Blog Archives

Emojis can now be added just about anywhere you used to add text. Here’s how to access and use them.

Apple updated Final Cut Pro X, Motion and Compressor on Dec. 10, 2019. Here’s a list of what’s new and where to find release notes for past versions.

An explanation of why creating the audio track first is essential to creating a successful motion graphic video.

An illustrated tutorial showing how to modify a Final Cut Pro X transition in Apple Motion. This technique applies to any FCP X transition, title or generator; as well as some effects.

Apple updated its Pro Video codecs. These are of value to all editors, but you can’t upgrade to them using the Mac App Store. Here’s how.

Apple updates Final Cut Pro X, Motion and Compressor to support the 2019 Mac Pro. Here are the details.

Within just a few weeks, most likely this month, Apple will release the latest version of the MacOS – Catalina. First introduced at WWDC last June, this is the latest incarnation of OS X. There are three critical things you …

An illustrated tutorial on how to create simple motion tracks in Apple Motion 5.x, then export them to Apple Final Cut Pro X.

An illustrated review and tutorial on mLUT for Final Cut Pro X, Adobe Premiere Pro CC, Avid Media Composer and more.

Whether you purchase a template or create your own, Motion 5 makes it easy to create a visual effect once, then modify and reuse it as many times as you want. This article explains how to create, save, modify, export and reuse templates.

An illustrated guide to free software tools you can use to measure the performance of your computer system, with a focus on video editing.

Yesterday, Apple issued a mostly minor maintenance update to Final Cut, Motion, Compressor and iMovie with one big feature that is worth discussing. The new feature is that any of these three applications will now automatically detect media which will …

An illustrated tutorial on how to build an animated video wall in Motion 5, along with how to animate a camera in 3D to zoom into a specific part of the wall.

An illustrated tutorial on how to add, modify and use keyframes in Apple Motion 5.

An illustrated tutorial on how to create scrolling (rolling) credits using both Final Cut Pro X and Motion 5.

A detailed, illustrated tutorial of how to create a “sports open” title animation, using 3D text, animated lights, and moving 3D camera in Apple Motion 5. (Includes sample files.)

Apple releases free new versions of Final Cut Pro X, Motion and Compressor. Here are the details.

Audio not recording? It’s a new preference in Mojave that you need to change. Here’s how.

An illustrated, easy-to-follow tutorial on how to create a variety of different animated backgrounds and text using Motion 5. Written for folks like me who can’t draw a straight line without mechanical help.

Motion simulations are effects that haven’t yet appeared in Final Cut Pro X, which means you may not know they exist. But, they can create fascinating effects and are endlessly fun to play with. Here’s an illustrated tutorial on how they work.

A quick, illustrated tutorial on how to either select colors using numeric values or sliders using the Mac Color Picker, which works in all applications.

A very cool effect – that isn’t that hard to create – animating text to reveal itself in the surface of an object then zoom full-screen using Apple Motion 5. The resulting movie can be played in any video editor.

Apple releases an update to ProRes called “ProRes RAW.” Here’s what you need to know about it.

Apple announces free updates to Final Cut Pro X, Motion 5 and Compressor 4, add captioning, ProRes RAW and bug fixes.

Instructions on how to turn off auto-updating in the macOS, why this can be a good idea and Larry Jordan’s thoughts on when to update after a new release.

Apple Motion has, hidden inside it, a very capable particle system, along with a variety of simulators, which allow us to create a cloud of graphic objects and move them in interesting ways. In this short video excerpt, Larry Jordan shows how to use the Gravity and Edge Collision simulators effect the movement of an object in space.

Apple Motion has, hidden inside it, a very capable particle system, along with a variety of simulators, which allow us to create a cloud of graphic objects and move them in interesting ways. In this short video excerpt, Larry Jordan shows how to use the Repel simulator to have one object affect the movement, first, of another object, then of an entire particle system.

An illustrated tutorial on how to create straight and curved lines in Motion for use in Final Cut Pro X.

The number one thing we can do to catch a viewer’s eye is to make something move. In this short video excerpt, Larry Jordan shows how to animate text – both 2D and 3D – using Motion behaviors.

The number one thing we can do to catch a viewer’s eye is to make something move. In this short video excerpt from a recent webinar, Larry Jordan shows how to color and animate 3D text using lights in 3D space.

An illustrated review of Luca Visual FX Light Kit 2, which runs in Adobe Premiere Pro, After Effects, Apple Final Cut Pro X, and Motion.

An illustrated step-by-step tutorial on creating an animated holiday card – with free practice files!

A detailed explanation of the different configurations for the 2017 iMac Pro, with recommendations on what to buy to optimize your system.

Here’s a step-by-step tutorial on how to remove a background from a transition in Apple Final Cut Pro X.

A very cool way to create a Favorites folder for Titles, Transitions, or Generators in Final Cut Pro X.

Here are three fast, powerful shortcut techniques for Apple Final Cut Pro X that create better shortcuts, faster trimming and reattaching missing audio. Plus, another tip that makes Motion less frustrating to use.

Our goal is to tell stories – and the best stories touch our emotions. However, all too often, we overlook a powerful tool that can influence our emotions: fonts. In this short video excerpt, Larry Jordan showcases different fonts and illustrates how to choose the best one for your next project.

An in-depth look at a new application that allows creating custom keyboard shortcuts on an iPad which can control any application on an attached Mac.

An in-depth tutorial on how to animate objects in Motion using parameter behaviors, which allow you to apply animation to specific settings. Very, very fun results!

Three illustrated tips to get objects to move using Behaviors in Motion 5.

This session explores 3D space in Apple Motion 5.3. In this short video excerpt, host Larry Jordan illustrates how to add a camera and movement to a 3D set.

This session explores 3D space in Apple Motion 5.3. In this short video excerpt, Larry Jordan shows how to create a reflection of 3D text (or any other object) in Motion.

This video is from our series on using the 5.3.x version of Apple Motion. In this short video excerpt, Larry Jordan shows how to create a title template in Apple Motion 5.3 for use in Final Cut Pro X.

This is from our 6-part series looking at Apple Motion 5.3. In this short video excerpt, Larry Jordan shows how to create controls for a title template in Motion, then publish them for use in Final Cut Pro X.

An illustrated tutorial on how to use the Sequence Replicator in Apple Motion 5.3 to create animated patterns and backgrounds.

In this short video excerpt, Larry Jordan shows how to create a simple pattern using the Replicator system built-into Apple Motion 5.3.

This video excerpt is from our six-part series looking at Apple Motion 5.3. In this short video excerpt, Larry Jordan shows how to work with audio clips in Motion.

[This is an excerpt from a recent on-line video webinar: “Add Media, Paths and Masks in Apple Motion 5.3” which is available as a download in our store, or as part of our Video Training Library.] DESCRIPTION This is the …

Whether you use Apple Final Cut Pro X, Adobe Premiere Pro CC, or any other video editing software, you can create high-quality motion graphics using Apple Motion. In this short video excerpt, Larry Jordan shows how how to use and modify the Play Range for rendering and playback in Motion 5.3.

Whether you use Apple Final Cut Pro X, Adobe Premiere Pro CC, or any other video editing software, you can create high-quality motion graphics using Apple Motion. In this short video excerpt, Larry Jordan shows how create and modify a new project preset for Motion 5.3.