Blog Archives

Here’s is Avid’s more detailed response to Apple discontinuing support for older 32-bit media codecs, as emailed to Larry Jordan.

Blackmagic Design responds to questions about Apple discontinuing support for older media codecs in upcoming versions of the macOS with a relatively weak response.

An easy way to connect an Atomos Ninja monitor/recorder to a Mac and use it as a second screen, or screen-recording system.

A detailed comparison of compression speed and resulting file sizes for a variety of media compressed using Apple Compressor, Adobe Media Encoder and ffWorks/ffMPEG

A detailed series of tests comparing video compression speed using a high-end iMac vs. a new Mac mini running a variety of software. The results are surprising.

An illustrated review of Apple Screenshot, included in Mojave, along with a list of what it still needs to do.

A detailed look at the new Mac mini (2018) and how to best configure it for video editing.

A detailed, illustrated guide to the technical hardware and workflow of producing the Digital Production Buzz, a weekly audio podcast directed at the independent filmmaker, hosted by Larry Jordan.

Larry Jordan shows how to export the audio files for a dramatic scene from FCP X using XML, convert the XML file using XtoCC, edit and mix the audio in Adobe Audition, then bring the final mix back into FCP X for final output. In this short excerpt, Larry illustrates how to get audio files out of FCP X and into Audition using XML.

Mojave will be a great operating system. But… for production systems, it won’t hurt to wait a while after release before upgrading. This article explains why.

A FREE 85-page Handbook on how to stage, produce and direct dance for television or video. Written in 1978 by Larry Jordan, based on his experiences at the American Dance Festival. Updated in 2018.

Maxon releases the latest version of Cinema 4D – Release 20. Here are the details of what’s in their newest release.

Twelve thought-providing sayings to help you become a better video editor; along with special notes for Apple Final Cut Pro X and Adobe Premiere Pro.

A step-by-step guide to creating custom keyboard shortcuts for any application using System Preferences in High Sierra.

HDRinstant is designed to create HDR still images from video footage. However, the current version (v2.2.1) crashes repeatedly, the manual is poorly designed and the software, itself, needs work. Great idea, poor execution.

Kyno is media management software that allows you to find, preview, organize, tag and transcode your media. Then, it simplifies moving media – or data about your media – between Kyno and Apple Final Cut Pro X, Adobe Premiere Pro CC, Microsoft Excel, and FileCatalyst. Here’s a look at the latest version – 1.5.

ff-Works is a front-end to ffMPEG, a highly-regarded, open-source compression engine. When you combine ff-Works with ffMPEG, you get a very powerful, very flexible, very high quality media transcoding/compression tool. In this short video excerpt, Larry Jordan illustrates how to customize audio and video compression settings.

ff-Works is a front-end to ffMPEG, a highly-regarded, open-source compression engine. When you combine ff-Works with ffMPEG, you get a very powerful, very flexible, very high quality media transcoding/compression tool. In this short video excerpt, Larry Jordan shows how to customize audio and video compression settings.

A first look at iGlasses from Ecamm – a very useful utility that add visual effects and adjust exposure and color settings in the built-in iSight camera for all Macs.

A step-by-step tutorial on how to create a dual-boot system drive using the High Sierra version of the macOS and Disk Utility. Dual-boot drives allow us to use more than one operating system on our computer.

An illustrated tutorial on the new GPU monitoring window in Activity Monitor for the Mac.

An introduction to a new web service called “Audioburst,” which allows content creators to index their audio content so that end users can use standard text searches to find information stored in audio files. The service is free – here’s what you need to know.

A collection of new products for media creators announced at the 2018 NAB Show from companies you may not have heard about.

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

An initial look at AudioFix Pro: For Video; an iOS app that cleans up poorly recorded audio on iPhones and iPads.

FCP X ImageExporter is a useful utility for quickly creating a series of still frames, marred by a lack of help files and an interface that feels rushed and poorly tested.

Arctic Whiteness updates Final Cut Library Manager to version 3.6, adding new features to track and display media stored either inside a Library or outside in its own folder.

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.

An illustrated review of the new 3D Sports Graphics templates from idustrial Revolution for Apple Final Cut Pro X.

An illustrated review of the brand-new Random-X from XMiL for Apple Final Cut Pro X.

A “First Look” at YoYottaID. Powerful LTO archiving software hampered by an inscrutable interface; accompanied by an interview with Martin Greenwood, CTO of YoYotta.

An in-depth look at backup and archiving using LTO tape systems, and the mLogic LTO mTape drive in specific. Also features an extended interview with Roger Mabon, CEO of mLogic.

If you are looking for ways to convert speech to text quickly, with reasonable accuracy, easy-to-use editing tools and multiple export options, SpeedScriber is an excellent choice. Here’s an illustrated review that explains how it works.

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.

For power, flexibility, and color effects, 3D LUT Creator is unequaled. Now, they need to turn their attention to showing the rest of us how to use it.

This is a short-term caution for media creators about upgrading too soon to the High Sierra version of macOS, including how to turn OFF automatic upgrading.

CoreMelt provides motion tracking and image selection tools far beyond what’s available in Final Cut Pro X. In this short video excerpt, Larry Jordan provides an overview of the color grading tools in Chromatic.

Apple is about to release support for HEVC (H.265). This codec will change how we compress video files. This article describes what you need to know now.

In this short, video excerpt from a recent webinar, Larry explains what closed captions are, how to create them, how to modify them, and how to apply them to a video clip.

MPEG Streamclip no longer works in Mac OS X 10.12 or later. In this short, video excerpt from a recent webinar, Larry shows how to “rip,” or convert, media from a non-copy protected DVD into a video format suitable for editing, while preserving as much quality as possible.

An illustrated and detailed look at a new automated service for transcribing media files into text – Simon Says.

There are problems working with files created by GoPro Studio using Apple Final Cut Pro X, as this blog explains.

A detailed Q&A on the new Apple File System, what it is and what it means to media creators.

KeyFlow Pro, from Malgn Technology, is a media management and workflow tool that is optimized for Apple Final Cut Pro X. It can be used by a single editor or support small workgroups of up to ten editors. Here’s a look at the latest version.

Larry Jordan’s thoughts on the best way to configure a new 2017 iMac for video editing when you are on a budget.

SpeedScriber provides automated media transcription. This product review looks at the beta version and was written by Misha Tenenbaum, CEO of EditStock.

A first, in-depth, look at Audio Networks. High-quality production music with flexible licenses.

AMD announces major new updates to its Radeon graphics software. Here are the details and links to the free downloads.

A first look at FindrCat: a utility that merges Final Cut Pro X keywords back into the media files stored on your hard drive.

A detailed, hands-on look at the Platform, from ProMAX. Shared storage, media asset management and archiving, all designed for workgroup video editing.