Blog Archives

AI (Artificial Intelligence) is fascinating, but it starting to wreck havoc on creative artists. When your work can be copied in a heartbeat, how do you earn a living. Here’s a background on AI with an emphasis on ethics and where to go to learn more.

Confused when comparing Intel to Apple silicon systems? Jerry Thompson was, too. Here are the answers to your questions on what the differences are between Apple silicon and Intel, along with suggestions on how to spec a system.

Adobe announced a raft of new features, along with improved AI creation tools and an initiative to verify who actually created an image or other creative work.

As video professionals and, especially, free-lancers, we have an instinctive regard for the value of time. Here are my thoughts on what is under our control, what isn’t and what splits the difference.

Picking a high-quality computer monitor for video editing is surprisingly confusing. Here is Larry Jordan’s explanation of what specs you need to look for, which you can ignore, and what criteria he uses for picking computer and video monitors.

Even the largest RAIDs fill up. If you own an OWC RAID, you can safely and easily archive RAID sets for archiving and storage. Loren Miller explains the process in this highly-illustrated, step-by-step tutorial.

August is vacation time. Still, over these five weeks, we published 19 tutorials and product reviews. Here’s a summary of everything we released this month. Something to look through during the holiday weekend.

Axle.ai is a fast, powerful and customizable media asset management system that is designed for the needs of a small to medium sized workgroup. This is an in-depth product review, along with an interview with Axle.ai CEO Sam Bogoch.

V-Station HD is a new and uniform approach for multi-cam video projects, particularly for those who are not trained in video production. In this article, Larry Jordan interviews FutureVideo Products CEO Robert Cohen to learn more about their video products.

Last week, I asked video editors to share how they organize and manage their media for video editing. Here’s what they told me.

[ Updated Aug. 22, 2022, with comments from Ed Cilley. ] Kristen Flynn asks: “How do people keep track of stock music? Where do they keep it? How do they access it for an edit? I feel like I have …

Four classic production stills that showcase how much video production has changed over the last 40 years – along with some core ways it hasn’t changed at all.

Last week, Adobe released a detailed Premiere Pro Workflow Guide for Episodic and Feature film Editing. This week, I spoke with Morgan Prygrocki, at Adobe, about typical mistakes video editors make and how this Guide can help.

The CalDigit Thunderbolt Station 4 (TS4): More ports and more speed in one small box with a great price. However, there are a few key issues you need to understand before you buy. Here’s my detailed review.

I think these four skills are essential for every video editor to master. I also think it is impossible say that one is more important than the other, because if any one is missing, the project suffers.

One of our favorite – and most wide-ranging – sessions returns with “Ask Larry Anything!” Presented by Larry Jordan, this is a free-form conversation based on questions submitted by viewers. In this short video, Larry has a conversation about computer performance in the real-world, specifically for video editing.

One of our favorite – and most wide-ranging – sessions returns with “Ask Larry Anything!” Presented by Larry Jordan, this is a free-form conversation based on questions submitted by viewers. In this short video, Larry talks about Mac obsolescence and whether the new Apple silicon computers make older systems obsolete.

In these troubled times, it is easy to get depressed. Let us not forget that our job is to bring great stories to the world. And that transcends technology.

Audio Design Desk is an amazing program. It creates sound environments faster and easier than anything I’ve ever seen. Now they’ve extended it with Media Bridge connecting ADD with sound effects libraries across the web. Learn more!

Machine learning is a fact of life in video editing today, though its impact is often a two-edged sword. In this guest post, Jourdan Aldredge looks at Adobe Sensei, Adobe’s AI tool for video editors.

At WWDC 2022, Apple introduced their latest iteration of Apple silicon: the M2. Based on information released by Apple during the event, the M2 is, on average, 10-15% faster than the M1. Note: That’s not a knock on the M2, …

Last week, Apple reassured editors it remained committed to Final Cut. But were they firing up development or simply being nice? This article is an effort to spark a discussion between Final Cut editors on what features they want to see and how important those features are. I encourage you to add your suggestions and comments.

Growing a freelance business takes time and effort. Here are some tips, from freelance writer Mary Cardoza, on how to grow a start-up freelance business.

Apple responds to Final Cut Pro editors’ petition to refocus and intensity marketing and development on Final Cut Pro.

There seems to be a problem between Time Machine, Final Cut Pro and external RAIDs. Learn more.

Recently, the folks at ViewSonic contacted me about what they see as the top trends in 2022 for visual displays and monitors. I was intrigued by their list and emailed Jeff Volpe, President of ViewSonic Americas, to learn more. Larry: Jeff, …

Adobe updated Premiere Pro and After Effects with a flock of new features, but the headline feature is the integration of Frame.io. Here are the details on all the updates.

If you have a crashed hard disk and need to recover images, Stellar Photo Recovery may be worth considering. But if you have specific images that used to open, but don’t open now, Stellar Photo Recovery didn’t work for me. It may work for you.

Remote Access allows one computer to control another. If you need it, great. If not, its a security risk. Here’s how to turn it off.

A guest post on creativity, written by Nicole Garrison, with screenwriting tips from professional screenwriters.

Watching world events reminds us that we are seeing the power of video play out in the real world to effect change.

The New Mac Studio computer is stunning. But, is it for you? Here’s what you need to know to configure it for video editing – yet save money at the same time.

Last week, Axle ai released a new cloud-based video editor call axledit. This is a browser-based video editor with integrated collaboration, search, and publishing features that’s hooked into axle ai for media management. Here are the details.

While every project is different, most of us work in corporate or client-based video. As you start a new project, what topics are key to discuss with a client before pre-production starts?

Humility, authenticity and a demand for meaningful living is what people want and Think Film Impact Production is leveraging the power of media to effect social change.

The process of wrapping up any Final Cut Pro project is fairly simple, especially if you think about where to store media and project elements before you start editing. Here are four options on what to do when an editing project ends.

“Ask Larry Anything,” is a free-form conversation about questions related to media production and editing. In this short excerpt, Larry Jordan suggests several ideas that media creators and editors can use to find new clients and grow their business.

Here’s the advice I wish I had when starting my career. Regardless of your role in creating media – actor, producer, director, or editor – these tips will help you decrease your stress and improve your career.

COVID 19 has decimated the trade show industry. Yet, as an industry, we still need trade shows. What’s the future hold? Here’s an interesting experiment in the future of trade shows. It’s an idea, not a product and it needs your comments.

The G-DRIVE ArmorATD is a solid value for a reasonably-rugged, medium-capacity, portable hard drive. It isn’t the fastest, it isn’t the most rugged, but it is made by a reliable company that should meet the needs of anyone needing portable storage.

NAB announced the winners of their third annual “Product of the Year” awards, this time for 2021. The awards recognize significant and promising new products and technologies. Here’s the list.

When you need to get the best streaming video possible – for Mac or Windows, live or recorded – here is the gear you need, links to find it and instructions on how to get it all to work.

Apple released new MacBook Pro laptops featuring high-performance Apple silicon chips. Given all the options, here are Larry Jordan’s recommendations for the best system for your budget.

The latest version of LTO – generation 9 – is now available. Storing 18 TB / tape, and archiving faster than generation 8, here’s a quick overview of the new version of archiving technology.

By default, YouTube takes down any video that uses music challenged for copyright infringement. The problem is that many of those charges are fake. Even when filmmakers purchase the correct music rights, YouTube makes it very, very difficult to overcome a copyright objection. Anthony Fleming has a first-hand report.

October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month. While VPNs are used extensively, they may not be as secure as you think. DH2i has something better.

An overview of opportunities for financing film marketing budgets, provided by Freelance Video Collective.

Seagate and Axle.ai partner to provide “Smarter Media” – edge-to-cloud mass storage with a media asset management front end. This new service, named “Lyve” is designed to provide cost effective smart media solutions for real world applications.

New Pfieffer Report testing confirms Adobe software, running natively on M1 Macs, is far, FAR faster than the same software running on Intel Macs. Speeds are almost double. Read the details here.

Atomos today announced the big brother to their 5″ Shinobi camera monitor: the Shinobi 7. Available in June for $699, here are the details – and a link.