Best Digital Video Production
As a new media triple threat -- YouTuber, keynote speaker and author -- she coaches people to go after what they want in life and leverage online video to make it happen. "Mastering the art of the 'jab' through vlogging means learning from Amy Schmittauer. I don't consume a lot of video, but Amy knows how to crush it to get attention. "The art of vlogging looks deceptively simple, but Amy does a masterful job of navigating through the many, many subtleties that turn a decent vlog into a great one." "With Vlog Like a Boss, Amy has served up a slice of vlogging reality for both beginners and experienced vloggers that'll help anyone take their online video strategy to the next level. Amy breaks down topics in marketing, blogging and video well enough to have a five-year-old vlogging like a boss in no time!" In this book, YouTube sensation Amy Schmittauer unpacks the precise steps she herself followed to conquer online video so that you can do the same. "When I need help vlogging, Amy is the first one I contact. "Amy combines 9 years of video experience with 30-ish years of being a human into the ultimate resource for anyone looking to start vlogging or any business looking to increase their online presence with video. "Amy's ability to create engaging videos that deliver a polished message while being fun has transformed my video creation process. Beyond the social media and equipment advice, Vlog Like A Boss will be your go-to guide as you overcome your fear of video."
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I know he'll not only enjoy reading this book, but will walk away with so much more, than just how to be a better video blogger."
"Amy always delivers...yep, I'm one of those who watches one video after another on her YouTube channel---1. because she has SO many. VLAB was so comprehensive, that I feel 100% confident in starting my vlogging journey!"
"Amy is a Boss."
"Such a great how-to guide!"
"I saw one of Amy Schmittauer's talks online and I had to pause the video every other minute so I could take notes, I'm very glad put her knowledge in book form."
"Thank you Amy for writing a book in a fun, informative, actionable format."
"I am completely new to vlogging so didn't have any idea what the process was."
"Thank you, Amy for such a great book :)."
Creative professionals seeking the fastest, easiest, most comprehensive way to learn Adobe After Effects CC (2017 release) choose Adobe After Effects CC Classroom in a Book (2017 release) from Adobe Press. She has also co-written The Photoshop Show Starring Russell Brown ; numerous editions of the Classroom in a Book series on Photoshop, After Effects, Flash, and Acrobat; and several editions of the How to Wow series.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"i've paid tuitiion fe es for multiple college level graphic design courses that simply teach from these books."
"I always used the Trish and Chris Meyer books in the past, but the last published edition was in 2010. The basics are... well, KIND OF basically covered (shape, text, animation, layers, masks, puppet tools, rotobrush, color correction, 3D features included the camera tracker, advanced editing, rendering.). The problem came in when I started thinking about how well this would all work for someone who was a REAL beginner rather than a past user who just hadn't picked up the new edition for a few years. Look at an old copy of the last Trish and Chris Meyer 2010 book, *Creating Motion Graphics With After Effects. Look for the older, much longer chapters going into detail about fundamental concepts like layers and keyframes and editing-- not there. What really needed to happen is for Trish and Chris Meyer to keep coming out with books, whether in print or online format. PROS: Does have some good info. Tutorials are well written. Does cover some of what you need to know. Online version included with the purchase is very nice. CONS. Does not cover the basics very well. Does not contain comprehensive information about the nuts and bolts of AE in the way that the Trish and Chris Meyer books did. Not a reference book, which it needed to be. Not long enough. Emphasis on tutorials rather than constructing the "building blocks" of the basic knowledge you need to use AE as a tool. Overall, this isn't a bad book to have in your library... but I would seriously also buy Creating Motion Graphics with After Effects, 5th Edition."
"However, nothing beats learning the formality of how it all works and really understanding your tools and exactly how capable this software actually is."
"The book proceeds with a number of tutorials, in which you manipulate files downloaded from the publisher's web site to create motion graphics. There are sections that show you how to integrate After Effects with other products in Adobe's Creative Cloud Suite like Premiere Pro. I decided to learn After Effects when a fellow videographer suggested my videos could use a little" jazzing up". I was used to this from my prior experience with other Creative Cloud applications, but that only convinced me that the panel I had been told to open existed somewhere, even if I couldn't see it. Typical was the chapter that showed how to provide people responsible for maintaining a web site with a simplified interface. Where there is a deficient line of code, After Effects provides a small, yellow error triangle."
"You start a project then its confusing because the next section doesn't pick up where you left off, you just abandon it."
Best Adobe After Effects Photo Editing
This Web Edition is available for free with the purchase of the Adobe After Effects CC Classroom in a Book (2015 release) print book or eBook. Creative professionals who seek the fastest, easiest, most comprehensive way to learn Adobe After Effects CC (2015 release) choose this Classroom in a Book® from the best-selling series of hands-on software training workbooks. Adobe After Effects CC Classroom in a Book (2015 release) contains 14 lessons that cover the basics and beyond, providing countless tips and techniques to help you become more productive with the program. She has also co-written The Photoshop Show Starring Russell Brown ; numerous editions of the Classroom in a Book series on Photoshop, After Effects, Flash, and Acrobat; and several editions of the How to Wow series.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"With a program as big and deep at Photoshop, this book does not attempt to cover every feature, command, filter and technique, but instead covers overall concepts, plus hits on multiple ways to accomplish common tasks and highlights new features. I taught for two years using the earlier edition Adobe Photoshop CS6 Classroom in a Book and noted a significant number of changes, mostly improvements, in the new Creative Cloud 2014 edition of the book. You learn many of the same things as in previous editions, the only real new skills are related to new features of Photoshop but more importantly the lessons themselves are improved. CHAPTER 2. This lesson highlights the photo correction tools that have made Photoshop famous. In previous editions, the lesson had the reader change a photo using several of the same tools, but the before and after in this lesson feels more dramatic. I found this a good chapter to send students down who may already know the basics, while skipping it for the class as a whole."
"Basically you have a paragraph or two explaining what you are about to do and why, then lots of photos showing you what your screen should look like and the steps to take. Each time you need to complete a step, it repeats how to do it so you don't have to look back through the book to remember how something is done."
"I quit at about Chapter 5 as I was starting to feel like a programmed robot listening to the instructor say, "Click on this switch and type 117, then go over to effects and add this effect...Voila!""
"The problem is this book reads like a classroom book of the 50's (and I'm an old guy who remembers such things). About 95% of the things covered here you can learn on your own in a few days -- again, I'm a very old man and I did it, and if you are older than, say, 12 years old you will be able to as well (younger folks might well need the kind of hand-holding going on here). What is missing, though, is all the *really* cool and wonderful things you can do in AE, and luckily there is a terrific source for all of these and it's this thing called the internet."
Best Digital Audio Production
The Most Complete, Up-to-Date CTS Exam Study System Published with InfoComm International, CTS Certified Technology Specialist Exam Guide, Second Edition provides comprehensive coverage of all objectives on the latest release of the InfoComm Certified Technology Specialist exam―the leading internationally recognized audiovisual (AV) certification. Through activities that include tradeshows, education, certification, government relations, outreach and information services, InfoComm promotes the industry and enhances members’ ability to conduct business successfully and competently.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"The book has great span of information, but not always applicable to the exam."
"If you're in the industry and have some years of doing this "stuff" under your belt, this book is a good guide in terms of review."
"Awesome review guide but I just finished my exam and I would suggest looking over "audiovisual best practices" as well."
"Everything you need to pass the CTS exam."
"Great study guide."
"Bought this for the office, great book, easy to follow."
"This is helping me study for the cts while I'm at work, home and even on the train."
"If you are buying this you need it."
Best Speech & Audio Processing
After spending hundred of hours using my Echo, I decided to summarize all my knowledge in a single high-quality book. Step-by-step instructions on how to setup your device Get to know about all the things that Amazon Echo can do Get customized News, Traffic and Weather updates Connect your Google Calendar to your device Stream music from your favorite audio sources: iPhone, Android, Spotify, Amazon Music, Pandora, iHeartRadio, TuneIn Get ACTIONABLE ADVICE on how to build your smart home Control your lights, TV and room temperature with your voice Explore the complete list of Alexa-enabled devices organized per category Learn How IFTTT and Yonomi helps you to better control your home Get to know the 20 most useful Alexa Skills Learn how Amazon Echo was created How to troubleshoot your Echo Written By An Alexa Lover For (future) Alexa Lovers How to troubleshoot your Echo Learn how Alexa works behind the scenes Explore the future of Alexa Much, Much More! Amazon Echo is a speaker connected to the internet that you can control with your voice. Alexa lets you play music, control your lights, ask for the weather and more. I am going in depth into numerous topic such as Playing Music, Building your Smart Home, Using Alexa Skills and more. Bonus. Sign up to my free weekly newsletter to get the best new Alexa Skills in your inbox.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"My biggest problem with this book is that, since the author is not a native English speaker, there are *many* spelling and grammar mistakes that any spelling and grammar checker should have caught."
"I am just learning but enjoying it as I go along."
"Good book."
Best Adobe Software Guides
Since Lightroom 1.0 first launched, Scott’s Kelby’s The Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Book for Digital Photographers has been the world’s #1 bestselling Lightroom book (it has been translated into a dozen different languages), and in this latest version for Lightroom 6, Scott uses his same award-winning, step-by-step, plain-English style and layout to make learning Lightroom easy and fun. This is where Scott dramatically answers his #1 most-asked Lightroom question, which is: “Exactly what order am I supposed to do things in, and where does Photoshop fit in?” You’ll see Scott’s entire start-to-finish Lightroom 6 workflow and learn how to incorporate it into your own workflow. Scott is a photographer, designer, and award-winning author of more than 60 books, including Photoshop for Lightroom Users, Professional Portrait Retouching Techniques for Photographers Using Photoshop, Light It, Shoot It, Retouch It: Learn Step by Step How to Go from Empty Studio to Finished Image, The Adobe Photoshop Book for Digital Photographers, and The Digital Photography Book, parts 1, 2, 3, 4 & 5. His books have been translated into dozens of different languages, including Chinese, Russian, Spanish, Korean, Polish, Taiwanese, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Dutch, Arabic, Swedish, Turkish, Hebrew, and Portuguese, among others, and he is a recipient of the prestigious ASP International Award, presented annually by the American Society of Photographers for “…contributions in a special or significant way to the ideals of Professional Photography as an art and a science.”.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"For example, tonality is one of the key steps in post processing images and the author provides enough detail so that you will not only be able to follow his instructions for dealing with the sample images, but also to understand how the process works. For long-time users of Lightroom, there are a few new functions, and Lightroom is so user friendly that the operation of some of the new functions, like panoramas and HDR, will be intuitive and not require explanation, so that those long-time users might think they don't need this kind of introduction. Experienced users may also find something they didn't know in this book."
"Here's the summary if you're in a hurry: Pros: -Easy to read but very good and detailed information. -Well laid out and organized. -Word searching in the digital version makes finding things a breeze. -A full photo shoot (for the cover of the book) is laid out and described, including the Photoshop editing. It is laid out in the order of things you would encounter if you were a first time user new to the program and to organizing your images. It works for me and I would especially recommend his books to beginners as they have a lot of information in small chunks. The beginning is dedicated to good organizational practices which I partially followed from the last edition. I used to be very casual about my hard drives and use them for a lot of stuff and lost pictures several times. There are a LOT of small tips, which makes reading through the book worthwhile even for those who have used Lightroom before. I found this book full of good ideas and techniques easily explained."
"Lightroom is primarily for professionals who make a lot of photos per day like the author Scott Kelby."
"Very good book for someone who switched from another program to Lightroom 6."
"I cannot find any reference for Window diagrams and this is disappointing as the little blue pull down boxes shown throughout Chapter One do not exist on Windows LR and this would be too confusing to my students."