Is the Heavy work of Video and DVD Worth it?

[VideoTechMan]

I think it is. I know sometimes how alot of people, when they try to work with video and simply want to do them in a hurry, or to rush to make a polished product and then turns out that the result is nowhere where they want it, they get frustrated, give up and feel that it isnt worth it anymore.

Well, it isnt worth it if you arent willing to put any time into the venture.

As people have mentioned before, video editing is not like reciting your ABC's or 123's where you can get it in an instant. Video editing, whether producing content or making DVD's is WORK. And more often than not it involves spending money too to get the kind of result you want out of your video by getting whatever hardware or software you can afford.

Take me for instance. I just finished making a pretty nice menu in Encore DVD--starting from building the menus in Photoshop, adding the buttons, text and other things. Once I build the core of it there then I import it to Encore. But the thing about it is....I had to do an instant crash course in how to do layers--which is how most DVD menus are created from. And it took me several hours just to figure how the concept of layering worked.

Now I know there's TMPGEnc DVD Author which I also have, and had I used it the menus would have been done alot faster. But I am the type that wants to learn the core--down to the nitty gritty of how a menu is structured and made, and after I took the time to learn the elements, I felt quite proud of the menu I have made myself, and not having to rely on anyone else's knowledge for the same type result program-wise. Granted DVD Author is a great program for me when I started out, but I want to go beyond the basics of it and get down to the nuts and bolts of it.

Point is, if those who inspire on getting into video production and getting the most out of your work want the best, then you will have to take the time to learn the material-whether it be software or hardware, to get results you want. It wont happen overnight thats for sure. The menu I made earlier tonight was my 3rd menu within the past few weeks created from scratch. Its almost like college--I have several books out on my sofa to read and study on and to refer to if theres a specific function I need to learn or figure out. Reading and applying is how I learn...pretty much a self-studier. Same for Premeire Pro, AE, Audition and Photoshop.

Granted, I have a long way to go, and alot of material to learn. Just gotten the book by Trish and Chris Myers on "Creating Motion Graphics for AE" and so far I really like this book. I know that After Effects not an easy program to master and will take time, but I am determined. Id figure if people that are in the actual field can do it, then I believe I can do it also. Everyone was a beginner at one time. I am glad I was able to purchase the Adobe Video Collection Pro almost 2 months ago so that I would have all the tools I needed to get the job done, and learn as I go, including making mistakes and learning from those.

No matter what software or hardware you have, everyone can learn to do video. If you are willing to invest time--the major factor in video work and some patience, theres not video out there that you can't make. And the more you apply yourself and work on it, the easier it will be.

VTM

[lordsmurf]

Well said.

[housepig]

people also need to realize that it's called a learning curve, not a learning incline... it levels out after a while!

[yoda313]

Hello,

Everything takes some work to learn. It's not so bad. It can be VERY rewarding!

Kevin

[racer-x]

Well said VideoTechMan. I couldn't agree more.

Also, you learn more from your mistakes than from your successes. I know when I can't figure something out, it just makes me more determined. So far there's nothing I haven't been able to do after a little work and research.

[Coop]

Having the right hardware and software is also integral - garbage in = garbage out. Getting a good quality MPEG2 for input to the authoring program is a large part of the battle.

Menu design and authoring can get really complex - I tend to try and keep things as simple as possible as the whole process is a timesucker, no way around it.

[NamPla]

All I know is I'd much rather watch a DVD conversion of one of my movies rather than the VHS. All the video grain is gone, it's nice & crisp, and no audio hiss!

[Garibaldi]

But I am the type that wants to learn the core--down to the nitty gritty

I'm the same way. I like to understand how something works because many times you will have some problem and have to troubleshoot it. Its alot easier to find the problem if you understand the concept as a whole.

I have found video editing to be very rewarding. It is alot of work, but the experience you gain allows you to build and build on that. For instance, 6 months ago I would have been clueless about how to make a dvd. I could do basic vcd things using nero, but that was it. Now, I have the knowledge to create a full-fledged dvd and troubleshoot problems, so the final product will be all that it can be.

If your feeling frustrated about video-editing, just stick with it because you will get it solved if you keep at it, plus you have a great resource here at videohelp!