DC Metro FCP UG

From our colleagues at Studio Daily (Scott Simmons), 28 Dec 2009

As 2009 winds to a close, I thought it might be nice to recap the tools, applications and utilities featured this year in one of our most popular categories: Useful Tools for Editors. While the idea for this topic began long ago (June 19, 2006 to be exact) as a way to highlight things that might come in handy for editors and their supporting post-production software, it has evolved to highlight a number of tools that move beyond the non-linear editing application into the Mac OS itself, as well as the occasional hardware product and iPhone app. There are a lot of good downloads here so it’s a good way to kill some time and some money.

Check out the full list below by CLICKING ON LINKS!

2009’s Useful Tools for Editors, in ascending order of post date:
January 12 – Useful tools for editors (and writers): Scrivener
February 3 – Useful tools for editors: Templater
February 9 – Useful tools for RED editors: Clipfinder
February 24 – Useful tools for editors: ShoveBox
March 12 – Useful tools for editors with an iPhone: iTC Calc
April 15 – Lots of useful tools being updated
May 13 – Useful tool updated: Loader to 1.1
May 28 – Useful tools for editors: PluralEyes
June 5 – Useful plug-ins for editors: nVeil
June 14 – Useful tool if your ExpressCard port has been taken away
June 18 – Useful web tools for editors
June 27 – Useful tools for editors: ParticleMetrix
July 10 – Useful tools for editors: mocha
July 21 – Useful service for editors: Movie Repair
August 4 – Useful tools for editors: RollingShutter
August 15 – Free tilt-shift effect for FCP available until Wednesday
August 17 – Latest Pro Video iPhone App: DVD Bit Budget Assistant
August 25 – Useful Tools for Editors: Lock and Load
August 27 – Really Useful Tools for FCP Editors: FCP Maintenance Pack
September 14 – Useful tools for your iPhone: Keymote
September 29 – Useful tools for editors: MediaMover for Final Cut Pro
October 8 – Useful Tools for Editors: Post Haste
October 28 – Useful tools for editors: GridIron Flow
November 4 – Sorenson Squeeze 6: a whole new Squeeze
November 21 – Useful tools for PAL editors: 5DtoFCP
December 10 – Useful Hardware Tool: Silverado ColoRig
December 11 – Useful tools for editors: FCP Versioner
December 12 – AJA Releases Free DataCalc for iPhone

Compressor – Importing Subtitles

Importing subtitles into DVD Studio Pro is very fast, but what if it doesn’t work?

Inspector

Importing is often the fastest way to get subtitles into DVD Studio Pro. However, in order for this to work, the subtitles must have a timecode reference. The problem is, the timecode of your Final Cut sequence is almost always changed during compression.

When you export out of Final Cut, be default your timecode starts at hour 01. When you compress an MPEG-2 file, by default, the timecode starts at hour 0. In other words, the timecodes don’t match, which breaks the import process.

To fix this, either change the timecode references in the subtitle text file, or change the starting timecode in Compressor before you compress the file. You can change the timecode in the Inspector > Video Format tab of Compressor.

Free Workshops and Open Screen Theater!

The 9th Annual San Francisco SuperMeet is coming up soon and will once again be held at the UCSF Mission Bay Conference Center on Friday, February 5, 2010.

Tickets are on sale now for the “Early bird” price of $10.00 each. Which means if you plan to attend, then buy your ticket now or you pay $15.00 after January 4, 2010 and $20.00 at the door.

This event will be the single largest Bay Area social gathering of digital filmmakers, content creators, FCS, Avid and Adobe Gurus and users in all of 2010.

SuperMeet Digital Showcase
This years SuperMeet promises to be bigger than ever before. In addition to a great show we will once again have a vendor area we are calling the “SuperMeet Digital Showcase,” with over 30 software and hardware developers including AJA, Autodesk, Canon, Avid, Blackmagic Design Footagehead, G-Tech, Matrox, Maxon, Noise Industries, Red Giant and others.

FREE Workshops
Also, for the first time ever we will include FREE educational workshops as part of the SuperMeet experience. Workshops during the day, and SuperMeet at night. The workshops are sponsored by Adobe, Autodesk, Canon and Red Giant and all are 2 hours each and all are absolutely free. You can sign up for one workshop or for a maximum of three. There are only 40 seats available for each workshop so if you are interested, then register NOW. Go here to register and for course descriptions:

<http://supermeetworkshops.eventbrite.com/>

What’s on the agenda?
Well, it’s SuperSecret, but we can tell you this: There will be USER-driven presentations from AJA, Canon and Autodesk. There will be show and tells from local Bay Area filmmakers, FCS tips and tricks and yes, the World famous Raffle where we will give away thousands of dollars worth of prizes to dozens of lucky winners including a Canon EOS 5D Mark II HDSLR, AJA KiPro, NLE software, plug-ins and more. More importantly the SuperMeet is your chance to hang out and network with over 600 of your peers, many of whom know more than you do.

Open Screen Theatre
Not enough? We’ve also added an exciting component to the SuperMeet Digital Showcase. Local filmmakers can showcase their projects in what we are calling the “Open Screen Theater.” Filmmakers and digital content creators wanting to get seen will have a a 10 minute chance to do so in an informal, collaborative setting. We want those who are shooting with HDSLRS and other tapeless workflows to screen content and interact. Filmmakers, just show up and sign up, get up and show off. It’s first come, first serve in our “Open Screen Theater.”

Buy Your SuperMeet Tickets Now
Tickets are on sale now, and as usual we expect this event to sell out. As you all know, SuperMeets always sell out.

Again, tickets are only $10.00 each and will remain so until January 4, 2010. After that it’s $15.00 each. So buy your tickets early online. There are only 500 tickets available online and once they are gone, they are gone.

Go to the SuperMeet web site for daily updates, directions to the MBCC, updates on the FREE educational workshops and the ever growing list of raffle prizes and generous sponsors.

<http://www.supermeet.com/>

See you in San Francisco on Feb. 5, 2010. We can’t wait!

Thanks!

Dan
—-
Daniel Berube
Co-Producer, SuperMeets

BOSFCPUG

Final Cut Pro – Image Quality in the Viewer vs. the Canvas

Snowboard Intro

The two windows don’t display the same quality, here’s why.

Ever wonder why the same image in the Viewer and the Canvas doesn’t look the same?

The video in the Viewer is displayed in its source resolution. The video in the Canvas is displayed based upon the codec you’ve selected for the Timeline.

Final Cut Pro – Moving with Timecode

Here’s a technique I use all the time to get things to move a precise amount.

On the keypad, press + (plus) or – (minus) followed by a number. If the number is two digits or less, it is considered to be frames. If it is 4 digits or less, it is considered to be seconds and frames. If it is 6 digits or less, it is considered to be minutes, seconds, and frames. Positive numbers move right. negative numbers move left. Punctuation is not necessary.

Here’s what happens:

• If nothing is selected, the playhead moves.
• If a clip is selected, the clip moves, provided it is not blocked by another clip.
• If an edit point is selected, the edit point moves, provided it has sufficient handles.

I use this technique all the time because it is both fast and accurate.

WIN YOUR TRIP to the NAB Show!

Teach the broader-casting community about your role in the content lifecycle with the 2010 “…And I’m a Broader-caster” UGC competition.

Create and submit a 60 second video that shows what broader-casting means to you, and win your trip to the 2010 NAB Show, with a SMART Pass and more.  Submit your entry beginning 15 January 2010!

For more than 80 years, the NAB Show has served as the premier event showcasing the products, services, and innovations that drive the content industry forward. Represented by a global community of people passionate about content, and featuring dynamic education and exciting exhibits, the NAB show has undergone many changes throughout its history.  These changes in industry, technology, and content have made one thing perfectly clear:

THIS NAB SHOW IS UNLIKE ANY YOU MAY REMEMBER.

This is the new embodiment of everything broader-cating, the epicenter of cool and the catalyst that helps bring content to life.  Anytime. Anywhere.  And in any format imaginable.

From tried and true industry technologies to solutions that could be the next internet video mega-site, there’s no greater return on your investment than the NAB Show, and no other event that brings together such an international and professional audience of buyers and sellers.

Definition of BROADER-CASTING:

v. The creation, management, buying/selling, distribution and delivery of audio, video and filmed content for global consumption on any device — stationary or mobile– including television, computer, movie screen, radio, phone, gaming console, storage, digital display and beyond.

adj. Of or relating to communications via multiple platforms such as broadband, IPTV, wireless, cable, fiber, television, radio, Internet, satellite and digital signage.

n. One who creates, manages, buys/sells, distributes or delivers audio, video, or filmed content for global consumption on any device — stationary or mobile

See you at NAB!

Just released… he did a combo since he was swamped… Enjoy the newsletter!

Rod

Final Cut Pro – Creating a Favorite Effect

Make Favorite Effect

Playing favorites is easy – if you know how.

Final Cut has what are called Favorite Effects and Favorite Motions. They are stored in the Favorites folder in the Effects tab in the Browser.

To create a Favorite Effects (filters) or Favorite Motion (motion tab):

1. Create the effect you like
2. Make sure the clip is loaded into the Viewer and that the Viewer is selected
3. To create a Favorite Effect, make sure the Filter tab is selected in the Viewer, then choose Effects > Make Favorite Effect.
4. To create a Favorite Motion, make sure the Motion tab is selected in the Viewer, then choose Effects > Make Favorite Motion.

You can create an unlimited number of favorites, plus, the first five in each category are automatically assigned keyboard shortcuts.

Keep in mind that all favorites are stored in your preference files. Which means when you trash your preferences, your favorites will also be erased.

Digital Anarchy develops plugins for After Effects, Final Cut Pro, Premiere, and Photoshop. Their new product, Beauty Box 1.0, automatically retouches skin, smoothing out wrinkles, blemishes, and other skin problems. HD really shows the imperfections on talking heads and actors. Using face detection and skin tone smoothing alogrithms, Beauty Box provides an easy way to deal with retouching, without needing to make adjustments frame by frame. Get more info at www.digitalanarchy.com and check out their complete line of plugins.