| So you've got a copy of iMovie HD and iDVD 5, a camcorder, and plenty of footagebut how do you get all this video footage into a watchable movie? Maybe you don't want to spend a lot of time learning all the ins and outs of the software, but just want to get your movie finished. Realizing that many users won't want to waste a single minute reading about all they can do with iMovie and iDVD, best-selling author Jeff Carlson cuts straight to the chase, using simple project-based instruction and big, colorful screen shots to guide them through the process of making their first movie on an interactive DVD. By focusing on that first project, rather than exploring every option and feature, Jeff demonstrates the quickest, easiest, smartest route to cinematic success. Each short lesson builds on the last as users learn how to shoot, edit, and produce their own movies and then distribute them on DVDs to share with friends, family, and colleagues.
The Visual QuickProject Guide that you hold in your hands offers a unique way to learn about new technologies. Instead of drowning you in theoretical possibilities and lengthy explanations, this Visual QuickProject Guide uses big, color illustrations coupled with clear, concise step-by-step instructions to show you how to complete one specific project in a matter of hours.
Our project in this book is to edit a home movie and put it on a DVD that can be viewed using most consumer DVD players. Why go to the trouble of editing? After all, the footage shot on the camcorder's tape is a movieall the pieces are there, and can be played back from start to end. However, the video you shoot invariably includes rough patches that always crop up: blurry shots when you were trying to locate something in the viewfinder; sections of time when the camera was inadvertently recording the ground as you were walking; and, for lack of a polite way of saying it, those parts that seemed interesting at the time but on reflection are now just boring.
With iMovie HD, you will take that footage and easily shape it into a movie that your friends and family want to watch. In addition to assembling and trimming scenes, you'll add music, sound effects, and still photos. Once the movie is edited, you'll be able to post it on the Web, send it to someone via email, and burn it to a DVD using iDVD 5. What's great is that you don't have to be a professional video editor or even a computer expert to accomplish this task. Better still, it's fun: you get to shape your own movie, with tools that are easy to understand and use. |
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