Final Cut Studio News, Techniques, and Real-world tips to working with Final Cut Studio. http://www.larryjordan.biz Telestream Pipeline is a capture and output device that is unique in the features it provides Final Cut editors -- specifically, its ability to share decks over a network and allowing an editor to start editing a clip before the capture is complete. In this detailed review, we show you how it works, and examine its strengths and weaknesses. http://www.larryjordan.biz/articles/lj_telestream_pipeline.html http://www.larryjordan.biz/articles/lj_telestream_pipeline.html Thu, 25 Jun 2009 14:30:00 PDT One of the common problems that inexperienced Final Cut editors run into is audio that slowly drifts out of sync. While the problem may appear to be within Final Cut Pro, the cause is actually due to mismatched audio sample rates between the video you shot and the way you are capturing it. What makes this worse is that many consumer cameras default to an audio sample rate of 32 kHz, while Final Cut expects 48 kHz. In this step-by-step tutorial, I'll explain what an audio sample rate is and how to change your Final Cut settings to capture your audio accurately. http://www.larryjordan.biz/articles/lj_32_kHz_audio.html http://www.larryjordan.biz/articles/lj_32_kHz_audio.html Thu, 25 Jun 2009 14:30:00 PDT The problem with reverb is that the effect needs to continue after the clip ends. While Soundtrack Pro has some great audio filters, often there just isn't time to move your project from Final Cut to STP. In this tutorial, you'll learn how to use nesting to create a reverb effect inside Final Cut that can last long after the clip itself is over. Best of all, this is both quick and easy. http://www.larryjordan.biz/articles/lj_reverb_audio_clip.html http://www.larryjordan.biz/articles/lj_reverb_audio_clip.html Thu, 25 Jun 2009 14:30:00 PDT Monitors for HD video are not cheap. So why not just connect an HD television set via HDMI and let it go at that? In this short write-up, Dan May, president of Blackmagic Design, explains the potential problems with monitoring your HD video using this kind of setup. http://www.larryjordan.biz/articles/lj_monitoring_HD_video.html http://www.larryjordan.biz/articles/lj_monitoring_HD_video.html Thu, 25 Jun 2009 14:30:00 PDT With over 650 menu commands, Final Cut has a wealth of options to choose from for controlling the program. However, sometimes, life would be much easier if you could just create a few custom keyboard shortcuts to make your life easier. You can, and this article shows you how. http://www.larryjordan.biz/articles/lj_customizing_keyboard_shortcuts.html http://www.larryjordan.biz/articles/lj_customizing_keyboard_shortcuts.html Sat, 20 Jun 2009 17:00:00 PDT I was surprised to discover I haven't written about this technique - I use it in almost every project I edit. Built into Final Cut Pro is a really fast, REALLY easy way to find keyboard shortcuts or menu items -- if you know where to look. In this article, I'll show you where. http://www.larryjordan.biz/articles/lj_keyboard_shortcut_finder.html http://www.larryjordan.biz/articles/lj_keyboard_shortcut_finder.html Sat, 20 Jun 2009 17:00:00 PDT You may have heard that Final Cut sequences can be customized. But what you may not know is how significantly you can make changes -- as long as you don't want to play the results on a DVD or record them to video tape. In this article, I'll show you how to change the size of your sequence to any size you want. http://www.larryjordan.biz/articles/lj_custom-sized_sequences.html http://www.larryjordan.biz/articles/lj_custom-sized_sequences.html Sat, 20 Jun 2009 17:00:00 PDT The native format of HDV isn't QuickTime, it's .M2T. However, FCP can't play M2T files - it needs to convert them. There are two ways you can do this -- using Compressor or using MPEG StreamClip. This article shows you how. http://www.larryjordan.biz/articles/lj_converting_M2T_mov.html http://www.larryjordan.biz/articles/lj_converting_M2T_mov.html Sat, 20 Jun 2009 17:00:00 PDT Ever wonder what levels to set your reference tones to? Should you output tone at 0 dB, -12 dB,-18 dB, or -20 dB. In this discussion, Larry is joined by Woody Woodhall, president of Allied Post, to get a better understanding of the issue. And, yup, it's just as confused as we thought! http://www.larryjordan.biz/articles/lj_audio_metering.html http://www.larryjordan.biz/articles/lj_audio_metering.html Sat, 20 Jun 2009 17:00:00 PDT Compressor does a really good job of compressing video for the web, or DVD. But, what if you want to change the image size? Well, Compressor does that too - in the Geometry tab. This article shows you how. http://www.larryjordan.biz/articles/lj_questions_compression.html http://www.larryjordan.biz/articles/lj_questions_compression.html Sat, 20 Jun 2009 17:00:00 PDT Editing is both a craft and business. Which means that, unless you are independently wealthy, you need to find a way to make money at it. This article describes how to calculate the rates you charge for editing, for the use of your equipment, and how to handle travel expenses. As well as provide a link to a tutorial I've created with more tips on how to grow your business. http://www.larryjordan.biz/articles/lj_charging.html http://www.larryjordan.biz/articles/lj_charging.html Tue, 02 Jun 2009 15:00:00 PDT Making your talent look good is critical in any production - however, not all productions can afford a hair/makeup person. Here's a tip I learned years ago that will make all your on-camera people look great - with almost no work. http://www.larryjordan.biz/articles/lj_benefits_makeup.html http://www.larryjordan.biz/articles/lj_benefits_makeup.html Thu, 28 May 2009 13:00:00 PDT Still images, especially when you move on them, create weird shimmer, or moiré, patterns. This article describes what they are and how to fix them. http://www.larryjordan.biz/articles/lj_shimmering_images.html http://www.larryjordan.biz/articles/lj_shimmering_images.html Thu, 28 May 2009 13:00:00 PDT DigiBetacam is a standard in video-tape. However, many new editors don't know what settings to use to capture it properly. This short article describes what you need to know to select the right codec for your project. http://www.larryjordan.biz/articles/lj_DigiBeta_workflow.html http://www.larryjordan.biz/articles/lj_DigiBeta_workflow.html Thu, 21 May 2009 15:40:00 PDT Final Cut Pro hates compressed audio. This article explains the problems you will having working with it, as well as providing a simple conversion process that solves the problem. http://www.larryjordan.biz/articles/lj_audio_problems_MP3.html http://www.larryjordan.biz/articles/lj_audio_problems_MP3.html Thu, 21 May 2009 15:40:00 PDT Working with still images in Final Cut Pro is very, very confusing. Not least because video ignore the DPI settings of your image. In this short article, I explain what you need to know to size your images appropriately. http://www.larryjordan.biz/articles/lj_thoughts_DPI.html http://www.larryjordan.biz/articles/lj_thoughts_DPI.html Tue, 19 May 2009 11:15:00 PDT Recent versions of Western Digital Hard Drives have had interface issues with Mac systems. This reader-submitted article describes the problem and a solution. http://www.larryjordan.biz/articles/lj_western_digital_drives.html http://www.larryjordan.biz/articles/lj_western_digital_drives.html Tue, 19 May 2009 11:15:00 PDT Keyboard shortcuts make work a lot easier. Here are eleven that I recently discovered that I never knew existed; along with a suggestion on how to get keyboard shortcuts that use Function Keys to work on your computer. http://www.larryjordan.biz/articles/lj_FCP_keyboard_shortcuts.html http://www.larryjordan.biz/articles/lj_FCP_keyboard_shortcuts.html Thu, 14 May 2009 12:40:00 PDT This article outlines the basics of what you need to know to improve the sound of your projects. Nothing improves your video like good audio. In this article I describe the basics of how to position audio clips in your project to simplify mixing, then suggest the best practices to follow when setting audio levels. If you read only one audio article, read this one. http://www.larryjordan.biz/articles/lj_setting_audio_levels.html http://www.larryjordan.biz/articles/lj_setting_audio_levels.html Thu, 14 May 2009 12:40:00 PDT Increasingly, audio is being recorded in more than two tracks. However, Soundtrack Pro has a problem when dealing with more than two tracks. This article describes the problem, and a work-around that fixes it. http://www.larryjordan.biz/articles/lj_multi-channel_audio_STP.html http://www.larryjordan.biz/articles/lj_multi-channel_audio_STP.html Thu, 30 Apr 2009 11:10:00 PDT What is the future for distributing HD video? Is it Blu-ray or is it digital downloads? In this thoughtful opinion piece, Jason Chong, Kit Laughlin, and Lorin David Schultz share their thoughts on where the future is headed. Even though recent events have made Blu-ray Discs easier to create on a Mac, that doesn't mean they've won the war. The battle rages and you get to choose. http://www.larryjordan.biz/articles/lj_blu-ray_v_digital_downloads.html http://www.larryjordan.biz/articles/lj_blu-ray_v_digital_downloads.html Thu, 30 Apr 2009 11:10:00 PDT Way over on the left side of the Timeline are a set of gray buttons that very few people understand. However, when you know how to use the Patch Panel properly, you'll be able to edit any clip to any track instantly. I use this ALL the time and can't imagine editing without it. This tool is also essential when you want to make a video-only, or audio-only edit. http://www.larryjordan.biz/articles/lj_timeline_patch_panel.html http://www.larryjordan.biz/articles/lj_timeline_patch_panel.html Thu, 30 Apr 2009 11:10:00 PDT It would be great if we didn't have to render. But, since we do, what can make it go faster? This article explains what you can do to help and what won't make any difference. http://www.larryjordan.biz/articles/lj_too_much_ram.html http://www.larryjordan.biz/articles/lj_too_much_ram.html Tue, 14 Apr 2009 13:30:00 PDT Ever wonder about those black bars on the edges of DV? They are about 9 pixels wide and they are always there. How can you get rid of them? SHOULD you get rid of them? This article explains what you need to know and when you need to worry about it. http://www.larryjordan.biz/articles/lj_black_sidebars.html http://www.larryjordan.biz/articles/lj_black_sidebars.html Tue, 14 Apr 2009 13:30:00 PDT What's the best way to get the highest quality video images during export? DV, especially, looks particularly poor when you view it in QuickTime. This article explains what's going on and what you need to know to make your exported video look as good as it possibly can. http://www.larryjordan.biz/articles/lj_improve_export_quality.html http://www.larryjordan.biz/articles/lj_improve_export_quality.html Thu, 09 Apr 2009 11:00:00 PDT YouTube has gone 16x9 and HD. What do you need to know to successfully compress your video for YouTube. Brian Gary has written an exceptionally good series of articles that discusses exactly this point. You can find them here. http://www.larryjordan.biz/articles/lj_compressing_youtube.html http://www.larryjordan.biz/articles/lj_compressing_youtube.html Thu, 09 Apr 2009 11:00:00 PDT Nesting allows us to process a group of clips as though they were a single clip. A nest is a sequence contained in another sequence -- and when we are doing effects it can be invaluable. This article explains how. http://www.larryjordan.biz/articles/lj_nests_clean_dissolves_chromakeys.html http://www.larryjordan.biz/articles/lj_nests_clean_dissolves_chromakeys.html Tue, 07 Apr 2009 12:30:00 PDT