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Digital Media Home Page
If you'd like to create your own movies, take a look at my series of articles on the QuickTime and iMovie page on the Mac DevCenter. I'll show you how to edit and publish video using a variety of inexpensive tools. And be sure to check out my Top Ten Digital Video Tips article.
If you're still feel a little unsure behind the camcorder, you might be interested in my latest book, the Digital Video Pocket Guide. This full color reference guide fits nicely in your camera bag and provides you with everything you need to know to shoot fantastic video. It even includes a complete set of reference tables for color balance, exposure, and filtration. You can download an excerpt (.pdf) that shows you how to overcome backlighting.
Making QuickTime Movies with the Apple iSight Webcam
You don't have to go out and spend hundreds or even thousands of dollars to make great movies to share with friends and family. Apple's new iSight webcam is an inexpensive, well-designed autofocus camera with a fast f-2.8 lens that focuses from 50mm to infinity. But what makes it so powerful is that its FireWire cable plugs into years of Apple QuickTime development lurking within your Mac.
If you'd like to learn how to put this little webcam to work for you, read my tutorial, Making Movies with the Apple iSight. And here's a sample movie that I producted using those same techniques from the article.
Why Use QuickTime?
Among the competing technologies (RealNetworks and MS Media Player), I like QuickTime. With more than 175 digital media capabilities, QT can play QT mov, QTVR, MPEG, AVI, WAV, MP3 JPEG, TIFF and much more. With QuickTime, you can download a MPEG movie and convert it to an AVI, or vice-versa. It's really amazing.
QuickTime for Windows!
Some folks don't realize that QuickTime is a terrific Windows application too. In fact, millions of Windows users have downloaded QuickTime in the last few years, and the percentages are growing. ShowTime, Disney and Fox television are among the many broadcast professionals using QuickTime for their animated spots such as Fox's NFL intros.
Movies, Movies and More Movies
In 1999, when Lucasfilm launched the trailer for Star Wars: "Episode I The Phantom Menace," in QT format, there was an immediate rush to download more than 600,000 copies of QuickTime, and over 1 million downloads of the movie trailer itself in the first 24 hours.
If you're a movie fan and like trailers, there are always lots of them to view and download at the QuickTime Movie Trailers Theater. Participating studios include: MGM, Miramax, Touchstone, UA, Universal Disney, WB and Fox.
How Do I Get QuickTime?
The easiest way to get QuickTime? Browse over to the QuickTime Web site and download it. It's free.
More Goodies: A History of Photoshop
Photoshop has been a valuable multimedia tool from the beginning. Many people don't realize that this early "killer app" is more than 10 years old. The story of its development is the story of two brothers who grew up in a household where art, science, and curiosity were instilled at a young age. You can read about it in the article,
From Darkroom to Desktop—How Photoshop Came to Light.
Derrick Story
Aug. 2003