NEWS - Jan. 25, 2021
My lead story asks the question: "Why Doesn't the Final Cut Pro Timeline Scroll; and Other Imponderables?" Five missing features that have been missing for years.


In the news:

Tom Coughlin, president of Coughlin Associates, is running his annual survey on digital storage needs. He is looking at expectations for the capture and creation of raw content, editing and post production, distribution of content, digital archiving as well as digital conversion and preservation. The survey is open now and Tom will share highlights of his results when the survey is published. I encourage you to share your thoughts.


FXFactory continues turning out new effects for a variety of NLEs. Their latest if Modern Split Screens for Final Cut Pro. Modern Split Screens comes with several, ready-to-go split animated screen sequences that use drop zones to populate the clips. 
I had the great pleasure of speaking at Creativity Conference 2021 this last week. I'll have links to my presentations next week, after the organizers post them. This week, I simply want to thank to Maxim Jago for inviting me to speak.

Thinking of presentations, I was interviewed last week on ThinkTech Hawaii. Hosted by Jay Fidell, our conversation spanned the business of filmmaking, the challenges of media today and a discussion on the important of video literacy. This was a fun show - and Jay is a delightful host.


This week's webinar steps away from traditional video editing and provides an "Introduction to Apple Motion." My goal is to create an opportunity for folks who haven't played with Motion - or worried that it may be too complex to learn - a chance to get their feet wet. I'll start at the very beginning and show easy ways to create useful effects. As always, registration to my live shows is free.


Just a reminder to sign up for The Inside Tips. These short gems - three in each newsletter - can help you become more efficient or discover new techniques in just a few minutes each day. Subscriptions are free.


My lead story looks at missing features in Final Cut that have been missing for years. Then, Bruce asked for a detailed tutorial on working with blurs. I wrap up with a tutorial on how to use chroma-key in a non-standard way to create interesting effects, such as an animated cast shadow in Apple Motion. All the links are in Reviews & Tutorials, below.

What a week it's been, and how much quieter and calmer it is today. It is amazing to me how much can be accomplished when there's less shouting and, hopefully, more listening. We still have many issues still to solve - not least is figuring out how to get this virus under control so media creators can make money again - but now that the noise level has dropped we have a much better chance to solve this.

Stay safe, stay healthy and, until next Monday, edit well.
REVIEWS & TUTORIALS
» Why Doesn't the Final Cut Pro Timeline Scroll? (Commentary)
» Here's a list of major FCP features that are STILL missing.

» Blurring the Issue - Creating Blurs in Final Cut Pro (Tutorial)
» An illustrated tutorial on creating, comparing, modifying and animating blurs.

» Create an Irregular Object with a Cast Shadow in Motion (Tutorial)
» How to use chroma-key in non-standard ways to create effects.
Introduction to Apple Motion
You don’t need to be an incredible artist – or a programmer – to create interesting and useful effects using Apple Motion. Watch as Larry Jordan demonstrates how to:
  • Create a Motion Project
  • Add and animate text
  • Add and animate backgrounds
  • Send a Motion project to Final Cut Pro

Everything you need - all in one place!
All The New Features in Final Cut Pro

From FCP 10.4.1 to 10.5.1, Apple added 23 significant new features and dozens of minor ones. In this webinar, I put them all together and show you how they work.

Master the latest technology in an hour.
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