Blog Archives

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

I am looking for a specific workflow instructions. Since I’m dealing with HDV, XDCAM EX, anamorphic SD, recaptured DVD assests and stills, I needed an in depth step by step workflow.

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?

An overview of working with proxies for your media in Final Cut Pro X.

Alex Gollner has posted a new, FREE, effect for Final Cut Pro X — it’s an eight-point mask.

Jack Rickard sent me a very thoughtful analysis of why he is a fan of the Cloud that I want to share with you.

GenArts, long recognized as a leader in high-end visual effects, announced a new version of its Sapphire product line at the London SuperMeet in late June.

One of the limitations of FCP X is that all Events and Projects must be open at all times. This product is a stand-alone utility that makes file management much easier in FCP X.

The latest version of OS X — Lion — is now shipping. While many people are excited, I recommend taking a cautious approach to upgrading any systems that you depend upon for editing.

One of the limitations of FCP X is that it only allows one sequence per project. Here is a simple workaround you can create that may do the trick.

Cheryl Foster sent me an email recently asking about archiving.

Mark Whalen sent me his thoughts on Final Cut Pro X that I wanted to share with you.

Final Cut Pro X was released just over 30 days ago — seems longer than that somehow…

PluralEyes was specifically designed to sync clips and create multiclips based upon their audio. However, it can also sync clips in a sequence – even if there are timecode breaks in the clips – by aligning the audio.

This technique explains creating, working with, and deleting subclips. It also illustrates the main reason we create subclips.

Not all software updates work the way they are advertised.This article describes an update approach you can use to make sure all software updates go smoothly.

Creating smooth moves on stills is at the heart of many documentaries. Final Cut makes creating moves easy. But smoothness is sometimes much harder to achieve. Take a look at what these editors have to say about the best way to get your images to move.

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.

A few bullet point suggestions for subjects ranging from trying to up-res from SD to HD without losing detail to getting Compressor to launch.

The quality of slo-mo footage processing can vary by the level of equipment you possess. However, does this mean that you should upgrade? There are three possible answers here: Yes, No, and Maybe.

Sheffield Softworks creates filters specifically designed for video retouching. They have a suite of products – Electronic Makeup Artist, Digital Coverup, and Look Sweet – which make the process of fixing your video much simpler, In this article, we take an in-depth look at each of the three, illustrate how it can best be used, and show you how to use it.

Transcriptize is a new piece of software that takes the text transcripts automatically generated by Adobe Premiere or Adobe Soundbooth and formats them so people, rather than computers, can read them. PLUS, it allows you to a great trick to import those text transcripts into Final Cut Pro to speed your editing.

When you are working with tapeless media during production, and recording to cards, the basic workflow is to copy the card to your hard disk then ERASE THE CARD! (Sorry, I come from a tape background and that word “erase” is just plain scary…) So, it makes sense that when copying the card to your hard disk you take every precaution to do so safely. Here’s a review of a product that can help: Imagine Products’ Shotput Pro.

Adobe Premiere can create text transcripts of your media files. prEdit takes those transcripts and allows you to edit a rough cut for either Premiere or Final Cut just using those transcripts. For editors wading through a ton of material trying to find just the right quotes, this software can make your life VERY easy, as this product review explains.

NewBlue is new to the Mac, but not to creating effects. They’ve been producing video effect for Windows users for years. This product review takes a look at several of their new plug-ins for Final Cut Pro/Express/Motion. Featuring a very easy to use interface, there is a lot to like.

get is the new kid on the block — an almost magical piece of software that searches your audio files looking for words you type into a typical text entry window. If you know “you’ve got the file around here somewhere,” but haven’t a clue where it is, get is for you, as this product review explains.

You know the drill. The client didn’t have the money for makeup when they were shooting the video, then is horrified to discover in post that their star/kid/sweetie has a humongous zit that spoils all the close-ups of the video they dumped in your lap to edit.

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.

When I first discovered the motion tracking in Motion 2, I was really excited. It was fairly easy to learn, easy to use, and delivered great results. Updated with more examples and lots of reader feedback.

The Primatte RT keyer, which ships with both Motion and Final Cut Pro, is a nice keyer, but it has problems with hair and transparency. In this review/technique, I show you how to use the big brother to the RT filter: Primatte Keyer Pro 4 to key a model who has lots and lots of big, bouncy, hair!

Not all video is, um, video. In many cases, we need to integrate PowerPoint or Keynote slides into our video projects. This article explains what you need to know to make this work successfully.

If you edit multiple cameras and spend time creating multiclips, you need to check into a new utility for Final Cut Pro called “PluralEyes.” This software vastly simplifies the process of syncing and building multiclips — especially when there are breaks in the timecode. This article shows you how to use it.

Working with still images in video is hard, because images created on the computer are not compatible with video. A new software – PhotoMotion – seeks to solve a lot of the challenges in working with still images. This is a detailed review of how the product works.

In this article, learn how you can capture two simultaneous, real-time video feeds into one computer and get them ready for editing.

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.

Here’s a fast way to use Keynote create text animations — especially for text-heavy clips. This is also a much faster way to create animated bulleted lists as well. This technique shows you how to make this work.

Need to find some new fonts — or looking for a way to add them to your system? Here’s how.

In spite of the hype, optical media is not dead. The two variations for HD media – AVCHD and Blu-ray Discs – are still valuable tools in an editor’s toolkit. In this article, David Scott writes about his success in using Blu-ray Discs to meet the needs of his project.

In this article I want to give you some suggestions on proper selection of compression bit-rates; as well as how to improve the compatibility of the CDs and DVDs that you burn.

AVCHD Discs are a nice compromise between full-HD Blu-ray Discs, and the standard def DVDs we’ve all been using for the last 20 years. While, currently, Final Cut Studio can not create Blu-ray Discs, it can create a version of Blu-ray called “AVCHD.” This article explains what AVCHD Discs are, why you would use them, and how you create them.

Using Pro Tools to mix your Final Cut Pro project is a great way to achieve excellent audio. However, there are some tricks you need to understand in this process, as explained here.

This article shows the best way to get audio out of FCP so you can finish your mix in your favorite audio program.