Adobe Premiere Pro Classroom in a Book (2021 release)

Haven't read it yet but the pages are very thin. For a reference book just seems cheap.

How interesting would it be to read a manual on how to use a screwdriver? Reading a manual on using Adobe Premiere Pro to make a video might be just as interesting, except that Premiere is far more complex than any screwdriver and there are almost always more things you can learn about the software, even if you've used it for years. Read this book and you should be able to create a video that you will be proud of (or at least, not ashamed of).While the interface with Premiere Pro has logic of its own that you can learn with time, there is nothing intuitive about this film editing software when you first turn it on. That's where this manual comes in. It's aimed at teaching a beginner (or someone who needs an intense refresher course) the fundamentals of using the software, from bringing in media to archiving completed material.The chapters are organized with an introduction to a particular activity, like adding, editing and mixing audio for your film or video. Then there are a series of exercises you run through, using files provided to you on the enclosed disk (no complaints about the difficulty of downloading the file from the internet). The author does a good job of explaining this, although, until you are familiar with the interface, it may take a little longer than the suggested time to complete a lesson. You will have to obtain your own copy of Premiere Pro to do this.One of the nice features is that purchase of the book also entitles you to the on-line version. I've found it particularly helpful to use the online version and switch back and forth on the computer between the on-line text and the program, rather than trying to juggle the book while using the computer. I keep the dead-trees version as a reference on a shelf next on my computer to use when I'm editing my own work and can't remember exactly how to create some effect, like say, adjusting the luminosity of a certain color in a film clip.One complaint I have is that the on-line content for many of the other Classroom in a Book manuals includes short videos. It seems strange that a book teaching one to make videos hasn't found a way to use videos.It's not a complaint but this book doesn't talk about the art of making videos but rather only explains how to use the non-linear editor.One should also understand that this book will not make you a master of Premiere Pro. That will take a great deal more experience and research. The chapter on color correction and grading barely scratches the surface. (Hey, Adobe Press, how about a separate book for color correction and grading with Premiere!)Most of the content of this book has appeared in earlier editions, so if you read one of those recently, you may not find this edition especially useful. It would have been nice to have a reference to the sections that deal with new features to guide the reader.If you are just getting started with Premiere Pro, this is ideal way to learn how to use it.Note: The publisher provided me with a review copy of this book at no charge.

I received this as a gift and while it was a good book, it could have been far better. One of the reasons why people, often men, do not read instruction manuals, is because they are so poorly written. While this book is helpful, and is not as bad as most user manuals, my primary criticism of this book is that it lacked editing, correcting the errors that could have been caught had the publisher subjected this to external review and having the reader sit in the shoes of the type of customer that would buy the book. I am sure it makes sense to the author, and perhaps other techs who already know how to use P Pro, but if you already know it, why buy it? On many occasions, the author leaves out steps -- takes us to a place and suggests that we simply open up the X folder -- yet does not provide us any guidance on where to find that X folder. An awful lot of assumptions in this book, and what would make a good book far better is to have someone outside the circle, like someone who does not know anything about editing, to see if they understand it. If the publisher had bothered to do this, they would have found that undefined terms were being used, we were taken in one direction and then got lost because we did not get the final directions to our destination, etc. I always wonder how "updated" a version is -- for I have found that the real updating that is needed (like taking the reader's perspective), is often never even considered. There is a classic saying that we do not need better writing, just better editing. Had the publisher actually devoted time to this, and followed that advice, the book would have been far better. Helpful tip to Adobe: If people have to publish books explaining your instruction manuals (e.g., Premiere Pro for Dummies), you should seriously consider hiring the people that translate your instruction manuals so everyone else can understand it. It needs to be about the consumer, not you.

Just purchased this book from Amazon and tried to understand the contents but was getting too complicated. It states for beginners but it is more for intermediates wanting to learn more in depth. I can understand most teaching and instruction books but I'm afraid this was getting a bit too serious and quite complicated and not a great deal into actually learning about video editing which was the reason I decided to buy this book. Amazon are fantastic company to deal with and have no issues about returns which unfortunately is what I had to do in this case.