Blog Archives

A very cool way to animate text bullets in a single clip – with added bonus of adding emojis to any text element – in Apple Final Cut Pro X.

An illustrated tutorial on how to create, apply and delete effects presets in Apple Final Cut Pro X.

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

An illustrated tutorial on how to improve the sound of the spoken human voice using EQ filters in Apple Final Cut Pro X.

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.

Adobe released new apps and updates to all their applications at Adobe Max 2019 this morning. Here are the details on their audio and video apps.

An illustrated tutorial on how to spot (locate) sound effects using Apple Final Cut Pro X.

Thoughts on planning a video project, along with illustrations of how to use a storyboard and a downloadable storyboard that you can use for your own projects.

Raw files give us the most control over the color and gray-scale values in our image, but they create massively large files and require significant time spent color grading. Log files allow us to retain highlight detail. And LUTs allow us to quickly convert an image or clip from one look to another. This article explains what each of these are and how they relate to video editing.

A very cool technique to create unique looks for your video using LUTs. This requires Photoshop and can be used in Adobe Premiere Pro, Apple Final Cut Pro X, or Davinci Resolve. You’ll like this.

With all these different high-end video formats, it’s easy to get confused. In this short video excerpt, watch as Larry Jordan defines and illustrates color spaces and LUTs; and how they apply to video media.

High Dynamic Range (HDR), RAW, sLog, vLog, HDR, 10-bit, 12-bit… In this short video excerpt, watch as Larry Jordan illustrates how to create custom LUTs for media in Adobe Premiere Pro using Adobe Photoshop. This is a VERY cool technique!

High Dynamic Range (HDR), RAW, sLog, vLog, HDR, 10-bit, 12-bit… In this short video excerpt, watch as Larry Jordan illustrates how to optimize preference settings in Adobe Premiere Pro to work with HDR media.

With all the different high-end HDR video formats, it’s easy to get confused. In this short video excerpt, watch as Larry Jordan shares tips on how to color grade HDR media in Apple Final Cut Pro X.

Digital Heaven releases all FCP X plug-ins for free. Here are the details, a weblink and an interview with CEO Martin Baker.

An explanation of the Broadcast Safe effect in Final Cut Pro X, what it is, how and why it is used and when you should avoid using it.

The Vuze+ VR Camera, developed and manufactured by HumanEyes, is an eight-camera, four-mic unit for recording stereoscopic (3D) or monoscopic (2D) 360/VR video images, accompanied by either stereo or surround audio. Here’s a review of my experience using it.

Our eyes don’t see all elements in an image equally. Here’s a clear example of the power of “right-handedness” and how you can use it in your own photography.

Join Larry Jordan as he illustrates basic camera framing techniques you can use immediately to make your still and video images more compelling and powerful.

An illustrated tutorial on how to use and modify Generators in Apple Final Cut Pro X.

An illustrated and detailed tour of how the Digital Production Buzz will produce and webcast 27 live shows in 3.5 days direct from the 2019 NAB trade show floor.

In this short video excerpt, Larry Jordan shows three different ways to correct a color blemish within the frame. This technique works in either Final Cut Pro X or Adobe Premiere Pro CC.

A collection of articles and video demos explaining how to create green-screen keys (chroma-keys) in Apple Final Cut Pro X and Adobe Premiere Pro CC.

An illustrated tutorial on how to pick fonts for video projects that emphasize readability, while still conveying emotion. Plus, a range of tips for using type effectively in video projects.

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.

In this video excerpt from a recent PowerUp webinar, Larry Jordan illustrates how to use the new Comparison View feature in Adobe Premiere Pro CC (2019).

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.)

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

An illustrated tutorial on how to use the new Comparison Viewer in Apple Final Cut Pro X 10.4.4.

The Precision Editor is, to my mind, the best training tool for new editors struggling to learn what trimming is all about. Here’s what it is, how it works and its key limitation.

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.

This session looks at key new features in Adobe Premiere Pro, Audition and Media Encoder in Adobe’s updates for Spring, 2019. Join host, Larry Jordan, as he illustrates the new selective color curves in Adobe Premiere Pro CC.

Apple Final Cut Pro X allows you to animate elements by changing their position on screen. But, what if you want to move an element within the frame AND make it travel on a curve? This illustrated tutorial shows you how.

Cool tricks to play with titles in Final Cut Pro X to make them look more interesting. These tips will make all your titles look a lot more fun!

An illustrated tutorial on how to remove “garbage” from a video clip using a variety of garbage masks inside Apple Final Cut Pro X.

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.

If you want to fix color problems faster and better, as well as improve the overall look of your media, this session gives you a host of new ideas, tools and techniques you can put to work immediately. In this short video excerpt, Larry Jordan illustrates how to display, adjust and use the video scopes inside Apple Final Cut Pro X.

If you want to fix color problems faster and better, as well as improve the overall look of your media, this session gives you a host of new ideas, tools and techniques you can put to work immediately. In this short video excerpt, Larry Jordan illustrates how and why to adjust the gray-scale values of an image.

If you want to fix color problems faster and better, as well as improve the overall look of your media, this session gives you a host of new ideas, tools and techniques you can put to work immediately. In this short video excerpt, Larry Jordan illustrates how to use two automated color correction tools in FCP X: Match Color and Balance Color.

This video is from our periodic series called: “Ask Larry Anything.” This is a free-form conversation between Larry Jordan and viewers about, well, anything. In this short video excerpt, Larry shows how to create image reflections in Apple Final Cut Pro X.

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.

Green-screen keys are increasingly essential in even the smallest projects. In this short excerpt, Larry Jordan shows how to create and adjust a basic green-screen key in Apple Final Cut Pro X.

Green-screen keys are increasingly essential in even the smallest projects. In this short excerpt, Larry Jordan explains how to create and adjust a basic green-screen key in Adobe Premiere Pro CC.

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.

Auto-ducking audio clips is new in the April, 2018, update to Adobe Premiere Pro CC. This new technique can be a huge time-saver, while still allowing the maximum of creating control. This illustrated tutorial shows you how it works.

Adobe announces and releases significant updates to Adobe Premiere Pro CC, After Effects CC, Audition CC, Character Animator and Adobe Stock. Here are the details of the new features.

Smooth Glass Slideshow, from idustrial revolution, creates visually arresting effects that can be especially helpful in social media videos. A key strength is how easy they are to combine to quickly create very complex effects – very easily.

Idustrial Revolution continues its XEffects plugin series for Apple Final Cut Pro X with Rips, a series of effects, transitions and titles that make video look like it is ripping like paper.

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.