Last January, the first annual Videomaker West Coast Expo arrived in Burbank, CA. Met by a throng of hobbyist, consumer and prosumer videomakers, the Videomaker staff presented seminars, led tutorials and chaired panel discussions for the entire weekend. Industry movers and shakers rubbed elbows with end users, and everyone was excited about the arrival of new digital technologies.

Now that the seasons are turning, we're gearing up for the East Coast Expo. To be held May 2-4, 1996 in the Sheraton Meadowlands Hotel at East Rutherford, New Jersey, the next Videomaker Expo promises the same level of excitement and cutting-edge industry involvement. To register, see the Expo Registration form on page 7 of this issue. See you there!

In 1994, experts predicted that 1995 would be a slow year for camcorder and video-related products. Nonetheless, the Consumer Electronics Manufacturing Association (CEMA) discovered that overall unit sales of video products (including satellite systems and LCD TV) rose one percent for 1995 to a new record high.

Camcorder sales did even better than video products as a whole, shooting up 11 percent in 1995 after a crucial holiday selling season. Total unit camcorder shipments hit 3.56 million in 1995, besting the previous annual high posted in 1994.

Which proves that you can't always believe what the experts say.

Reviews

by David Brott

The Young Producer's Video Book

Donna Guthrie and Nancy Bentley (1995, Millbrook Press, 2 Old New Milford Road, Brookfield, CT 06804, 64 pp., $7.95)

The Young Producer's Video Book is a do-it-yourself video book for kids, offering easy-to- follow examples and simplified technical tips for making video fun for children. Clever illustrations and drawings keep the book enjoyable and interesting, even for kids with a short attention span.

Authors Guthrie and Bentley discuss videotape as a platform for combining action and sound to tell a story. The book moves step-by-step through the pre-production, production and post-production phases of videomaking, covering everything from storyboarding to camera angles to the basics of editing. Video Book also covers experimental video ideas, fiction and non-fiction and video report projects. The book closes out with examples of storyboard, shot list and camera log forms.

The Young Producer's Video Book offers kids both creative and constructive production ideas. As a beginner's guide to making video, this little book is great for young children just starting to show interest in video production. 3

Steven Bolander (1995, Video-Cam Productions, 5434 N. 78th Way, Scottsdale, AZ 85250; 80 min.,$39.95)

The Video Guide to Professional 3-CCD Cameras targets videomakers planning to make the transition from single-chip camcorders to the more complex industrial and professional-level 3-CCD cameras. This video guide smoothes the learning curve, giving videomakers the information necessary to successfully operate these camcorders.

Professional 3-CCD Cameras devotes 60 minutes to operating procedures that apply to almost any professional three-chip camera, be it Sony EVW-300, JVC X2 or Betacam unit. In this section, Bolander discusses everything from basic system configurations to electronic gain boost and continuously variable zoom speeds. The last twenty minutes of the tape consists of a video buyer's guide to popular 3- CCD camcorders videomakers might be considering for purchase.

The Video Guide to Professional 3-CCD Cameras is an excellent supplement to the vague owner's manual supplied with most video cameras. For a more detailed description of your 3-CCD camcorder's functions, or for valuable purchasing information, check out this video. 4

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