Editing Digital Video : The Complete Creative and Technical Guide

Rating:
Summary: Mostly junk
Review: This book is 1/3 listings of movies and other such irrelevant nonsense.

The editing information may have been relevant several years ago, but is now completely and totally dated.

Certainly readable, but completely vapid.





Rating:
Summary: Easy to understand, even for a novice
Review: This book really lays it out simply and in language any novice can understand. Well worth the price.

Rating:
Summary: A well-written must-have that won't disappoint!
Review: This is an amazing book that is a must-have for anyone that is in the industry, interested in being in the industry, or just plain interested in the world of digital video. Editing Digital Video by Robert M. Goodman and Patrick McGrath is an exceptionally well-written book that covers techniques in craft and theory about editing that can benefit the novice home video editor to the professional feature film editor. The authors complete the daunting task of covering all of the many different digital editing interfaces by stripping them down to the essentials. They also cover the many different kinds of formats, such as narrative, documentary, commercials, music video, etc. I found the Keyboard Shortcut Cross Reference exceptionally handy. This book also covers recording DVDs, EDL formats, and details about exporting graphics. Being an editor initially learning editing techniques by physically cutting film and graduating to digital video editing, I very much appreciated this book that respected editing as a craft and art.
The fundamentals about storytelling and editing are definitely worth reading. Some of it might be a bit too Editing 101, but surprisingly, held some gems. The "Films to Watch" chapter with films that have been recommended for different genres of editing to lists of Eddie Award Nominees and Oscar Nominees is an added bonus.
Written in a very readable and likeable prose, Editing Digital Video is an absolute joy and a must for any editing enthusiast, whether in trade or in hobby.

Rating:
Summary: The best book on the topic
Review: This is by far the most lucid, clear, and insightful book on how to edit. Instead of slogging through an editing manual for specific program I got real sense about story telling and how to put together a piece-things not available any where else. I only use the editing program guides when I need something simple like a key function; I use editing digital video for everything else.