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IMAGES ARTICLES

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 ! 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 ! Viewing Video Fields
By default, Final Cut only displays one field of video - this makes images much easier to view while editing. But, sometimes, you need to see both fields. This very, very short article explains exactly what you need to know. (Published: Mar. 2010 ; Final Cut Pro v. 4, HD, 5.0x, 5.1x, 6, 7.x)

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 ! Comparing RED with DSLR Cameras
Tony asked an interesting question: what's the difference between RED and DSLR cameras for shooting video. Good question. So I asked two experts: Philip Hodgetts and Noah Kadner. This article provides their answers. (Published: Mar. 2010)

New ! Technique: Creating A Vignette
Vignettes are a great technique for highlight something, or softening edges. This article explains how to create a vignette in Final Cut Pro, as well as some ideas on how to adjust it to create different effects. (Published: Mar. 2010 ; Final Cut Pro v. 4, HD, 5.0x, 5.1x, 6, 7.x)

New ! Technique: Generating a Gradient
Gradients are a smooth ramp from one color, or shade of gray, to another. Gradients can be easily created in Final Cut Pro, but the button to do so is very hidden. In this article, I show you how to create a gradient, how to adjust it, and provide some ideas on what you can do with it. (Published: Mar. 2010 ; Final Cut Pro v. 4, HD, 5.0x, 5.1x, 6, 7.x)

Updated ! Improving the Look of your Graphics and Text.
This is a comprehensive look at how computer and video graphics are different and what you need to know to create great looking video text and graphics. This article can make your life a LOT easier!  (Published: May 2006 - Updated: Mar. 2010 ; Final Cut Pro v. 4, HD, 5.0x, 5.1x, 6, 7.x)

New ! Technique: Understanding Gamma Settings
Gamma settings control the gray-scale midpoint. The reason this is significant is that Macs, video, and Windows all use slightly different settings. This means that video that looks good on one system, may look washed out or too dark on others. Snow Leopard, however, has changed the rules. In this article, I explain what gamma is, how to use it, and where to set it. (Published: Mar. 2010 ; Final Cut Pro v. 7.x)

New ! Creating an SD 4:3 Center Cut from HD 16:9 Footage
Here's the problem. You have high-definition (HD) 16:9 footage that you need to create a standard-definition (SD) 4:3 full-screen image. This means that you are going to lose some visual information on the sides of your image. What's the best way to do this? This article explains what you need to know. (Published: Mar. 2010 ; Final Cut Pro v. 5.1x, 6, 7.x)