Video ......................................................................................296
Understanding compositing .............................................................296
Shooting video against a blue screen .............................................298
Compositing video tracks ................................................................300
Chapter 18: Ten Tools for Digital Video Production . . . . . . . . . . . . . .303
Tripods and Other Stabilization Devices .................................................303
Monopods ..........................................................................................304
Mobile stabilizers ..............................................................................305
Lighting .........................................................................................................305
DVD-R Drives ...............................................................................................306
Microphones ................................................................................................307
MiniDisc Recorders .....................................................................................308
Multimedia Controllers ..............................................................................309
Video Converters ........................................................................................310
Graphical Video Background Elements ....................................................312
Helmet Cams ................................................................................................313
Video Decks .................................................................................................313
Chapter 19: Comparing Ten Video-Editing Programs . . . . . . . . . . . . .315
Reviewing the Basics ..................................................................................316
Importing Media ..........................................................................................317
Editing Your Movies ....................................................................................319
Exporting Your Movies ...............................................................................323
Part VI: Appendixes..............................................325
Appendix A: About the CD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .327
System Requirements .................................................................................327
Using the CD with Microsoft Windows .....................................................328
Using the CD with Mac OS ..........................................................................329
What You’ll Find on the CD ........................................................................330
Sample video clips ............................................................................330
Pinnacle Studio ..................................................................................330
Links Page............................................................................................331
Troubleshooting ..........................................................................................331
Appendix B: Glossary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .333
Appendix C: Installing Apple iMovie . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .341
Installing and Upgrading iMovie ...............................................................341
Enhancing iMovie with Plug-ins ................................................................343
Appendix D: Using Pinnacle Studio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .345
Updating Studio ...........................................................................................345
Using Hollywood FX Plug-ins for Pinnacle Studio ...................................347
Appendix E: Using Windows Movie Maker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .349
Why Isn’t Movie Maker Featured in This Book? ......................................349
Upgrading Windows Movie Maker ............................................................350
Getting Acquainted with Windows Movie Maker ....................................351
Index........................................................................353
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