NoFilmSchool » editing

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…)

Open-source Collaborative Video Editor 'Novacut' Seeks Crowdfunding

Ryan Koo — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 17:06:07 +0000

Novacut is a work-in-progress HTML5-based collaborative editor that is currently fundraising on Kickstarter. It will run as a desktop application, but will also be made available in an online incarnation, and the entire project is open-source. It’s different from established NLEs like Avid, Premiere Pro, and Final Cut Pro in that it’s being designed from the ground up to allow editors to collaborate in real time over the internet. Here’s Arin Crumley (Four Eyed Monsters) and Christie Strong on the NLE: (more…)

'Event Manager X' Aims to Bring Finer Control to Final Cut Pro X's Media Management

Ryan Koo — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 13:19:28 +0000

By default, Final Cut Pro X shows all mounted events and projects, at all times. Those of us used to working in a more project-focused NLE — the kind that isolates one client’s files from another’s — may want a bit more control over FCP X’s management. This is where the new $4.99 app Event Manager X comes in. Here’s the list of features: (more…)

How to Import a Final Cut Pro 7 Project into Premiere Pro (Because You Can't Open It in FCP X... )

Ryan Koo — Tue, 12 Jul 2011 17:54:39 +0000

Robbie Carman, co-author of the just-published An Editor’s Guide to Adobe Premiere Pro, presents a tutorial perfect for those editors switching from Final Cut Pro to Premiere Pro. While I like a lot of things about Final Cut Pro X (more on that soon), the inability to open old project files is indefensible. The easiest transition path is actually to switch to Premiere Pro (50% off if you own FCP), choose FCP’s keyboard shortcuts within Premiere, and open your FCP 7 project files in Adobe’s NLE thanks to XML interchange. Here’s how to do it: (more…)

Adobe Offers 50% Off to Final Cut Pro Users for Switching to Premiere Pro

Ryan Koo — Sat, 02 Jul 2011 19:07:01 +0000

Just a couple of years ago the statement, “step up to the toolset the pros use, Adobe Premiere” would be taken as a joke by any professional editor. Yet there it is on Adobe’s site, thanks to numerous updates over the years. And with the release of Final Cut Pro X, suddenly the easiest NLE to transition to from Final Cut Pro 7 is not FCPX but rather Premiere Pro. Recognizing this with what one can only assume are ear-to-ear grins, the folks at Adobe are offering 50% off Adobe CS5.5 Production Premium or Premiere Pro if you own Apple Final Cut Pro (or Avid Media Composer). Here are the details (and an instructional video for doing so): (more…)

More Final Cut Pro X Screenshots Show Off Advanced Color Grading Interface

Ryan Koo — Mon, 13 Jun 2011 19:56:08 +0000

More screenshots of Final Cut Pro X (set to be released this month) have been discovered via twitter, this time by @MortGoldman2. Apparently taken from FCP X training videos that the user claims are “publicly available” (though not found easily or released legally), the new screenshots demonstrate the color correction interface of FCP X, which looks a lot like the Motion screenshots we saw last week. The screens show off a new primary and secondary color correction interface, as well as a full suite of video scopes. From these screens, it would appear that Color (but not Motion) has been folded right into FCP X: (more…)

Full Resolution Screenshots of Final Cut Pro X and the Importance of Overcoming Lock-In

Ryan Koo — Fri, 15 Apr 2011 19:00:00 +0000

Some have pointed out that many of Final Cut Pro X’s much-lauded new features are not really that “new.” This backlash seems to happen with every Apple product, perhaps out of response to the rapturous reception with which Apple fanboys greet the superlative-laced presentations. In the case of FCP X, the criticism is that FCP X’s list of new features (seen on video) have been around for a while in other editing applications (notably Premiere and Vegas). But a list of features does not an editing program make. It’s not what features you include in a piece of software, it’s how you design them. Read on for some thoughts on intuitive design and a few full resolution screenshots of the new Final Cut Pro X. (more…)

See Apple's Final Cut Pro X Interface at Work in Unofficial Video

Ryan Koo — Thu, 14 Apr 2011 00:18:12 +0000

Apple hasn’t posted any official acknowledgement of last night’s demonstrations of Final Cut Pro X on their website, and so everyone on the internet is speculating based on lists of features rather than seeing the presentation. Until Apple gets official with any such announcement, then, the next best thing to an official video is an unofficial (kind of shaky) video of the presentation. In my liveblog of the event I noted, “editors are crazy,” and you’ll see that to be the case based on the overenthusiastic reactions here: (more…)

Off to Vegas, Baby, Vegas and a Pre-NAB Panel on the Future of Editing

Ryan Koo — Sat, 09 Apr 2011 16:41:55 +0000

Thanks to your suggestions, I just finished packing the new and diminutive Canon XA10 camcorder (on loan from B&H) to take to NAB. I don’t know how many interviews I’ll be posting from Las Vegas or how quickly I’ll get them online, but I’ll be approaching the show with a relaxed demeanor given there are plenty of other great video/DSLR sites that will be covering the show top-to-bottom and I’m perfectly happy to share their coverage. If you’re going to be at NAB, please come up and say hi — I’d love to actually meet folks face to face (I look like this). On to the real news: every year Editors Lounge holds a pre-NAB roundtable wherein post-production pros discuss the latest trends in hardware and software. Here’s the very informative session in full: (more…)

Apple to Demonstrate the Next Final Cut Pro at NAB SuperMeet April 12

Ryan Koo — Wed, 06 Apr 2011 13:10:45 +0000

Every year at NAB the FCPUG (Final Cut Pro User Group) puts on their own event dubbed the “SuperMeet.” Since Apple pulled out of NAB two years ago, no one knew how the expected announcement of a new Final Cut Pro at this year’s NAB would take place. With all other scheduled events at this year’s SuperMeet suddenly being cancelled at the request of Apple, who apparently wants exclusive stage time, it looks like the new FCP will be unveiled publicly on April 12 at Bally’s Event Center. The event opens at 4:30pm with presentations beginning at 7. Tickets are currently sold out; guess I should’ve bought a ticket when I had a chance. More details: (more…)

Will Apple Split Up Final Cut Studio and Sell the Components a la Carte?

Ryan Koo — Mon, 14 Mar 2011 19:46:08 +0000

Since Apple showed a new version of Final Cut Pro behind closed doors, the internets have been flooded with all manner of speculation as to what is so groundbreaking about the latest update to FCP. Idle speculation alert — if you’re not a Final Cut-based editor or you simply don’t care about what could be, feel free to skip this post — we’ll get proper news soon enough. But because there are a lot of FCP editors out there — and because so many folks are throwing ideas at the wall — I thought I’d share a few of the ideas floating about. (more…)