General Question About Gear/Software for Producing DVD's

Guitar instruction videos should not require "Starwars" type effects so you would probably find that the excellent iMovie, which is included free on your MBP would be more than sufficient and a darned sight quicker to learn.

FCE and FCP are virtually identical in all the basics so you will not find FCE any easier to learn - give iMovie a try and see what it can do.

You also have iDVD which should be ideal for designing and burning your DVDs.

The only type of camera you should consider is a mini-DV one.

DVD and HDD are totally unsuitable for any good editing system - they are designed mainly for holiday snapshotters who derive great enjoyment from playing hours of unedited footage to their friends and family.

As for price, even the cheapest mini-DV camcorders can produce excellent video quality, but make sure that you can at least use an external microphone with it.

Ian.

Buy a 3ccd chipped Mini-DV camera, If you can get one with XLR audio inputs.
if not buy this: Beachtek "Beach Box" XLR microphone / audio adaptor
get a descent tripod (this is really inportant) and search ebay for a satchler 300w "reporter" light plus stand. get a couple of good mic's!!

that's all the basics sorted, and probably all your money gone, so just use iMovie to edit with.

no one will watch, let alone buy your finished work unless:
the picture's are the right colour, in focus, well lit, and have useable sound

ian

As for price, even the cheapest mini-DV camcorders
can produce excellent video quality, but make sure
that you can at least use an external microphone with
it.

Beware Sony handycam cameras - eg., the DCR-HCxx range. Good cameras at the top end (xx=96) but they will take only Sony external mikes, on the Sony proprietary hotshoe on the camera body. I don't know how good they are on guitar sound which, being a plucked instrument, no doubt have some high frequency harmonics essential for authentic sound.

Hey I don´t´know why people talk bad about DVD and HDD camcorder but to be honest I have the lowest end Sony and I edit with FCE and I get great results even use the HDV easy setup and get nice colors with my video clips that i take out of my HDD camcorder sony has an HD HDD camcorder that is sick it is worth 1400 buck but the back last to that is that you have to use external mics from sony but with the one that comes with the HD HDD sony camcorder is phenominal it has dolby 5.1 surround sound I tested one and it is insane how it caputures sounds from the left and right side I was recording some scenes outdoor in the pyrenee mountain and the crickets that were making noise on the left was coming out from the left speakers it was insane and the quality is phenominal.
Tony

http://www.sonystyle.com/is-bin/INTERSHOP.enfinity/eCS/Store/en/-/USD/SYDisplayProductInformation-Start;sid=oz37-JkXiiv7etxoQmjx89YYlt6H-IBfptw=?Product SKU=HDRSR1&Dept=cameras&CategoryName=dcc_DICamcordersHardDiskHandycamCamcorders

here is the sony camcorder I don´t know if this camera can go to higher altitude than 3000 meters I know my camcorder HDD I cannot surpass 3000 meter mountains
what ***** *** on that. This cameras is phenominal I have a Imac 20 inch intel duo core and with FCE and the camcorder i use is this one let me show you the page.
http://www.sonystyle.com/is-bin/INTERSHOP.enfinity/eCS/Store/en/-/USD/SYDisplayProductInformation-Start;sid=oz37-JkXiiv7etxoQmjx89YYlt6H-IBfptw=?Product SKU=DCRSR40&Dept=cameras&CategoryName=dcc_DICamcordersHardDiskHandycamCamcorders

There is no intermediate step - it's either iMovie or FCE/FCP.

Remember you have the latest version of iMovie which is probably an improvement on what you used before.

Ian.

For $3000, look into a Panasonic DVX-100b. It was the mainstay of the indie market until the HDX-200 came out. (the HDX is out of your price range.)

A video about music without first rate audio seems beyond perverse ... Do you have audio/ recording engineer friends? Talk to them to help you with mics and balancing the audio.

Straight cuts will work fine for this sort of stuff though I can imagine where a multilayered approach may be needed to densify the material. In which case, you need to look beyond iMovie. FCP is not that difficult to learn, or/ better yet, hook up with an editor. Just because you can play the guitar doesn't mean you understand how to tell a story visually.

That said - Can you be animated, excited about your teaching system and clear in laying out how it works to beginning guitar players? If so, go for it.

good luck.
x

Editing is an art form, not a computer programme!!!!!!!

but there is an old saying
" you can't polish a tu*d "
i.e. if you do not have quality material to work with, you will be hard push to
produce a quality package!!!

Ok ... tell us how are you getting the video out of these cameras and into FCE without a Firewire connection - neither of them has a FW (iLink) output , their recording formats are MPEG2 and H.264 based AVCHD, and the bundled software is for PCs ? What method are you using to extract this material from the camera and convert it for editing in FCE on a Mac?

"...an art form, not a computer programme"

Sorry..., but I cannot do without recalling the mythical "Art of Computer Programming" book series by Donald E. Knuth (back in the 70's) at Stanford University. I think that good programming is many things, and creativity, if not "art", is certainly important.

But this has nothing to do with this thread, or does it ?

Piero

I've spent a lifetime polishing druts - but, then I've always been a bit backward!

Nevertheless, I have developed it into something of a minor artform and with a modicum of success.

I have also varnished a few stools in my time.

Ian.

the original thread, was about someone starting out
wanting to make guitar instruction video's
spending there own hard earned / saved / borrowed cash
to buy equipment. and i presume wanting to make some money back.

in that context: you need good footage, and a creative eye to get the best finished product.
i would spend all of my money on camera/sound/lighting equipment
use imovie, make money, then buy a better editing programme

a good editor can do more with imovie than a bad editor can do with fcp

Ian, I fully agree with you!

Sorry I wasn't clear: my note about not being in the scope of this thread was only referring to my own quotation about art and programming... I was a software developer in the past so I like to dissert on these topics; but I know they have little to do with FCE and video editing!

But I appreciate your comments.

Piero

prego!, piero
grazie

ian