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Visual QuickStart Guide to Microsoft Windows Movie Maker 2An Interview with the Author (shown with favorite video subjects)
Question: Give us an overview of the Movie Maker 2 Visual QuickStart Guide. The book starts with a chapter on getting your computer ready for video editing, which is key to a good editing experience. Then I spend a chapter on creating watchable video, because there's a huge difference between knowing how to use a video editor and knowing how to create video people actually like to watch. My goal is to teach readers both aspects, and I pursue both threads throughout the book. Then an introductory chapter on Movie Maker and concepts like video compression, file formats, aspect ratios; basically the types of questions I answer frequently from readers who contact me via e-mail. Then I dive into how to use Movie Maker 2 for the remainder of the main book. Question: There are several books on Movie Maker 2. What's special about yours? The other books are excellent references, and I used them when writing the Visual QuickStart. I tried to do several things differently. First, I follow a single project from start to finish throughout the book, in this case a video of my eldest daughter's birthday party. I think this helps readers understand project workflow, which is critical to producing good videos, and they get to share a lot of my creative decisions.
I also integrate
multiple media types into my projects, including digital pictures, analog and
CD-ROM audio and even traditional pictures. So I cover how to scan pictures
into the computer, how to rip CD tracks, convert analog audio to digital and
similar topics, which neither book really addresses.
The book also explores a very diverse toolset, not just Movie Maker. For example, I describe how to use a range of Microsoft and third party tools, like Pixelan's excellent plug-ins for color correction (shown on the right), pan and zoom and picture-in-picture. I list all the free stuff Microsoft gives away, like titles, animations, clip art, and other content, and identify all relevant tools and how and where to get them. This gives readers a full measure of what they can truly accomplish with Movie Maker and shows them how to do it. The other books may mention these resources, but mostly focus on Movie Maker itself. That's why the Visual QuickStart is over 100 pages longer than either book. (see a complete list of tools discussed in the table below). Question: This is your fourth Visual QuickStart Guide. What do you like about the series? I think the design and implementation is great for the readers, since they get a book that's comprehensive, well edited, highly cross referenced and very well indexed, making the key information very easy to locate and follow. It's obviously also very visual, and even though the images can get small, we work hard to make sure they deliver useful information. Peachpit also makes sure that the tone of the book is appropriate for the target reader, which in this case is the novice editor. That means minimal jargon with all technical terms very well defined up front. These definitely aren't the easiest books to write, but I like that the Visual QuickStart concept delivers consistent value to the readers. Question: You've got some interesting Appendices in the book, as well. What do they cover? Appendix A is about MyDVD, a DVD authoring program that's a great option for readers interested in producing DVDs.
Appendix C covers' Microsoft's Windows Media Encoder and accompanying tools like the Windows Media File Editor, that let's you edit Windows Media files and create file markers like those shown on the left. It's a very cool feature that makes your Windows Media Files much more accessible. If you work extensively with Windows Media Video files, these tools are essential, which is why we devoted an entire appendix to them. Question: How much help did Microsoft provide with this book? A lot, thank goodness. I've worked with the Windows Media team since about 1991, and those contacts came in handy. There's always a ton of questions that come up during the course of writing a book, and Microsoft was very responsive. Definitely helped me write a better book. Question: Where does Movie Maker itself fit into the consumer video editor marketplace? I think Movie Maker is a great "first video editor." It's very functional, and the price is right. Anyone wanting to learn to edit should try Movie Maker first to get a feel for what editing is all about. That way, if you don't enjoy it -- and certainly not everyone does -- you haven't wasted any money. After a few projects, if there are features that you're missing, consider moving on to a higher end product, like Pinnacle Studio or Ulead VideoStudio. Question: Any other highlights? Gosh, for me, it's another year in the life. I enjoy chronicling my daughters growing up in these books. I also snuck in a couple of Springsteen references, another few pictures of high school classmates and my first Bowflex reference. Definitely a success for me.
Reviews of Visual QuickStart Guide for Movie Maker 2
Book Info Chapters:
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