In this article Larry advises a subscriber who downloaded a beta version of Soundbooth and believes there may have been an error in his workflow.
Working with still images in Final Cut Pro is very, very confusing. Not least because video ignore the DPI settings of your image. In this short article, I explain what you need to know to size your images appropriately.
Through edits are marked by red “bow-ties” which indicate cuts in a track where there’s no change in video or audio. This brief technique provides three different ways to get rid of these edits.
Here’s a very quick tip that describes how to display thumbnails in the Browser, how to create poster frames for a thumbnail, and how to scrub around inside a thumbnail.
An editor, Gene Thomas, faced a problem with a timecode break when a pair of clips he was recording stopped capturing in the middle. In this article we take a look at timecodes, how multiclip reads them, how to manually change them, and other fun stuff.
It would be great if we didn’t have to render. But, since we do, what can make it go faster? This article explains what you can do to help and what won’t make any difference.
You may not know it, but there’s a fiber optic audio connection built into every Mac. This article describes what it is, where it is, and how to use it.
The afternoon that Final Cut Studio (3) was released, July 23, 2009, I spoke with Richard Townhill, Director of Video Application Marketing for Apple, and the public face of Final Cut Studio. In fact, Richard is responsible for all the ProApps in Apple, including Final Cut Studio, Aperture, and Logic Studio. Probably no one in Apple has more direct control over the future of the product than he does. For this reason, it was good to get his take on the latest release. This article is based on our conversation.
A subscriber writes in requesting info on a program that would be able to track time by client, as well as project and function. Larry refers him to a pair of very useful suggestions from other subscribers.
With the release of Final Cut Pro v5.1.2, Apple added 53 new filters. Here’s an article that shows you how to create interesting “trail” effects.
In this answer to a newsletter reader’s question, we look at the process of transcoding (converting) video from one format to another. We specifically talk about what is the right format to transcode into.
It’s frustrating! You buy a hard disk only to discover you can’t move your data from one drive to the next. Here’s a personal case story, along with options on how to fix this problem.
Travel mattes are a fascinating multi-layer effect with countless uses. Here, we use a travel matte to blur portions of an image to prevent identification, or to draw attention to the portions that are in-focus.
This is a great technique when you have a large image, but only want to display portions of it moving around the frame.
You can trim everything using the Arrow tool. But you can trim faster and more accurately using the Roll and Ripple tools. This article shows you how.
Having problems with Apple Final Cut Pro 7? This article provides dozens and dozens of techniques you can use to optimize your Final Cut 5, 6, or 7 system; plus trouble-shooting tips to prevent problems.
The best way to display HD video is using a Blu-ray Disc. However, the Mac OS does not support Blu-ray Disc playback, and to create a Blu-ray Disc takes an external burner. This article describes what you need to know to create a Blu-ray Disc. (Keep in mind that this technology is changing constantly – after this article was published, FCP 7 was released which provides limited support for Blu-ray Discs.)
Handles are critical for transitions and trimming. In this article, discover what handles are and why they are necessary.
Larry finally gets the chance to answer the question he’s been waiting for : What is the “Color Thingy”?
If you’ve ever had to convert a 16:9 sequence into a 4:3 letterbox video, this explains how to do it.
The Samson Zoom H2 recorder has a lot of good things going for it – price, size, and portability. However, when I was using it at NAB, the one thing that disappointed me was the audio quality. Read the review here.
Save As does more than just give your file a a new name. It can also prevent problems, as this short article describes.
Scratch Disks are critical to Final Cut. If they are set improperly, Final Cut won’t edit. This article describes what they are, how to set them and how to trouble-shoot problems.
Nothing causes more confusion for video editors than trying to figure out how to size still images for video. I’ve written extensively about this in the past — which is referenced in this article — this is an additional follow-up.
Unlike video, which has a fixed duration, still images are assigned a duration when they are imported into Final Cut.
Audio distortion means disaster for your project. This article shows you a new technique in Soundtrack Pro that can guarantee to increase audio gain without distortion.
Telestream Pipeline is a capture and output device that is unique in the features it provides Final Cut editors — specifically, its ability to share decks over a network and allowing an editor to start editing a clip before the capture is complete. In this detailed review, we show you how it works, and examine its strengths and weaknesses.
How do you create and size text for video? What is the impact of interlacing? How can you make your text look as good as possible? This short article provides the answers.
Way over on the left side of the Timeline are a set of gray buttons that very few people understand. However, when you know how to use the Patch Panel properly, you’ll be able to edit any clip to any track instantly. I use this ALL the time and can’t imagine editing without it. This tool is also essential when you want to make a video-only, or audio-only edit.
Track gaps are pesky things that sneak around and flash black at the worst possible moments. This article shows you how to find and delete them.
Transcoding is the process of converting video (and/or audio) from one format into another. Generally, compression is done for final delivery, while transcoding is done from one editing format to another editing format. In any case, when should you transcode? This article explains the three options and provides suggestions on which one you should pick.
ProRes 422 is a new codec, invented by Apple, that seeks to minimize the massive file sizes of some HD formats. It also has benefits when you are working with HDV or other GOP-compressed video formats. In this article, I show you more about this codec and how to use it.
Final Cut does not like editing compressed video. However, what’s the best way to convert MEPG-2 video, which is compressed, into something Final Cut likes? This article tells you what you need to know.
MS microphones are popular in documentary recording because they avoid problems with phase-cancellation. However, there is not an easy way to use them in Final Cut Pro — until now, that is, using this very simple technique.
We are living in the middle of truly interesting times from proliferating video formats, monitor problems and tapeless acquisition, this article helps you make sense of the industry during a period of very rapid change.
When your audio mix is more complex than Final Cut can handle, this technique shows you how to export your audio using OMF, while keeping all your clips and handles intact.
Whenever you trash or delete Final Cut preference files, FCP will reset back to NTSC DV 48kHz audio. This reset happens whenever your preferences get trashed. I don’t think Final Cut inherently thinks NTSC, but that when things reset, FCP resets to its default settings which is NTSC.
The lighting is perfect, the acting superb, the audio flawless — except the boom mike has crept into the top of the frame. Here are several quick techniques you can use to get rid of it — without reshooting.
In this article Larry answers a subscriber’s question about how to locate a missing file in FCP.
I am getting periodic reports of missing render files inside Final Cut Pro. This short article may give you a hand in tracking down the problem.
Audio files are never lost, they’re just, um, misplaced. Soundtrack Pro automatically records files to a temporary location. Which means you can find your source files, even if there’s a crash. This article shows you how.
Does this happen to you? The audio waveforms don’t display in a Final Cut Pro 7 sequence when they should. Hitting option-apple-W simply brings up a series of Xs instead of a waveform. How do you get these back? By reading this article, which explains the problem and what you need to know to fix it.
This technique shows you how to connect a video monitor to your computer. This is great for those situations where you don’t have access to camera or deck.
Confused about all the video monitor sizes? This article explains the difference between video monitor dimensions and video playback dimensions — and which is more important.
Monitors for HD video are not cheap. So why not just connect an HD television set via HDMI and let it go at that? In this short write-up, Dan May, president of Blackmagic Design, explains the potential problems with monitoring your HD video using this kind of setup.
Normally, audio is monitored off your deck or camera. However, if you need to listen to the audio during capture, Final Cut turns it off by default. This short tip shows you how to turn it on.
Computers use square pixels to represent images, while video uses rectangular pixels. And this difference drives all of us nuts. This article describes pixel aspect ratio and helps you get your images looking great.
One of the effects I wanted to create for my training was a reflection of a moving clip of video. This is what we are going to create in this technique.
Final Cut makes it easy to move files from one place to another — provided you have your files and system setup correctly. This article explains what you need to know.
Final Cut Pro is two audio channels in, but up to 24 audio channels out. This article shows you how to get more than stereo from FCP.
