Customer Reviews:
Perfect book.......2007-07-17
This book is everything I hoped it would be. I am a novice painter, working in acrylics, and wanted some basic info on color theory. This is it. The information is comprehensive yet easy to understand with exercises for the reader to do in any medium. I was so impressed that I bought her Exploring Color Workbook to go with it. This is highly recommended for the artist wanting to expand her color theory expertise.
Wonderful exercises .......2007-05-14
I bought this based on other reviews about it. I don't know doodley about color and have always gone on gut instinct...and I've painted over a lot of ruined canvas and wasted a lot of paint.
This is an excellent little book with a lot of exercises to make it all quite clear. Every page teaches me something - I have so far had quite a few "AHA" moments. I am beginning to understand why sometimes a color works and sometimes it is just a little off...
I recommend this for everyone. Thank you Nita Leland.
Exploring Color Book.......2007-01-26
This is one of the best books available to artists who want to learn to mix colors without creating mud, to maintain transparency of colors, and to mix grays. The workbood that goes with this book is great for any beginning watercolor artist. I recommend this book with all of my beginning students.
Color up a notch.......2007-01-23
When I read this book I considered myself and intermediate painter. This book cranked me up a notch. It is full of useful, well stated information that inspired me to try new things, and refine what I already knew. It would be useful to new and intermediate painters.
Awsome art technique book, widely applicable.......2006-07-14
Wow! "Exploring Color" lived up to all of the 5-star reviews, and surpassed them all. I've never been able to say that about a book before. This book focuses mainly on the use of color in artwork -- why some color schemes work, and why others fail. Many other topics are covered and related to back to the use of color, such as composition, presentation, design and types of contrast. Example pictures are taken from a wide range of artwork in different mediums by various artists -- simply wonderful! After each description, the author inserts an exercise for the reader, to help you understand and apply the principle presented. These exercises can be done in any medium (watercolor, oil, pastel, cloth, etc.), and far surpass the "paint by number/follow me" exercises in books aimed at nervous beginners.
"Exploring Color " targets intermediate to advanced artists. Beginers should give it a chance, also. Try it, you'll be wowed.
Book Description
Millions of people have learned to draw using the methods of Dr. Betty Edwards's bestseller The New Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain. Now, much as artists progress from drawing to painting, Edwards moves from black-and-white into color. This new guide distills the enormous existing knowledge about color theory into a practical method of working with color to produce harmonious combinations.
Using techniques tested and honed in her five-day intensive color workshops, Edwards provides a basic understanding of how to see color, how to use it, and-for those involved in art, painting, or design-how to mix and combine hues. Including more than 125 color images and exercises that move from simple to challenging, this volume explains how to:
- see what is really there rather than what you "know" in your mind about colored objects
- perceive how light affects color, and how colors affect one another
- manipulate hue, value, and intensity of color and transform colors into their opposites
- balance color in still-life, landscape, figure, and portrait painting
- understand the psychology of color
- harmonize color in your surroundings
While we recognize and treasure the beautiful use of color, reproducing what we see can be a challenge. Accessibly unweaving color's complexity, this must-have primer is destined to be an instant classic.
Customer Reviews:
BETTY EDWARDS ROCKS!.......2007-09-17
Anything written by this woman is amaaaazing!!!!! Loved this book! I have to recommend the others too!!!
The New Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain (BEST GIFT I HAVE EVER RECIEVED!) along with the workbook... and Drawing on the Artist Within.... if you have these books, there is no need for ANY OTHER on drawing instruction!!!! MUST HAVES!
Well organized presentation. Very infromative. .......2007-09-10
The information in the book is presented in much the same way that instruction in a college class is presented - step-by-step. The progression of the material is perfect. An artist at any level could learn form this author. It's easy to see that Betty Edwards is an experienced teacher.
There are projects in the book that ground the written information in hands-on learning. The projects are fun yet by their nature improve both color mixing and perception.
I highly recommend this book! Loved it!
color by betty edwards a course in mastering the art of mixing colors.......2007-05-16
It's very clear and concise and an excellent resoursce.
A worthwhile color course.......2007-01-16
A well thought out book. Color theory is presented accurately however reference to the visual complementary theory would be useful. This is a book where the benefit will only be properly dervived by working through the exercises. This takes time and commitment and it is not a book for the casual reader. On the way some useful color tools are developed. In summary a very unique work that is not perfect but can advance your knowledge and skills significantly.
Now I get it..........2006-05-03
I am not an artist, at least, that is not what I've gone to school for (I am a History professor). But Betty Edwards' books, over the past couple of decades, have helped me to draw like I know what I am doing. And now I know more about color and the art of mixing acrylics.
For those of you who have taken art classes or consider yourselves to be artists, I don't know how you take the book. But for those of us who yearn to express ourselves through art but were never instructed, this book is a godsend. No one ever explained color theory to me before, at least that I could grasp, but Edwards' no nonsense way of teaching as a step-by-step process explains color theory in excruciating detail.
I tried to paint before, but failed to mix the colors the way I wanted to, or to match what I was seeing. Edwards makes sure that this never happens to you again, at least that is what I got from the book. What I found the most helpful on an emotional level were the little blurbs in the margins, which some other "reviewers" criticized. Why do these help? Because now I know that Van Gogh, Da Vinci, and others had to LEARN color theory like I have to learn it. They didn't just pick up a paintbrush and oils and voila!, they were masters. They worked at it, just like me. I don't feel so stupid about art anymore.
Edwards will make you see color structures in a better way, an artists' way. You should be able to express what you see in front of you better after reading her instructions in this book and doing the lessons. Painting used to be mysterious to me, and now I know how to achieve the colors I want, how to balance out my paintings, and how to think like a painter. Like I said above, I no longer feel like an idiot where painting is concerned, I feel like I can paint, which is exactly what Edwards wants from her readers.
The only problem I have with the book is that my color mixes don't always come out looking the same as in the book, even though I do what she says to do, but it may be the limitations of color in printing a book that is the problem, maybe not, I don't know. But unlike some of the other "reviewers," I had no problem getting all the right materials. Just go to Dick Blick Art Supplies online and you will find all the materials she wants you to have, no problem, including all the right colors.
If you have never understood color theory before and want to understand it, and if you have never been taught to mix paint before but want to learn it now, I highly recommend this book. Maybe it should be called "Painting for Dummies," or something, because I am not so sure how much help it is for people who already call themselves artists, but it is helping this historian learn to express her creative side with confidence and in color.
Book Description
*Beaded and embellished jewelry is a hot trend that lends itself to creative freedom through color mixing
This book teaches you how to transform beadwork from mundane to magnificent. A beginner's must-have resource, The Beader's Color Mixing Directory explains basic color-mixing principles and provides step-by-step instructions for putting color mixing theories to the test in order to create beautiful beaded jewelry. In addition, you gain more than 200 color schemes, with each demonstrated on an item of jewelry to show the effect of color mixing and the endless possibilities.
Customer Reviews:
Good book for all.......2007-09-27
This is a great book for anyone who loves beading. I have been beading for a number of years and find that you sometimes get stuck with "your colours". This book is great for getting you to move outside your zone without having to think too hard. Also has beautiful jewelry which will inspire your own creativeness
great addition to beading library!.......2007-08-23
I was very pleased with this book though I'll admit I am a bit jaded, having been a devotee of Margie Deeb's book[ASIN:0823004872 The Beader's Guide to Color]for several years. That being said, there are many reasons to suggest Ms Wallace's book. Her 30 page chapter on color theory covered nearly everything the average beader needs to know, short of a semester coarse of study. The vast array of innovative color themes are full of fresh and inspiring ideas. There are a fair number of projects included in the last chapter that demonstrate to the reader, through illustration, how each project would look in three of four different color combinations. Personally, however, I feel the best part of this book lies in the color scheme chapter. Here the author includes a useful graphic with each sample of beadwork, clearly showing the percentages of each color used.
As a beading teacher, I will refer my students over and over to this book for that simple addition alone! As a beader and designer, I'm sure I will find many reasons to choose Ms Wallace's book from my personal library shelves when I need help with a project.
Wonderful book with lots of eye candy!.......2007-08-19
I've been beading for a few years, but always feel like I struggle with color choices. Recently I purchased Margie Deeb's book, but felt like I still wanted more information, so I also just bought Sandra Wallace's book. While they do cover some of the same information, they are a wonderful complement to each other, and I'm so glad that I now have both of them.
As other reviewers have mentioned, this book is divided into three sections. The first section talks about color theory and how to use a color wheel to create interesting color combinations. While Deeb's book uses the CYM color wheel, Wallace's book uses the standard color wheel.
In the second section of the book, Wallace provides over 150 examples of various projects from other bead artists that are grouped according to various color schemes (with titles like Volcano, Floral Fantasy, Faded Roses, etc.). It is in this second section of the book where Wallace provides the details about the percentage of beads used in each project. This section alone is worth the cost of the book! The samples are just wonderful, and Wallace explains how each one uses the color theory (analogous, complementary, etc.) she had discussed in Part 1. This section has such wonderful eye candy, and I know I will be going back to it many times in the future for inspiration.
The third section of the book has 10 sample projects, complete with instructions. Each of those 10 projects also has diagrams for how to make that project using other color combinations so you can really see how changing the color scheme affects the overall look of your piece.
All in all, this is a wonderful book, and I'm definitely glad I purchased it!
Inspiration Galore!.......2007-08-15
I bought this even thought I have Margie Deeb's "A Beader's Guide to Color" and I'm very glad I did. While Deeb's book concentrates a lot on theory Wallace's is packed with actual beadwork pieces of every style to demonstrate her color combinations. Every photo is broken down into the percent of each color used, making it easy to translate her color balances into your own designs.
If you're looking for a basic how-to book, this one's not for you. No beading instructions are given, only a brief mention of the stitch(es)use in the piece being discussed. However, those with some experience under their belt will find themseles returning again and again for a fresh look at using different color combinations. This book is a great source of inspiration.
The Best Beader's Color Theory Book Ever.......2007-08-02
This is the book I've been looking for forever! I love making things, but I have a terrible eye for color. Now I understand what does and doesn't work AND WHY. This book starts with the basics that many of us probably already know. The color wheel. If you're already familiar with the color wheel, just skip the first chapter. The rest of the book is still pure gold. It goes into color schemes, explaining in simple language, what works and why. It tells you how to get pleasing color combinations using few or many colors together. The truly unique aspect of this book is the information telling you what PROPORTIONS make these color schemes work. At the bottom of each page teaching a color scheme, there is a bar that is divided into sections. Each section shows how much of one color to use. It's a visual representation for the percentage of each color in the scheme. The info is also provided as a percentage number. Those who have difficulty working with percents will have no trouble understanding because percents are explained as it would apply to beading. For example it tells you that 10% of this bead means that if you have 100 beads, 10 of them would be this color, 24% of the second color would mean that 24 beads out of that 100 bead pile would be the second color, etc. Finally, the last section gives 10 projects, each using one of the schemes taught in the book. The projects use the color schemes but each also shows you how you can change it. For example, how to change the given color scheme from a predominately green project to a predominately purple one. The projects themselved aren't easily followed if you're a beginner, but again, the book is pure gold. All the photos and illustrations are very well done. I this book it to a class taught by a nationally known jewelry instructor and she was very impressed. Enough so that she wrote the title and author so that she could refer students to it! If color combinations are your issue this is the one and only book you need on the subject.
Book Description
Mixing colors accurately may be an art unto itself. In fact, many artists are discouraged by the time and expense it takes to mix and match colors, and achieve the right results. Even more frustrating is the vast range of colors available. Now there's a ready-to-use visual directory that takes all the guesswork out of mixing and matching colors . . . making every artist an expert! Color Mixing Bible provides a basic color palette for each art medium, demonstrating an array of two-, three-, and four-color mixes, as well as offering full explanations of various paints and pigments. This invaluable guide features scores of tips and techniques for color mixing with oils, acrylics, watercolors, inks, pastels, and virtually every other art medium. It also includes in-depth information on how to determine the opacity and strength of a color, choose a color palette, mix whites, arrange and organize colors prior to mixing, use optical and physical mixing techniques, and much more! Plus, hundreds of color illustrations make everything simple. Whether one is an aspiring artist or working professional, Color Mixing Bible is an essential addition to every bookshelf.
Customer Reviews:
Color Mixing.......2007-02-12
Very good for all types of artists. It even has inks for us printmakers!!!
Enjoyable.......2004-03-12
I enjoyed this book very much. It was simple to understand and quite interesting. I'm sure it's not the end all in color mixing books, but it is not a bad one at all.
A great book to start with.......2004-02-16
I've just started oil painting, and this book proved invaluable in helping me sort out the many, many different kinds of paint with their exotic names out there. I generally like to jump in and just experiment, but when I discovered the high price of good oil paints, I decided I needed a little book knowledge first. This book costs about the same as a good tube of paint, and saved me from buying many colors that, before reading the book, I didn't realize I wouldn't really need (at least to start with). It's one of clearest, most concise books I've read (on any subject). Every word is one of wisdom. If you're new to mixing paint, or having trouble figuring it out, get this book (it doesn't really cover HOW to paint though).
A True Labor Saving Book.......2003-06-02
The first thing I always did with a new set of paints was create color swatches and mixes. Now that my paint sets are more expensive I hate to waste paint on swatches that I'll probably put in some "safe" location in the studio...never to be seen again. Here I can reference swatches of commonly used colors, opaque and transparent in a range of media. Sidaway also includes the best history of pigments that I've read to date - answering a question about phthalo blue that's been bugging me for years (when was it introduced? 1936.) This book is no substitute for learning about your palette, but does provide information on how to select an appropriate palette.
Very Informative.......2003-01-03
It covered the basics of color and technical terms "hue, shade, tint" It has a section about the history of pigments and dies and what they used to be made of that is interesting. One brown paint used to be made of ground up mummies.It discusses the mixing of color in many different media.
Book Description
Handbook of Industrial Mixing will explain the difference and uses of a variety of mixers including gear mixers, top entry mixers, side entry mixers, bottom entry mixers, on-line mixers, and submerged mixers The Handbook discusses the trade-offs among various mixers, concentrating on which might be considered for a particular process. Handbook of Industrial Mixing explains industrial mixers in a clear concise manner, and also:
* Contains a CD-ROM with video clips showing different type of mixers in action and a overview of their uses.
* Gives practical insights by the top professional in the field.
* Details applications in key industries.
* Provides the professional with information he did receive in school
Book Description
David Gibson's runaway bestselling book The Art of Mixing has been revised and updated to be a full-color edition with even more examples of musical styles visually illustrated to reveal how sound "looks" in a professionally mixed song. With over 25,000 copies of the first edition sold, this revised edition is sure to provide even greater insight into how sound works in a three-dimensional field, helping you fully understand how to apply these techniques to your recordings.
Customer Reviews:
the art of space.......2007-03-13
it's a really amazing book on the ART of mixing. i'm a home recorder newbie, and found this book very useful, when i tried to figure out the way spacing sounds in the universe of beauty. it focuses on a pretty well-defined aspect of the stuff, and helps to improve your own vision how instruments should work in your imagination. but if you're looking for technical information, you'd better to buy this book and another one together. btw, it's clear and simple, so i've already read it 3times.
Mixing guide for DJ.......2007-01-22
My son wanted this and has been using it quite a bit since Christmas. I think he really likes it.
Definately worth the read.......2007-01-10
This book is a helpful reference to anyone who wants to learn more about mixing music whether your new to Recording or an expert.
Second Edition Only A Lot Of Pretty-Colored Orbs and Fluff!!!.......2006-12-29
I definitely bought this thinking it was like the first edition which I had bought several years ago and which got stolen. Now, I don't remember the first edition being ANYTHING like this. All this has is a bunch of examples of what "famous" musicians' mixes look like. It totally OVERDOES the colored spheres bit and there are large "Comment Boxes" with information that is neither useful NOR informative. Makes many references to 808 Boom, which is most like the Roland TR-808 drum machine, the boomy sustaining kick drum of which is used in a a lot of rap and hip hop music. I think the first edition was a more professional book aimed at SERIOUS mixing engineers, whereas the second edition only shows us what Christina Aguilera and other cheesy artists use as their mix. I am totally disappointed. The first edition, on the other hand, is very informative, uses the illustrations with the colored orbs positioning in the 3D sound field effectively, and I must say DID help me improve the quality of my mixes. The second edition just LACKS ALL OVER what the first edition had. What a terrible way to try to boost sales, i.e., delete all professional material and insert material that appears to teeny-boppers who know nothing about music. What a letdown!
Nice pictures but nearly content free.......2006-12-13
This book presents a highly simplistic view of what it takes to mix a quality recording. A few good points are made but most of the book is filled with redundant diagrams and space wasting text boxes. I bought this book on the web, had I seen it in a bookstore and scanned it, I would have placed it back on the shelf.
Book Description
This pocket-sized guide to quick and accurate color mixing is an essential reference for artists of all media. Inside are 2,460 printed color mixes from 12 standard artist paints. Each page features the range you can get from any two of these colors.
Artists can seek out the color they desire, identify the hues they need to mix and then instantly reproduce the color on their palette. They'll also find invaluable information about every color including the strength, transparency and handling qualities of the colors used to attain it.
The book's compact and convenient design lets artists take it anywhere, capturing the color inspiration as it hits them.
Customer Reviews:
Comparing Michael Wilcox book on Color Mixing Swatch Book.......2007-02-19
The Color Mixing Swatch Book is a good complement to The Wilcox Guide to the Best Watercolor Paints and is more portable than Blue and Yellow Don't Make Green. The Guide is required to find which manufactures to use in buying the colors that are given in The Color Mixing Swatch Book.
Color Mixing Swatch Book.......2007-01-24
This is a great book for people who are just learning to paint and have no idea how to mix the right colors for the right color of paint. This has helped me tremendously to accomplish finishing my oil painting. I would recomend this book to everyone.
color miking swath book.......2007-01-11
This item was odered for my wife who is a Botanical Artist trained at Art school in the UK. she finds that it is a handy referance that she can take with her when going in the field
A great book for beginning artists.......2003-10-21
A great book for beginning artists like myself. It helps me everyday to plan my colors. Using this book I feel more confident in finding the right colors. While I am learning to get a feeling for mixing colors, being able to do it intuitively, I can rely on the swatches in the book to give me the right hints.
I use this book in two ways with all my paintings.
First, before I start painting, I plan the colors with the book: I make combinations of colors before actually mixing them. What will be the darks, the lights, the cools, and the warms.
Then later, when I want to make a color that I need and I don't know how to do it, I can simply look up the nearest color in the swatches and find out how to get there.
So, thanks Michael, great job.
Average customer rating:
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Flow Control by Feedback
Ole M. Aamo , and
Miroslav Krstic
Manufacturer: Springer
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ASIN: 1852336692 |
Book Description
The emergence of flow control as an attractive new field is owed to breakthroughs in MEMS (micro-electromechanical systems) and related technologies. The instrumentation of fluid flows on extremely short length and short time scales requires the practical tool of control algorithms with provable performance guarantees. Dedicated to this problem, Flow Control by Feedback, brings together controller design and fluid mechanics expertise in an exposition of the latest research results. Featuring: Exhaustive treatment of flow control core areas including stabilization and mixing control techniques; self-contained introductory sections on Navier-Stokes equations, linear and nonlinear control and sensors and MEMS to facilitate accessibility to this cross-disciplinary subject; a comprehensive survey of feedback algorithms for flow control that are currently available. In response to the intense interest in flow control, this volume will be an essential addition to the library of researchers and graduate students in control theory, fluid mechanics, mathematics and physics. Content structure is ideal for instruction on flow control modules or as supplementary reading on fluid dynamics and infinite dimensional systems courses.
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Mixing of Liquids By Mechanical Agitation (Chemical Engineering : Concepts and Reviews Vol 1)
J. J. Ulbrecht
Manufacturer: Routledge
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ASIN: 2881241123 |
Book Description
Since the dawn of film, novices and experts have used quick-and-dirty workarounds and audiovisual tricks to improve their motion pictures, from home movies to feature films. Today, the tools have certainly changed, as have the quality and scope of the results. With digital video, the hacking possibilities are now limitless, for both amateurs and professional artists. From acquiring footage, mixing, editing, and adding effects to final distribution, Digital Video Hacks provides unique tips, tools, and techniques for every stage of video production. You'll learn how to:
- Get your projects started right using creative preparation tools and techniques, from making your own steadicam, boom, or dolly to effective storyboarding, timecoding, and tape labeling
- Troubleshoot common shooting problems, including using stop-motion and time-lapse techniques, lighting effects, colored screens and gels, and household objects to establish mood or otherwise wow an audience
- Create stunning visual effects, such as satellite zooming, surreal scenes, Matrix-like bullet-time, and green screen illusions
- Fool your audience with audio tricks, replacing flubbed dialogue, smoothing over cuts, and covering missing audio with room tone
- Add professional features with post-production tricks, including color correction, soundtrack cleanup, opening sequences, and DVD bookmarks
- Distribute final content in a variety of creative ways, from exporting to basic videotape or DVD to streaming over the internet or even via cell phone
- Use the web to provide interactivity and dynamic content, attend a remote conference, or vlog your life.
Whether you're looking for a new technique to include in your next project, a solution to a common problem, or just a little inspiration, this book reintroduces you to the digital video you only thought you knew.
Customer Reviews:
Lazy boys hacks.......2007-09-13
Great book with great content I recommend it to anyone who want to take there film making a step forward and is to busy or lazy to download the information from the internet becaue it is all there. Spread around of course but you will find every piece of information even most of the pictures used in this book so. If you have time and dedication you can save yourself the money by looking it up on the internet.
Very informative, very well written........2007-02-18
This book covers many aspects of video. Labeling tapes, making excel spreadsheets for saving information, time code on tapes, how to achieve certain effects, lighting, and green screen effects just name a few. The book is general to most all video software and is a very usefull tool I'm glad I purchased. Don't let the term "HACKS' fool you it 's only refering to tips or tricks.
Many good tib-bits and pointers........2006-02-26
I found the book to be very practical and have the
kind of "nuts-and-bolts" pointers that I like. You
don't have to read it cover to cover (I didn't) but
can pick it up and go to the points that interest you
or where you are currently in need of help. It refers
to various "commerical products" that the author has
used to get the job done. I found this helpful. With so
many competing products to chose from it's nice to
hear, "If you get product X you'll be able to do Z,"
rather than buying and hoping (or not buying and
wondering). Kuddos to the author.
Must have for amateur/semi-professionals.......2006-02-23
I learned so much from this book. In fact, I've already implemented several of the ideas and have had great results. If you're semi-professional (video has been added to your responsibilities but you have no experience with this medium) BUY THIS BOOK.
Who would have thought of parchment paper and clothes pins to diffuse light and create a softer, more natural light over the subject? That's just one of the great tips I've already started using.
I've bought several digital video books while trying to learn this medium, and this has been by far the most useful.
great tips: No HD stuff, great color photos .......2005-12-07
Does anyone know when Oreilly stopped putting animals on its book covers? And started adding (gasp!) illustrations to their technology books? Camels and monkeys and birds still adorn the programming books, but a lot of recent Oreilly books have targeted user applications (i.e., The Missing Manual series) and a more graphically-oriented approach (some might say a comic book approach) to highly technical subjects (see the Headfirst Series or their recent Make magazine). The newly released Digital Video Hacks offers a more user-friendly approach, providing lots of tips and ideas to how to produce a video project.
This book (like other Hacks books) lists 100 hacks and how to do them. It includes contributions from about a dozen writers, most notably filmmaker Michael Dean (who directed the film DIY or Die: How to Survive as an Independent Artist ) and Derrick Story who wrote the terrific Digital Video Pocket Guide (which I'll speak more about later).
Unlike Digital Video Pocket Guide (which focuses more on the shooting part of the production process), Digital Video Hacks walks you through production, post-production and even a little bit of distribution. First, here's a list of things you won't find covered in this book(not in enough depth to be useful). You won't find much discussion about HD production (a good source is the HD For Indies weblog); you won't find much advice about buying equipment or how to comparison shop (camcorder.info might provide better information about that). You won't find a handbook of non-linear editors (NLE) or even a comparison of those currently on the market. Interestingly, the NLE screenshots come from various applications, and in fact they even mention Linux and open-source options on occasion (it doesn't mention Kino, though it goes over a neat open source encoding tool called ffmpeg ). Acknowledging that people will be using different NLEs, the book talks about NLE tricks in a generic way. Aside from postproduction, this book doesn't cover managing a video project (getting clearance, making budgets, etc), or the aesthetics of videography. You'll have to check other books for that (see below).
That aside, the book is great. For basic videography, the book talks about things you can improvise: using roller skates or baby carriages for dolly shots, windshield shades for bounceboards, parchment paper or pantyhose for light diffusion. I also learned a lot of great tricks: how to mount your camera on your car (PDF), log your footage and fix timecode/digital transfer problems (PDF) . The book covers lots of gotchas: Why you should edit with both a TV monitor and computer monitor, cleaning audio (with high-pass or low-pass filters or applications like Soundsoap ). All great stuff. The portion on lighting was ok; unlike many video production books (which go into excruciating detail about lighting equipment way above an individual's budget), the book describes an on-the-go lightkit assembled by a director for shooting in Thailand. This was cool and interesting, but I definitely could have used more buying information about something above no-budget lighting. I would have liked a discussion of common lighting scenarios. (I guess this is just something you have to learn on your own). Aside from a discussion of monopods, I'm surprised that the book didn't weigh in on do-it-yourself steadicams. I really wanted an extended discussion of that (luckily, there seems to be a a slashdot discussion on the topic).
I had the same complaint about the audio section. While it contained some interesting sound tricks (regarding the soundproof car interior as a mobile studio for example) I missed information about the different types of microphones and how to place them correctly. Such basic stuff isn't properly considered a hack and thus not included here. That is unfortunate. To be fair though, the audio hacks given here were excellent. To wit, hack #57 (Fool Your Audience's Perception (PDF)) describes in detail how to use the McGurk effect to cover mistakes and yes, even to edit out profanity without your audience catching on.
For readers looking for more information about the shooting process itself, the cheaper and more succinct 2003 Digital Video Pocket Guide by Derrick Story covers that information superbly. Story's book goes into more detail about equipment to buy as well as how to resolve lighting and sound problems. There's only so much you can say in 112 pages, but 30 of those pages are devoted to solving practical shooting problems (i.e., the walking interview, dealing with wind (PDF), etc.) Another 30 pages consists of reference material and tables about basic camera concepts (i.e., how aperture relates to depth of field). Also, this book in particular has a high percentage of color photographs, which (like those in Digital Video Hacks) make it easier to understand what the writer is getting at. Some of the information from Digital Video Pocket Guide is duplicated in Digital Video Hacks, but lately I've found myself referring more often to the Pocket Guide than the Video Hacks book.
In contrast, Digital Video Hacks spends a lot more time on post-production, resolving sound problems and image discrepencies. It also contains lots of tricks (special techniques for appropriate certain contexts). Some examples: time-lapse video of a sunset, constructing a DIY blue screen shot (really cool and not as complicated as I thought), controlling your camera remotely, making your own "weather report," creating a "freeze-time" sequence (a la Matrix), creating a video for 3-D viewing, making DVD menus, defeating the Macromedia protections on commercial DVDs to import clips into your project, shooting a computer monitor (the discrepencies in refresh rates causes flickering) and rotating your video from vertical to horizontal. The book also contains some postproduction tricks (such as changing a scene from day to night) as well as other advanced techniques: Removing an unwanted object (like a microphone) from your video image using your NLE or using XML config files to create custom effects and transitions in MS Movie Maker.
The book did a fairly good job talking about distribution, encoding and rendering. There was a good discussion about setting up bit torrent, videoblogging, live feeds, video catalogs, creating DVD menus and encoding for media players on portable devices (using 3GPP file formats). This is important and amazing stuff, especially as video aggregators like FireAnt become more popular. In addition, some hacks were less about video production than using remote cameras for everyday uses (security, remote tech support). Interesting for some, not terribly important to future Richard Linklaters.
The best part about both books are the great color images. Both are easy to read and browse through. I like the way that Digital Video Hacks offered suggestions for Linux, Windows and Apple and didn't limit themselves to talking about only one application like Final Cut Pro. Sometimes a a technology book, if its approach to the subject is too generic, will turn out not to offer a practical series of steps for accomplishing tasks. Digital Video Hacks did not fall into this trap.
In summary: Digital Video Hacks is an excellent all-in-one book for video producers at all levels. Great practical suggestions and tricks, although I wish it provided more help for evaluating your equipment needs (and making it fit within your budget).
Robert Nagle , aka idiotprogrammer writes web fiction under various pseudonyms. He is soon embarking on first feature documentary project.
Books:
- Film: A Critical Introduction
- For a Few Demons More (Rachel Morgan, Book 5)
- Frank Capra: The Catastrophe of Success
- Gathering Remnants: A Tribute to the Working Cowboy
- Hardcore Zen: Punk Rock, Monster Movies, & the Truth about Reality
- Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Book 7)
- Here, There and Everywhere: My Life Recording the Music of the Beatles
- Hidden Idaho: Including Boise, Sun Valley, and Yellowstone National Park (Hidden Travel)
- History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
- History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
Books Index
Books Home
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