New ! Figuring Out Video Field Order, Frames, and Interlacing
Video is hard enough to understand. Throw in fields, frames, field order, and interlacing and it's enough to make you cry. In this article, I explain what you need to know to successfully navigate around the land mines. (Published: Mar. 2010 ; Final Cut Pro v. 4, HD, 5.0x, 5.1x, 6, 7.x)
New ! Creating WMV Files from Final Cut Pro Projects
Final Cut Pro is a QuickTime editor. But what if you want to create WMV files? Well, you are not out-of-luck, but you will need different software. This article describes what you need to know, along with how to resolve problems when creating WMV files. (Published: Mar. 2010 ; Final Cut Pro v. 5.1x, 6, 7.x)
New ! Thoughts on the Apple iPad
Apple has announced their new iPad, though as of this writing it has not yet shipped. What is the iPad good for? Should video professionals pay attention? In this article, I share some of my thoughts on where the iPad fits in. (Published: Mar. 2010)
New ! Compressing Different Video Formats into One QuickTime Movie
I ran into an interesting problem over the weekend that I want to share with you because the solution is more complex than at first blush. Here's the problem: I was asked to create a video for posting on line. The video had two components: me on camera talking, and screen shots, both of which were different sizes and formats. This article describes the process of creating a single, compressed file composed of multiple format video. (Published: Mar. 2010 ; Compressor v. 3.0x, 3.5x)
New ! Getting Analog Video from a MacBook Pro to an SD TV
David Tindale wrote this article on how to get standard-definition video out of a MacBook Pro for display on an analog SD TV set. (Published: Mar. 2010 ; Final Cut Pro v. 5.1x, 6, 7.x)
New ! A Commentary on the Importance of Training
Ben Balser, an Apple-Certified Trainer for Digital Media, sent me the following commentary on investing the time to get trained. By way of background, Ben is a long-time educator and trainer. (Published: Mar. 2010)
New ! Getting Started with Final Cut Pro
A reader writes that his 10-year-old daughter is interested in editing and wants to know the best gear to buy and how to get trained in FCP. This is a great question, but the wrong question. This article explains that it isn't the gear, its her interest. Fan that first, then buy gear second. You can read how here. (Published: Mar. 2010 ; Final Cut Pro v. 5.1x, 6, 7.x)
New ! Setting DVD Studio Pro Tracks for 16:9 Video
By default, DVD Studio Pro creates tracks that support 4:3 video. However, this is easy to change, but hard to find. This short article describes what you need to do to create wide-screen DVDs. (Published: Mar. 2010 ; DVD Studio Pro)
New ! Converting HDV Video for a Letter-boxed DVD
By definition, all DVDs are only standard-def (SD). If you need high-def, you need to create Blu-ray Discs, which are not the same thing. But what if you want to take HD material and put it on a DVD? You need to convert it. And this article, describes how. (Published: Mar. 2010 ; DVD Studio Pro)
New ! Retaining Chapter Markers in H.264 Video
Adding DVD chapter markers to a QuickTime movie is reasonably easy. But how do you do this for H.264 compressed video. This article describes what you need to know. (Published: Mar. 2010 ; Final Cut Pro v. 5.1x, 6, 7.x)
New ! Searching for Missing Files in FCP
Normally, Final Cut Pro files don't go missing. However, sometimes, you end up looking for a file that you didn't create and who's file name is mostly weird letters and numbers. What kind of file is this? And how do you find it? And can you fix it if it is lost? This article explains what, why, and how. (Published: Mar. 2010 ; Final Cut Pro v. HD, 5.0x, 5.1x, 6, 7.x)
New ! Review: Sheffield Softworks Retouching Filters
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. (Published: Mar. 2010 ; Final Cut Pro v. 5.1x, 6, 7.x)
New ! Technique: Testing Your System for 64-Bit Support
Here's a short article that explains what you need to know about 64-bit memory support, along with some software you can use to toggle between 32-bit and 64-bit modes. (Published: Mar. 2010)
New ! Customizing Blu-ray Disc Templates in Final Cut Pro 7
Apple now supports creating Blu-ray Discs in Final Cut Studio 3. This support involves using templates to create your discs. However, making changes to these templates is easy to do, but hard to find. This article explains what you need to do to create your own customized Blu-ray Disc templates. (Published: Mar. 2010 ; Studio Suite v. 3)
New ! Apple Announces A New Video Format -- iFrame
Recently, Apple announced a new video format - iFrame - and Sanyo announced new cameras that support that format. This article looks at this announcement and speculates on what this means for the video professional. (Note: Currently, Final Cut Pro does not support iFrame files.) (Published: Mar. 2010)
New ! Compressing Different Video Formats into One QuickTime Movie
I ran into an interesting problem over the weekend that I want to share with you because the solution is more complex than at first blush. Here's the problem: I was asked to create a video for posting on line. The video had two components: me on camera talking, and screen shots, both of which were different sizes and formats. This article describes the process of creating a single, compressed file composed of multiple format video. (Published: Mar. 2010 ; Compressor v. 3.0x, 3.5x)
New ! Technique: Testing Your System for 64-Bit Support
Here's a short article that explains what you need to know about 64-bit memory support, along with some software you can use to toggle between 32-bit and 64-bit modes. (Published: Mar. 2010 ; Not Applicable)
New ! Disclosure and Thoughts on Product Reviews
This article spells out the rules I use for reviewing products -- both software and hardware. It is my goal to provide objective, fair, and honest reviews you can trust. Reviews based upon life in the "real-world." This article explains the rules I use in determining what products to review and the role that potential sponsorship plays in determining what I review. (Published: Mar. 2010 ; Not Applicable)
New ! Commentary: A Love Letter to LiveType
With the release of Final Cut Studio (3), Apple signaled that LiveType was not long for this world by no longer bundling it with the suite of software. However, FCP 7 still supports LiveType files. This is a shame, as I truly like working with LiveType. This article details what makes LiveType fun to use, and features in Motion that would help us make the transition. (Published: Mar. 2010 ; LiveType v. 1.x, 2.x)
New ! A Method of Decreasing Audio Echoes
One of the hardest emails to read starts: "After years of work, I'm finally ready to submit my project to a festival. All I need to do is get rid of the audio echoes and I'm done." The sad part is that is not a lot that can be done to reduce echoes -- except for the ideas in this article. (Published: Mar. 2010 ; Final Cut Pro v. 6, 7.x)
New ! Improve Your Timeline Zooming
New with Final Cut Pro 7 are two shortcuts: Zoom In/Out at Playhead on Timeline. However, they don't do anything until you assign them to a keyboard shortcut. But, what if you want to assign them to your mouse? This article shows you what you need to know to do it. (Published: Mar. 2010 ; Final Cut Pro v. 7.x)
New ! Editorial: Training That Doesn't Teach
These thoughts have been bubbling around my head for the last few months, but developed into an article as I was trying to learn a particularly tricky piece of software. After reading the manual, watching the tutorials, and taking the training, I was more confused than ever. This article is an attempt to discuss how to create effective training, and specific techniques to avoid. (Published: Mar. 2010 ; Not Applicable)
New ! When Should You Upgrade to Snow Leopard?
Snow Leopard, Apple's latest operating system, is not for everyone. But it may be for you. This article describes what you need to know in deciding when to upgrade your system. (Published: Mar. 2010 ; Not Applicable)
New ! Restoring Hard Disk Data
About a year ago, I wrote that when hard disks are unplugged and stored on a shelf, the magnetic data slowly dissipates. In this article, you'll find two different methods you can use to restore your data -- along with a link to the original article. (Published: Mar. 2010 ; Not Applicable)
New ! Reflection: The End of Television As We Know It
The recent conversion to all-digital broadcasting brought this reflection on the changes we've seen in television over the years. I guess this isn't really technical, but it struck me as appropriate. (Published: Mar. 2010 ; Not Applicable)
