DVD Studio Pro: Introduction

Course Description:

This Apple authorised two day course covers everything you need to create a professional DVD title using DVD Studio Pro - from initial storyboarding to burning and replication.

Using compelling media and a real-world production workflow, you will cover creating MPEG 2 video with Compressor and creating motion menus directly in DVD Studio Pro. The course also covers creating buttons, interactive links, slideshows, playlists and adding alternate audio stream and camera angles.

Whether you are a TV or video editor, working in distance learning or a video post-production professional, this course provides an essential introduction to DVD Studio Pro.

Having completed this course, you can choose to take the Apple Certified Pro, Level 1 exam. For details, please contact us on 020 7620 0033.

This course includes the following modules:

Introduction

• The Apple Pro Certification program

Preparing your first DVD project

• The DVD creation process
• DVD specification basics
• The palette and the Inspector
• Using the basic menu editor
• Creating simple buttons
• Using text elements in menus
• Burning a DVD

Using the interface

• Quadrants and tabs
• The Track editor
• Slideshow editor
• Story editor
• Script editor

Setting up a new DVD project

• Storyboarding a DVD
• Importing assets
• Simple encoding
• Using Compressor

Working with tracks and markers

• Creating tracks
• Creating chapter markers
• Track End jumps
• Setting audio stream language tags

Creating standard menus

• Adding a background
• Linking buttons to tracks
• Creating Drop Zones
• Adding graphics and still images
• Creating an overlay and button highlights

Creating motion menus and Chapter Index menus

• Converting a still menu to a motion menu
• Motion menu loop points
• Chapter Index menus

Working with slideshows

• Creating slides
• Adding audio and transitions

Working with stories

• Story marker entry points
• Story End jumps
• Applying the 99 item limit to stories
• Using transitions from story ends
• Subtitles and closed captions

Building and formatting

• Building the DVD?volume
• The Log Tab
• Output options
• Adding copy protection

Advanced menu design

• Types of menus
• Creating a menu in Photoshop
• Refreshing assets
• Advanced menu audio
• Creating layered menus

Finishing your DVD

• Testing your project
• Using the Burn command
• Choosing recordable DVD media
• Design disc labels and DVD case inserts

Creating transitions

• Applying a transition
• Using a video transition
• Using Alpha transitions
• Exploring the asset movie
• Exploring the background matte movie

Working with markers and stories

• Alternate angles
• Creating multi-angle tracks
• About alternate angle errors
• Exploring Final Cut Pro markers

Encoding video

• Encoding with DVD Studio Pro
• Encoding with Compressor
• Exporting MPEG-2
• Surround sound

Encoding audio

• Audio formats for DVD?video
• AC-3 files
• Encoding AC-3 with Compressor
• Dialog normalisation
• Exporting intermediate files

Scripting

• Scripting simple functions
• Building a Play-all script
• Building a Return-to-menu script
• Building a Menu-loop script
• Scripting audio streams
• Using Jump Indirect

HD DVD authoring

• About HD DVD
• Building an HD DVD project

Questions and answers