Introduction. I. DIGITAL VIDEO: THE BEAUTY OF ZEROS AND ONES.
1. The History of Video: From Analog to Digital. The History of Video in Fast Forward. The Evolution from Analog to Digital. Digital Video Long-Term Perspective. Compatibility with Future Formats.
2. Digital Video Basics. Digital Video Codecs. Digital Video Formats.
3. The Future of Digital Video. About DVD. Homemade DVDs. Faster Editing Process. DV Conquers the Big Screen. HDTV: Where Does It Fit? Overview of New Digital Video Technology.
II. HARDWARE: CAMCORDERS AND COMPUTERS.
4. Digital Camcorder Basics. About General Camcorder Components. CCD. Lens. Battery Options. Viewfinder. LCD Monitor. Microphone. Optical and Digital Zoom. Optical and Digital Image Stabilization. Special Effects. Automatic and Manual Settings. Still Picture Capability. Analog Pass Thru. Accessory Shoe. FireWire (IEEE 1394, i.Link). Media Options. Optical Media.
5. Choosing the Right Camcorder. The Different Camcorder Types. Best Price/Performance Camcorders. Best Prosumer Camcorders.
6. Camcorder Accessories. Lens Filters and Attachments. Tripods and Monopods. Steadicams. Microphones. Lights. Recommend Accessories Chart*.
7. Shopping Tips. Researching Your Purchase. Online Shopping. Buying at Your Local Retail Store. Other Things to Know Before Buying.
8. Camcorder Maintenance. Storing Your Camcorder. Camcorder Enemies. Cleaning Your Camcorder.
9. Computer Hardware Basics. The Minimum and Recommended Specs. Defining Overkill. Minimum System Specs. Recommended System Specs.
10. Upgrading or Choosing a New Computer System. Upgrading Your Computer. Building a New Computer. Buying a Major Brand PC. Buying a Turnkey Solution. Choosing an Operating System.
11. Computer Setup and Maintenance. Recommendations for Optimal Video Editing Performance. Memory Optimization. Defragging. Fighting System Slow Down. Finding Answers to Inevitable Computer Problems.
Project 1. Researching Your Camcorder Purchase Online. Project 2. Researching Your Camcorder Purchase Locally. Project 3. Checking a Retailer's Reputation. Project 4. Getting Familiar with Online Support Resources. III. SHOOTING VIDEO: CAPTURING THE BEST QUALITY FOOTAGE.
12. The Limits of Auto Mode: When and How to Go Manual. Auto Mode. Going Manual. Manual Settings and Modes. Best Settings for Various Shooting Conditions.
13. A Primer on Lighting. DV Underperformance in Low Light. Lighting Options. Film and Video Lighting. Outdoor Lighting.
14. Camcorder Sound. The Problem with Motor Noise. An External Microphone Primer. Wind Guards.
Project 5. Mastering Low-Light Environments. Project 6. Mastering Brightly Lit Environments. Project 7. Mastering Fast Action Video. Project 8. Selective Focus/Exposure. IV. EDITING VIDEO: TURNING YOUR FOOTAGE INTO A MOVIE.
15. Advanced Primer on Video/Filmmaking: The Science Behind the Art of Capturing Good Footage. Experience-Based Science of Videography. The Textbook Science of Shooting Good Video.
16. Consumer and Prosumer Video Editing Software Options. Video Editing Software Overview. Video Editing Software Features. Consumer Video Editors. Prosumer Video Editors. Setting Up Your Computer for Editing. Importing Video into Your Computer.
17. Consumer Video Editing Basics. Simple Editing in Ulead VideoStudio. Starting Your Project and Capturing Video from Your Camcorder. Trimming Your Captured Video Clips. DV Video Time Code. Putting Your Clips Together into a Movie. Advanced Editing. Finalizing and Outputting Your Movie. Rendering Times (Tested on an 800MHz AMD Athlon Computer).
18. Basic Overview of Adobe Premiere. Getting Started in Premiere. Overview of the User Interface. Overview of the Effects Interface. Audio Mixer. Navigator, History, Commands Palettes. Main Menu Options in Premiere.
19. Basic Editing in Adobe Premiere. Starting a New Project in Premiere. Customizing Your Premiere Interface. Capturing DV Video in Premiere. Quick User Interface Overview. Editing Scenes from Captured Video. Using the Storyboard. Overview of Timeline Interface. Adding Titles. Working with Multiple Video Layers. Outputting Your Videos in Premiere. Codecs: A Constant Evolution.
20. Advanced Movie Output and Distribution Options. Video Authoring and Distribution Options. Authoring Video Data CDs. Creating a VCD. Creating a SVCD. Creating XVCDs and XSVCDs. Creating DVDs. Other DVD Authoring Solutions. Overview of Encoder Quality.
21. Advanced Video and Sound Editing Techniques. Grabbing Still Images from Your Video. Removing Motor Drive Noise from Your Audio. Getting Music from a CD into a Computer.
22. Advanced Special Effects. Blue Screen Effects. Video Compositing.
23. On Being a Filmmaker. DV as an Alternative to Film. Recording Sound Separately (DAT, MiniDisc). Getting Your Films to the Public.
Project 9. Controlling Your Camcorder Via Your Computer. Project 10. Making a Short Movie. Project 11. Encoding a Movie in Multiple Formats. Appendix A. A Tour of TechTV. Index. 