Blog Archives

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.

I first wrote these “Media Planning Guidelines” as a series of bullet points to help us think about media and the storage necessary for video editing. In this article, I expand these to explain my thinking to help you make better media decisions for your next project.

In this short video tutorial, Larry Jordan discusses the impact of video frame size, frame rate and codec on storage capacity and video editing, whether you use Adobe Premiere Pro or Apple Final Cut Pro X.

In this short video tutorial, Larry Jordan explains why converting video frame rates often causes video playback to stutter, whether you use Adobe Premiere Pro or 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.

The brand-new ArmorLock SSD from G-Technology is fast, secure and rugged. But, it has problems when trying to add multiple secure users to the drive. It’s a great idea that needs tweaking.

Smart Conform, the new re-framing feature in Apple Final Cut Pro X 10.4.9, is a good start. It does what Apple says, but there are limitations. Here’s an illustrated tutorial showing how this works.

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.

Apple Motion is a very fun way to explore and experiment with motion graphics. Here’s how to create a motion graphic generator (background video) you can use inside Apple Final Cut Pro X.

An illustrated tutorial on how to create a countdown video in Final Cut Pro X that displays remaining minutes and seconds. Then, I show how to embed it into Keynote for a presentation.

Audio plug-ins do not automatically appear in Adobe Premiere Pro or Audition after you install them. Here’s what you need to do to finish the installation process.

Configuring a 2020 27″ iMac for video editing, with recommendations for system components, along with a discussion of this system vs. new Apple silicon gear.

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.

A LUT (LookUp Table) is a conversion table that instantly changes pixel values from one setting to the next. Final Cut provides two different ways to apply LUTs to your footage: the Inspector and the Custom LUT effect. This article describes how to use the Custom LUT effect.

In this short video tutorial, Larry Jordan answers a question on how to get rid of “fuzzy edges” in a chroma-key using Apple Final Cut Pro X.

In this short video tutorial, Larry Jordan answers a question about how to catalog and find media files, this also features demos of Image Chest and Kyno software.

In this short video tutorial, Larry Jordan answers a question on how to use LUTs to color grade HDR or Log video in Apple Final Cut Pro X.

Voice-over work combines acting with technology to create magic. It’s your voice telling stories directly into the imagination of the listener. Here are some tips to make it better.

Presented by Larry Jordan, this four-part webinar series covers the basics of editing with Apple Final Cut Pro X. In this short video tutorial, Larry shows how to create and modify keyframes to create animation in Final Cut Pro X.

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.)

There is difference in how the same color is displayed in Premiere, Final Cut and QuickTime. This made worse when looking at media on a P3 display. Here’s what you need to know.

Captions are not titles. Understanding the difference is key to problem-free playback of your media. Also, you don’t get to choose the caption format – your distributor does. Learn more here.

Here is an interested workaround to fool Apple Final Cut Pro X into importing just portions of a clip, rather than the entire clip. This is especially useful when you have extremely long media files, but only need to use a very short section.

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.

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.

Unlike “normal” still images, working with a layered Photoshop (PSD) file in Apple Final Cut Pro X provides a variety of options that can be useful in a video edit. Here’s what you need to know.

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.

In this short video tutorial, Larry Jordan explains what the Media Import settings mean and how to optimize them for editing in Final Cut.

In an ideal world, all your green-screen source files are perfectly lit. This illustrated tutorial deals with reality – green-screen source files that are badly light, poorly saturated and with gear lying all around the frame. Sheesh!

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.

Built into the Finder is a batch file renaming utility that is fast, easy to use and flexible. If all you need is to quickly rename and sequence files, this free utility, shipped with the macOS, will do the job.

Hidden inside Final Cut is a batch renaming feature that makes renaming clips fast and easy. This illustrated tutorial shows where it is and how it works.

There are three options in the View menu that enable us to better see what we are creating in the timeline: Visibility, Skimming and Clip Skimming. Here’s how they work.

In this short video tutorial, Larry Jordan showcases an easy way to improve the quality of your audio using the Track mixer, key audio effects, and the Loudness Radar in Adobe Premiere Pro.

In this short video tutorial, Larry Jordan shows how to optimize Premiere Pro’s audio meters to improve measuring audio levels during video editing.

In this short video tutorial, Larry Jordan illustrates a variety of ways to find, apply and modify audio and video transitions in Premiere Pro.

Proxy files simplify working with video files. Here’s a quick tutorial on how to create and use them in Apple Final Cut Pro X.

Video walls for performances are very popular. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to create them, using Final Cut Pro X and the Griddy plugin from FXFactory.

I’m impressed with how Image Capture simplifies moving files between iPhone and Mac. It is easy to use, capable, fast and secure. And, best of all, it’s already installed on your system.

In this short video tutorial, Larry Jordan shows how to use the Source Monitor in Adobe Premiere Pro to review and mark video clips for editing.

In this short video tutorial, Larry Jordan illustrates different techniques to organize, move, copy and delete clips in the Adobe Premiere timeline.