Review: MacVideo
Magazine |
July 2006
MacVideo
Magazine
For DV FilmMakers and Video Professionals
Included DVD contains
HD QT movies
shot with the Sony A1, Sony Z1 and the Panasonic HVX-200
Published Quarterly
Printed magazine DVD included - $59.95US £29.95UK
Electronic version (PDF) $19.95US £12.95UK
Both subscription versions include access to the MacVideo web
site.
www.macvideo.co.uk
Review by Ken
Stone
Rick
Young, who hails from the UK (across the pond), has published
five FC Studio books, I have read several and they are quite
good. Several days ago I received a package from Rick which contained
his newest venture, MacVideo, a full color magazine devoted to
video on the Mac platform. This issue, issue 2, focuses on many
of the new HD cameras that have come to market. One article,
entitled "Camera Wars", offers a side by side comparison
of the Sony HVR-Z1, JVC GY-HD100/101, Panasonic AG-HVX200, Canon
XL H1, and the Sony HVR-A1E. As you can see in the Table of Contents,
shown below, other cameras are reviewed as well. There are a
number of feature articles, "Streets of Birmingham"
which is a real life location 'shoot out' between the Panasonic
HVX200 and the Sony Z1. "Life in Morocco", Rick Young
goes on assignment to Morocco with a Sony Z1 to film the cities
snake charmers. "Antarctic Adventure", Rob Sewell shoots
with the Sony A1 on a nine day trip through the Antarctic peninsula.
Other articles cover Shotgun mics, Avid to FCP, FireStore Hard
Drives, digital video projectors, video field order, and several
utilities articles.
Table of Contents Issue 2
- Hoops of Fire: Editing HDV in
a DVCPro HD Timeline
- What's So Great About Final Cut
Pro?
- Camera Wars: a look at the world
of affordable HD acquisition
- Streets of Birmingham: using the
Panasonic HVX-200
- A Photographers Journey through
the DV Landscape: HVX-200 investigation
- Sony Z1 investigation
- Life in Morocco - filmed using
Sony Z1
- Antarctic Adventure - filmed using
Sony A1
- Sony A1 investigation
- Sony HC1
- JVC GY-HD100 investigation
- Getting best sound from your Gun
Mic.
- Avid Editor uses FCP for first
time
- Firestore Hard Drive Recorders
- Lacie Firewire Hard Drives
- JVC Native 1920 x 1080 HD Projector
- Importance of field order
- Multisession Burns
- Converting Video for your video
iPod
- MacVideo DVD which contains
1. Journey to Antarctica - filmed using the Sony A1 (duration
5 minutes)
2. Life in Morocco - filmed with the Sony Z1 (duration
5 minutes)
3. Streets of Birmingham - shot with Panasonic's HVX-200
(8 and 1/2 minutes)
In the digital age, most of us have become accustomed to receiving
our information, news, entertainment and even tutorials in electronic
form and indeed MacVideo is also available as a subscription
PDF download. But, for me, there is still something special about
the printed word, I still love reading books and magazines. Below,
I have included three page samples from MacVideo issue 2 so that
you can get a feel for the quality of both the art and the writing.
What's on the DVD
The MacVideo DVD included with this issue contains a selection
of QuickTime movies in high definition. High definition is great
but it unless you can see it a bunch of words describing how
brilliant it is doesn't mean a lot. So place the MacVideo DVD
into your Mac, copy the files to hard drive, click any of the
QuickTime files and enjoy HD for what it is. Included is Antarctic
Adventure (filmed using the Sony A1); Life in Morocco (filmed
using the Sony Z1) and Streets of Birmingham + clips from the
article "A Photographers Journey" (filmed using the
Panasonic HVX200). To watch the movies at full-size choose the
View Menu of the QuickTime player and select Full Screen. Also
included on the DVD is the MacVideo Directory which is now too
big to include in print as part of MacVideo magazine.
Included with either the hard copy or electronic subscription
is access via 'pin' number to the MacVideo web
site which contains additional materials, tutorials, QuickTime
movies in Video iPod compatible format, searchable database for
all MacVideo members with a world directory of editors, DVD authors,
motion graphic artists, effects creators etc. Shown below is
part of the MacVideo web site Download page.
Summary
So the stage is set, a publication dedicated to FC Studio users,
available in both electronic and hard copy formats. This is a
very handsome publication with excellent graphic layout and design
and high quality printed images. But as any editor worth his
salt will tell you, it's all about content and content is what
MacVideo is about. There are contributions to MacVideo by a number
of writers. Product comparisons and reviews, 'How-Tos', feature
articles and other articles of interest. As soon as you start
reading you quickly come to understand that these articles are
not written by staff sitting in an office but rather by people
who actually use this equipment in the real world, people who
use this equipment to earn a living. The real world experiences
of the writers rings true, and I can relate to their experiences.
For me, this content is what gives MacVideo its exceptional value.
Enjoy,
--ken
This article first
appeared on www.kenstone.net and is reprinted here
with permission.
All screen captures and
textual references are the property and trademark of their creators/owners/publishers.