Blog Archives

An explanation of what you need to consider, technically, when purchasing a RAID for a server or direct-attached storage. Written for the mostly non-techie.

Here’s how to change the speed of a clip in Adobe Premiere Pro CS6 – from still frames to variable speed changes. This article shows you how.

Stories are a very powerful technical feature in DVD Studio Pro that allows you to alter the normal flow of your movies. This article shows you how.

Although Adobe Audition and Premiere Pro are designed to work smoothly together, that doesn’t mean you are limited to only using Premiere Pro with Audition. In fact, there is a very nice, very fast way to move projects between Final Cut Pro 7 and Audition, which I want to show you here.

Open in Timeline is a hidden menu item in Final Cut Pro X that allows you to modify a clip in the Event Browser without removing it from the Event Browser. This technique allows you to solve problems that are not easy to solve any other way.

Optical flow, and it’s less sophisticated cousin, Frame Blending, are techniques that Final Cut Pro X uses to smooth playback of extremely slow-motion clips. This tutorial shows you how to apply and use them in FCP X.

The purpose of the Limiter filter in FCP X is to make soft audio louder while preventing the louder passages from distorting (which happens when audio levels exceed 0 dB). In fact, when used properly, the Limiter filter virtually guarantees that your audio won’t distort; as this article explains.

The best way to improve the quality of your picture is to improve the quality of your sound. However, what that means in real-life is moving files from your video editing software into audio editing software.

Final Cut Pro X provides a very easy way to match audio between clips. This is useful when you have recorded the same talent on different days using different mics.

Recently, I wrote about how to add video to a shape in Final Cut Pro 7 While adding video to shapes is reasonably easy in Final Cut Pro 7, it is almost impossible in FCP X. So, this week I decided to create a video tutorial on adding video to a shape in Final Cut Pro X.

Always check to see if Final Cut supports your camera before you buy it.

Is it possible to permanently link video and audio clips together? Larry teaches you how to create a Merged clip.

Are you getting the “render error: insufficient disk space” message? You just need to create more free space on your hard disk by deleting files you don’t need.

The easiest way to control editing audio or video to the Timeline is with the patch panel. However you can also use the Button List to search for shortcuts.

Stuttering, frozen display is one of the hallmarks of non-native video. FCP can edit it, but can’t play it smoothly.

Is it possible to carry custom Final Cut Pro keyboard shortcuts in a pen drive and install it on another machine? Here’s a technique to help you.

What is the best version of ProRes to use for HDV?

Which version of ProRes should you select in Log and Transfer for a Canon 7D? Which is better for the Canon 7D format?

Larry walks you through looping a DVD, along with reader feedback on how to make those loops seamless.

These two options are designed to solve problems when the clip, or image, you are editing into the Timeline does not match the sequence size.

A few days ago I wrote about my frustrations in finding archiving solutions. The next day, I had a long phone conversation with the executive team at Cache-A plus a long email from HP.

I’ve become increasingly concerned as I talk with producers, editors, and vendors that we are rapidly moving into a tapeless environment without any realistically priced options for long-term media archiving.

Here are two techniques that make a big difference to me when I am working with effects: Remove Attributes and Paste Attributes.

Compressor automatically generates log DPX files. Is there a way to create linear DPX files?

Troubles with logging? Check the Reel column in the browser.

Larry answers some questions regarding the different codecs that Final Cut Express captures vs. Final Cut Pro, as well as fielding a question on audio waveforms.

In addition to over 100 audio effects, Final Cut Pro X ships with some very interesting audio enhancements which can repair bad audio. In this tutorial, I want to illustrate how to work with these enhancement tools.

Final Cut Pro 7 calls it a “nest.” Final Cut Pro X calls it a “compound clip.” Whatever you call it, there are some real benefits in knowing how to use it. A compound clip is simply a collection of clips gathered together and treated as though they were a single clip. This tutorial explains how to create them.

Keyframes are at the heart of all video animation; though, in some cases they are hidden in a Motion behavior or pre-built effect. In this tutorial, I will show you how to add keyframes in the Final Cut Pro X Timeline to animate an effect.

Action Safe and Title Safe boundaries were invented decades ago to solve two problems with televisions that had picture tubes. This technique explains what they are and how to display them.

Welcome to the latest edition of my monthly Final Cut Studio newsletter for December, 2011. This newsletter provides tutorials, tips and other information essential to the interested user of Final Cut Pro.

Adding timecode to clips or projects is a great way to allow clients to review your projects and relate their comments to a specific time in the project. (This process is also called “timecode burn-in” – or “burning in timecode.”) This technique explains what you need to know.

Let’s pretend we want to share a group of clips with multiple projects. The easiest way to move a clip, or a group of clips, between projects is to use copy and paste. This article explains how, along with variations on Copy and Paste.

In this technique, you’ll learn how to save custom audio filter settings in both Final Cut Pro X (FCP X) and Soundtrack Pro.

This color correction technique in Final Cut Pro X isn’t perfect, but it is REALLY fast and gets you close enough to keep your job

A picture-in-picture effect is a very popular effect in that it allows us to see two images at once. This tutorial shows you how to create this in FCP X (Final Cut Pro X).

In FCP X, this technique shows you how to use the Position tool to create gaps, move clips, and overwrite clips in the Primary Storyline.

A quick tip for FCP X: if you are adding Ken Burns moves to two clips and you need to add a transition between them, apply the transition first.

In FCP 7 and all earlier versions, this technique shows you how to move the playhead, a clip or group of clips, or an edit point using the keyboard.

This technique shows you how to create hold frames, remove them, adjust their duration, and change the frame that freezes in Final Cut Pro X.

In FCP 7 and all earlier versions, this technique shows you how to use the Track Selection tools as a fast way to select multiple clips in one or more tracks.

There’s a lot of confusion about the three different media types in Final Cut Pro X: native, optimized, and proxy. This article explains what you need to know.

Many times, editors need to share projects. Changing Event References in FCP X makes this possible.

Common Final Cut Pro X trouble-shooting and performance tips, including how to trash Final Cut Pro (FCP) X preference files.

Do you have two or more audio clips that need to sound the same? Here’s a fast technique in FCP X that explains how.

A solution for dual-channel mono clips, or single track mono clips displaying audio as a single waveform in Final Cut Pro X.

Roles are new with Final Cut Pro X (FCP X) and can help manage complex projects through keywording your audio and video clips.

This is a better, faster, and more flexible way to create audio transitions in Final Cut Pro X.

Changing the color of a gradient in Final Cut Pro X requires opening it in Motion and making changes. This article describes how.

What happened to Background Sound in Final Cut Pro X?