Create Your Own Digitial Movies

Create Your Own Digitial Movies

Released November 2005
Publisher(s): Sams
ISBN: 9780672328343

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Book description

You bought a digital video camera so that you could take and transfer home movies to DVD easily. Only come to find out, it's not so easy when faced with the task on your own. Why does "going digital" seem like such a difficult endeavor? It doesn't have to be and Create Your Own Digital Movies can show you how to get through it all with ease. Find out what camera to choose, filming dos and don'ts, and techniques for creating, editing, saving and sharing movies. Five projects will teach you everything you need to know, plus you'll benefit from numerous other tips, tricks and other helpful information. Don't get bogged down with the intricacies of camera mechanics or software use. Let Create Your Own Digital Movies show you how easy and fun it is to use your digital video camera.

Table of contents

  1. Copyright
    1. Dedication
  2. About the Author
  3. We Want to Hear from You!
  4. Introduction
    1. Welcome to Create Your Own Digital Movies
  5. 1. Welcome to the Wonderful World of Digital Video
    1. Great Shooting = Easy Editing
    2. Discovering Your Digital Movie Style
    3. Digital Movie Gear
      1. What to Look for in a Digital Video Camcorder
      2. What to Look for in Shooting Accessories and Editing Equipment
      3. Movie Editing Software and Computer Requirements
        1. Movie Maker Computer Requirements
    4. Summary
  6. 2. Shooting Digital Movies
    1. Using What You Already Know
    2. Shots and Sequences: The Building Blocks of Movies
      1. Examples of Shot Types
    3. Action and Directing
      1. Directing
    4. Audio
    5. Top 10 Camera Essentials
      1. 1. On/Off
      2. 2. Record/Standby
      3. 3. Widen/Tighten
      4. 4. Inserting Tape
      5. 5. Autofocus and Manual Focus
      6. 6. Batteries
      7. 7. Camera Case
      8. 8. Tripod
      9. 9. External Microphone
      10. 10. White Balance
    6. Top 10 Tips for Shooting Video
      1. 1. Use a Tripod As Often As You Can
      2. 2. Learn How to Shoot Stable Handheld Shots
      3. 3. Avoid Frequent Panning and Zooming
      4. 4. Hold Your Shot
      5. 5. Shoot a Lot
      6. 6. Get Good Audio
      7. 7. Leave Headroom
      8. 8. Know When to Use Manual Focus
      9. 9. Compose Your Shots
      10. 10. Watch Your Lighting
    7. Summary
  7. 3. Editing Basics: Movie Maker and More
    1. Getting Acquainted with Movie Maker: The Grand Tour
      1. Finding Movie Maker
      2. Opening Movie Maker
      3. Exploring Movie Maker
        1. The Menu
        2. The Toolbar
        3. The Movie Tasks Pane
        4. The Collections Pane
        5. The Video Monitor
        6. The Storyboard View
        7. The Timeline View
        8. The Storyboard View Versus the Timeline View
      4. Movie Maker Projects
    2. Your First Editing Exercise
      1. Step 1: Check Disk Space
      2. Step 2: Connect Your Camcorder to Your Computer
      3. Step 3: Capture Video
        1. Launching the Video Capture Wizard
        2. The Captured Video File Screen
        3. Video Setting
        4. Capture Method
        5. The Capture Video Screen
        6. The Import Screen
      4. Step 4: Import Music
      5. Step 5: Import Photo
      6. Step 6: Organize and Combine Your Collections
      7. Step 7: Edit
      8. Step 8: Trim Clips
        1. Splitting a Clip
      9. Step 9: Add Music
        1. Adjusting Audio Levels
        2. Mixing Audio Levels
      10. Step 10: Add Transitions
      11. Step 11: Add Titles
      12. Step 12: Rough Cut to Fine Cut
      13. Step 13: Finish Video
    3. Let Your Computer Do the Editing: Using AutoMovie
    4. Top 10 Tips for Editing Video
      1. 1. Create a Beginning, a Middle, and an End
      2. 2. Select the Clips You Like Best
      3. 3. Make Sequences
      4. 4. Less Is More
      5. 5. Learn How to Edit Audio
      6. 6. Use Music
      7. 7. Trim Your Clips
      8. 8. Refine and Tweak Until the Last Minute
      9. 9. Get a Second Opinion
      10. 10. Finalize Your Movie
    5. Summary
  8. 4. Saving and Sharing Digital Movies
    1. Using Different Formats
    2. Using Movie Maker’s Finish Movie Section
      1. Using the Save Movie Wizard
        1. Saving Formats and Versions
        2. Selecting Movie Settings
        3. Determining File Size
        4. Reducing File Sizes
        5. Specifying Other Settings
        6. Saving a Movie
        7. Completing the Save Movie Wizard
        8. Creating Additional Formats and Versions
      2. Saving to CD
      3. Sending in Email
      4. Sending to the Web
      5. Sending to a DV Camera
    3. Summary
  9. 5. Project 1: Creating Birthday Party and Baby Movies
    1. Making Birthday Party Movies
      1. Getting Ready for Your Shoot
      2. Shooting a Birthday Party Movie
        1. Shooting Party Preparations
        2. Shooting the Making or Wrapping of Presents
        3. Shooting the Place
        4. Capturing the Food
        5. Shooting and Interviewing the Guests
        6. Shooting Party Favors and Games
        7. Talking to the Birthday Boy or Girl
        8. Shooting the Cake and Song
        9. Shooting the Presents
      3. Editing Your Birthday Party Movie
        1. Basic Editing Steps
    2. Making Baby Movies
      1. Shooting a Baby Movie
        1. Shooting the Pregnancy
        2. Shooting the Baby Shower
        3. Shooting the Birth (Optional)
        4. Shooting Life with Baby
        5. Getting a Baby’s-Eye View
        6. Shooting Everything Baby
        7. Shooting from Babyhood to Toddlerhood and Beyond
      2. Editing Your Baby Movie
    3. Summary
  10. 6. Project 2: Making Travel and Vacation Movies
    1. Creative Approaches to Making Travel and Vacation Movies
    2. Getting Ready for Your Shoot
    3. Shooting a Travel or Vacation Movie
      1. Shots to Get Before the Trip Begins
        1. Shooting Trip Planning
        2. Shooting Getting Ready to Go
        3. Shooting Travel Vehicles
      2. Shots to Get During the Trip
        1. Shooting Exteriors of Buildings
        2. Scanning Famous (and Not-So-Famous) Works of Art
        3. Getting On-location Narration
        4. Recording Walk-and-Talk Shots
        5. Shooting Food and Eating Scenes
        6. Interviewing People You Meet and Your Traveling Companions
        7. Recording Daily Highlights
        8. Shooting at Different Times of Day
        9. Trying the “A Day in the Life of” Format
        10. Repeating a Theme or Question
        11. Capturing Running Gags: A Special Guest Star
      3. Shots to Get After Your Trip Is Over
        1. Recording the Journey’s End
        2. Mapping Your Path
    4. Editing Your Travel or Vacation Movie
      1. Basic Editing Steps
    5. Summary
  11. 7. Project 3: Making Sporting Event Movies
    1. Creative Approaches to Making Sports Movies
    2. Getting Ready for Your Shoot
    3. Shooting Your Sports Movie
      1. Shots to Get Before the Event
        1. Shooting Scenes of Getting Ready to Go to the Event
        2. Shooting Traveling to the Event
        3. Shooting the Location
        4. Shooting Scenes in the Locker Room or Outside
        5. Shooting Scenes of the Athletes Going onto the Field
        6. Shooting Fan Scenes
      2. Shots to Get During the Event
        1. Shooting the Opener
        2. Shooting the Game
        3. Shooting Brief Half-Time Interviews
      3. Shots to Get After the Event
        1. Shooting Locker Room or Other Shots of the Players
        2. Shooting an Interview with Your Favorite Athlete
        3. Shooting Fan Comments and Scenes
      4. Editing Your Sports Movie
      5. Basic Editing Steps
    4. Summary
  12. 8. Project 4: Making School Play (and Other Live Event) Movies
    1. Creative Approaches to Making Live Event Movies
    2. Getting Ready for Your Shoot
    3. Shooting Your Live Event Movie
      1. Shots to Get Before the Event Begins
        1. Shooting Practicing Scenes
        2. Shooting Preshow Interviews
        3. Shooting Exteriors of the Building at the Event
        4. Shooting a Sign or Poster Announcing the Event
        5. Shooting a Brief Interview with Your Star or Others at the Event
        6. Shooting Ticket Takers Taking Tickets
        7. Shooting Scenes of the Audience Waiting to Enter
        8. Shooting the Audience Entering or People Waiting for the Performance to Begin
        9. Shooting Backstage Getting-Ready Scenes
      2. Shots to Get During the Performance
      3. Shots to Get After the Event
        1. Shooting Audience Interviews About the Performance
        2. Shooting the Performers and/or Your Star Backstage
        3. Shooting Fan Scenes
      4. Editing Your Live Event Movie
      5. Basic Editing Steps
    4. Summary
  13. 9. Project 5: Making Family Memory Movies
    1. Getting Ready to Make a Family Memory Movie
      1. Don’t Put Yourself on a Tight Time Schedule
      2. Ask Others to Help
      3. Start Simple
      4. Grow Your Project Organically Over Time
      5. Think (and Act) Like an Archivist
    2. Creating Photo Slideshow Memory Movies
      1. Getting Organized
      2. A Sample Slideshow Movie: A Memorial
      3. Editing Photo Slideshow Memory Movies
    3. Digitizing Old Movies and VHS (and Other Format) Tapes
      1. Digitizing Films
      2. Digitizing VHS (and Other Format) Tapes
        1. Using a Camcorder to Digitize Your VHS Tapes
        2. Archiving VHS Footage Directly to DVD
        3. Other Methods for Digitizing VHS Tapes
    4. Getting Ready to Shoot an Oral History Movie
      1. Shooting an Oral History Movie
        1. Asking Questions About Birth and Childhood
        2. Asking Questions About Adult Life
        3. Asking Questions About Broader Themes
      2. Tips for Conducting Your Interview
        1. Using Photos to Prompt the Interviewee for Specific Memories
        2. Limiting Your Interview to a Comfortable Length of Time
        3. Providing Questions in Advance
        4. Promising to Provide a Copy of Your Edited Movie
        5. Choosing a Quiet, Comfortable Setting
        6. Asking for Permission to Use a Clip-on Microphone
      3. Conducting a Good Interview
        1. Directing an Interviewee Who Needs Help
        2. Including More People in Your Shot
        3. Considering Making a Transcript of the Interview
    5. Shooting a Family Reunion
    6. Editing Family Memory Movies
      1. Basic Editing Steps
    7. Summary
  14. 10. Resources for Learning
    1. Polishing Your Skills and Upgrading Your Tools
      1. Learning How to Shoot Better
      2. Improving Your Movie Maker Skills
      3. Upgrading Your Editing Software
    2. The Latest Video Trends
      1. Mobile Media
        1. PDAs: Pocket PC
        2. Cell Phone Video
        3. PVPs
      2. Video Blogging
        1. Vlog Hosting
      3. Video As a Sport
    3. Summary

Product information

  • Title: Create Your Own Digitial Movies
  • Author(s):
  • Release date: November 2005
  • Publisher(s): Sams
  • ISBN: 9780672328343