Getting Results with MediaStudio Pro
Charlie Hills (1999-2000, Altair One, www.AltairOne.com/results, $44)
Tired of "help" menus that dont help or instantly outdated software manuals? Charlie Hills finds the perfect solution in Getting Results with MediaStudio Pro. This "book" is actually a three-ring binder with continuously updated chapters and CD-ROMs that can be purchased as needed for software upgrades.
Mainly written for intermediate-level users familiar with the program, Charlie Hills uses a breezy, informative style and plenty of graphics to go beyond the software documentation to help create slick, well-edited video pieces. He manages to make the material entertaining as well as useful and his tips are concise and based on real-life experience.
Getting Results with MediaStudio Pro is an excellent reference tool, and the binder format is ideal for updating the material and quickly accessing especially helpful pages. This may be one of the most used and useful books that MediaStudio Pro owners could have.
The Video Biz! How to Start Your Own Video Production Company – on a Shoestring! Digital Video Camerawork
Pat and Paul Esterle (2000, Captn Pauley Video Productions, www.captnpauley.bigstep.com, 40 min., $20)
The tape is divided into segments about practical matters like structuring the organization, how to find inexpensive equipment, timesaving production techniques, and packaging and marketing the final product. Most sections end with a breakdown of the costs involved, and the tape ends with an excellent but brief list of resources and Web sites.
The presentation is dry at times and doesnt recap advice, as if the financial material is more useful than the techniques. However, if you want to establish a small company like Pat and Pauls, The Video Biz could be a very valuable resource.
Peter Ward (2000, Focal Press, www.focalpress.com, 229 pp. $30)
Written like a textbook, a large portion of Digital Video Camerawork deals with professional ENG (electronic newsgathering) and television studio techniques, which may be interesting but not terribly useful for hobbyists. However, Ward also deals with in-camera digital manipulation and methods to deal with changing aspect ratios, which is not only interesting but could be invaluable in a few years.
Digital Video Camerawork covers quite a lot of information in a short amount of space and should be a very good addition to any library of video techniques.
