Last week, Adobe released the much-anticipated update to their Creative Cloud video applications. We've already taken a look at one of the most exciting new features inside of Premiere/After Effects, Live Text Templates, which allows multi-faceted After Effects text compositions to be manipulated directly inside of Premiere, eliminating the need for excessive round-tripping. However, Live Text Templates are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to new features in this update. SpeedGrade CC, Adobe's color grading application, also received a few welcome new features, features that one of our readers, Dave Andrade, shows off in a new video.
Here's the video from Dave, whose YouTube channel features some good Creative Cloud tutorials, picture style comparisons, and general filmmaking goodness:
Ultimately, this release of SpeedGrade doesn't contain any flashy new features -- unlike the new version of Resolve. However, integration between Premiere Pro and SpeedGrade is becoming tighter and tighter with improved direct linking functionality, and the overall functionality and aesthetic of SpeedGrade is falling into line with the rest of Adobe's software. Nearly 3 years after the purchase of the software from Iridas, SpeedGrade is finally starting to fit into the Adobe post-production ecosystem.
The addition of Master Clip effects is going to be a massive time-saver for colorists as well. No longer is it necessary to re-grade or add saved looks to multiple instances of a clip in the SpeedGrade timeline. Now the software will detect the master clips from Premiere and automatically apply grades to all instances of that clip in the timeline. Additionally, I really dig the luminance sliders to the right of the color wheels. It's really an unassuming new feature, but it makes the color wheel interface a bit more practical.
What do you guys think of the new features in SpeedGrade 2014? What features would you like to see incorporated into future updates?
Link: Dave Andrade -- YouTube
Check-Out: Professional & Studio Headphones – Top Selling Headphones on Sale this week
With any & every B&H purchase You will automatically be entered into the Monthly Gift Card Raffle.
Your Comment
13 Comments
Ill tell you what's new...BUGS. CC 2014 has made my week a living hell.
June 28, 2014 at 5:54PM, Edited September 4, 8:56AM
Thank you for posting this. I am in the middle of a project, and it's a good reminder to WAIT until I'm done.
June 28, 2014 at 5:59PM, Edited September 4, 8:56AM
Yep. I have had a frustrating week with CC2014 also.
June 29, 2014 at 8:35AM, Edited September 4, 8:56AM
I would like to see improvements in response and lag in SpeedGrade. If projects are too big, or you are utilizing footage that is raw, uncompressed, or larger than 1080p then the interface lags when making changes to picture. Conversely, I see zero lag when loading the same projects up in Resolve on the same machine, reading from the same drives.
Another improvement they could make is the interaction with control surfaces. I own a Tangent Wave board and there's hardly any customization options for it. You have to stick with their presets, and there isn't a list or documentation anywhere telling you what your keypad buttons do! I had to try them all, and write them down myself, and even now I'm still not sure. Using the control surface also adds to the lag significantly.
Despite all this, I still use SpeedGrade due to the ability to go between color and edit so seamlessly. It saves me lots of time. When clients want a re-edit, I don't have to start from scratch with color, or do weird workarounds with previous masters. When deadlines are tight and I have a half day of waiting for feedback and notes, I can use that time to start color correction and then jump back to editing when notes and changes come back.
June 28, 2014 at 5:58PM, Edited September 4, 8:56AM
Speedgrade last version got clogged up with Premiere effects enabled. Depending on the number of effects, the whole software lagged or stopped working completely. After disabling all the effects, Speedgrade worked as expected again.
June 29, 2014 at 2:02AM, Edited September 4, 8:56AM
Speedgrade at least as of the pre-2014 version has an unusable amount of lag when direct-linking on the Mac platform. Start a project new, and there is no lag. If they fix this, I may start using Speedgrade.
June 29, 2014 at 11:53AM, Edited September 4, 8:56AM
I still don't see any benefit in using SpeedGrade. It just increase workflow.
June 29, 2014 at 3:38AM, Edited September 4, 8:56AM
The main reason to use it is control. Its way more presice than premire pro is by default. I've used it to achieve the same results (or better) as colorista, or looks but it renders way faster. Even with MB Looks new guy support speedgrade blows it out of the water.
June 29, 2014 at 11:14AM, Edited September 4, 8:56AM
I have seen colorists doing their job in AE..... there you have (except for the internal scope) everything you need for great color grading.
June 30, 2014 at 1:12AM, Edited September 4, 8:56AM
You can also do it in Premiere with the built-in tools. Or Colorista. Or Magic Bullet Looks. Or Davinci. Or a bunch of other things. There are dozens of ways to color grade. Using SG is just one of them.
And, out of curiosity, how is it you find direct linking to SpeedGrade to be an unnecessary addition to workflow, but going to After Effect isn't? I'd argue that for color grading, going to AE is way slower than going to SpeedGrade.
July 1, 2014 at 2:10PM, Edited September 4, 8:56AM
That music is unbearable.
June 29, 2014 at 9:33AM, Edited September 4, 8:56AM
I can't even get it started anymore. Crashes immediately. Tnx for releasing buggy programs. We only pay 700 dollars per year, so I guess we could expect it.
June 29, 2014 at 10:52PM, Edited September 4, 8:56AM
+1 for disappointment in Direct Link for Mac users
July 3, 2014 at 2:26PM, Edited September 4, 8:56AM