Chapter 20. iDVD Themes

20. iDVD Themes

My wife is moderately addicted to several home decorating shows on TV, the ones where a designer takes over a room and the homeowners marvel at the transformation (okay, so maybe I've watched a few, too). It's amazing what a new window treatment and a fresh coat of paint can do to a room.

You might think that iDVD themes are nothing more than curtains to dress up your movies, but that would diminish the possibilities that a DVD theme offers. A theme gives your movie character, but more importantly, it provides a framework for the movie and other related media. Your DVD can contain several movies, slideshows of digital still photos, music, and animation.

In this chapter, I'll cover the basics of choosing one of iDVD's pre-made themes and working with its integrated elements, such as drop zones, motion menus, and editing text. In the next chapter, I'll get into the specifics of customizing a theme and tailoring it to your own tastes. Like decorating an otherwise functional room, working with iDVD themes can add some flair to the presentation of your movie.