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Release Dates: December
15, 2005
Review Date: December
15, 2005
Reviewed
By: Kari Ann Morgan
Final
Score:
7.9
Every
time you go to Blockbuster or browse the DVD section of
the local retail store, you see it… the end product
of a filmmaker's vision on the shelf for all to see (or
rent or buy). You see it and wonder how you can get your
movie there. Your film didn't get accepted to Sundance
and there aren't any takers for distribution (not by any
reputable distributor, at least!). What to do?
First
of all, get a copy of Chris Gore and Paul J. Salamoff's
The Complete DVD Book. It goes through the legal
and technical aspects of creating, producing, and marketing
your movie yourself. Even if you decide to have your DVD
produced another way (by a professional individual or
an outside company), there is a lot of valuable information
about legality and things to look for when having someone
else do it for you.
For
those of you who are technologically savvy and have some
kick-ass software, you can do it yourself with some guidance
from this book. Chris Gore has his own distribution label
(the well-known Film Threat) specifically for indie
films, and Paul Salamoff has his own full-service DVD
company; together, they have extensive experience in both
mainstream and independent filmmaking, and can tell you
not just what makes a great DVD, but exactly how to put
it together.
Comprehension
First off, The Complete DVD Book is written for readers
that have at least mid-level expertise with such programs
as DVD Studio Pro, DVD Architect, Adobe PhotoShop, FinalCut
Pro, etc. (While the authors don't endorse any software
in particular, they use programs they are most familiar
with as examples.) Although, in one sense, this is an instructional
book, it won't help you if you have little to no experience
or understanding of these programs. While there are diagrams
and step-by-step instructions, it will be much easier if
you're very familiar with the software already.
That
being said, the instructions, guides, and suggestions they
give are very easy-to-follow. Sections Three and Four make
up the main part of the book, covering (respectively) Preparing
Your DVD Assets and Authoring Your DVD. While this is the
most technical and complicated part of the book, Gore and
Salamoff simplify it by giving detailed explanations and
showing diagrams of the specific menus, toolbars, and examples.
For this project, they created a non-existent movie entitled
Stranded, and take the reader through the process
of creating a DVD.
First,
they explain how to plan your DVD; write out the features,
menus, options, etc. that you want to offer on your movie.
Next, they tell you how to format the audio and video; this
part is helpful, because they also explain the different
types of encoding and formats, as well as their pros and
cons. After all of this introductory material, they get
into designing each button, menu, slideshow, and screen
you want to appear on your DVD. Finally, they demonstrate
how to program and connect all of the graphics, audio, video,
and other information together on the disc. The last section
deals with marketing your newly-minted creation, and even
includes an extensive appendix with lots of valuable DVD
resources for your project.
While
all of the detailed technical information was a bit overwhelming
to me at first, the diagrams and in-depth information they
provide are extremely helpful and make comprehension much
easier. While this book would still be too much for a novice,
the explanations, diagrams, and organization in this book
are very helpful to those with greater experience.
Depth
of Information
The book covers a huge amount of information, starting with
the legal ramifications of doing it yourself (or producing
it through an outside company), to the making of the actual
DVD itself, to marketing your movie for a wider viewing
audience. As I write this review and reconsider everything
I read, I'm blown away by just how much valuable information
Gore and Salamoff were able to put into this book; and at
the same time, it's not such heavy reading that you feel
as though you're just dredged through Tolstoy's War and
Peace.
Interest
Level
This is no light weekend reading; this book is for those
who are serious about putting together a professional, original,
creative DVD of their movie. Whether you're the producer,
director, or someone else involved in the movie (or if you
want to start your own DVD production company), and want
to get your film "out there" and noticed, then
The Complete DVD Book is for you.
Because
of the sheer volume of technical information, this is not
a book that you can just breeze through (unless you have
a photographic memory!). However, the authors' laid-back
writing style, combined with their explanations, diagrams,
and menus, make the book interesting, and keep it from becoming
too dry and heavy.
Reusability
For those who want to market their movies themselves or
for those who want to have their own DVD service, this book
is the perfect resource. The ideas, suggestions, and guides
for planning, creating, and marketing your DVD are tremendously
valuable; even when the technical aspects of DVD making
change, this book can continue to be a great reference for
future projects. Additionally, the appendix is full of extremely
helpful information, contacts, and resources that you will
definitely keep coming back to.
Value
vs. Cost
As stated above, if you have the know-how and are intending
to do this more than just once or twice, The Complete
DVD Book is definitely well worth the investment. However,
if you have only one or two movies you want to put on DVD
or if your knowledge of the necessary software is limited,
you might be better off borrowing the book first before
deciding whether or not to get it, especially if after your
first attempt you realize how complicated it is and vow,
"Never again!" The more DVDs you make (or intend
to make), the more value you will get from this book.
Overall
Comment
While the subject matter is complicated and technical, it
is made much easier to understand because of the writing
style, explanations, and step-by-step diagrams. The book
has a tremendous amount of information, and while it gets
technical in some places, it is never boring or ponderous.
The Complete DVD Book is the perfect resource for those
who are adept with the necessary programs and are planning
on doing this more than just once or twice. Not recommended
for purchase for those with very basic understanding of
the software and/or those looking to make just one or two
DVDs.
