NoFilmSchool » editing

Just Starting Out with Creative Suite 6? Adobe Has a Bunch of Free Basic Training Videos For You

Justin Minich — Tue, 15 May 2012 13:43:41 +0000

So you bought a copy of Adobe Creative Suite 6 or downloaded it via Creative Cloud. Where do you start? Well, Adobe has a slew of videos on their website to introduce you to the changes in the Premiere Pro and After Effects interfaces, and to show you how the new features in CS6 work. Here are some of my favorites: (more…)

It's Finally Here: Adobe Creative Cloud CS6 is Now Live, But Which Option Should You Choose?

Joe Marine — Fri, 11 May 2012 17:46:13 +0000

After the software-only version was made available earlier in the week, Adobe Creative Cloud CS6 is live starting today. If the cost of owning this software has been prohibitive for you in the past, Adobe is finally allowing you to “rent” on a month-to-month or yearly basis. If you’ve never purchased the software in the past, the best deal is their plan that charges $50 per month for a year contract. If you just want to try it out on a month-to-month basis, it will be a little more expensive at $75 per month. If you are upgrading, they are doing a special promotion for $30 per month for the first year. (more…)

Adobe Story Plus Stretches Creative Cloud from Pre-Production to Post-Production

Christopher Boone — Fri, 11 May 2012 00:51:51 +0000

Adobe has been wooing screenwriters with its free Story online screenwriting software, and now it’s pushing to make Story the first step in its pre-production to post-production solution. With the Creative Cloud scheduled to launch May 11th for Adobe Creative Suite 6, Adobe has added new features and functionality to Story, now splitting the product between Story Free and Story Plus. Story Free remains the in-the-cloud version of the screenwriting app that Adobe previously released, while for a subscription of $15/month or as part of a Creative Cloud subscription, CS6 users get access to Story Plus. Advantages of Story Plus over Story Free include: (more…)

Adobe Creative Suite 6 Now Available, Here's How to Get 40% Off a Subscription

Ryan Koo — Mon, 07 May 2012 16:47:43 +0000

Adobe Creative Suite 6 is now available. For filmmakers, the bundle of interest is Production Premium CS6, which includes: a redesigned Premiere Pro, Speed Grade for color grading, the new log and ingest application Prelude, new versions of After Effects and Audition, and Creative Cloud integration. Creative Cloud is scheduled to launch May 11th, and will give you access to all CS6 apps for $50/month — or $30/month for the first year if you’re a registered user of any Adobe product since CS3 and use this link by August 31 (that’s 40% off). The new Premiere Pro integrates some speed-focused features borrowed from Apple’s much-maligned Final Cut Pro X, including “hoverscrub,” which was one of my favorite FCPX features; here’s a look at the new version of Adobe’s NLE. (more…)

A Beginner's Guide to Organizing Your Edit

Joe Marine — Sun, 29 Apr 2012 18:44:21 +0000

Not everyone who reads NoFilmSchool is an expert – in fact most of us are still trying to learn something – and that’s really the reason why we hope people keep coming back each day. If you’re new to filmmaking, your editing experience is probably very limited – and it can be overwhelming starting from scratch. One of the most important things you can do if you aren’t very experienced is to learn good habits right from the start. This isn’t limited to editing, but also shooting and managing media. There’s always more than one way to do something – but there are certainly wrong ways to do many things that can lead to mistakes or slow you down. In terms of editing, organization is something every professional editor will stress above all else. Embedded below is a video describing that process. (more…)

Adobe Officially Launches Creative Suite 6, Now Taking Preorders

Justin Minich — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 13:19:52 +0000

Adobe has launched Creative Suite 6 and is now taking pre-orders (no word on a release date yet). This latest version of Adobe’s Creative Suite includes more Mercury acceleration, adjustment layers in Premiere Pro, Speed Grade for color grading, ray-traced extruded 3D objects and reflections and 3D camera tracking in After Effects, Creative Cloud, and more. You can also check out an overview of the new features in Joe’s post on day 2 at NAB 2012, as well as the official Adobe Production Premium video with Jason Levine: (more…)

20-minute Color Grading Tutorial for Premiere Pro CS 5.5 with Lots of Useful Tips

Justin Minich — Sun, 22 Apr 2012 16:03:39 +0000

While Adobe CS6 is coming down the pike, maybe you’re like me and are still getting to know CS 5.5, or maybe you’ve been using CS 5.5 for awhile and want to brush up on your editing workflow. In either case, you should check out this Premiere Pro CS 5.5 tutorial by Jarle Leirpoll. He goes over all sorts of useful primary and secondary color correction techniques, including methods for fixing moire, blown-out highlights, iris adjustments, and more. Check out the tutorial video below:

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Award-Winning NLE Lightworks Gets a May 28th Release Date -- and It's Still Free(ish)

Justin Minich — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 15:51:20 +0000

You read that right boys and girls. Lightworks, the editing software that’s been an industry workhorse on multiple features for over 20 years has come out of its 18-month beta, and will be yours to download on May 28th at http://www.lwks.com (currently not live). There is no mention in the press release of what platforms the software will be available for on the release date other than stating that it will run “on a wide range of PC hardware”. However, it stands to reason that the Windows version will launch first, followed by Linux (a demo of which is being presented at NAB), and finally the OSX and 64-bit versions. Check out the list of new features after the jump: (more…)

Highlight Hunter is a New App That Aims to Decrease Editing Time with 30 Second Highlights

Joe Marine — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 20:43:33 +0000

Editing got you down? Highlight Hunter is looking to make editing certain projects almost 100% faster. You may not be using Highlight Hunter on your next feature film, but there are fantastic ideas at work with this brand new app. If you’ve ever been filming with a GoPro or FlipCam, you know that there is plenty of unusable or bad footage, and this application aims to give you a way to identify the good shots immediately. (more…)

The @TeamCoco Editors Are Back, This Time They've Switched to Premiere with #JOHNADOBE

Joe Marine — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 01:19:00 +0000

On the left is a brand new shot of Adobe Premiere Pro CS6 running on…Mac OS 6? Conan’s editors are back again after their Final Cut Pro X video, which fairly or unfairly poked fun at the fact that Apple abandoned years of development and started over from scratch, forcing many people to relearn the new software or abandon ship. It looks like the editors over at Conan have done the latter. (more…)

Avid Studio is a $4.99, Frame-Accurate Editing Application for the iPad

Ryan Koo — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 17:36:29 +0000

Many have lauded Avid’s latest version of Media Composer (6), and it seems Avid is not content to cede the lower-end editing market to Adobe and Apple. To that end, they have released a new iPad app, Avid Studio, which at a special introductory price of $4.99 is surely the lowest-price piece of paid Avid software. Here’s a look at the app in action (no sound, some Japanese text): (more…)

Apple Adds Multicam Support (And a Way to Open Final Cut 7 Projects) to Final Cut Pro X

Ryan Koo — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 20:59:54 +0000

Apple today released an update to the controversial Final Cut Pro X, adding multicam support, advanced chroma keying, media relinking upgrades, and enhanced XML support. There’s also a third party app that — get this — actually allows you to import Final Cut Pro 7 projects. FCPX is now at 10.0.3, and while I’m not sure this will make anyone give up their copy of 7, it’s a step in the right direction (and a significant upgrade for current X users). Here are the details: (more…)

RED Workflow: How to Get REDCINE-X and Premiere Pro Working Together Seamlessly

Ryan Koo — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 21:35:52 +0000

One thing I’ve been wondering about since getting a RED was what I was going to do about workflow. REDCINE-X Pro is a really nice (and free) color grading application. But you’re not going to do secondary color correction or really complicated masking/keying in it (yet). So how does one use it in conjunction with a NLE? Do you render out files, take them and edit them in Premiere Pro, and then color correct files that you’ve already rendered? Don’t you sort of lose the whole idea of a RAW workflow by doing that? Turns out there’s a better way. (more…)

How Final Cut Ended up at Apple: an Excerpt from John Buck's 'Timeline: a History of Editing'

Ryan Koo — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 19:20:56 +0000

Did you know Final Cut wasn’t actually an Apple product but a Windows program written by Macromedia that Apple purchased? Did you know Apple purchasing Final Cut was a result of Adobe rebuffing Apple over a Mac version of Premiere? Did you know Apple was in danger of going under when it purchased Final Cut? Even if you already knew all of these things, the particulars of how Final Cut ended up in Apple’s hands is a fascinating story for anyone interested in video editing. John Buck’s $4.99 book Timeline: A History of Editing (also available on iBooks) tells the full tale. There’s also a Volume 1 book, which covers editing up until the digital age. Let’s take it back to 1998: (more…)

Avid Announces Media Composer 6 with 64-Bit Processing and New User Interface

Ryan Koo — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 19:47:49 +0000

No one’s denying the power of Avid’s editing systems, but they haven’t been the most accessible or open programs… until now? Today Avid announced Media Composer 6, bringing a brand new user interface, 64 bit processing power, stereoscopic 3D workflow, and new “Open I/O” architecture that interfaces with existing hardware cards from the likes of AJA and Blackmagic Design. Media Composer 6 will be $2,499, with upgrades from MC 5.5 starting at $299. Similar to how Adobe offered 50% off for Final Cut Pro 7 editors disenfranchised by the new FCPX, Avid is making a similar offer for users of Final Cut Pro 7: you can purchase MC 6, with video training included, for $1,499. Here’s a brief look at Media Composer 6 from Alex Walker: (more…)

Walter Murch on Final Cut Pro X: 'I Can't Use This.' What Should Students Learn?

Ryan Koo — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 16:29:11 +0000

I know, I know, Final Cut Pro X has been slammed by many, so what’s the point in posting yet another article about it? Well, one question I’ve been asked a lot since the release of FCP X is, “I’m a student, what NLE should I learn?” Before, the answer was easy: Final Cut Pro. Now, not so much. Should a student commit to FCP X, assuming it will become the future standard despite being woefully incomplete at present, or should they learn Adobe or Avid, assuming Apple’s role in the professional, wage-earning editing world as we know it is over? It’s a tough question, and I’m curious to hear your thoughts in the comments. In the meantime, here’s famed editor Walter Murch (The Conversation, Apocalypse Now, The Godfather II, and The English Patient among many others) talking about the X at the Boston Supermeet: (more…)

YouTube Unveils Cloud-Based Editing, Enabling Non-Destructive Post-Production Effects

Ryan Koo — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 22:00:49 +0000

This is simultaneously really impressive and seemingly obvious. The Tube of You has rolled out a new tab that allows you to trim your videos right on the site — in the cloud — instead of doing it locally and (re)uploading. This tab, aptly named “Edit video,” should already be live for all global users and allows for trimming, soundtrack-swapping, camera stabilization (!), and a number of basic post-production effects. As far as I can tell, at present there are no NLE features, but who knows where it’s headed next. Here’s the official word and a brief demo: (more…)

Edit Like It's 2009: Apple Quietly Re-releases Final Cut Studio (for Full Price)

Ryan Koo — Sat, 03 Sep 2011 17:56:04 +0000

After days of rumors, it’s official: according to Apple, “a limited quantity of Final Cut Studio [are] still available through Apple telesales to customers who need them for ongoing projects.” What’s the big deal? Apple had previously pulled all copies of FCS from the shelves, and this represents a capitulation to the ongoing demand for their two year-old NLE in the face of negative reactions to FCPX. I thought Walter Biscardi put it best: (more…)

Vincent Laforet's Hour-long RED and HDSLR Premiere Pro Workflow Video

Ryan Koo — Fri, 29 Jul 2011 18:55:07 +0000

Vincent Laforet has been up to great things lately with his blog, from shooting with RED EPIC to covering roundtrip editing between FCP 7 and Premiere. Along with Richard Harrington, Vincent has posted an hour-long tutorial on his complete RED and HDSLR workflow in Premiere Pro: (more…)

Free 15-part Training on Color Grading in Final Cut Pro X

Ryan Koo — Mon, 25 Jul 2011 19:00:47 +0000

Denver Riddle from Color Grading Central has released a free 15-part tutorial on color correction in Final Cut Pro X. Apple’s controversial NLE reboot introduces a number of new features and interface elements, chief of which is the Color Board, seen in the following tutorial. Hit the full link below for all 15 parts, which in addition to streaming for free are available as downloads for $49. (more…)