Sometimes you want to capture a simple video and audio scene directly to your computer's hard drive rather than capturing it to tape or to camera storage media, and then going through the capture and transfer process. Here is a cool little tutorial from Adobe about how to use Adobe Premiere to shoot video directly to your hard drive. If you don't have a good web cam or want to get better quality than you can get with a web cam, it makes sense to use your video camcorder to shoot simple talking head videos.

How nerdy are you? Here's a great Photoshop Tips Music Video! All about Photoshop Droplets.  Digital imaging master and unlikely crooner Deke McClelland tenders an original new love song to kick off the next round of his popular video podcast series, dekePod. Titled "The Droplet Song (A Love Song to a Lost Feature in Photoshop)," Deke's goofily romantic new tune honors one of Photoshop's most arcane but useful automation features. Read the Press Release

SHOOTING FOR SUCCESS

Getting the best quality out of online video

            With Americans watching more than 12 billion videos a month online, at a whopping four hours for the average user, the web represents a vast and hungry audience, making it a key distribution channel for filmmakers and videographers. The challenges of internet video delivery, however, constrained by end-user connection speeds and the cost of bandwidth, can reduce even the sharpest video quality to a muddy blur. The following tips will help you ensure your masterpiece looks its best when posted online. more

Adobe Audition 3 for Professional Audio Production - Adobe Audition vs Adobe Soundbooth CS3 and new Adobe Audition features  - A summary of new enhancements and key features in Adobe Audition 3, released at the end of 2007 as Adobe's flagship stand-alone tool for professional audio production more

The Plug-In Pavilion - The editor's tools: 3D compositing, titling, FX creation, lighting, color-correction and more with  BorisFX, Graffiti 5.1, Red 4, and Boris Blue 2.

High Definition is the next wave in video. Everyone wants their video to look great on the giant screen TV and on their DVDs. Here is a short guide to some of the top High Definition Camcorders and associated video editing gear. HiDef Camcorder Guide

Green Screen Tutorial - all about how to set up and use green screen for fun and dramatic video effects. Put your subject on the moon, in Paris or anywhere you can imagine. more

Simple Screenplay/Screenwriting Tip - the basics of writing a script

How to put your old 8mm & Super8 film on the Internet

Video Fizz: Video Editing Software, resources Tutorials and FAQ's The Secrets of FilmGeneration.com - How do they do it

Edit Your Videos Automatically

10 New Years Resolutions for the Home Video Enthusiast

How to Edit Sony's new MICROMV Video Format

All About Lighting for Green Screen and Blue Screen

iMovie - Everything you need to know to create movies using iMovie

Make a Movie using a Digital Still Camera

Book and Instructional CD/DVD Reviews

Using Accessories to Improve the Audio from Built-in Camcorder Mics - How to achieve professional sound with consumer camcorders

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SOFTWARE REVIEWS

Roxio's Easy Media Creator 10 is a complete suite of digital media applications, focused on "enabling consumers to quickly and easily turn their photos, video and music into impressive multi-media projects that can be shared on CD, DVD, the Web, or a range of mobile devices." The idea is that it "provides all of the tools users need to express their digital lives." Read all about it

Nero is more than just the best DVD burning and data back-up program. Nero has focused the new Nero 8 Ultra Edition digital media suite on "easy-to-use features for the creation, management, and protection of multimedia projects." Nero has reworked the interface for consumer ease of use, and focused on "extending content beyond the PC" -- to create and edit, convert and share, rip and burn, and backup and protect digital media. read all about it. Its a video editing program now too. Read all about it

Sony Vegas Movie Studio+DVD 8, released almost stealthily in early/mid 2007, continues to focus on easy creation of movies and slideshows, especially to share online, plus on DVD with the included DVD Architect Studio software (www.sonycreativesoftware.com). The higher-end Platinum Edition adds expanded HD video support (HDV, Sony AVCHD), surround-sound audio mixing, and professional video effects. more

If you are looking for a powerful, full featured and relatively easy to master video editing program, you should take a look at the Pinnacle Studio family and especially the most recent entrant, Pinnacle Studio Ultimate 11. Regardless of what format you shoot in, or how you plan on sharing and distributing your finished videos, Studio 11 has an answer. read the review

 The new Ulead VideoStudio 11 still focuses on easy consumer editing but now adds more automated assists for creating quick movies and snazzy-looking movie-style opening sequences

VideoStudio is also bulked up with the latest technologies, especially for editing high-definition formats including AVCHD, with Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound, authoring to HD DVD discs, and exporting to portable devices like the Apple iPod and Sony PSP with MPEG-4 and H.264 format support. more

Roxio is Introducing NEW DVDit Pro HD. Studio-Caliber DVD and Blu-ray Disc Authoring for Video Professionals - Read the Review - You can edit and burn Blu-Ray Projects

Pinnacle offers a range consumer and prosumer solutions for both PCs and Macs.

Checkout this review of their latest Studio home video editing software plus the new Studio MovieBox Plus which combines software with video capture hardware. This is especially useful if you are editing analog video from old VHS or 8mm videotapes.

All About Pinnacle Studio 11

Learn How to convert animated GIF files into Flash with WildPresenter - more

Do you hate to edit? Does editing take up too much time and drive you crazy? Maybe you should try an automatic video editing product like muveeAutoProducer 6 - it makes it simple and fast to create create looking music videos and slide shows. Read the review and article

Ulead VideoStudio Review - Ready to get started with video editing? Maybe you've some video that you'd like to make into a nice little movie production, complete with transitions between scenes, background music, title text, and some fun video effects. And you can share your movies as video files for computer playback, or post for friends to view over the Web, or download to a iPod to take with you, or even burn on DVD to watch in the living room.

Are your video files just too big? Need to put them on a diet so that you can email them, stick them on your video phone or iPOD, or just share them more easily? If so, check out this new FREE program from Buzz 3D Software. We haven't tried it, but they say their new Buzz 3D Media Converter will squeeze your original video content down by as much as 90%. Download it, try it out and tell us how good it is...  ping us at editor AT internetvideomag.com

Looking for an affordable and easy to master digital editing program that can almost do everything? Check out this review of the latest Roxio Easy Media Creator suite, version 9. EMC 9 handles all different types of digital media (video, audio, photos, data) through the end-to-end workflow, from capture to editing to sharing. The EMC suite provides a nicely integrated collection with both strong individual tools, and a variety of utilities for doing simple things quickly and efficiently. more

Do you need to create and make titles and graphic designs for your DVDs and videos? Do you need to create cool looking images and graphics for your video web site? You got to try out Photoshop Elements. Photoshop Elements is basically a light version of Photoshop that makes it much simpler to manage and master Photoshop's power without having to endure a complicated learning curve. "Photoshop Elements 3: The Missing Manual" delivers beginning-to-advanced tools, tricks, and tips for improving photos, keeping them organized, and making top-notch prints and other creative projects. The book covers both Windows and Mac versions.  more

If you are just starting out in video you got to check out filmmaker Quito Washington's  new 60 second film school. So far he has only three lessons posted but they are great for those who want to learn how to use their digital camcorder to create professional looking images.

OK. You made your video or captured a funny video clip. Now what? Where can you post it for free? more

How to save ShockWave Videos playing on the Net - have you ever viewed a wonderful shockwave flash animation on the web and wanted to capture so you could play it back later or share it with friends? Here is how you can do it without buying any software.

All about Streaming Video and Net Video. Check out Doug Dixon's  guide to what you need in order to watch and create streaming video. For both beginners and professionals. more

Are you just starting out creating your own video movies? Here are some tips about video editing for novices and home video makers. How to cut on action, timeline versus storyboard and other basics to get you started....

Are you working with Adobe Premiere Pro and need more info about how to author and make DVDs? checkout this video tutorial. Creative Cow leader Aanarav Sareen takes users through the new DVD authoring capabilities of Premiere Pro 2.0. While Premiere Pro 2 may not replace Encore DVD, for many tasks it is a fast and powerful way to get client previews and many other jobs, done quickly with a professsional look and feel. Here's how in just a few minutes...

Click here for more information.

Here is everything you need to know about editing digital video and creating and sharing your videos. Check out Doug Dixon's new How to Get Started and Edit DV in 2006 article. Lots of great info. He covers

Shooting with DV and HDV Camcorders
    - Editing DV and MPEG Video
    - Writing to DVD Formats
    - Sharing on Portable Players

Do you want to make money making video? The Essential Digital Video Handbook by Pete May is a very good high level introduction to what it takes to be successful making and selling commercial videos  that make money. We are not talking abut artsy indie films, music videos or Hollywood blockbusters but down to earth commercial and industrial production. If you are just starting out, definitely check out this book. Lots of pictures, logically laid out and easy to understand. more

Looking for a good and affordable video editing software package that's easy to use? Check out the new and improved Ulead VideoStudio 9. Read the review by Doug Dixon. If you are trying to create and author DVD discs, then check out Doug's review of Ulead DVD Movie Factory.

 Adobe Premiere Elements makes it easy to edit and create grea tlooking video projects - Read the review

Getting good audio is a lot more difficult than capturing good looking video. Check out this basic guide for getting good sounding audio for your video projects. Also includes a review of SmartSound SonicFire for creating customized soundtracks.

Are you just starting out creating your own video movies? Here are some tips about video editing for novices and home video makers. How to cut on action, timeline versus storyboard and other basics to get you started....

All about Streaming Video and Net Video. Check out this guide to what you need in order to watch and create streaming video. For both beginners and professionals. more

How and Why - Putting Video on the Web - There are many different ways to share your edited video movies with your friends, family and associates. You can make copies on videotape, you can burn DVDs and CDs and send those. You can create highly compressed short clips and send them via email, or you can post your videos to the Internet and just send out a url location so that they can visit and watch and/or download your video. more

Product info and reviews

 Looking for an affordable and easy to use utility program for copying and making back-ups of DVDs? For just $39.95, you can copy your non-commercial DVD collection to another DVD, to your hard drive, or even squeeze it onto a CD. more

This is a very cool little utility for users of Windows. Andrew Rowley has released version 2 of Picnam, a program for renaming and recording information about digital images on Windows XP/2000/98. Picnam is a quick and easy way to rename digital images and record information about them in an associated text file. more

InterVideo Offers Free Multimedia Software Suite for Download -  For a limited time, InterVideo is offering a free download of MediaOne SE at www.intervideo.com.  InterVideo MediaOne SE is the ideal solution for anyone who wants a powerful media suite in one package.  This broad digital media suite allows users to perform several multimedia tasks including photo management, editing/authoring home videos to CD, creating music CDs and burning compilations and slideshows to CD for playback on a PC or on a consumer player as a VCD. more

The Mac GarageBand  program is a powerful tool that enables almost anyone to create professional sounding recordings and use the Web to publish and distribute to a broad audience. The latest GarageBand 2 update includes even more of the sophisticated musical instruments found in the first version, powerful new tools, and professional features for recording, editing, mixing, and publishing songs. Unfortunately, the best techniques aren't covered in the "manual" you get with GarageBand or in its electronic help screens. Read GarageBand 2 - The Missing Manual

You can turn your Mac into an audio production studio using GarageBand 2 (included free on all new Macintosh computers, or for $79 as part of the iLife '05 suite). Budding musicians can convert their Macs into any of the dozens of included instruments; record with any MIDI keyboard, guitar, or microphone; tune their guitar or bass with GarageBand's new built-in tuner; mix their hits with professional effects and settings; take advantage of GarageBand's eight-track recording capabilities; explore more than a thousand prerecorded music loops (or create their own), and more. Book Reviews

Are you looking for a high powered and easy to master video editing solution for under $100? Check out the new Adobe Premiere Elements - read the review by Doug Dixon

If you are interested in getting started in creating your own video blog, the new Vlog It software from Serious Magic may be just the tool you need more

Are you using an online video locker to store your video? Do you record your favorite broadcast or cable shows and wish you had access to them whenever or wherever you wanted to use them? Are you running out of disk space because your digital video recordings are so large? An online storage locker may be the solution. more

How to use Sonic DVDit 5 to create customized DVDs - by Douglas Dixon of Manifest Tech

Is Your Video Shaky? Need to make it look a bit more professional? Check out ArcSoft Video Stablizer. Easy to use and it really works 

Are you using a Mac to make movies? Check out the iMovie and iDVD books

iWork ’05: Create, publish, and present your work with style. 

Arcsoft Video Impression 2 - affordable, easy video editing

Canopus ProCoder Express - Powerful Video Conversion at a GREAT Price

muvee adds magicMoments scene selection - for automatic video editing

Easy Video Editing with Sony Movie Studio 3.0

Blaze Media Pro 5 - All in one video editor, player and conversion software

Take Control of Your DVD Video Experience - Which DVD Player Should You Use?

PC Annoyances - How to Fix the Most Annoying Things about Your Personal Computer - review

Making Holiday muvees? - get the 2 free style packs from muvee -  the best automatic video editing software

Magix Video - video editing for for newbies and professionals 

ADS InstantDVD 2 - Capture & Burn DVD Movies

iPhoto 4: The Missing Manual, 3rd Edition"  by David Pogue and Derrick Story, is an entertaining and useful way to get the most out of iPhoto 4.

Microsoft Movie Maker 2- Maybe the easiest way to create your own movies

ArcSoft Funhouse is a totally fun and simple to use software program that lets you create hilarious ‘fantasy’ pictures featuring the faces of you and your friends. The program includes over 150 cool background templates to get you started and includes tools for creating your own custom templates from scanned magazine covers or downloaded celebrity snapshots. My kids love it! And they taught themselves how to use it....

Apple's GarageBand program is an easy to use song-making toolkit and software recording studio that can produce professional-sounding, polished musical tracks. If you want to produce some great sounding tunes at home, get it and Get it and "GarageBand: The Missing Manual"

Make your own animated talking icons and singing digital photos with Crazy Talk

Final Cut Express Review

Make Your Own Web Site - You don't need to know anything about design or HTML

Guide to Video Editing Software

New and Cool Video Toys & Equipment

Review of Pioneer DVD Burner

Equipment Review Center

Have you been to Vegas lately? Check out the new version of Vegas Video 5 Editing Suite and Vegas Video 5 - DVD-Architect 2 program combined into one package called Vegas + DVD Production Suite more

muvee adds magicMoments scene selection - for automatic video editing

How to put your old 8mm & Super8 film on the Internet

Using Macromedia Dreamweaver for eLearning & Multimedia web sites

Digital Rights & Wrongs - Who Gets to Copy What?

Microsoft Office 2003 - Do You Need It?

Free Video and Movie Making Tools

Question for Filmmakers - Should You Edit Your Own Projects?

The 1-2-3 Guide to Creating Your Own Internet Movies and Videos

DVD D'Mystified - everything you need to know before starting to make your own DVD movies

Adobe Creative Studio - Everything for the Web Designer

Edit Your Videos Automatically

How to Edit Sony's new MICROMV Video Format

Free Video Creation & Editing Software

How to Shoot Internet Videos & Movies

Equipment Review Center

Make Video Editing Easy with a Dedicated Keyboard

Apple Final Cut Express Review