Blog Archives

The Comparison Viewer is tricky to find, but very useful once you open it; especially when you are trying to compare the look between multiple shots. Here’s how to use it.

In this short video tutorial, Larry Jordan shows how to use the new Comparison Viewer in Apple Final Cut Pro, along with a quick way to modify colors across multiple clips.

Two “Top Ten” lists of tips and techniques from “The Inside Tips” for 2020. The first is by number of views, the second is by reader ratings. These cover Adobe and Apple software, along with codecs, media, visual effects and production.

In Final Cut Pro, there are two audio commands that seem similar, but actually do two version different things: Detach Audio and Break Apart Clip Items. In this short video tutorial, Larry Jordan shows you the difference between the two.

Custom overlays in Final Cut Pro X can help with figuring out the best way to frame a scene for multiple aspect ratios, or other compositional tasks. Here’s how to create and apply them.

Watch Folders are a fast, automated way to compress files. But, when you nest them, they can simplify even highly complex compression tasks. Here are two examples.

There’s a feature in Adobe Media Encoder that can speed your compression work: Parallel Encoding, especially when you are creating multiple versions of the same source file. Here’s how it works.

Video compression is essential to all media today, from social media to broadcast to streaming. In this short video, Larry Jordan shows how to stitch multiple clips into a single movie during compression in Adobe Media Encoder.

Video compression is essential to all media today, from social media to broadcast to streaming. In this short video, Larry Jordan shows how to crop and reframe video, along with creating a short segment to test compression settings in Adobe Media Encoder.

Video compression is essential to all media today, from social media to broadcast to streaming. In this short video, Larry Jordan shows how to add overlays, like watermarks or timecode, to video during compression in Adobe Media Encoder.

Video compression is essential to all media today, from social media to broadcast to streaming. In this short video, Larry Jordan shows how to create Watch Folders to automate media compression using Adobe Media Encoder.

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.

Video compression is essential to all media today, from social media to broadcast to streaming. In this video tutorial, Larry Jordan shows how job chaining in Apple Compressor can save significant time when applying multiple compression settings to a source file.

Video compression is essential to all media today, from social media to broadcast to streaming. In this video tutorial, Larry Jordan shows how to use Apple Compressor to create a custom compression setting for use in Apple Final Cut Pro X.

New with the 10.5 update to Apple Final Cut Pro X is the ability to copy libraries, events and projects and, if necessary, create proxy media while all project media is being copied. This simplifies creating projects to share between editors.

In the past, we would use Safe Boot to repair and maintain our Macs. But that was then. Today, we need to use Recovery Mode. In this short video, Larry Jordan shows what you need to know to keep your Mac running right.

Final Cut Libraries store stuff. But how that stuff is organized is up to you. Here are a variety of thoughts on working with libraries in Apple Final Cut Pro X.

Disk Warrior is an essential Mac-based trouble-shooting, repair and optimization tool for any Mac system accessing spinning hard drives. I’ve used it for years and continue to highly recommend it.

In this video tutorial, Larry Jordan shows how to create a multicam sequence using video clips with different frame sizes in Adobe Premiere Pro.

In this short video tutorial, Larry Jordan explains some of the key settings you need to consider when configuring a multi-camera source sequence for editing in Adobe Premiere Pro.

Audio Design Desk is an amazing program. It creates sound environments quickly and easily. Its ability to replace sounds with similar sounds, without messing up timing or sync is unique. It’s a sound designers dream – once you figure out how it works.

Multicam recording captures an event using multiple cameras. Multicam editing displays all those angles during the edit. In this short video tutorial, Larry Jordan shows why and how to use with proxies for multicam editing in Apple Final Cut Pro X.

I’ve spent a lot of time this week thinking about how to improve the speed and responsiveness of my storage. Here’s a relatively inexpensive way to improve the responsiveness of a server, especially for smaller workgroups. When it comes to …

In this short video tutorial, Larry Jordan illustrates how automatic scene detection works in Adobe Premiere Pro v.14.4, along with a potential problem.

New with the Sept. 2020 update to Premiere Pro is automatic scene detection. Here’s an illustrated tutorial explaining how this works. In short, it is fast, fun and pretty darn accurate.

Earlier this week (Sept. 15, 2020), Adobe announced new versions of Premiere Pro and After Effects. Available immediately, as part of a Creative Cloud subscription, here are the new features.

In this short video tutorial, Larry Jordan shows how to use several new – but hidden – Viewer features in the latest 10.4.9 version of Apple Final Cut Pro X.

In this short video tutorial, Larry Jordan shows how to use several new – but hidden – Browser features in the latest 10.4.9 version of Apple Final Cut Pro X.

In this short video tutorial, Larry Jordan explains why H.264 and HEVC media are considered inefficient for video editing, whether you use Premiere Pro or Final Cut Pro X.

Premiere holds many hidden tips. Here are three that make working with timeline markers faster and easier.

Apple Compressor 4.4.7 now supports creating a wider range of proxy files. This illustrated tutorial explains what you need to know, how it works and which to choose.

One of the headline features in the 10.4.9 update to Final Cut Pro X is a number of improvements to proxy editing. Here’s an illustrated tutorial on what they are and how they work.

Apple continues to make it easier – though not intuitive – to bring an errant Mac under control. Here are the steps you need to take to get you Mac running right.

Apple released a flood of small changes with the 10.4.9 update to Final Cut Pro X that didn’t get a whole lot of press. Let me take you behind-the-scenes in this illustrated tutorial to explore these smaller gems.

This morning, Apple released significant – and free – updates to Final Cut Pro X – to version 10.4.9 – along with Motion and Compressor. Emphasizing workflow enhancements, here are the details.

This morning, Frame.io announced a new version and several new features, along with updated support for Final Cut Pro X 10.4.9, also released today. Here are the details.

This is a system to speed exporting Premiere Pro projects for one or more editors using two computers, Adobe Media Encoder and Watch Folders.

CommandPost is a free, flexible, customizable tool that allows editors to get far more out of Final Cut Pro X than they would ever expect. Here’s an illustrated tutorial to this powerful software.

Here’s a hidden keyboard shortcut for Apple Final Cut Pro X that allows moving Primary Storyline clips without moving any clips connected to them. (Contributed by Don Smith.)

In this short video tutorial, Larry Jordan presents how to apply, modify, render and trim transitions in Final Cut Pro X.

In this short video tutorial, Larry Jordan shows how to create and use Roles for timeline display and audio mixing in Final Cut Pro X.

In this short video tutorial, Larry Jordan illustrates how to move clips, and other elements, using timecode in Final Cut Pro X.

Unlike “normal” still images, working with a layered Photoshop (PSD) file in Adobe Premiere Pro provides a variety of options that can be useful in a video edit. This illustrated tutorial explains what they are.

In this short video tutorial, Larry Jordan shows how to create, modify and search on keywords in Apple Final Cut Pro X. He also illustrates how to create Smart Collections.

In this short video tutorial, Larry Jordan shows how to use the Precision Editor in Apple Final Cut Pro X.

A detailed, illustrated workflow on how Larry Jordan creates his weekly webinars from pre-production through to post. This includes software, settings, tips and tricks.

In this short video tutorial, Larry Jordan shows how to create and customize keyboard shortcuts in Apple Final Cut Pro X.

In this short video tutorial, Larry Jordan illustrates a hidden feature in Apple Final Cut Pro X that can improve media handling during import.

Storage Locations, which specifies where Final Cut Pro X stores media, provides a significant and useful compromise between the security of storing all files in the library, with the flexibility of directly accessing files scattered about your hard disk.