I found myself giving bad advice recently – which I hate to do – and it started with this panic email which I misinterpreted.
While Final Cut does not allow displaying more than one project in the timeline at the same time, it does make switching between projects easy. Here are some secret tips.
All the hype surrounding AI presents software developers making tools for creatives with a dilemma. How do they find the right balance between creating features that improve their tools versus replacing the editor?
One of the tasks editors are increasingly asked to do today is convert a horizontal timeline to vertical to post to social media. Apple Final Cut makes it easy using Smart Conform. Here’s how.
I spent this last week immersed in editing in DaVinci Resolve Studio 19. Here’s how it compares to Final Cut and Premiere, along with features that drive me nuts.
Apple released the latest version of Final Cut Pro (11.1) last week, with several helpful new features Here are the details on what they are and how they work.
Here’s a list of all scheduled industry and thought leader interviews scheduled for the 2025 NAB Show in Las Vegas, NV.
Today, Apple updated Final Cut Pro (v11.1), Motion (v5.10) and Compressor (v4.10). Lots of bugs got fixed, FCP added adjustment layers, and Image Playground is now a feature inside Final Cut and Motion. Here are all the details and related links.
Finding the exact media clip that you need is only the first step. Now, you need to get that clip loaded into your video editor from wherever it’s stored. In this short video, Larry Jordan, shows exactly how to transfer files from Axle AI directly to remote clients, or into Apple Final Cut Pro, DaVinci Resolve or Adobe Premiere Pro.
This short video, presented by Larry Jordan, describes what Media Asset Management (MAM) software does, how Apple Final Cut Pro, Adobe Premiere Pro and DaVinci Resolve currently handle media, and how a MAM can extend what they do.
Francesca asks: “I need to move a library between two different versions of Final Cut Pro. How can I do this?” Larry has the answer, and a workaround.
We all want accurate color in our video. But, good golly it’s hard, as this conversation between Gary Bowman and myself illustrates.
Jason manages multiple editors and needs to transfer sequences from Adobe Premiere Pro to Apple Final Cut Pro. In this demo, Larry Jordan shows exactly how this is done.
Richard needs to change the size of his images, but is worried about them getting blurry. In this tutorial, Larry Jordan shows how to safely scale images in both Premiere Pro and Final Cut Pro, without losing image quality.
Siamack is new to Final Cut and struggling to organize her media. In this video, I provide a variety of organizational tools she can use, with a special emphasis on keywords.
In answer to Dave’s question, here are several trouble-shooting tips for Apple Final Cut Pro.
This video showcases how to improve a gray, washed-out image using the color wheels in Final Cut, as well as applying different LUTs.
Adobe is adding “Media Intelligence” to Adobe Premiere. What is this new video search tool? What are its limitations? And how will this impact the thriving market for media asset management software? This includes an interview with Max Lund, CEO of Jumper.io.
At first blush, Sidebar – the ability to mirror an iPhone or iPad on a Mac – doesn’t seem to offer much value. But, when you mirror the Mac on a mobile device, magic can happen.
Paul asks: “Is there a way to always import files into a Final Cut Pro library by default?” The answer is that storing files in the library IS the default, but it is easy to change accidentally. Here’s how to reset and verify your storage locations.
Still images are rich in data about the camera, lens and settings used to record an image. Surprisingly, most of this information is missing in a video file. Geoff asks why?
A somewhat hidden feature in Final Cut Pro 11 is Smart Conform. Apple describes this as an easy way to “make social media-friendly versions of projects in square or vertical formats.” Apple Help states: “Smart Conform analyzes the contents of …
Earlier this month, while I was on vacation, Apple updated Final Cut Pro to version 11.0.1 to fix four bugs. Here’s the list.
Last week, I demoed how to create a magnetic mask to remove a background. Later, I exported a still frame from FCP to promote the webinar. At which point, the weirdness started. Still frame exports don’t come close to matching Final Cut. Here are the details.
Editing may tell stories, but visual effects make those stories eye-catching. In this short video, Larry Jordan explains what video stabilization does, the options available, and how to apply stabilization to your own video.
Editing may tell stories, but visual effects make those stories eye-catching. In this short video, Larry Jordan what visual generators are in Final Cut, how to modify them and ways to use them.
Editing may tell stories, but visual effects make those stories eye-catching. In this short video, Larry Jordan illustrates how to use blend modes to fix image problems, enhance an image or create a surreal effect.
Editing may tell stories, but visual effects make those stories eye-catching. In this short video, Larry Jordan illustrates how to create and format 3D text. Plus, how to convert 2D text into 3D.
Twelve years ago I wrote a detailed article on how to use blend modes in Final Cut Pro. But there is more we can do now and, in this tutorial, I want to showcase four different ways to use blend …
Here’s a list of my most popular tutorials for December, 2024. Yet what I find most intriguing is how many older tutorials are still very popular.
I’ve often wondered just how much better an SSD is for multicam editing than an HDD (spinning hard disk drive). Recently, as part of detailed review of the OWC Thunderbay 4 HDD RAID, I decided to find out.
Christopher Campbell created an amazing time-lapse image sequence about painting a large picture. Then, he asked me for ways to make this time-lapse look better. Here is a technique you can use in Final Cut Pro, Premiere Pro or DaVinci Resolve.
Apple changed how adjustment layers for Final Cut are created in Motion with FCP 11. An adjustment layer in Final Cut Pro is a special clip to which you can apply effects that affect all layers or clips below it. The only problem is that it doesn’t exist. Here’s how to create it.
The Ken Burns effect provides automated image animation and it works for both horizontal and vertical projects. But there are several cases where keyframes work better. Larry Jordan illustrates both in this short video.
Drop zones are areas in a Final Cut Pro effect into which you can insert an image or video. But, there’s a key “gotcha” that you need to know to use them effectively. Larry Jordan explains.
Backups are basic to protecting your media. But what should you use for hardware, or software, and how many backups are “enough.” Larry Jordan explains the basics.
In this short video, Larry Jordan demonstrates how to import timelines from Adobe Premiere Pro or Apple Final Cut Pro for color grading, then export them back out again.
Over the last week, I tested Apple Final Cut Pro 11, Adobe Premiere Pro 25 and DaVinci Resolve 19.1 using a variety of computers from 2018 to the new M4 Pro Mac mini. This article summarizes what I’ve learned with an emphasis on the M4 Pro Mac mini and M2 Max Mac Studio.
The new Transcribe to Captions automatically generates text captions from clips in the Final Cut timeline. It fast and dead easy to use… except, there’s one small problem: It creates captions in the wrong format. In this demo, Larry Jordan shows how it works and how to change caption formats.
The new Magnetic Mask is nothing short of amazing. Whether you want to remove a background, improve a color grade, or apply an effect to only a portion of the clip, the Magnetic mask is your new tool of choice. This video shows how it works.
The new Transcribe to Captions Feature in Final Cut Pro – the first, big step toward speech-to-text. Here’s an illustrated tutorial on how this works AND an essential workaround that you need to know.
Here’s an illustrated, step-by-step tutorial to Apple’s Magnetic Mask, new with Final Cut Pro 11. This can create amazing results quickly – once you know how it works.
Recently, FxFactory updated their flagship product, FxFactory Pro, to version 6. To learn more about this update, I emailed Niclas Bahn, head of Business Development at FxFactory.
It’s important to remember that you don’t need to buy the fully-loaded version of any system to get serious work done. Here are my thoughts on how to configure an M4-series Mac for serious video editing without breaking the bank.
This review looks at the performance differences in video editing running Apple Final Cut Pro 11 on a variety of Macs from the 2018 Mac mini to the new 2024 Apple M4 Pro Mac mini. The results may surprise you!
Today, Apple updated Final Cut Pro – Mac to version 11, along with updates to Final Cut Camera, Final Cut Pro – iPad and Logic. Here are the details and more links.
“How fast is fast enough?” is a question I’ve been pondering this last week. I decided to compare the speeds of two popular SSD drives: the T9 and T5 from Samsung. Partly, to see how fast they were, and partly to see if they were “fast enough” for video editing.
Audio normalization makes one or more selected audio clips louder, without creating distortion, by raising the gain (audio level) of each clip such that the loudest portion of each clip does not exceed the level that you specify. This tutorial explains when to use it and when you should not.
Paul is creating a compilation video and asks: What happens when I copy clips from one Final Cut Pro library to another? And how can I keep my library sizes small? The answer? It all depends upon how you initially import your media.
There are several reasons why you might want to send a project from Final Cut Pro to DaVinci Resolve: For example, to mix the audio in Fairlight or do more detailed color correction on the Color page. If you do, you also need to know how to get those files there and back.
