"Professional tricks on a Shoestring". What?? For those of you who have the "no budget budget" allowance towards your new DV project, this book brings into focus not only what you can do with little to no money but it also focuses on being professional by using the basics. I don't know how many times I'll see some new plug in or new effect that I just HAVE to have. But then I tell myself, WHOA....master the basics, master the basics! That is why this book is great. It not only speaks of basics such as mastering your camera, knowing about lights, have a good tripod, get good audio but it talks about those things because they are necessary. Although this book isn't exactly a beginner's book, if you have some knowledge of how shots are composed and completed, then this book could be a great springboard for you to jump from. For me, being a video editor, shooter and producer, this book not only showed me how to create professional looking shots and effects for little money but it made me think "Um..if I took that idea and applied it to this idea, I think this could work like this..." and so forth. Some of the effects or techniques, I was familiar with either by seeing them done or experienced them first hand (as most professional editors/shooter do). Sometimes seeing it in print and having it explained, makes it easier to relate to other people when out in the field. Its nice to have labels to things when you know how to do something but learned it by osmosis or just by watching someone else do it but didn't know what to call it or explain it. I also like how the book was broken up in chapters that were color coded and techniques were put together that made sense. It wasn't just a mish-mosh of stuff. It was put together concisely and thought out.

I recommend this book for anyone who has some experience in video editing and/or shooting because it will show you how the most basic thing can make a world of difference. The one thing that I come away with from reading and owning this book is that these techniques are one you can build upon because they are based on the basic fundamentals of shooting and editing that are tried and true. Then once you know these techniques, its what you do with them that counts. Technique + inspiration spawns creativity. Isn't that what learning should be about?

Digital Video Production Cookbook
by Chris Kenworth
Published by O'Reilly Media, Inc.
Reviewed by: Bil Rogers

Bil Roger's background

Bil Rogers is a freelance Multimedia Producer/Graphic Designer based in Concord, NH. He's worked as an assistant editor on documentaries for NOVA, History Channel and National Geographic while working for Lone Wolf Documentary Group in South Portland, Maine. Attained his degree in audio production at Full Sail Center for the Recording Arts in Winter Park, Florida. Held the Marketing Media Manager position at Helmers Publishing, Inc in Peterborough, NH

Bil currently works as a video editor/graphic designer working with local businesses, bands and tutors graphic design. He enjoys working with his Associate Producer/Researcher wife and editing with his cat, Ellie, who usually sits in front of his monitor.