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.

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.

What is a “Retina Display?” What does it do and what monitors support it? This tutorial explains the term, why it’s used and what it means.

Which combination of hard disk or SSD storage provides the fastest speed or highest capacity for video editing? This illustrated tutorial will answer these questions, plus provide a spreadsheet you can use to test your own numbers. This works for Adobe Premiere Pro, DaVinci Resolve and Apple Final Cut Pro editors.

I’ve been thinking recently about how much the marketing of the tech industry is driven by “Fear of Missing Out” (FOMO). Rumor sites are in the business of generating page views by emphasizing “what we might miss.” But speculating on what Apple will announce is a smoke-and-mirror-filled rabbit hole. Don’t let FOMO derail your buying decisions.

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.

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.

The TourBox is a small control surface for just about any Windows or Mac application – with a special emphasis on media creation and editing. It is well-built with a very well-designed software interface. There’s only one small problem…

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.

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.

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, …

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.

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.

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.

LG makes good monitors, but, in the case of the 27UK500, if you are tall or need to tweak how your monitor looks, the 27UK500 monitor should be avoided.

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.

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.

Audio Design Desk simplifies the process of finding, placing and experimenting with audio cues for video projects. While ADD handles the basics of sound design, the creative inspiration still comes from you. The good news is that version 1.7 makes this creative process faster and easier than ever.

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.

Last week, Adobe released a new beta version of Premiere Pro showcasing new import and export features and, more importantly, point the direction Adobe plans to take the software. Here’s what’s new.

We love the look of film, but the world has gone digital. In this guest blog, Drew Gula, from SoundStripe.com, explores the balance between digital media and creating a film look.

Business for media professionals seems to be coming out of the pandemic – but stresses such as lower budgets and insufficient work are significant obstacles for many. Here are the results of my survey, taken May, 2021.

Any M1 system is impressive, when measured in performance. What these new 24″ iMacs lack, though, is more ports, more RAM and access to 10 Gb Ethernet. These first M1 iMac systems are targeted at consumers and general computer users. While they can be used for video editing – even serious video editing – be sure you can work with their limitations before ordering a system.

In a world where videos move millions and a picture is more powerful – and popular – than the written word, a key survival skill is how well you communicate visually. In this short video tutorial, Larry Jordan demonstrates “eyelines,” what they are and how they help our eye explore an image.

In a world where videos move millions and a picture is more powerful – and popular – than the written word, a key survival skill is how well you communicate visually. In this short video tutorial, Larry Jordan explains The Six Priorities that determine where the eye looks FIRST in an image and how they help guide a viewer in exploring it.

The Lume Cube panels are solidly built, easily adjustable, and come with flexible mounting options for different situations. I bought these for myself – here’s my review.

When it comes to updating the operating system on my main production Mac, I’m a laggard. This is by intent. Still, I finally decided it was time to upgrade. Here’s what I learned in the process.

Most of us have heard of Apple’s transition from Intel CPUs to its own Apple silicon. But these new systems upend the established rules for how to configure a computer system for media editing. Here’s what you need to know about the new M1 SoC from Apple.

The Whirlwind Micmute PMD has exactly one job – to mute a microphone – but it fails miserably at it. It generates a loud noise spike every time the mute button is pushed. The details are in my review.

Every editor has their own list of features that they’d like Apple to implement. I’m no different. Over the years, I’ve been struck by five imponderable missing features in Final Cut that, try as I might, I can’t get Apple to explain why they don’t exist. Here’s my list.

“Should you upgrade?” is the wrong question. Here is a better answer on when to upgrade to Big Sur – along with links to help your transition go smoothly.

Apple’s new M1 SoC chips launched to incredible reviews – but the best is still to come, especially for media creators. Read Larry Jordan’s thoughts on this new technology.

Apple has expanded hardware acceleration on recent makes. Here’s what you need to know to vastly improve the speed of video compression.

OWC releases a new 4-port Thunderbolt 3 dock that provides more Thunderbolt ports to any Mac with Thunderbolt 3 and running Big Sur. This is actually a big deal. Here are my thoughts.

I first saw these 10 inspirational filmmaking tips from Spike Lee posted to LinkedIn.com. I don’t know who compiled them, but I thought they were deeply insightful. and worth sharing with you.

Media professionals should wait on upgrading any mission-critical systems to Big Sur until there’s time for developers to test and upgrade their software.

Technology constantly changes, but older codecs and media don’t. What do you do if you can’t play older media in macOS Catalina or Big Sur? Watch as Larry Jordan shows how to use Kyno to potentially find and convert older media.

Recently, NewBlueFX launched: NewBlue Stream, a new product designed for live streaming. In this interview with CEO Todor Fay, we learn more about the product, why they created it and who it is designed for. This is fascinating.

This article details what I learned trying to access often corrupted digital images that are 15 – 25 years old. It illustrates the software I use to recover images, video codecs that are obsolete and techniques I used to preserve media for the future. This covers AppleWorks, PICT, PhotoCD, JPEG, TIFF, audio, and video media.