I am very excited to have viewed and used one of the most impressive triathlon training DVDs to come out in quite a while.  In fact, this DVD sets a new standard in quality of production and design. 

The Stephen Taylor's Fundamentals of Swimming DVD is a comprehensive swim training program all on a single DVD.  Stephen Taylor has been a professional instructor and triathlete for fifteen years and it is evident in the video.  He speaks in a clear, consise manner, which helps immensely when following along to the DVD.  It also includes 8 laminated workout cards that you can take to the pool.  The instruction on the DVD is designed to work hand in hand with the pool training.  It is chaptered to the specific drills and sections of the DVD that you wish to go to next.  All in all it is fantastic!

A little background on what sets this DVD apart

The filming:

Everything was filmed in HD (high definition), whereas no other current triathlon training DVD can boast this.  They chose to use a lower resolution (standard definition) until HD comes into more widespread use.  However, the benefit to the current viewer is that they still end up with a considerably better picture.

They used a minimum of three cameras to provide a variety of different angles.  In addition, they used dollies, when needed, to provide a smooth camera movement.  During the underwater filming sequences they used a professional diving camera man who works in major motion pictures.  

They also spent a great deal of time in setting up and tweaking the lighting to provide the best reflections off the water.

The Audio:

They used boom mics instead of clip-on or camera mics.  This is the most impressive advancement in quality for swim training DVDs.  Every other swim training DVD that I have seen has struggled with good audio.  This DVD does not have any audio problems. 

During post production they used a sound booth to layer Steve's voice over the top of the footage after the filming was completed.  This allows for a very high audio quality that mixes well with the actual footage.  Most other swim DVDs have the person speaking while others are in the pool swimming.  It is also filmed indoors, so there is no wind as an issue.

Editing:

As mentioned above, the post production really stands out.  They spent a full four months to working on all the details and part of that period was

Conclusion:

This DVD shows no weaknesses.  It stands out as the best swim training DVD ever made.  I would say that it is comparable to What It Takes (the triathlon documentary) in terms of filming and audio quality.  As you may recall, What It Takes was shown in theatres on the big screen.  If you have to choose between others similar DVDs, I have to admit, this is the one to buy.

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