iMovie 4 & iDVD: The Missing Manual

By David Pogue

At first glance, iMovie 4 looks identical to iMovie3. But under the hood, dozens of annoyances have been eliminated and dozens of polished touches have been added. The program tweaks include: editing... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0596006934
• ISBN13: 9780596006938
• Release Date: August 2004
• Publisher: Pogue Press O'Reilly
• Length: 484 Pages
• Weight: 1.76 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.0" x 1.3" x 6.8"

Customer Reviews

Video editing techniques for use on the Macintosh

iMovie 4 & iDVD: The Missing Manual is a solid primer and resource especially focusing on step-by-step video editing techniques for use on the Macintosh. Chapters address forming seamless transitions and effects, the ins and outs of QuickTime Pro, iDVD secreets, and much more. An absolute "must-have" for getting the most out of iMovie 4 and iDVD software, highly recommended for amateur and professional moviemakers and movie editors working on the Macintosh.

Goes beyond iMovie and iDVD

I've been a fan of iMovie from the first release on Mac OS 9. It made taking home movies fun. The great thing about this book is it goes beyond just a how-to or tips and tricks. A lot of the book is devoted to the dos and don'ts of creating home movies in general. Just as with still photography, the hard work is when your taking the shot, not afterward. The better your movie is at filming, the less work you'll have to do when you get it into iMovie. The book is packed with a 450+ pages of information. Some examples: how to get your old VHS movies into iMovie, sending movies to your cell phone, creating better looking "title cards", and modifying iDVD itself. If you liked David Pogue's iPhoto 4 Missing Manual and/or GarageBand Missing Manual (both of which I have), this book is a must have.

An Absolute Necessity

Anyone who has a Mac should know David Pogue. He's been writing for the Mac community for years. His latest book, iMovie 4 & iDVD, displays all his hallmarks. It is exceedingly well written; it is completely useful and thorough; it is fun to read and funny. Pogue hits the nail right on the head in the introduction. IMovie 4 and iDVD are simple but not simplistic. Unlike some other Apple programs like AppleWorks or the new OS, you will need this book if you want to make the most of Apple's wonderful new video software. Pogue and his co-author Erica Sadun get you up and burning in no time. Moreover they have created a Missing Manual web site with all the shareware and freeware programs and documentation you'll ever need. As with his other Missing Manual books, Pogue has done everyone a great favor. Now do yourself a favor and buy this book. You won't regret it.

Much more than just a missing manual

The Missing Manuals series has had it's hits and misses. This one is definitely a hit. The first section on of the iMovie portion of the book teaches practical movie making technique, including a 22 shot guide to shooting a wedding. This is what I love about the quality of O'Reilly books. The understand the audience. In this case, amateur movie makers looking to make good movies that won't get them laughed out of the living room. This book has practical insights to get you there. The manual portions of the book are fine. They provide a step by step walkthrough with screenshots and a menu reference in the appendices. There is certainly a lot more here for iMovie than iDVD. Of the roughly 500 pages almost 350 are on iMovie. The iDVD section also contains some questionable content, like how to develop on iDVD using the developer's toolkit, which I think is overkill for your overage user. Small quirks aside, this is a great book. Well worth the money for anybody looking to get the most out of iMovie particularly, and iDVD secondarily.

Best Single Application Book

Pogue is a fine writer, and his information is accurate and up to date. The Missing Manual books for the individual iLife programs are absolutely the best for in depth coverage of each application. He's a bit weak in terms of extending the applications with shareware or other programs, but all in all, this is the best value for your time and money.