Author Archives: Web Master

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Important Information for Panasonic AVCCAM Users

Posted by Web Master in Courses and tagged with , , ,

Issues with Panasonic AVCHD and Final Cut Pro X 10.2

Apple Support have released the following information:

Resolve black frames issues with Panasonic AVCHD and Final Cut Pro X 10.2

Final Cut Pro X 10.2 might display some video as black frames when working with Panasonic AVCCAM cameras at certain frame rates.

If you’re working with Panasonic AVCHD video files from an AVCCAM device recorded at 25p or 30p, video will occasionally play as black frames. This might occur on systems using Final Cut Pro X 10.2 on some Mac systems, depending on the graphics card. If you are using a Mac Pro (Late 2013) or playing several streams of AVCHD video on a MacBook Pro or iMac, you might see the black frames playback issue.

This issue can be resolved by recording at a frame rate other then 25p or 30p. This includes recording at 50p, 50i, 60p, 60i, or 24p.

You can avoid the black frames issue by transcoding 25p or 30p AVCHD recorded with a Panasonic AVCCAM to another codec like ProRes. ProRes 422 LT and ProRes 422 are excellent intermediate codecs that preserve original image quality. Note: Your new files will take up more hard drive space than the original files.

Follow these steps to transcode:

  1. Locate the AVCHD media which has already been imported into Final Cut Pro X. If your library uses an external media location then this media will be in an external media folder. If your media is managed inside the library, use the Consolidate function to move it to an external folder.
  2. Transcode your media to an intermediate format using Compressor or another transcoding application. If you create a Compressor droplet, you can transcode all of your media as a batch. But if you don’t have Compressor, you can use a wide range of transcoding applications. Be sure to target a folder on a drive that is large enough for all of this new transcoded media.
  3. Identify the specific problematic AVCHD clips in the Final Cut Pro X browser. If you view the library as a list, you can sort by codec and look for H.264 at 25p and 30p. Move these clips to their own event.
  4. If you made optimized or proxy media from these clips, you should delete those files. Select the new event with the h.264 media, go to File > Delete Generated Event Files, and choose to delete Optimized and Proxy media.
  5. With the event still selected, go to File > Relink Files. Choose Relink: All, click Locate All, and navigate to the folder of transcoded media.

If transcoding is not an option, and you already opened an older library with Final Cut Pro X 10.2, you will need to open a back up of that library with Final Cut Pro X 10.1.4. If you backed up a copy of Final Cut X 10.1.4 as described in the instructions, then you should delete Final Cut Pro X 10.2 from your system and restore the compressed Final Cut Pro X 10.1.4. Then launch Final Cut X 10.1.4, navigate to File > Open> From Back Up> Other and open the last library backup that was automatically saved before you upgraded to Final Cut Pro X 10.2.

Important: Information about products not manufactured by Apple is provided for information purposes only and does not constitute Apple’s recommendation or endorsement. Please contact the vendor for additional information.

What’s new in FCP 10.2 – The Big and Small

Posted by Web Master in Courses and tagged with Color Board, Colour Correction, Colour corrections, corrections

The headliner features of Final Cut Pro 10.2 are getting the attention,

but it is the smaller subtle changes that will affect your workflow and make some of the biggest differences.

The new 3D text is the flagship change, but the behind the scenes changes to acceptance of Camera formats and the change in use of the GPUs ( including support for dual GPUs on Mac Pro) will smooth the operation for many. Such as the GPU-accelerated RED RAW processing and natively supporting Panasonic AVC-Ultra and Sony XAVC-S.

Let’s drill down to the items that that are not so obvious from the press release information:

The new Colour Correction Effects.

Colour corrections are now able to be selected separate effects, which means when copying and pasting attributes now, different colour corrections can be selected. Previously when pasting the colour correction only the one single effect could be selected in the paste of attributes.

The new corrections use what is termed a “Color Board”. It is not immediately obvious how to create these. To create a color board you need to either select Command 6 or use the window menu and select go to > Color Board. This brings up the same color correction windows you will be used to but has an added option at the top right corner where you can click on the downward arrow to “add a correction” if there was no previous correction on the clip it will show as “no correction”. If there are previous corrections they will show as Correction 1 or 2 etc.

color go to Corrcetion 1 added Correction 1 no corrections

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The advantages are when pasting you will be able to paste as an attribute these different color boards rather than being restricted to a single correction paste. An example would be where you have 2 x different camera that have had to be separately color corrected to match each other you can now select a clip with 2 x or more color boards (because now they are treated as effects) and select which attribute to paste on Cam1 or Cam2.

 

Untitled

 

The new Draw mask plug in:

This allows you to draw a mask around objects in a clip using Linear, Bezier or b-spline tools (similar to photoshop tools) This means you are able to separate objects in a much more direct way, rather than having to drag points as in the past. (though these are still available)

Draw Mask draw

 

 

 

 

You will notice that feather and falloff are options that are operated by slider between zero and 100%, it is not immediately obvious that you can take them higher or lower than 100% or zero by typing directly into the fields.

400%

 

 

 

Smart Collections

 

This is a minor organisational change but so you are clear what is does:

Smart collections for Stills, Favorites, Video only and Audio only; are automatically added to every Library in a folder called “Smart collections”. This is of course something you could have done yourself manually and created a template, but now it appears automatically for you.

 

Smart

 

 

Changes in Import Window

 

In version 10.2 there is a change in the way that you are able to choose the import settings. Up to now after you selected the clips in the import window and asked the import to proceed, a separate window appeared for you to select between optimised media, proxy media and the various analysis options. That is now slightly different in that you can select those options directly in the import window and there is no need for the second window:

 

New import

 

 

Notification of import Complete

 

This is a nice touch – now when you the import is completed AND any analysis and transcoding is complete, you will see a notification that will allow you to eject the media that the footage was on.

 

Import complete

 

There maybe more changes that I have not picked up on at the moment – let me know if you have come across any others.

Update to Final Cut Pro brings App to 10.2

Posted by Web Master in Courses

Today Apple has released a full point upgrade to Final Cut Pro that brings a raft of new features and improvements. This all ties in with NAB and is in fact the 15th free update to Final Cut Pro since the original release of Final Cut Pro X in 2011.

My personal favourite is all about quick and very stylish 3D text that offers so many options your mind will blow – and even more choices for modifying 3D in Motion – WOW.

All three apps were updated, Final Cut Pro, Motion and Compressor.

 

These are the release notes for Final Cut Pro:

Here are Apple’s Release Notes:

3D titles

  • Beautifully animated and easily customizable 3D text
  • Simple templates to get started quickly
  • Cinematic templates with built-in backgrounds and animations
  • Large collection of text styles to create stunning looks with one click
  • Customize your titles with hundreds of combinations of materials, lighting, and edges
  • Additional controls to adjust environment, shadows, and more
  • Instantly convert 2D titles to 3D
  • Open any title in Motion to add multiple lights, cameras, and tracking

Advanced effects

  • Display up to four video scopes simultaneously
  • Apply super ellipse Shape mask to any clip
  • Apply Draw mask to any clip, with options for linear, bezier, or B-spline smoothing
  • New Shape and Color mask controls for every effect
  • Instantly display the alpha channel for any effect mask
  • Save custom effects as presets for quick access
  • Color Board merged into the new Color Correction effect
  • Rearrange the processing order of the Color Correction effect
  • Improved keyframing with better motion smoothing
  • Improved optical flow for beautiful slow motion on a wider range of content
  • Better performance of FxPlug plug-ins and built-in effects that use multiple frames like Visual Echo and Trails

New Camera formats

  • Support for Panasonic AVC-Ultra codec family
  • Support for Sony XAVC S format
  • Import Sony XAVC and XDCAM formats without separate plug-in
  • Support for JVC H.264 Long GOP format
  • GPU-accelerated RED RAW processing with support for dual GPUs Support for RED RAW anamorphic formats

Additional features

  • You can now use Smart Collections at the event and library level
  • Import window consolidates all options into a single sidebar
  • GPU rendering when using Send To Compressor with support for dual GPUs
  • CABAC entropy mode for multi-pass encoding
  • XML 1.5 for third-party interchange. For legacy third-party applications, XML 1.4 continues to be supported

Final Cut Pro version 10.2 also addresses the following issues:

  • Faster drawing of audio waveforms which improves performance especially when editing over a network
  • Transform controls work correctly with photos in a secondary storyline
  • Resizable Filter window for searching
  • Freeze frames copy media across multiple libraries
  • Slo-mo video clips from iPhone appear in the Browser with a badge
  • Full-screen playback does not automatically superimpose transport controls
  • Improved performance when skimming Long GOP video including AVCHD
  • Exporting a Master File using i-Frame codecs like ProRes can play in QuickTime Player before the export completes
  • Support for XAVC S video recorded at 120 fps and 240 fps
  • MXF-wrapped AVC-Intra and Uncompressed files export faster

Release notes for Motion:

 

Introducing 3D titles

  • Beautifully animated and easily customizable 3D text
  • Simple templates to get started quickly
  • Cinematic templates with built-in backgrounds and animations
  • Save any 3D title and access it instantly in Final Cut Pro X
  • Large collection of text styles to create stunning looks in one click
  • Customize your titles with hundreds of combinations of materials, lighting, and edges
  • Additional controls adjust environments, shadows, and more
  • Instantly convert 2D titles to 3D
  • Create advanced 3D looks with multiple materials and edges on each character
  • Flexible surface shading with options for texture maps, diffuse and specular reflection, and bump mapping
  • Cast shadows from 3D text onto itself and other objects in a 3D scene
  • Add multiple lights, cameras, and tracking to any 3D title
  • In-camera glint effects
  • Support for sequencing 3D text animations
  • Over 90 built-in materials including metals, woods, plastics, and more
  • Combine layers of materials to create unique looks
  • Customize any material and save as a new preset
  • Easily add real-world attributes including paints, finishes, distress, and more

New Camera formats

  • Panasonic AVC-Ultra codec family
  • Sony XAVC S
  • JVC H.264 Long GOP

Additional features

  • 12 new generators including Manga Lines, Sunburst, and Spiral Graphics
  • Improved keyframing including copy and paste in the Timeline
  • Improved mask and shape creation for rectangles and circles plus conversion to bezier shape for more control
  • Easily monitor background Share operations from within Motion
  • Improved performance on Intel-based GPUs
  • Better performance of FxPlug plug-ins and built-in effects that use multiple frames like Echo and Trails

Motion version 5.2 also includes the following:

  • Improved stability when loading projects with missing filters or fonts
  • Choosing a smooth option on an already smooth point no longer changes the curve
  • Checkbox parameters display in the curve editor
  • Double-clicking to add a new keyframe in the Curve Editor no longer changes interpolation of subsequent keyframes
  • The Keyframe Editor vertical scroll bar displays the entire graph
  • Keyframe Editor time scale is consistent

The release notes for Compressor:

 

New features

  • Create an iTunes Store Package for iTunes Store submission
  • Easily add your movie, trailer, closed captions, and subtitles to your iTunes Store Package
  • Preview closed captions and subtitles right in the Viewer
  • Zoom in the Viewer to watch content with true pixel accuracy
  • GPU rendering when using “Send to Compressor” with support for dual GPUs
  • Hardware-accelerated, multi-pass H.264 encoding on compatible systems
  • Automatic bit-rate calculation to MPEG-4 and H.264 QuickTime movies
  • Display and assign channels to QuickTime audio tracks prior to processing
  • Optional matrix stereo down-mix when processing surround sound for QuickTime output
  • CABAC entropy mode for multi-pass encoding

Compressor version 4.2 also addresses the following issues:

  • Jobs submitted via Droplet now appear in the Active and Completed tabs
  • Improved stability when using Apple AES3 Audio format with ProRes 422 HQ

Improve the Filters and effects within Final Cut Pro

Posted by Web Master in Courses and tagged with , , , , , , , , ,

Use Motion 5 Filters without leaving Final Cut Pro

 

Motion Filters are much more detailed than those in Final Cut Pro. We have recorded a tutorial that shows how to create filters in Motion and publish ALL of their controls into Final Cut Pro so that they work directly in Final Cut Pro.

motion filters

This means that you don’t have to export your video clips, out of Final Cut Pro, import into Motion – then make the adjustments with Motion’s filter controls, and then re-import into Final Cut Pro

what a procedure that you can now avoid!

 

 

In the tutorial we have used the example of the Contrast filter, which is part of the Color Correction sub set of filters in Motion 5. This filter offers special controls such as Pivot point, Smooth Contrast and the choice of contrasting Luminance only – all things you can’t access within Final Cut Pro.

 

Our tutorial shows how to install the Contrast filter inside Final Cut Pro so you can use these controls without leaving Final Cut Pro.

contrast filter

 

 

 

 

 

The same can be done for other Motion 5 filters that you want to use directly within Final Cut Pro. Just remember to “publish” the controls that you want to access within Final Cut Pro

 

 

This tutorial is part of our NEW 63 lesson training course available on the Mac App store for $9.99. 14 hours of video tutorials and 600 topics.

 

Use this link to access the Tutorial on The Mac App store.

 

We recommend the plug-in collection 
from FCPEffects:

Editingwhizmarchemail001

Final Cut Pro Updated to 10.1.3 – Stability and Reliability

Posted by Web Master in Courses and tagged with

Today: Apple has released a minor update to Final Cut Pro X.

They are reliability and Stability changes – the top of the list is for reliability of burning Blu-ray discs. Also reflected in updates for Motion and Compressor. (versions Motion 5.1.2 and Compressor 4.1.3

– Fixes reliability issues when burning a Blu-ray Disc or creating a Blu-ray disk image
– Color corrections pasted between clips are retained during Share
– Effects applied to clips in the Browser in prior versions of the app are retained when adding those clips to the timeline
– XML round-trip imports correctly when using gap clips
– Improves reliability of automatic library backups
– Improves stability when skimming growing files in the Browser

You can update via the Mac App store.

Click here

The New Final Cut Pro X 10.1.x course on Mac App store – Only $9.99

 

 

Recommended are these plug-ins
from FCPEffects:

Editingwhizmarchemail001

 

We recommend Final Cut Library Manager as a Must have Application:

FC Library manager 2

Review of Update 10.1.2 Final Cut Pro

Posted by Web Master in Courses and tagged with , , ,

The New Features of

Final Cut Pro X 10.1.2

How and why you use them.

 

On 27th June Apple released an update to Final Cut Pro X. These new features do not change how Final Cut Pro is used now, they simply add to the functionality.

The most noticeable thing is the speed increase for longer projects. The best new features are the increased Flexibility to locate Render files and optimized/Proxy Media in different places. The new Voice over tool is an improvement. The ability to adjust audio on relative basis to much appreciated. Also welcome: ability to delete generated files, not just render files and ability to trash preferences on Final Cut Pro launch with Command and Option Keys.

Recommended are these plug-ins
from FCPEffects:

Editingwhizmarchemail001

The Apple documentation lists the new features as:

 

  • Final Cut Pro X version 10.1.2 adds these features.
    • Optimized, proxy, and rendered media can be stored at any location outside of the library
    • View and set storage locations for each of your libraries using the Library Properties inspector
    • Easily delete optimized, proxy, and rendered media from within Final Cut Pro X
    • Used media indicators for Compound, Multicam, and Synced clips
    • Option to show only unused media in the Browser
    • Apply a standard (Rec. 709) look in real time to high dynamic range and wide color gamut video from ARRI, Blackmagic Design, Canon, and Sony cameras
    • Automatically apply an ARRI embedded 3D LUT from the new AMIRA camera
    • Support for Apple ProRes 4444 XQ
    • Improved speed and accuracy when synchronizing clips
    • Audio recording improvements including countdown and automatic Audition creation from multiple takes
    • Fast export of cuts-only projects containing XDCAM media
    • Export entire library as a single XML file
    • Selecting a library displays key metadata in the Inspector
    • Adjust relative and absolute volume of a clip or range selection
    • Create keywords from Finder Tags when importing media
    • Option to sort events by date or name in the Libraries list
    • Import a clip by dragging directly into the Browser
    • Share 4K video to Vimeo

    Final Cut Pro version 10.1.2 also addresses the following issues

    • Faster opening, closing, copying, and overall performance when working with large libraries
    • Linear and smooth motion interpolation between keyframes applies to both time and distance

Apple now also suggests to before updating you create a zip file of your current Application.

 

see this link: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT5550

Below is my video review of new features  and the new transition in the Dissolve Subfolder.

This is taken from the new 14 x hour “Final Cut Pro A-Z” tutorial, soon to be released.

14 x hours of video tutorials

61 x Lessons – Download All Lessons index

Over 600 Topics:

Download Topic list – All topics A-Z

 

We recommend Final Cut Library Manager as a Must have Application:

FC Library manager 2

Public beta of “Lightworks for Mac” expected 11th June

Posted by Web Master in Courses and tagged with ,

“Lightworks for Mac” Alpha now available

The Mac Alpha version of Lightworks has been distributed to registered Alpha editors and it is expected that the Mac Public Beta version will be released around 11th June 2014.
For those who are not familiar with Lightworks – here is a brief History:

THE HISTORY OF LIGHTWORKS

There was once a piece of software helping to define the non-linear editing space; it’s an editing system known as Lightworks.

Back around 1990, when digital non linear editing was in its infancy, systems like EditDroid and others there was a small company in England, put together by a team of editors, who were developing a computerised editing system for editors, designed by editors.

In fact, that was one of the early slogans of Lightworks as they tried to compete with a Boston company called Avid, who was also making huge inroads in Hollywood with their digital editing tool, Avid Media Composer.

As was the case with many early systems, Lightworks was designed with a software and hardware component in mind. It deployed a controller which emulated a KEM or Steenbeck film editor. They wanted to take all of the “non linearity” of film, and the ease and control of screening footage back and forth from film editing, and place it squarely in a computer environment.

A lot has happened in non-linear editing since then. Avid attained shone, until Apple purchased a piece of software from Macromedia and released their DV editing software system called Final Cut Pro using the NEW firewire connections on their Macs.

At a cost of about five percent of a full blown Avid system, users could quickly import DV camera footage, edit, title, output and distribute motion images like never before. The tide shifted, Apple’s Final Cut Pro became more refined, and soon it was making inroads in educational environments, TV series. Film makers like the Cohen brothers became fans and users.

Lightworks for Windows and Linux are now available in Public Beta and full versions.

Below is the announcement on the Public Beta version of “Lightworks for Mac”from EditShare, who are developers of Lightworks.

 

Lightworks On Mac OS X

We are very pleased to announce that the first wave of Mac Alpha testing is now live to a very select few editors. These editors are some of our finest Lightworks users and we are pleased to let them have first access to Lightworks on the Mac.

We will begin the second and third waves of Alpha testing later this month, any users that previously registered interest will have access to the Mac Alpha version of Lightworks over the coming weeks.

If you are not in the Alpha Program please do not worry. We expect the Alpha Program lasting only four to six weeks maximum and are confident with announcing the Mac Public Beta version on the 11th June 2014. The wait is almost over 

The latest changes in version 12 of Lightworks on the Mac were shown at NAB show in Las Vegas.

 

 

More information available on Lightworks site.

 

We recommend Final Cut Library Manager as a Must have Application:

FC Library manager 2


FCP Tutorials from 1.99

Read online Video/Photography Magazines – free

Posted by Web Master in Courses and tagged with Photography, Photography magazines, PhotoShop tutorials,

Hundreds of Video and Photography magazines for FREE

mag 1Mag 2

View and download Hundreds of Photography and video related magazines,

from “How to” PhotoShop tutorials,

Video,

Cinematography

3D ART,

Lighting

DSLR Moviemaking,

Digital Art

 

 

 

Mag 3

 

 

Upgrading to Final Cut Pro 10.1.1

Posted by Web Master in Courses and tagged with ,

Things to do prior to upgrading?

Things to do when upgrading?

Things to do after upgrading?

 

We recommend Final Cut Library Manager as a Must have Application:

FC Library manager 2

There are many implications when you decide to upgrade from 10.0.9 of Final Cut Pro.

But the good news is that Apple has thought them through and given you options even if you take what you later find as an incorrect option in the update process. Nothing is lost and you even have the choice to retain your older structure (without taking up extra disk space).

There is an excellent series of videos about upgrading to Final Cut Pro 10.1.1. Even if you have already upgraded some or even all of your previous projects you will want to review this 3 x part video series from Ripple training. They are highly recommended to give you a full understanding of what has happened in the upgrade process.

Part one: Prior to upgrading:

Even if you have already upgraded your old events and Projects into the new Library structure you are going to get valuable information about what has gone on behind the scenes and this will prepare you for what you can do with those new libraries after the upgrade process.

***************************************************************************

Part two: How to upgrade:

Once you have gone through the actual upgrade process and even if you save the old events and project structure, you will not take up any more disk space. Just because they appear to be duplicated, they do not take up extra disk space. If you did not save and requested they be put in the trash, you will still be able to retrieve them (providing you have not emptied the trash)
***************************************************************************

Part three: What to do after upgrading:

 

We recommend:

FCP Tutorials from 1.99Fcpeffects-logo

Final Cut Pro 10.1 released – optimized for new MacPro

Posted by Web Master in Courses and tagged with , libraries feature

The big feature of the new Final Cut Pro

is the Libraries feature that takes a cue from iMovie to combine events and projects in one library. Thus helping to keep the raw footage and project together somewhat alleviating the breaking of the links between raw footage and the project. I am sure it will still be able to be broken but at least this will help keep Final Cut Pro better organised.

Also a surprise is that the update is again free – and has improved features that would have justified a paid upgrade. Other improvements include optimised playback and rendering using dual GPUs in the new Mac Pro, video monitoring up to 4K via Thunderbolt 2 and HDMI on select Mac computers (not many at this point in time), 4K content including titles, transitions, and generators, easy opening (and closing) individual libraries to load just the material you need, an option to import camera media to locations inside or outside of a library, automatic backup of libraries to a user-specified drive or network location, “Project Snapshots” to quickly capture the project state for fast versioning, audio fade handles on individual audio channels in the timeline, precise retime speeds by entering them numerically in the timeline. XML support has further been improved, ACHD is fully and natively supported.

Mac Pro-specific assets include optimization for the computer’s standard dual-GPU setup, as well as video monitoring at up to 4K resolutions via Thunderbolt 2 and HDMI.

Apple’s Final Cut Pro version 10.1 can be purchased now through the Mac App Store for US$299.99, or as a free download for existing customers.

One word of warning – you will be asked to update your current events and projects to version 10.1. Personally I would avoid updating current project until the ramifications of the new libraries feature is fully understood. make a back up of your current Version 10.0.9  of Final Cut Pro so that if things go wrong you will be either able to create a separate user on your mac to be able to continue to use 10.0.9.

Apple has written an online guide for the purpose. If you use Final Cut Pro X for important projects, I strongly suggest you follow their advice before updating the app.

Also released with Final Cut Pro are new versions of Compressor and Motion that also are optimised for The new macPro

Compressor 4.1 now has a unified interface and looks more like a 21st Century app than it did before. It now also supports hardware-based H.264 encoding in supported Share operations, Dolby Digital Plus encoding and direct sharing to YouTube at 4K resolution.

Motion 5.1 now supports optimised playback and rendering using dual GPUs in the new Mac Pro, FxPlug 3 with custom plug-in interfaces and dual-GPU support, faster project loading, especially for complex projects and here as well “Share” directly to YouTube at 4K resolution.
Apple’s release notes for Final Cut Pro

Apple’s release notes for Compressor

We recommend:

FCP Tutorials from 1.99Fcpeffects-logo