Product Description

Master the Vegas Pro 8 toolset, including its industry-leading HD and audio capabilities. This comprehensive guide delivers the nuts and bolts of the essential tasks, from installing the application to outputting, together with practical editing techniques and real-world examples for working more efficiently.

Packed with all the necessary materials, including video footage, sequences, and detailed instructions, this book and DVD combo gives you a working knowledge of Vegas Pro 8. Better expert advice simply can't be found. Key features include:
* Capturing video including HD, HDV, XDCAM, and AVCHD
* Using editing tools, transitions, filters, and third-party plug-ins
* Multicam production and editing
* Color correction, titling and compositing
* Recording and editing audio; using audio plug-ins
* Creating and using Media Manager databases
* Web video workflow
* 24p HDCAM/DVCAM workflow for the independent filmmaker


* Master the art and technique with step-by-step tutorials
* Tips and tricks to improve workflow
* Companion DVD with tutorial files and bonus materials

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #195954 in Books
• Published on: 2008-04-09
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 528 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9780240810461
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

Review
...a complete handbook for new and advanced user ... Douglas turns complex technology into easy-to-understand concepts with his accessible and graceful writing style" -- Charlie White, executive producer, digitalmedianet.com

One of those famed jewels of knowledge...it should be required reading in any decent DA/DV production class, even if they do not use Vegas! -- Joaquin (Kino) Gil, forum leader, producer and writer, CreativeCow.net & digitalmedia.net

...and exhaustive, richly detailed resource that no Vegas user should be without. Highly recommended!" -- Jeffrey P. Fisher, music/audio/video producer and writer

From the Back Cover
Master the Vegas Pro 8 toolset, including its industry-leading HD and audio capabilities. This comprehensive guide delivers the nuts and bolts of the essential tasks, from installing the application to outputting, together with practical editing techniques and real-world examples for working more efficiently.

Packed with all the necessary materials, including video footage, sequences, and detailed instructions, this book and DVD combo gives you a working knowledge of Vegas Pro 8. Better expert advice simply can't be found. Key features include:
* Capturing video including HD, HDV, XDCAM, and AVCHD
* Using editing tools, transitions, filters, and third-party plug-ins
* Multicam production and editing
* Color correction, titling and compositing
* Recording and editing audio; using audio plug-ins
* Creating and using Media Manager databases
* Web video workflow
* 24p HDCAM/DVCAM workflow for the independent filmmaker

About the Author
Douglas Spotted Eagle is a recognized world leader in the Vegas product knowledgebase. He has authored numerous articles for Vegas and its sister applications. He also hosts two web sites for users of Vegas and related products and contributes to Videography, Studio, DMN, Creative COW, among other publications.

Customer Reviews

Coulda been a contender.
It must first be said that Douglas Spotted Eagle obviously understands Vegas, which is the best NLE program for its price. But this book did not live up to the editorial review hype
I purchased this manual hoping for an in-depth Vegas Pro 8 learning experience, but I am somewhat disappointed. Editing mistakes within the book made some parts a bit confusing. And if a working veg file is on the DVD to follow what the book is teaching, use the same image as in the book.. But, the author did do a great job of explaining things that were previously murky to me. (Masking, for example.)
The single most important thing I gleaned is what Douglas Spotted Eagle espouses throughout this manual. EXPERIMENT. Check out every fx - every transition - every filter. Add multiple fx to events - see what happens.
The workshop is advertized as 528 pages, so I figured it would be worth the price. But a chapter touting plug-ins should not have been included. I can get that kind of info by Googling.
By the way, there are many Vegas Pro 8 user "tutorials" posted on YouTube. All free!

Not what I hoped it would be
I've been wanting a Vegas reference book that starts where the meagre Sony documentation leaves off. So when I saw the Amazon blurbs for this book that said, "a complete handbook for new and advanced user", "exhaustive, richly detailed resource that no Vegas user should be without" and "This comprehensive guide delivers the nuts and bolts of the essential tasks" I immediately bought it.

After looking through it for several days I'm returning it. Contrary to the specific praise I quoted above, this is not a comprehensive reference book, it's more like a compilation of the author's favorite Vegas applications.

There are 90 pages on Vegas audio, many pages in two separate places talking about making video look more like film, a whole chapter talking about third party plug-ins and another chapter on using multiple cameras. But there are less than 20 pages talking about the dozens of video fx plug-ins that come with Vegas, something much more fundamental to my being able to really use this program than any of the above.

And even when the author spends time on a subject I found it incomplete for someone without prior knowledge of the subject. A perfect example is his treatment of color correction in Vegas, something I am very interested in. He presents about a dozen examples of the videoscopes and other color monitors available in the program but never explains how to read them or how to use the information they represent.

If your interests coincide with the author's you will probably find this a rewarding manual, but if you're looking for a book that explains this software in depth and in breadth you will just have to join me in hoping that somewhere someone is writing the Missing Manual for Sony Vegas.

Dives deep in his core compentencies, lacking in other areas
Preface: If you are a beginner and not intending to do video very much, the whole Vegas/DVDA kit may be a bit much. However, if you want a veritable Swiss army knife and are willing to learn, this application can do just about anything you may want, including Blu-Ray DVD authoring. For Hi-def editing/authoring, it's far cheaper than Final cut and most other "pro grade" apps too. Neither the app, review, nor this book is intended for a beginner IMO. It's best for someone who started out on a consumer editing app and wants to grow beyond those limitations economically, or the upgrader.

While the author is acknowledged as an authority on Sony Vegas, this book has some noticeable gaps, such as virtually no information on using the sister application that ships with Vegas 8 Pro, DVD Architect. I am keeping the older Vegas 6 book for this reason. This is the main reason for three stars.

In the areas of DSE's core competencies, such as effects, keyframes and especially audio, the book is an indispensable reference and well worth the price. There are additional chapters in PDF format on the included CD, some useful, such as a glossary, some dated. Despite the deficiencies, it's still the only thing out there besides trolling the web and in the areas covered it's understandable and worth every penny.