http://videojs.com - Simplifies the HTML5 video player style using only CSS. I have worked with him in the past, and it is very easy to start with him.
http://dev.opera.com/articles/view/everything-you-need-to-know-about-html5-video-and-audio/ - This article from Opera describes in detail all the specification, encoding, etc. and has a really in-depth article on creating your own controls, adding Javascript listeners. Not for beginners, but it adds a lot of control and flexibility (searching for “rolls of my own controls” is about half a page).