November 2003

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MacWaves MUG
a SIG of Brookdale Computer Users Group
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Adobe Acrobat 6 Standard, Classroom in a Book, Adobe Press, $45 w/CD

Regardless of how familiar you are with Adobe Acrobat, version 6 includes so many new functions and updates of earlier functions, that this book provides an excellent overview of this must-have application. The book begins with an excellent overview of Acrobat 6 Standard and then has you working thorough fifteen lessons that include learning the new work area, creating PDF files for print and Web, using the new review tools and setting up presentations, making the book a useful companion for this powerful program.

Adobe Premiere Pro, Classroom in a Book, Adobe Press, $45 w/DVD

Learning to use this nonlinear video editing application is much easier with this excellent, comprehensive tutorial that includes integrating Premiere Pro and other Adobe applications. Once you complete a lesson, stretch your skills with exploratory exercises and reinforce them with review questions and answers. This book is an especially good place to start for those new to the video editing process.

SAMS Teach Yourself iMovie and iDVD in 24 Hours, by Todd Kelsey, SAMS, $24.99

In just 24 one-hour lessons learn how to use iMovie and iDVD to create polished video productions and publish them on DVDs. With its step-by-step approach, each lesson builds on the previous ones, enabling you to learn the essentials of these complex applications. You’ll be adding transitions, applying interesting effects including music and voice-overs and adding still or animated titles to make your presentations pleasurable and professional. Not only will you learn how to use the applications, but how to populate your DVDs with all those iMovie projects you’ve collected, but you’ll be able to burn DVDs that play on any player.

iMovie 3 and iDVD The Missing Manual, by David Pogue, O’Reilly, $24.95

Continuing its excellent missing manual series, this book, which also covers iMovie 3.03, gives you all the information you need to use the software intelligently and effectively. Tired of running to the applications’ Help menu? Then this book with its many visuals and the author’s comfortable and enjoyable writing style will have you producing films that Hollywood will envy. Beginning with the essentials of film techniques and editing basics, David Pogue takes you through the process of incorporating iTunes, transformations, effects, and titles into your production. The chapter on troubleshooting alone is worth the price of the book. But if you use it carefully, you won’t have any trouble at all!