5 comments about Cut by Cut: Editing Your Film or Video.

1. This book is a reminder that there's more to editing than meets the eye.
   
   Chandler methodically details editing practice and thoery in an easy to understand way. There's so much here for the interested hobbyist to the aspiring editor.
   
   An indespensible resource.



2. If you buy the book, you have to be prepared to read much useless information.
   The interesting part of the book (10 to 15 pages) focuses on practical editing problems.
   The rest of the book contains endless lists of unnecessary information on video/film editing.
   From 360 pages of the book only 10-20 really count.
   Other books like "on editing" by Edward Dmytryk or " the technique of film editing" by Karel Reisz contain full, real, deep, dense information on the subject.
   And for the amateur/enthusiast/prosumer film/video maker (like me) there is one book that really arms us for the battle in that difficult field.
   A book with myriads of most valuable information.
   A book that it's a pity only few knowledgeable people have mentioned it.
   The "Five C's of cinematography" by Joseph Mascelli.
   That book every day teaches me. And that author is a big teacher, someone who loves and really wants to communicate his knowledge with fond to learning people.



3. A comprehensive, updated, description of how to post, edit and finish a film including both creative and mechanical processes. Clearly written, many tables, charts, and illustrations. Covers film, digital, and web preparaton workflows. Fabulous book. High recommenation. But this leans on the technical and workflow side, not the creative. A wonderful review of the ENTIRE process. Necessary text for all film students.



4. I am never going to make a movie -I just love watching them, talking about them and understanding them. This book gave me enormous insight into how movies are made, not just edited. All the parts of a film come together in the editing process and Ms. Chandler explains how all those parts come into being as well as how they are edited together to make a film.
   It is well written and precise, as a technical book should be, but it is also lucid and frequently funny.
   Other than a couple pages of detailed film planning material at the end of each chapter everything in this book will be of great interest to any film buff



5. If I had this book as a reference when I first started out as a newbie assistant editor I would have made less mistakes along the way.
   
   Recently, I found this book when I started teaching an introduction to digital editing at the college level. Now I literally stand in front of the class with the book in my hands and say: "Learn what Chandler is teaching you in this book and you'll be on your way to getting and keeping a job as an assistant film editor. It is so full of practical advice and solid information on what to do and when and how to do it.
   
   Because of the availability of lower cost editing applications today, many young people become quite technically savvy with the software even before they leave high school. But they have no knowledge of, or experience of working with projects shot on film. Nor are they aware of the aesthetics of the art of editing.
   
   Chandler's book makes the reader aware of how much work has to be done before even one scene should be cut. Then she gives some great advice on what to consider when editing in general, and when dealing with various types of projects. It is a must read for anyone who needs more knowledge before they step into the digital cutting room.

5 comments about Making Documentary Films and Reality Videos: A Practical Guide to Planning, Filming, and Editing Documentaries of Real Events.

1. I found this book extremely useful and does as it claims-- covers all aspects of documentary production. Although written intially before NLE, it has adequately been updated to cover NLE. I found the planning part very useful but had to make my own notes to organize the author's thoughts. Otherwise would have deserved 4 stars.



2. great book for his main points regarding the style and elements one should have in the documentary, mostly revolvong around the point of not having too many 'talking head' interviews and 'showing' the point more,,, the book isn't relevant at all regarding technologies, however, as it seems to be written before 1998 or so,,, but it's probably helpful to see everything from the past,,,
   overall a great book, i think, for someone like me who is just starting out and doesn't know where to begin,, this book definitely has given me a great idea of the directions i want to be heading in,



3. If you have absolutely no experience whatsoever in writing to tell a story, filmaking, photojournalism, videography or communicating in any significant way, this book will be helpful if you're suddenly called upon to produce a documentary film or video.
   
   The advice given here is very basic and really doesn't have all that much to do with making a documentary. For example, Hampe describes the roles of the people who might be found on a typical documentary crew, such as the scriptwriter and camera operator. In sum, this is really a book that describes the entire process of creating a documentary from coming up with an idea, capitalizing it, putting a crew together and so on. It really is for someone who has absolutely no experience whatsoever - and while there are many people who may dream of making a documentary, this book will not provide them with the experience they actually need.
   
   The book is also increasingly outdated. Almost all of the technology Hampe describes for lighting, capturing images and sound, editing has been superceded.
   
   The good thing about the book is that it is thorough: Hampe really does cover every step. But its odd that a book on documentary and reality video creation has not a single illustration. Very strange. Another thing in Hampe's favor is his writing style. Except for way too much patting himself on the back for his own work, Hampe writes in a clear manner.
   
   Overall, this is a quick read and useful to those who have no experience whatsoever with the film making process, but have dreams of making documentaries. This book will not really teach you anything about actually making a documentary, but it does an okay job of describing the process.
   
   Jerry



4. I took a two week documentary filmmaking course recently and this book was our text. The majority of the class had no prior experience with making a movie of any sort so this book became our life. I felt it was very easy to comprehend and gave ALOT of great advice. For those who did have experience in filmmaking, which included shooting, editing, and distrubution, this was a refresher for them. Overall I'd say it was a great reference book to rely on.



5. this really isn't the best guide for documentary filmmaking. especially if your goal is to create an independent project. i wanted a "step 1, step 2. step 3..." guide. this was not it. also, the author's bias is toward behavioral documentaries, for profit.

No comments about The Photoshop Lightroom Workbook: Workflow not Workslow in Lightroom 2.

5 comments about Photographing the World Around You: A Visual Design Workshop for Film and Digital Photography.

1. It was quite interesting to learn exactly why the photographs in this book were taken. The techniques were clever and well explained. Highly recommended.



2. I had the good fortune to attend a day's seminar on photography conducted by the author of this book Freeman Patterson. This inspired me to buy this book, and I have found that it takes me beyond where Freeman left off at the Seminar and invites me to go hands on with the concepts he introduced to me and more. I think you should buy this book.



3. This is an excellent book with great explanations about composition. It has many photographies to use as examples and many useful asignments. I strongly recommend it.



4. This book describes how the Bauhaus/Itten principles of visual design can be applied to photography. If you are technically competent, but lack composition skills, you will find this book very useful.



5. I am relatively new to photography and have been struggling to master a fairly complex camera (the Nikon D300). As such, I have spent a good deal of time reading "the literature" on cameras, imaging, photography, etc. While some of this information might be of marginal utility to my ultimate success, I had grown weary of the mundane, the boring, and (especially!) the poorly written. This was my perspective when Mr. (Freeman) Patterson's book was among my latest haul from the local library. What a refreshing and pleasant surprise!
   
   Finally I am reading a book that actually makes sense to me! Here is a man who has something of real substance to say and much to contribute to my understanding of this new-found passion! Mr. (Freeman) Patterson distills a measured quantity of insightful information into brief, terse, to-the-point chapters that have been incredibly inspiring to me. He provides suggestions and alternatives that explain the "what" and the "why" as well as the "how." This is NOT one of those thinly-veiled, vain offerings that purport to teach but only contain page after page of images that are boringly similar to those of the last 'author' I happened to consult. Nor is it one of those endless 'cookbooks' that tend to spit back exactly the same content as the manual that came with the camera. No. Mr. (Freeman) Patterson skillfully incorporates a few of his own well-chosen images to enhance his text. In fact, he does this so conservatively that one image often serves to illustrate several examples -- a feature that I found especially appealing.
   
   If you wanted to see many examples of Mr. (Freeman) Patterson's work then this is not the book for you (although I see that other choices are available for this). If you wanted instruction on exactly which button, dial, or setting to use on your camera this book will not be a good choice. BUT, if you have finally gotten those dials, settings, and buttons sorted out and are really ready to start exploring that marvelous machine in your hands then I cannot recommend this book highly enough!
   
   I have decided that I cannot bear to part with this book when it must be returned to the library; shortly I will purchase my own copy (and I can say this about very, very few recent 'photography' books). In fact, I see that he has an entire set of instructional volumes similar to this one. Likely all will make it to the shelves of my library soon. I have even visited his webpage ([...]) and have discovered that he offers seminars that extend the content of this and his other instructional books. I suspect that one day I may get to meet him; I have printed off the application and brochure and now need to go in search of coins between the sofa cushions!!
   
   This book is one of a very few that I will likely want to consult regularly and reread as my photography matures. If you have managed to wade through the dribble that is so plentiful you, too, may be ready for Mr. (Freeman) Patterson.

5 comments about America In Space: NASA's First Fifty Years (Nasa).

1. It's a BIG book that worths every penny. The pictures are great, some of them are well known, some where not that widely published before but the fun of having all of them in one big book is not spoiled. It's a great book even if you're not a fan of space exploration.
   From the cover to the last page, this book offers unique views of earth, space, moon and mankind, describing in few words and lot of pictures Man's greatest adventure: exploring the Final Frontier, despite all odds.



2. Given that this is a coffee table book, the book is almost exclusivly photos. The entire history of the space program is detaied in stunning imagery right up to the current day with excellent captions to go along. This book is an excellent gift for any space history buff.



3. This book is nicely done with a large number of photographs. It primarily covers the manned space program from Mercury to the space shuttle and the international space station. Limited coverage of unmanned vehicles is provided with a focus on the more dramatic programs such as the Mars explorers and the Hubble telescope.
   
   The biggest shortcoming, in my mind, is the very limited number of photographs showing the hardware, the delvelopment of which was in many ways the real achievement of NASA. Instead, photographs of the astronauts predominate with many being rather ordinary publicity or training shots. Launch photos are very limited, and in-flight pictures are not as common as I would have liked to have seen. The large format of the book was wasted on too many mundane photographs, when it could have been used to depict more spectacular and interesting subjects.
   
   While this book falls short of its potential, it is still worthwile if you have an interest in the U. S. manned space program.



4. I bought this book for my husband who is a space nut. It was actually part of his 40th birthday present and he loved it! Our kids love looking at all the large pictures in it as well and this book has plenty of pictures. It is a very informative book specially if you have ever wondered how this whole space thing started!



5. I bought this book from Italy, and it was a surprise for its dimension. It's big, but very nice, good quality pictures and step by step it takes you to learn how is amazing the new american space frontier.

1 comments about Digital Moviemaking (Wadsworth Series in Broadcast and Production).

1. This text is a must for any beginning film student because it does a real good job about detailing film. However, it simplifies the term so it isn't so mind boggling to grasp. And the pictures and diagrams and examples really help you understand th production side of filming and what Videographers, Directors, Actors, Editors, Production Designers, do in filmmaking. A great read for anyone who wants to make television programs and or films.

No comments about The Secret Garden Calendar 2009 (Wall Calendars).

1 comments about Final Cut Pro HD for Dummies.

1. Note: For Mac users only. But then again, most of the people wanting to do things like edit movies are using a Mac already.
   
   Final Cut Pro HD, is the latest version of the Final Cut program. HD stands for High Definition, and this version is indeed capable of editing HD video. But like with a lot of other software packages, the basic tools that you will use every day form the basics of the package, and they can be learned in a short time. Then as you reach points where you want to do more you can go back to the book to catch up on each point as you need it.
   
   Final Cut is suitable for editing the movies showing you new baby, or if you really want to you can use it to get just about as sophisticated as you need for that feature length film you are making with your A-List actor friends. As with all the For Dummies books, this book isn't really for dumb people, it is for people that are just un trained on this particular package. It's a good book.

No comments about Misty Dawn: Portrait of a Muse.

3 comments about Adobe Photoshop Elements 6.0 On Demand.

1. A well laid out book. Nice photos, orderly info and directions. Paper and binding good quality, so the book lays open conveniently--no fighting to keep pages open while you use it as a reference! Covers all (or at least most) bases well, with clearly-stated directions.



2. If your are serious about PHOTOSHOP 6.0 this is the book to have at your side when editing photo's. The best I ever bought and I bought several 6.0 books.



3. I love Photoshop Elements 6.0 so much so I enjoy this book anyway. It is very simple and clear step by step.