iMovie: The Missing Manual

By David Pogue
First Edition January 1900
Pages: 385
ISBN 10: 1-56592-859-8 | ISBN 13: 9781565928596
(Average of 6 Customer Reviews)

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Book description

iMovie, the free Macintosh digital-video editing software, comes with almost everything you need to produce pro-quality video from your digital camcorder--except a manual. That's where iMovie:The Missing Manual comes in: it takes you through every step of iMovie video production, from choosing a camcorder to burning finished films onto CDs. The book's philosophy: giving someone iMovie without teaching basic film technique is like giving a map to a teenager without teaching him to drive.
Full Description

Editing camcorder footage on a PC is nothing new. For $5,000 in circuit boards and high-end editing software, anyone can be a home-office Spielberg. But in 1999, Apple Computer made digital video editing almost as easy as using a word processor--and even less expensive. Built into each of Apple's wildly popular iMac DV computers is the circuitry needed to record pro-quality video from a digital camcorder, and then send the edited movies back to TV or tape with zero picture-quality loss. The crown jewel is the pre-installed editing software: iMovie. Using this cleverly designed program, you can transfer DV footage from camcorder to hard drive; trim and rearrange scenes; and add crossfades, credits, and multiple sound tracks. In fact, iMovie includes almost everything you need to produce pro-quality video--except a manual. That's where iMovie:The Missing Manual comes in. This entertaining guide takes you through every step of iMovie video production, from choosing and using a digital camcorder to burning your finished work onto CDs. The book's philosophy: giving someone iMovie without also teaching basic film technique is like giving a map to a teenager without teaching him to drive. Far deeper and more detailed than the meager set of online help screens included with iMovie, the book helps iMovie users realize the software's potential as a breakthrough in reducing the cost, complexity, and difficulty of desktop video production. The book explains, for example, how to run iMovie on any recent Mac model (not just the iMac DV); uncovers the two secret clip-editing techniques that Apple's online help doesn't even mention; and provides a powerful workaround for iMovie's weak soundtrack-editing feature.

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Cover | Table of Contents | Index

Featured customer reviews

iMovie: The Missing Manual Review, August 07 2000

Rating:

Submitted by N Andrews [Respond | View]

iMovie: The Missing Manual by David Pogue is a straight forward, easy-to-understand, and fully comprehensive text that neither bored me nor overwhelmed me. The most helpful aspects of this book for me have been the "work arounds" and advice (pros and cons) for adding a firewire storage drive. I carried this book around with me until I read it from cover-to-cover. It continues to be a helpful guide as I try new techniques.

iMovie: The Missing Manual Review, July 24 2000

Rating:

Submitted by G.A. McAlmon [Respond | View]

An excellent book. As easy as iMovie is to use, this book pulls together the basics of movie making and the technical end of digital video editing. Only one problem: Mr. Pogue needs to immediately update the book for iMovie2, particularly for its improved audio capabilities.

iMovie: The Missing Manual Review, July 17 2000

Rating:

Submitted by Stephane Matis [Respond | View]

Apple's release of iMovie for all promted me to buy a DV camera. Well, that and the fact that an important wedding was going to take place. With access to a G4 coupled with Cinema Display, what more could I want ? Well, a whole lot of tips.

I shot the wedding with couple of hours of DV camera preperation. I made all the beginner mistakes. My personal gaffes and a feeling of "there must be a better way" lead me to buy the book.

What a great read!

Not only did this book reinforce my personal beliefs in the greatness of DV tehnology, it gave me all the little clues I needed. I'm almost bubbling over with ideas and plans to experiment and shoot lots of DV.

Thanks for the book, hope to see something on iMovie 2.0 :)

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iMovie: The Missing Manual Review, July 17 2000

Rating:

Submitted by Tony G [Respond | View]

David Pogue has done it again. I was first introduced to his work through his other MAC series, and found his instructions clear and fun to read as well.

I'd been extolling the value of iMovie to a fellow videomaker, who just wasn't listening. He, like many others, saw it as something merely for the average consumer to use.

Browsing for this book in a store, I showed him the passages about how Professional people are using iMovie to create on-air content. Before I could read further, he muttered, "If any book has at least ONE piece of information in it that you didn't know before, it's worth buying."

I bought the book, and savored each page during a recent vacation (makes a great plane book from CA to NY!). And he bought one and is finally using iMovie as well.

Thanks for the info, Mr. Pogue. I look forward to future volumes.

iMovie: The Missing Manual Review, June 03 2000

Rating:

Submitted by Carl Gandola [Respond | View]

Happy to be the first to do a review.

This book is just plain fun—clearly written and informative. Just what I was looking for, having already gotten my feet wet with some iMovie productions.

Introductory chapters are on target—even covered basics of sound, reinforcing my RadioShack lavelier microphone purchase of earlier this week. (Use it with my Canon Ultura).

...I'll be back after I've read the whole thing. Thanks.

Media reviews
"One of the beauties of the Missing Manuals is that there is always something new to discover and the research is quite thorough...I kept finding snippets of information, in the way of Tips or Notes, that would give just that bit extra."
-- Graham K. Rogers, Bangkok Post

"Pogue, the New York Times computer columnist, is among the world's best explainers."
-- Kevin Kelly, co-founder of Wired

"I have reviewed quite a number of Missing Manual books and I am always impressed with them. David Pogue is a Mac master and the depth of his knowledge shines through."
-- Roger Bernau, ACT Apple User Group Incorporated

"About not missing out on the fun by NOT finding David Pogue's 'iMovie: The Missing Manual'...a manual and a whole lot more with its tips and hints...Don't miss this one."
--About.com Desktop Video

"I've read this book, cover to cover, twice. You see, I'm trying to decide whether or not to make the plunge into imovie making…iMovie is a deceptively simple video-editing application that does not come with a printed manual. Even the online help is insufficient. Pogue treats us to hundreds of workarounds, 'hidden' features, and creative ideas. With this book you can carry out some rather ambitious film projects."
--www.graphic-design.com

"The whole "Missing Manual" concept is brilliant. The series provides hard copy documentation for otherwise undocumented (or sketchily documented) software, and under-documented software seems to be the latest rage in the computer biz. There's no software hungrier for its Missing Manual than iMovie, and this book fills the bill admirably. If you're balking at spending $19.95 to document a free program, then you're not valuing iMovie as highly as you should. Instead, think of what an amazing deal iMovie would be if it cost $19.95 and came with this book in the box. If you're an iMovie novice, you need this book. If you're an IMovie intermediate, you'll want this book. If you're an iMovie expert...hey, you already have this book, and that's one of the reasons you're an expert!" --Jamie McCornack, ATPN (About This Particular Macintosh), April 2001

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"One of the beauties of the Missing Manuals is that there is always something new to discover and the research is quite thorough...I kept finding snippets of information, in the way of Tips or Notes, that would give just that bit extra."
--Graham K. Rogers, Bangkok Post