iMovie '08 & iDVD: The Missing Manual

By David Pogue

Whether you consider yourself a pro or a hobbyist, you have to admit that Apple's iMovie 08 and iDVD 08 are amazing right out of the box. Unfortunately, the box doesn't include much of a user's guide, so learning about these applications is another matter. iMovie 08 & iDVD: The Missing Manual gets you up to speed on all of the themes, motion graphics, titles, effects -- everything that lets you turn raw digital footage into highly creative video projects.

You get crystal-clear and jargon-free explanations of all the iMovie 08 and iDVD 08 features, including the new video library, how to view transitions, titles, and sound in real time as you add them, and ways to publish your creations directly to YouTube. Renowned author David Pogue -- tech columnist for the New York Times -- uses an objective lens to scrutinize every step of process, including how to: Work on multiple iMovie projects at once and drag & drop clips among them Output your creation to a blog, its own web page, or as a video podcast with iWeb Use "Magic iMovie" to import your video and make a movie for you Integrate with other iLife programs to use songs, photos, and an original sound track And a whole lot more From choosing and using a digital camcorder to burning the finished work onto DVDs, posting it online, or creating versions for iPod and iPhone, iMovie 08 & iDVD: The Missing Manual zooms right in on the details in a concise and understandable manner. The book also provides a firm grounding in basic film technique so that the quality of your video won't rely entirely on magic.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0596516193
• ISBN13: 9780596516192
• Release Date: December 2007
• Publisher: O'Reilly Media
• Length: 464 Pages
• Weight: 1.60 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 7.0" x 9.1"

Customer Reviews

Just Switched from a PC to a Mac

One reviewer suggested this was a good book for the beginner, and he is correct. However, if you don't want to waste your time with curse-filled hours of trial-and-error, get this book. I've used a PC for 25 years and made the switch to an iMac this year, most frustrating at times, because Microsoft and Apple don't use the same words to describe common procedures. The Mac came with iMovies and no manual for it. Mac help is pathetic, and days of sifting through a Mac users forum is no fun. I'm converting old analog VHS and 8mm tapes to digital using a Canopus ADVC-55 converter, and wanted to do some still photo splicing, voice over narration, add music soundtrack from a vast iTunes library, then burn to DVD, and was incredibly frustrated until I got this book. Great tool, life is much better, and the wife doesn't have to listen to the bitching anymore. iMovies is a nice app, but for those of us with a mind organized by MS Wndows, it's not totally "intuitive" - one of the words I hate most when talking with computer geeks. Get the book. If you're an expert, have fun with your trial-and-error. I've got better things to do with my time than flop on the deck like a fish.

Expert Mentor at Your Side

This book is great. I have been using iMovie '08 for two weeks and had some success in brute forcing my way through the editing process. Apple makes the program basics very intuitive so my success was more due to "even a blind squirrel finds an acorn once in awhile" than skilled execution. As I got better in the editing process (stumbling upon more acorns) I would become frustrated at the "limits" of the application - such as trimming background sound tracks to pull out the sections you want to incorporate. Now, the "limits" are rapidly going away as I read the text and discover far more power and utility in iMovie than I imagined. The text is easy to read and nicely laid out to make it useful as a desktop reference. I originally bought the book to learn iMovie '08 editing but was pleasantly surprised to find basics on how to shoot better video (great video makes the editing much easier and produces a better result). The section on iDVD was very useful as well and easily walks you through the process of transforming your movie into a DVD that will play on computers or DVD players. It was also interesting to learn about the controversy surrounding the iMovie '08 vs. '06 editions and how '08 users can get a free download of '06 from Apple to replace the deleted functions - I haven't tried this yet as I'm still discovering more of the powerful functionality embedded in '08. In summary, this book has pushed me up the "learning curve" much faster than I would have experienced without it. I like it a lot and the people who have to watch my videos will benefit the most:>)

Love these books

I think "The Missing Manual" series are the best software guides on the market. They are easy to read, interesting, funny, and provide most of the information I want. I could use a bit more on some complicated issues, but I think these cover 98% of what most people are looking for (myself included). The sending the movie from iMovie to Garageband (to add Chapter Markers and background music) and then on to iDVD for burning could be a bit more descriptive in detail and why you'd choose certain options, but with this book, I figured it all out. I own five of the "Missing Manual" series and they're all very well done. Recommended.

Essential Book!!

I went from not knowing a thing about Mac and it's applications (imovie 08/idvd) to making a professional looking slideshow, in a few hours. I definitely could not have done it without this book.

An excellent and indespensible resource

Anyone who is shooting home movies, whether using iMovie '08 or another editor, will find a treasury of useful information in this book. The features of iMovie '08 and iDVD are explained in a thorough, straightforward and easy-to-understand way, with superb color illustrations throughout. Pogue offers excellent guidance on connecting camcorders or other devices, effective lighting techniques, sound recording, composition, editing, exporting -- all the critical aspects of video production. Amateur shooters ought to buy this book just to read the treatise on limiting zooming and panning -- the most egregious mistake I've seen as I watched at the Acropolis, the ruins of Tikal and Yosemite Valley as people swung cameras left and right, up and down as they tried to capture the grandeur of the location. (I just hope they handed out Dramamine when they played the video at home.) Pogue goes well beyond that, providing valuable insights into a number of hidden features, as well as very useful tips on transitions (both how to do them and when they're appropriate) titles, narration, music and sound, adding still photos and using the Ken Burns effect, exporting to iPod, iPhone, YouTube, moving to iDVD and much, much more. All are thorough and explanations are intuitive. For those who are still tied to iMovie 6, he explains how to move back and forth to take best advantage of the features of both programs. iMovie '08 took a lot of hits when it was released, including a particularly blistering one from Pogue himself. But with this book he uncovers the appropriateness and usefulness of the program and makes the transition a bearable -- if not pleasant -- experience. I will not even open iMovie '08 without this excellent book next to me at my computer.