NewTek finally launched its much anticipated "worlds fastest video editor", SpeedEDIT, Tuesday in a 6 city launch event. What makes this editor different is that it was not designed to fit into the "film" workflow. It was designed to work efficiently within the digital workflow. It allows you to edit files in their native format, supporting most popular formats in SD or HD. According to the specs you can mix and match whatever formats you have with no transcoding. It will be interesting to hear the buzz about this in the coming weeks. Some of us can be very resistance to anything different, which is why I freak out anytime I sit in front of Sony Vegas.
Real-time chroma and luma keying with spill suppression
Modify project WHILE it plays
Output any frame-rate
Output any video resolution
According to a NewTek rep on one of the forums, there will be a demo version available for download. The cost is $495 and it will be shipping "soon". Mac users need not apply.
If you need a little interlace/deinterlace help, you might check out the FieldsKit 2.0 plug-in package for After Effects, Final Cut Pro, Premiere Pro, combustion,Fusion and other AE plug-in compatible apps. New in version 2.0:
Deinterlacer mode that uses motion estimation in order to deinterlace.
Reinterlacer mode that uses motion estimation to create interlaced material from progressive material.
Floating point image support for After Effects 7.0.
Fixed other small bugs with the Reinterlacer and Pulldown plugins that sometimes necessitated workarounds.
Added a render-only licensing option.
You can see a before/after clip on the website, but you'll have to work at it. The example is tiny, and the 2 clips on the gallery page last for only 1 second so you can't tell jack from them. FieldsKit 2.0 is available for $89.95, upgrade for $29.97.
OK west coast readers, here's more fun for you. On November 16th at 7:00pm, SmartSound Software will present "Do-It-Yourself Music Scoring for Independent Filmmakers" as part of the "Works on a Mac" series. Philip Hodgetts, production/post production guru and Digital Production Buzz host, will present the session at the Apple Store Third Street Promenade in Santa Monica, CA. Hodgetts will demonstrate how to score films in Final Cut Pro using SmartSound Sonicfire Pro 4 and that feature-I-love called Mood Mapping. The session is free and if I wasn't 1600+ miles away I would so be there.
Here's a great little video tutorial from Shane Ross at Little Frog that will help you to take full advantage of FXBuilder in Final Cut Pro, a scripting and automation tool that allows you to create custom plugins. You won't be able to create any serious razzle-dazzley plugins, but if you want to share custom color correction settings, for example, FXBuilder lets you script settings and make an actual plugin file which can then be shared with other folks running Final Cut. If you are weary of coding, this might not be up your alley, but the scripting involved is far from heavy duty and can easily be tackled with the help from this excellent guide.
There's one major problem with Final Cut Pro, and that's the inability to open project files from newer versions in previous versions of the application. Juggling between different versions is not a clearcut thing, but Shane Ross shares his insight on the dilemma. His solution isn't as glamorous as you might hope, but it's legitimate and reasonable, and it's essential to understand the relationship between different versions of FCP. Give his bit a read.
If you're a Final Cut user and will be out at DV Expo next week, you may want to spend a couple hours with other FCP users at the LAFCPUG hosted get together. Scheduled from 7:00pm - 9:30pm on November 15th, the tentative agenda looks like this:
Producer/Director Brian J. Terwilliger discusses the workflow on One Six Right
Ted Shilowitz with the latest on RED (thought you could get away from RED for awhile didn't you)
Ben Aein, Red Lightning Software, will demo DV Monitor
Mike Goubeaux will show his music video Trains, which was edited with FCP and animated with Toon Boom Studio
Steve Bayes, FCP product manager, is scheduled to be there for questions and general discussion
That's a lot to pack into 2 1/2 hours, but sounds like it will definitely be a good time.
Grass Valley has released version 4.1 of Edius Pro and Edius Broadcast NLEs. New features include XDCAM HD import/editing/export support, background transfer of P2 content, Grass Valley K2 GXF export support plus other enhancements and bug fixes. You can download the update now from the Canopus website and packaged versions of the updated 4.1 software will start shipping later this month.
Plug-ins make the editing work go 'round and CHV-electronics has released 3 new plug-in packages based on Apple's FxPlug technology. Magic 3D FX and Towers of Film are compatible with FCP 5.1.2 and Motion 2, while Morphing FX is only compatible with Motion 2 at this time. An issue with FCPs implementation of FxPlug prevents it from being compatible but that should all be fixed when Apple releases another update. The only thing better than a plug-in is a FREE plug-in and you can download the Towers of Film plug-in at no charge. Demo versions of the other 2 packages are available for download so you can give them a test whirl.
In his fifth installment of Avid vs. Final Cut Pro, Scott Simmons of the Editblog has compared the capturing tools of both applications. Breaking down the interface into the most important elements, he compares ease of use and the differing functions between the tools of the two applications. Capturing can be extremely time-consuming, so it's important that tools are arranged to maximize efficiency when logging, naming, and organizing your clips. Who comes out on top in the battle between capturing functions?
Boris FX has updated its plug-in filter set, Boris Continuum Complete, to version 4.1 for Intel Mac systems. BCC 4 users can download the update for free. The company says remaining Boris FX and Media 100 products will be available for Intel Mac systems soon AND Boris FX plans to maintain backward compatibility with PowerPC Mac systems. Way to go Boris FX.
One sure sign of a new editor is that every scene jump has a different, crazy transition. We've all been there. With today's effects it is so much fun to watch a scene turn into a balloon and fly off, revealing the next scene. But that's probably not the look you need for your production. If you're looking for something different than the normal cross-dissolve or jump-cut, try a natural wipe. A natural wipe uses the element of one scene to transition into the next scene. For example, you have a close-up of an open briefcase. Shoot the briefcase closing and use this as your transition to the next scene. You need to pay attention to your shot and make sure the inside of the briefcase fills up the camera lens, then while the briefcase is closing, the area outside the briefcase can reveal your next scene. This is a very simplistic example, but you can use your imagination here. The key is to make it look natural. Videomaker has an article on natural wipes that discusses the technique. This should give you some ideas to go out and try your own.
A lot of people commented on my rant on Adobe and Soundbooth. Some believed Adobe was being lazy or misguided and others felt Adobe was doing the right thing because it was too hard to develop for two processors. I had planned on writing to John Gruber of Daring Fireball, hoping he could explain all of these coding issues to someone like me who isn't a developer.
Incredibly, Gruber addressed this very issue in a recent post. And like he always does, his post is full of reasonable answers, questions and thoughts. He even talks to the developers of Fission on how hard it is to create audio software. Like me, Gruber finds it hard to believe some of the technical excuses some of the Adobe developers have stated. But he does also say that this isn't as simple as some of Adobe's critics have stated because Adobe is writing code without Xcode, Apple's software developing platform.
I still believe Adobe can bring Soundbooth to PPC platform without too much trouble. Paul Kafasis (Rogue Amoeba Software) states "We all had PowerPC code that got rewritten and it's not that hard, it's just time-consuming. Rogue Amoeba has six people, and we managed to port from one platform to another. Adobe has almost 6,000 people and they can't pull it off?"
Adobe's claim that PPC is a dead platform also makes no sense since they are developing Lightroom as Universal Binaries. And like Soundbooth, Lightroom is in beta. So there is still plenty of questions that remain. I believe Adobe is being extremely arrogant with Mac users, they are taking us for granted.
Focus Enhancements has announced newversions of its FS-4 portable DTE (direct to edit) recorders. The FS-4 HD model comes with a 40GB hard drive while the FS-4Pro HD models are available in 60, 80 and 100GB configurations and have the ability to record in either M2T format or QuickTime HDV. Don't worry if you haven't made the move to HD yet; both models still support standard DV recording. It weighs in at around a pound and I'm getting closer to adding one of these guys to my arsenal.
Some of you commented to my Soundbooth post saying Adobe has no plans to support Macs equipped with PowerPC's (PPC) and because you are right, I rant. One of Adobe's Bloggers claim because Soundbooth is a new application and PPC users should not complain because they had nothing to begin with. The logic basically boils down to: if you didn't have it then, you won't want it now and should not be bothered if others can use it but you. Beggars can't be choosers. And you PPC users are the beggars. Following with this logic, you Mactel users should not bother trying out this software or bother to offer suggestions because, you know, you had nothing to begin with.
Adobe is claiming Apple is treating PPC as a dead platform. If this is true, shame on Apple. They will have swindled its customer base because during the transition to Intel they claimed the opposite. Again, if this is true, all the people who bought PPC Macs in the transition should be reimbursed. But even more than that, this is a dumb move by Adobe. There are millions of users on PPC. Why abandon the present for the future with a new app, it has no customer base to rely upon, a small pack of Mactel users to act as foot soldiers for the app. I hope Soundbooth fails. I hope Soundbooth gathers no foothold within the Mac community because they choose to abandon users like me.
Sheila says it best: "No development from Adobe for the PowerPC anymore. But power users of Adobe's flagship product, Photoshop, can't upgrade from the PowerPC platform because Adobe is taking their sweet time going universal. Users were told early on they would have to wait until the 'next normal product cycle' (which is probably still months away). So go buy the Intel Mac for their new products, but don't get rid of your old PowerPC until they are good and ready to provide the update professionals really need."
I believe Adobe is just being cheap. Working on making their apps compatible costs money. They can place the blame elsewhere but in my book, they are responsible for they choose to abandon a large group of users. I am getting so tired of Adobe's policies in regards to compatibility, this Soundbooth issue indicates how little they are willing to stretch themselves to satisfy their customer base. This is the first time I have heard of a Mac developer chosing to abandon PPC users. The day will come when this will surely happen but the time isn't now. Adobe can do it now because they can, they will just wait you out till you are forced to upgrade. I hope they pay for such arrogance.
Adobe released Soundbooth yesterday and I could not use it because currently it is only compatible with Intel Macs. But over at Create Digital Music, an audio related blog, they have taken an in-depth first look at the new audio software. The writer, Peter Kirn, is a big fan of Adobe's Audition (PC only) and Soundbooth is supposed to be the simpler version of that software. He believes Soundbooth can stand out because "Already in this beta, Soundbooth includes video import capability and markers. What's so great about that? Try XML export to Flash cues you can use in a Flash file. Adobe says you can use cues to trigger animations. Flash integration could also let animators use Soundbooth as their recording tool for animation." Good read so check it out. I can't wait for Adobe to release a Power PC compatible version because I have been tired of Soundtrack for a while and Soundbooth looks good.
If you need a little interlace/deinterlace help, you might check out the 
OK west coast readers, here's more fun for you. On November 16th at 7:00pm, SmartSound Software will 
There's one major problem with Final Cut Pro, and that's the inability to open project files from newer versions in previous versions of the application. Juggling between different versions is not a clearcut thing, but Shane Ross shares his 
Grass Valley has released version 4.1 of Edius Pro and Edius Broadcast NLEs. New features include XDCAM HD import/editing/export support, background transfer of P2 content, Grass Valley K2 GXF export support plus other enhancements and bug fixes. You can download the update now from the Canopus 
Plug-ins make the editing work go 'round and CHV-electronics has released 3 new plug-in packages based on Apple's FxPlug technology. 
In his fifth installment of Avid vs. Final Cut Pro, Scott Simmons of the Editblog has 
Boris FX has updated its plug-in filter set, 
One sure sign of a new editor is that every scene jump has a different, crazy transition. We've all been there. With today's effects it is so much fun to watch a scene turn into a balloon and fly off, revealing the next scene. But that's probably not the look you need for your production. If you're looking for something different than the normal cross-dissolve or jump-cut, try a natural wipe. A natural wipe uses the element of one scene to transition into the next scene. For example, you have a close-up of an open briefcase. Shoot the briefcase closing and use this as your transition to the next scene. You need to pay attention to your shot and make sure the inside of the briefcase fills up the camera lens, then while the briefcase is closing, the area outside the briefcase can reveal your next scene. This is a very simplistic example, but you can use your imagination here. The key is to make it look natural. Videomaker has an 
A lot of people commented on 
Focus Enhancements has announced 
Some of you 
