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Macintosh products are known for being easy to use, and deservedly so. You can muddle your way through pretty much any Mac OS program, and make it do what it's supposed to, without a manual or the online help. The latest version of the video-editing software for Mac OS, iMovie 2, is no exception, but David Pogue delivers real value in
iMovie 2: The Missing Manual. Composed in Pogue's trademark friendly style, the book contains enough excellently written explanations and examples to significantly flatten the iMovie 2 learning curve, so it's a pleasure to read, bookmark, and refer back to.
For an example of how this book is technically precise in an engaging way, consider how it explains the purpose of the QT Margins check box, which has to do with compensating for a margin-cropping characteristic of televisions. Pogue proposes an equivalent label: "'QT Margins' means 'Assume this movie will be shown as a QuickTime movie, and therefore won't have chopped-off margins.'" The meaning of a fairly cryptic label becomes absolutely obvious.
Further kudos go to the book's designers for their liberal inclusion of illustrations. Where multiple frames are needed to illustrate a point, they're included. Tips and notes serve a valuable purpose, and are likely to introduce even seasoned iMovie editors to features they've missed on their own. --David Wall
Topics covered: Capturing video with a camera, then editing it on the Mac to include appealing transitions, effects, titling, and audio. The process of exporting edited video from the computer (such as for videotape or Web publishing).
Book Description
When it created iMovie in 1999, Apple Computer made digital video editing almost as easy as using a word processor--and even less expensive. Now Apple takes the revolution to the next level with the dramatically enhanced iMovie 2.0. The new software adds the option of inserting new video over a continuous audio track; removes limitations on the number of raw clips from which to choose scenes; and offers further bonuses such as special effects, brightness and contrast adjustments, much greater typographical flexibility in its title- and credit-maker, and a far more useful and complete audio-track editor. This entertaining guide covers every step of iMovie video production, from choosing and using a digital camcorder to burning the finished work onto CDs. Far deeper and more detailed than the meager set of online help screens included with iMovie, the book helps iMovie 2 users realize the software's potential as a breakthrough in overcoming the cost, complexity, and difficulty of desktop video production.
