Real World Digital Video covers the latest technology-and techniques-in every phase of video production, delivering industrial-strength techniques for everyone from first-time video makers to media professionals. This practical resource explains how to capture professional-quality images and sound; edit, post process, and add special effects; and distribute video on tape, DVD, or streaming Internet media. Unlike competing books that focus primarily on feature-length motion pictures, Real World Digital Video draws many of its examples from practical communication projects in businesses and organizations: product demos, news-style interviews, documentaries, and event coverage, as well as scripted presentations with business messages, and experimental and fictional films.

Real World Digital Video promotes DV's "democratization" of video and film-making the powerful tools of mass communication more economical and accessible than ever before. Plus a companion DVD comes packed with examples of a video interview, a documentary, and a scripted project, in addition to on-camera interviews with DV experts, software demos, and useful production forms and templates. For example, rather than working up your own documents, you can simply download pre-production and production forms, a template for shot plans, and checklists for buying or renting cameras, lighting and sound equipment, and an editing system.