Blog Archives

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 quick, illustrated tutorial on how to either select colors using numeric values or sliders using the Mac Color Picker, which works in all applications.

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.

In this short video excerpt, Larry Jordan shows how to use Apple Compressor to crop and pad video images; for example, to convert between aspect ratios.

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.

The new Color Match in Adobe Premiere Pro CC provides very fast color matching between shots with the ability to make manual corrections as necessary. This illustrated tutorial shows you how it works.

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.

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.

The number one thing we can do to catch a viewer’s eye is to make something move. In this short video excerpt from a recent webinar, Larry Jordan shows how to color and animate 3D text using lights in 3D space.

We use text to explain something to an audience that they can’t easily get any other way. However, just because it’s text doesn’t mean it can’t look arresting. In this short video excerpt, Larry Jordan shows how to format and adjust 2D text.

We use text to explain something to an audience that they can’t easily get any other way. However, just because it’s text doesn’t mean it can’t look arresting. In this short video excerpt, Larry Jordan shows how to format and adjust 3D text.

At heart, a mask allows us to select a portion of an image. In this short video excerpt, Larry Jordan illustrates how to use a mask to determine the best way to fix a color cast in a video clip.

An illustrated tutorial on how to prevent illegal luma and chroma levels in both Adobe Premiere Pro CC and Apple Final Cut Pro X using the Broadcast Safe effect. This also explains why we need to use it.

An illustrated review of Luca Visual FX Light Kit 2, which runs in Adobe Premiere Pro, After Effects, Apple Final Cut Pro X, and Motion.

Color correction and color grading is the final step in making our images look their best. In this short video excerpt, Larry shows how to use the new Hue/Saturation Curves to change colors of elements within the frame.

Apple updated Final Cut Pro X just before the holidays. In this short video excerpt from a recent PowerUP webinar, host Larry Jordan showcases the amazing power in the new Balance Color tool. Watch this, you’ll like it!

Apple updated Final Cut Pro X just before the holidays. In this short video excerpt from a recent PowerUP webinar, host Larry Jordan illustrates how to display and measure HDR images on Final Cut’s video scopes.

A first look at the new 1.4 release of Kyno, from Lesspain Software. Media management, transcoding and workflow software.

For many, video compression is a black art; but it doesn’t need to be. Discover the power in Adobe Media Encoder in this short video excerpt as Larry Jordan shows how to add a watermark to a video compression preset.

An in-depth look at Viral Video Thirds from idustrial Revolution for Apple Final Cut Pro X 10.3 or later.

Still images are at the heart of many video programs, especially documentaries. But, what if the images you are working with don’t look that good? In this short video excerpt, Larry Jordan illustrates how to use the Patch, Content-Aware and Levels tools to move and remove elements in an image.

Still images are at the heart of many video programs, especially documentaries. But, what if the images you are working with don’t look that good? In this short video excerpt, Larry Jordan illustrates how to straighten an image then improve the exposure using Levels.

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.

An in-depth tutorial on how to animate objects in Motion using parameter behaviors, which allow you to apply animation to specific settings. Very, very fun results!

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 shows how to use Slice X to remove an unwanted object from a video clip.

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 shows how to blur and track a logo, or other object, that changes position during a clip.

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.

Three illustrated tips to get objects to move using Behaviors in Motion 5.

In this webinar, join host, Larry Jordan as he illustrates everything you need to know about prepping, organizing and editing stills in Final Cut Pro X. In this short video excerpt, compare the differences between creating moves with the Ken Burns effect to using keyframes.

In this webinar, join host, Larry Jordan as he illustrates everything you need to know about prepping, organizing and editing stills in Final Cut Pro X. In this short, video excerpt, learn how to create the illusion of a 3D camera move by converting a still into a multi-layer Photoshop graphic, then animating it.

Another new feature with the Spring, 2017, updates to Adobe’s Creative Cloud software is the Essential Graphics Panel which now exists in both Adobe After Effects CC and Adobe Premiere Pro CC. While the Essential Graphics Panel in After Effects allows …

This session explores 3D space in Apple Motion 5.3. In this short video excerpt, host Larry Jordan illustrates how to add a camera and movement to a 3D set.

This session explores 3D space in Apple Motion 5.3. In this short video excerpt, Larry Jordan shows how to create a reflection of 3D text (or any other object) in Motion.

An illustrated tutorial on how to use the Sequence Replicator in Apple Motion 5.3 to create animated patterns and backgrounds.

In this short video excerpt, Larry Jordan shows how to create a simple pattern using the Replicator system built-into Apple Motion 5.3.

In this short video excerpt, Larry Jordan shows how to create an interesting particle system using elements from the Apple Motion 5.3 Library.

Google Brain invents a new technology that can deconstruct mosaics that mask identities. This has dangerous implications for almost all documentary filmmakers, as this illustrated article explains.

An illustrated explanation of Safe Zones (Action Safe & Title Safe) in Apple Final Cut Pro X and Adobe Premiere Pro CC; how they are used and why they exist.

An illustrated introduction to creating animated particle effects in Motion 5.

A detailed, Illustrated tutorial on creating a fly-by effect using a moving camera in Motion 5. Ideal for sports or other text-based transitions.

An illustrated tutorial on how to create a tasteful lower-third title template for Final Cut Pro X that can be adjusted for opacity, position and content.

This session presents a variety of little-known Final Cut Pro X tips and techniques that showcase new ideas, new ways to work faster, or new ways to add some fun to your video editing. For example, this short video tutorial illustrates how to use the Draw Mask effect to hide portions of an image.

This session presents a variety of little-known Final Cut Pro X tips and techniques that showcase new ideas, new ways to work faster, or new ways to add some fun to your video editing. For example, this short video tutorial illustrates a technique for removing an over-exposed (“blown-out”) window using a luma key and mask.

Adobe Premiere Pro CC can do amazing things. However, when you combine Premiere with powerful third-party tools – Premiere’s power is magnified. In this short video tutorial, you’ll learn about how the Pond5 panel gives you immediate access to millions of low-res clips for free.

Up-resing is the process of converting lower resolution video into higher resolution. For example, converting SD video into HD or HD into 4K. In this short video tutorial, you’ll learn what up-resing is, why it is so hard to make it look good, what bitmaps and interlacing are and how they relate to improving the look of your video.

This is a little-known trick that allows you to color correct a clip without first editing it into a multicam clip or the Timeline. The benefit to this technique is that you can apply this change once and it appears everywhere a portion of that clip is used.

A quick tip that can help dial out color problems during video editing, quickly and easily.

If you are looking for visually interesting ways to style, degrade, or spice up your images, Rampant Edit Essentials is a great place to start. Here is an illustrated review of the product.