Product Description

Packed with more than 500 techniques, this book delivers what you need to know-on the spot. It is suited to editors of all experience levels, whether you are:

* Migrating from another NLE
* Upgrading to Final Cut Studio 2
* Seeking a handy reference to raise your proficiency

No need to wade through tomes of documentation. Final Cut Studio On the Spot presents immediate solutions in an accessible format. Step-by-step instruction by Apple Certified Pros shows you how to:


* Optimize system performance
* Create impressive titles with Generators, Motion, LiveType, and Photoshop
* Build Commercial-quality transitions
* Work quickly with buttons and keyboard shortcuts
* Color correct to save vital shots, and keep them broadcast legal
* Fix and mix for professional-quality audio
* Use the compositing tools of master editors
* Design and import graphics seamlessly
* Integrate with other applications including Motion, Soundtrack Pro and Color
* Troubleshoot and recover files
* Manage media and backup strategies
* Export and publish finished projects to tape, DVD, or the Web

Key Features:
* 400 time-saving workflow techniques
* Concise presentation is great for as a reference or a casual read
* Covers the major Studio toolsets for the editor
Product Details

* Amazon Sales Rank: #193873 in Books
* Published on: 2007-10-26
* Original language: English
* Number of items: 1
* Binding: Paperback
* 320 pages

Editorial Reviews

Review
What a breath of fresh air! . I highly recommend this book for folks that are motivated to take their knowledge of FCP to new heights. Bravo Gentlemen!
Kevin Monahan, author-Motion Graphics and Effects in Final Cut Pro, www.fcpworld.com

...provides you with wonderful tips and tricks, most of which you won't get anywhere else.
Michael Horton, president, Los Angeles Final Cut Pro User Group

What a great collection of tips and tricks.everyone will learn something from this book; or be reminded of that great old tip that you'd forgotten.
Tom Wolsky, South Coast Productions, creativecow.net cowmunity leader

From the Back Cover
What a breath of fresh air! . I highly recommend this book for folks that are motivated to take their knowledge of FCP to new heights. Bravo Gentlemen!
Kevin Monahan, author-Motion Graphics and Effects in Final Cut Pro, www.fcpworld.com

...provides you with wonderful tips and tricks, most of which you won't get anywhere else.
Michael Horton, president, Los Angeles Final Cut Pro User Group

What a great collection of tips and tricks.everyone will learn something from this book; or be reminded of that great old tip that you'd forgotten.
Tom Wolsky, South Coast Productions, creativecow.net cowmunity leader

Packed with more than 500 techniques, this book delivers what you need to know-on the spot. It is suited to editors of all experience levels, whether you are:
. Migrating from another NLE
. Upgrading to Final Cut Studio 2
. Seeking a handy reference to raise your proficiency
No need to wade through tomes of documentation. Final Cut Studio On the Spot presents immediate solutions in an accessible format. Step-by-step instruction by Apple Certified Pros shows you how to:
. Optimize system performance
. Create impressive titles with Generators, Motion, LiveType, and Photoshop
. Build Commercial-quality transitions
. Work quickly with buttons and keyboard shortcuts
. Color correct to save vital shots, and keep them broadcast legal
. Fix and mix for professional-quality audio
. Use the compositing tools of master editors
. Design and import graphics seamlessly
. Integrate with other applications including Motion, Soundtrack Pro and Color
. Troubleshoot and recover files
. Manage media and backup strategies
. Export and publish finished projects to tape, DVD, or the Web

Richard Harrington is an Apple certified instructor, and founder of a visual communications company called RHED Pixel. He is a popular conference speaker and on-camera trainer, the author of 10 books, and regular magazine contributor.
Abba Shapiro is a lead instructor for Apple's certified training program and an award-winning writer/producer/director in video and film production with over 20 years of experience.
Robbie Carman is an Apple certified instructor and the VP and CTO of Amigo Media. He specializes in online editing and color correction on standard and high definition projects.

USER LEVEL: Intermediate to Advanced
Customer Reviews

Great Approach 5
The On The Spot format is a great way to take a quick but deep dive and come away with improved methods in Final Cut Studio.

New material in this edition includes great tips on HD technology and new features in Final Cut Studio 2.

Must Have for Every Final Cut User5
I have both "Final Cut Pro on the Spot" and just recently bought "Final Cut Studio on the Spot." (The difference between the two is that "Final Cut Studio" goes into the other studio applications)

I'm a self-taught editor and have an entire bookcase full of Final Cut Studio training books and DVDs and am also a subscriber to several on-line training classes. Of all the training materials I've collected, I use these two books most.

Whether you are well-seasoned in Final Cut or just getting started as an editor, you will absolutely love this little book. It's full of great tips and tricks on cool techniques, time saving shortcuts, maintenance guides and more. I would have to spend hours wading through tons of material to glean just some the pearls condensed in these publications. The authors took the most useful material and assembled it in this handy, quick little reference tool. The layout is great. It's well written, easy to comprehend and fun to read.

You don't have to read it cover to cover (although I did). You can just flip to the section you need at the time. Just recently I was looking for some new and interesting transitions. I remembered there was a section on transitions, looked it up and quickly learned a bunch of new techniques to jazz up my sequence.

The other great thing about this book is that is so portable. I take it down to the pool with me or to Dr.'s appointments, and when I travel, so I can always be learning new stuff while I'm relaxing or sitting in the waiting room, flying, etc.

Of all the money I've spent on training materials, these two little books were by far the best return on my investment. The information is priceless.

I'm grateful to the editors, Richard Harrington, Abba Shapiro and Robbie Carman for sharing all their wisdom and creating these wonderful little books. It has taken my editing to a whole new level.

Just like the editorial reviewers said...4
This is a great book, full of numerous helpful tips and tricks for anyone who's got past the basics of Final Cut.

I've learned heaps from it, and many of the tips have led me to find other new features and ways of doing things with the program. Most of the tips are simple and will save time or make minor improvements in your editing. Some are profound.

Although titled Final Cut Studio On the Spot, the book is strongest by far on Final Cut Pro and Soundtrack Pro, with some coverage of Color, and much less emphasis on Motion 3 and Compressor.

The only niggle I have with 'Final Cut Studio On the Spot' (3rd edition) is that it desperately needs an index. With so much information, it's just begging for a better way to navigate it all. Otherwise, highly recommended.

Product Description

There's a lot to be said for going back to basics. Not only does this Bible give you a quick refresher on the structure of open-source Linux software, it also shows you how to bypass the hefty graphical user interface on Linux systems and start interacting the fast and efficient waywith command lines and automated scripts. You'll learn how to manage files on the filesystem, start and stop programs, use databases, even do Web programmingwithout a GUIwith this one-stop resource.
Product Details

* Amazon Sales Rank: #24885 in Books
* Published on: 2008-05-12
* Original language: English
* Number of items: 1
* Binding: Paperback
* 809 pages

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover
Learn all the command lines for all Linux shells in this one-stop guide

There's a lot to be said for going back to basics. Not only does this Bible give you a quick refresher on the structure of open-source Linux software, it also shows you how to bypass the hefty graphical user interface on Linux systems and start interacting the fast and efficient way—with command lines and automated scripts. You'll learn how to manage files on the filesystem, start and stop programs, use databases, even do Web programming—without a GUI—with this one-stop resource.

*

Understand the Linux desktop and various command-line parameters
*

Learn filesystem navigation, file handling, and the basics of bash shell commands
*

Write shell scripts to automate routine functions and reports
*

Harness nesting loops and structured commands
*

Monitor programs, master file permissions, and make queries
*

Run scripts in background mode and schedule jobs
*

Use sed, gawk, and regular expressions
*

Explore all alternate shells, including ash, tcsh, ksh, korn, and zsh

About the Author
Richard Blumhas worked in the IT industry for over 18 years as both a systems and network administrator. He has administered UNIX, Linux, Novell, and Microsoft servers, as well as help design and maintain a 3,500-user network utilizing Cisco switches and routers. He has automated network monitoring with Linux shell scripts and written scripts in most of the common Linux shell environments. He is the author of several books, including Professional Linux Programming (Wrox) and Linux For Dummies, 8th Edition (Wiley).
Customer Reviews

Only up to chapter 65
I wish this book had been out 4 years ago before I started working in a NOC (Network Operations Center). So far, I've been very impressed with the layout and information contained in this book. The command line switches are very detailed yet, this information would be a great reference for somebody starting out as long as they have a system in front of them to experiment with. Even an old $200 computer would work!

Good book5
I'm a computer science student but I have not previously focused much on shell scripting, but this book has greatly aided me in:
- understanding the history of command line interfaces and exactly what the Linux terminals are emulating
- the basics of the major shells
- administrating a Linux system with shell scripts

I find myself referencing this book more often then the textbook I was assigned for class.

Product Description

A full-color, illustrated adventure into the high-tech wonders inside your digital camera by the author/illustrator team that created the bestselling How Computers Work.



With clear and simple explanations that say, “You, too, can understand this,” and brilliant, full-color illustrations, How Digital Photography Works, Second Edition, gives you detailed information on the hidden workings of digital cameras, professional picture-taking techniques, and even photo-editing software. Some of the topics covered in this groundbreaking book include:



· How Digital Viewfinders Frame Your Pictures

· How Twin Lens Cameras and Tilt-and-Shift Lenses Change the Rules

· How Cameras Focus on Moving Targets

· How Exposure Systems Balance Aperture and Shutter

· How Electronic Flashes Create a Burst of Light

· How Studio Lighting Creates a Perfect Lighting Environment

· How Color Calibration Makes What You See on the Screen Match What You See on Paper

· How Your Camera’s Microprocessor Manipulates Images

· How Photoshop Expands a Photographer’s Artistry




Introduction

Part 1: Getting to Know Digital Cameras

Chapter 1 The Workings of a Digital Camera

Chapter 2 Inside Digital Video Cameras

Part 2: How Digital Cameras Capture Images

Chapter 3 How Lenses Work

Chapter 4 How Light Plays Tricks on Perception

Chapter 5 How Digital Exposure Sifts, Measures, and Slices Light

Chapter 6 How Technology Lets There Be Light

Chapter 7 How Light Becomes Data

Chapter 8 How New Tech Changes Photography

Part 3: How the Digital Darkroom Works

Chapter 9 How Software Changes Pixels by the Numbers

Chapter 10 How Digital Retouching Rescues Family Heirlooms

Chapter 11 How the Digital Darkroom Makes Good Photos into Great Fantasies

Part 4: How Digital Print-Making Works

Chapter 12 How Computers and Printers Create Photographs

Chapter 13 How Photo-Quality Printers Work

Glossary

Index



Product Details

* Amazon Sales Rank: #73788 in Books
* Published on: 2007-03-05
* Original language: English
* Number of items: 1
* Binding: Paperback
* 240 pages

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Author Ron White is the author of the award-winning, decade-long best-seller How Computers Work and a dozen other books on digital photography, computers, and underground music. He has been a photojournalist for three decades, both shooting photos and writing for some of the best-known publications in the United States. He gained attention early in his career by leaving the water running in the darkroom at the San Antonio Light, flooding the publisher’s office. He has since acquired drier recognition as a newspaper and magazine executive and as an award-winning writer and publication designer. He has been recognized by the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Robert F. Kennedy Awards for his criticism and investigative reporting and by the National Magazine Awards for his self-effacing humor as a feature writer and columnist at PC Computing. He has been a host on NPR’s Beyond Computing and a frequent guest on television and radio to explain new technology. Currently, he is working on The Daily Digital Digest, a newsletter and Internet blog to expand on the information found in his books. Tim Downs and Ron White have worked together on editorial and advertising technical guides for more than 10 years. Ron lives with his wife, Sue, in San Antonio. He can be reached at ron@ronwhite.com.



Illustrator Timothy Edward Downs is an award-winning magazine designer, a photographer, and the illustrator of the best-seller How Computers Work. He has directed and designed several national consumer business, technology, and lifestyle magazines, always infusing a sense of “How it Works” into every project. By tapping his vast computer system and process knowledge, Tim has developed the richly illustrative style that is unique to the How It Works series. In How Digital Photography Works, Tim has further blurred the lines between informational illustration and photography.



Customer Reviews

One for your library5
So you may know how to make a great shot, but actually understand how your camera works makes you get more out of what you are trying to achieve. Sure it is important to understand about F-Stop and all those cary over terms from the analogue world of 35 mm photography, but the internal workings of the digital camera are different from the old 35's and are worth a look.

The book is broken out into four section. While the fourth section covering ink-jet printers, monitors etc under the heading of "How Digital Print-Making Works" , is under explored and frankly, seems a peripheral subject and not really paid much more than lip service in terms of content. The other three sections are on track and full of great visuals. The sections are 1. Getting to Know Digital Camera, 2. How Digital Cameras
Capture Images, and 3. How the Digital Darkroom Works. Each section has chapters which are backed up by Downs' great artwork. The graphic from encyclopedic approach works to merge the text and graphics to get each point across. While the aforementioned sections give you a good idea of the topics covered, the value out of the books topics comes in the form of greater knowledge of your tool to get a better result. A good example of this is the section detailing how your eye can control auto-focus. Sounds futuristic, but most mid level camera SLR's have this function that follows the retina to bring in view the subject.

Some of the book has items more suitable for the technique side of photography, but the book would make a good library item or one for the tween or teenage age group who is embarking on a photographic hobby.

A little knowledge is a dangerous thing1
This is one of those books which promises much on the surface but if you scratch the surface a little bit, you will soon realise that it's really incomplete, and worse, misleading.

Errors and irrelevant or outdated info litter the pages of this book.

Examples:

1. Autofocus technology section: active autofocus is pretty much not in use with compact digital cameras these days. Passive contrast detect autofocus is pretty much the norm with such cameras. So this section is pretty much outdated at best, and at worse, utterly worthless in describing how your everyday point and shoot digital of today works (and mind you, this is the 2007 Second Edition I am talking about). Hell, the majority of compact digital cameras have been using contrast detect AF for at least the last 5 years!!!!! Worse yet: the author then erroneously describes DSLRs as using contrast detect AF when he should be describing the workings of the ubiquitous 'phase detect' AF common to all DSLRs on the market. Good grief man: Phase detect AF has been the norm in SLRs for well over a decade!

2. Light metering section: whilst not wrong, it's utterly useless in helping the neophyte understand how modern multi-segmented pattern metering operate. This is the default metering type across most consumer cameras and frequently used in DSLR cameras today (and for goodness knows how long already). Points no. 1 and 2 on Page 70 on "How Light Meters See the World" is a hodgepodge of pseudo-correct information that is largely irrelevant and meaningless.

3. The author obviously doesn't understand basic photography: page 65 "a setting of f/8 lets in as much light as f/4". Yeah right.

4. Olympus sensor self-cleaning system (page 136/137) - the vibration is 35,000 times per sec and not 350,000 times. The strips are also NOT replaced through regular cleanings of the camera! The whole idea of the Olympus dust cleaning system is so that the user does NOT have to do any regular dust cleaning ;-) Having the words "Oscillation circuit" pointing to the vibrating glass is meaningless.

5. Four thirds system (page 122): the author tries to explain to the reader in point 3 that the 4/3 system lenses use special glass to get the light parallel to "hit the pixels more directly". Uh huh? Look it's not the glass per se - it's about telecentricity of the optical design of the 4/3 Olympus lenses that's does this.

I should have seen the warning light go off not to buy this book when the author quotes Ken Rockwell!

It's clearly not hard to get a book published these days it seems.

An opposing opinion1
After reading the enthusiastic reviews of this book, and always interested in technology, I decided to purchase it. I was extremely disappointed. Some of the plus factors that are mentioned in the other reviews are correct, great big color pictures, easy to read articles, etc. Although even that is not an unmixed blessing, White gives the same amount of space (two pages) to every subject, regardless of its complexity. But that's not my main objection, rather, it's the astonishing amount of errors in this book! It's difficult to read a page without seeing an error. These range the gamet, from pointers to the pictures pointing to the wrong object, up to completely incorrect concepts. While some are minor, others show a complete lack of knowledge by the author. Pages 32 and 33, for instance, are, as Wolfgang Pauli said about another subject, "not even wrong!" And there are errors on pages 27, 28, 29, 30 and 31 also. Many will conpletely confuse the beginner. It's difficult to pick out just one example, but, for instance, on page 65, referring to f stops and the amount of light left in, he states ""Each smaller f-stop lets in twice as much light as the next larger f-stop and, of course, a setting of f/8 lets in half as much light as f/4." Any photographer can tell you that f5.6 lets in half as much light as f/4 and f/8 half of that. The entire book is saturated with this sort of thing. I see that it is the Second Edition, I shutter (pun intended) to think what the first edition contained. If this book sounds of interest, I suggest you wait for about the eighth edition, maybe by then they will have gotten it right. Too bad, it has potential.
Dave C