Real World Digital Video, Second Edition

Book description

You never thought you'd be shooting a corporate training video as part of your job as HR manager, but, well here you are--with a camcorder, a directive, and not a clue how to begin! You--and the many people who find themselves in similar situations--need this volume! Realizing that you're expected to provide professional results regardless, the authors of this volume dig deep into every phase of the DV production process: from capturing images and sound to editing, post-processing, adding special effects, and distributing the final product. Special emphasis is placed on the industrial-strength techniques that will get you up to speed quickly on the hardware and software advances that have occurred since the last edition. You'll find new sections on shooting and post-processing film-look (24p) and HDTV video, as well as special coverage of the latest eye-popping special effects. A companion DVD includes demo video clips, award-winning short films, interviews with DV pros, and lots more goodies.

Table of contents

  1. Copyright
  2. Preface to the Second Edition
  3. About the Authors
  4. Acknowledgments
  5. INTRODUCTION: Pictures from the Revolution
  6. All You Can Achieve with Digital Video
    1. Types of Projects You Can Shoot with Digital Video
    2. Basic Video Shooting Styles: News or Film
    3. Experimenting with Digital Video
  7. Yes, You Need a Script
    1. Script Elements and Formats
    2. Script Formatting Software and Preproduction Planning
    3. Thinking About Your Project
  8. DV Technology and the Camcorder
    1. About DV
    2. Matching a DV Camcorder to Your Shooting Style
    3. Access to Controls
    4. Camcorder Resolution and Picture Quality
    5. What Are NTSC/PAL/SECAM Broadcast Formats?
    6. What Do You Need to Know About Scanning Modes?
    7. Do You Need Automatic Camcorder Controls?
    8. Optical vs. Digital Zoom
    9. Audio Options
    10. Getting DV into Your Computer
    11. Your Mission
  9. Using Your Camcorder Like a Pro
    1. How to Get a Crash Course Without Trashing a Camera
    2. Ergonomics
    3. Lenses and Lens Operation
    4. Record and Playback Settings
    5. Audio/Video I/O Connections and Settings
    6. Professional Camera Techniques
    7. Shoot Some Tests
    8. Your Camcorder—An Extension of You
  10. Shots and Shot Plans
    1. Planning Your Shots
    2. Telling Stories with Pictures
    3. Direct Audience Attention
    4. Ten Ways to Shoot a Chair
    5. Types of Shots
    6. Using Shots as Storytelling Elements
    7. Blocking the Action
    8. Drawing Shot Plans
    9. Extracting the Shot List
    10. Making It Visual
  11. Lighting for DV
    1. Painting with Light
    2. Meet Your Lighting Crew
    3. Using Three-Point Lighting
    4. Controlling Color Temperature
    5. Selecting Professional Lights
    6. Tools for Controlling Light
    7. Lighting Techniques
    8. Painterly Art
  12. Sound on the Set
    1. Planning for Professional Sound
    2. Capturing Realistic Sound on the Set
    3. Meet Your Sound Crew
    4. Selecting Professional Microphones
    5. Tools for Controlling and Capturing Sound
    6. Should You Record Separate Sound?
    7. Sound Techniques
    8. Avoiding Nasty Surprises in Post
    9. The Mark of Professional Video
  13. Preproduction
    1. Choosing a Production Style
    2. How Much Structure?
    3. Multicamera Styles for Live Events
    4. Scouting Locations
    5. Shooting Offshore—Or Out of State
    6. Meet Your Crew
    7. Staffing Requirements
    8. What to Rent, What to Buy
    9. Breaking Down the Script
    10. Casting and Improvisation for DV
    11. Rehearsals, Briefings, Run-Throughs
    12. Scheduling and Budgeting for Digital Video Production
    13. Developing a Budget
    14. Dealing with Legal Issues
    15. Preparing to Shoot
    16. Eating the Elephant
  14. On the Set
    1. Running and Gunning
    2. The Call Sheet
    3. Transporting and Managing Equipment
    4. Setting up for a Scene
    5. Artful Composition
    6. Keeping Track of Your Takes
    7. Calling for Quiet Between Takes
    8. Working with Actors
    9. What is a Sensible Shooting Ratio?
    10. Moving the Camera During a Shot
    11. Record Keeping
    12. Preventing and Troubleshooting Common Problems
    13. Striking the Set
    14. Abby Singer and the Martini
  15. In The Cutting Room
    1. The Editing Process
    2. Meet Your Editing Crew
    3. Thinking About Your Digital Editing System
    4. How Does NLE Work?
    5. Nonlinear Editing Basics
    6. No Need for Perfection
    7. Show it to Someone Before it's Too Late
    8. Storing Your Project Files For Possible Re-Edit
    9. Learning to Use Your Editing System Better
  16. Polishing Sound and Images
    1. Post Tools
    2. Making the Magic Invisible
    3. Meet Your Postproduction Crew
    4. Polishing Sound
    5. The Infinite Variety of Music
    6. Polishing Images
    7. The Missing Ingredient?
  17. Distribution and E-Publishing
    1. Going Wide
    2. Meet Your Mastering and Duplication Team
    3. Meet Your Distribution Team
    4. Deliverables for Distribution
    5. Copyright
    6. Releasing on Videotape and DVD
    7. Releasing on Television
    8. Releasing on Theatrical Film
    9. Releasing on the Internet
    10. Releasing on Corporate Networks
    11. Delivering on the Democratization of Video
  18. Coming Attractions
  19. Digital Video Technology in Depth
    1. Types of Digital Video: Sorting out the Confusion
    2. Proprietary DV Variants
    3. DV Technology: Under the Hood
    4. CCD Technology
    5. What Is Color Space and Why Is It Important?
  20. Selecting and Building an NLE System
    1. Choose Your Platform
    2. NLE Products: An Overview
    3. Which Mac or Which PC?
    4. Configuring an Editing System: Three Examples
    5. Preparing Your Drives Before Installing NLE Software
  21. Glossary
    1. #
    2. A
    3. B
    4. C
    5. D
    6. E
    7. F
    8. G
    9. H
    10. I
    11. J
    12. K
    13. L
    14. M
    15. N
    16. O
    17. P
    18. R
    19. S
    20. T
    21. U
    22. V
    23. W
    24. X
    25. Z
  22. References and Web Links
    1. 1. All You Can Achieve with Digital Video
    2. 2. Yes, You Need a Script
    3. 3. DV Technology and the Camcorder
    4. 4. Using Your Camcorder Like a Pro
    5. 5. Shots and Shot Plans
    6. 6. Lighting for DV
    7. 7. Sound on the Set
    8. 8. Preproduction
    9. 9. On the Set
    10. 10. In the Cutting Room
    11. 11. Polishing Sound and Images
    12. 12. Distribution and E-Publishing
    13. 13. Coming Attractions
    14. A. Digital Video Technology in Depth
    15. B. Selecting and Building an NLE System
  23. Index

Product information

  • Title: Real World Digital Video, Second Edition
  • Author(s): Pete Shaner, Gerald Everett Jones
  • Release date: March 2004
  • Publisher(s): Peachpit Press
  • ISBN: 9780321238337