July 8, 2019




This week, I replaced my trusty 2013 27" iMac with a 2017 27" iMac I had sitting around. Yeah, I know... well, some people collect cars. The big difference was that the 2013 iMac had 32 GB of RAM, while the 2017 model only has 8 GB. Let me tell you, the performance difference with less RAM is dramatic. My current system feels MUCH slower. My 2013 system had a 3.5 GHz i7, while the 2017 iMac has a 3.8 GHz i5. The difference between an i5 and i7 is not insignificant, but the difference in speed should compensate, especially for file i/o tasks.

So, I ordered more RAM, which will arrive this week. I'll let you know if it makes as big a difference as I expect. (Yes, both systems have Fusion drives.) I mention this because I think there's a "sweet spot" for video editing that ranges from 16 - 32 GB of RAM. We can work with less, but the system will feel slow. We can work with more, but in most instances, our system won't need it. Time for me to spend some money and test my theory.

Thanks to everyone who shared their thoughts on my training survey last week. There were hundreds of responses and comments. I've read all of them and, while in general, most folks are pleased with what we are doing, there are some great ideas that I'm now thinking about.

In fact, I came up with one more training/education idea I need your opinion on. This survey is quick! Only six questions, all multiple choice. We can implement this fairly quickly, depending upon votes - so I'm looking forward to your answers. Here's the link to my new survey. It should take about a minute to complete.

Yesterday, I was tramping in the mountains near us, shooting video with a Blackmagic Design Pocket Cinema 4K Camera for next week's webinar: " Using High-End Media." I was shooting 4K media using both Blackmagic RAW and ProRes 422 codecs so I could compare the two. I'm hoping to hike the hills again later this week shooting with a Panasonic EVA-1, just to give us more media to play with. While my results will not cause Philip Bloom to feel the least bit threatened, most of my shots were in focus, so we can work with that. All my live webinars are free - learn more and sign-up here. I have two events, one for Final Cut and the other for Premiere. Each one week apart.

I have two different articles for you this week. The first looks at the Broadcast Safe effect in Final Cut Pro X. This is a great tool to keep your video levels safe. However, this is a tool that not everyone needs. I explain how it works and how to use it in this illustrated tutorial.

Then, as I was wrapping up last week's webinar " Get Organized for Editing in Adobe Premiere," I discovered two new techniques in creating proxy workflows in Premiere that make this technique even more valuable. So I wrote up a new procedure. If you edit in Premiere you need to read this because it explains how you can easily take your edit on the road without relinking media. Details below.

That's about it. It's been a relaxed week with the July 4 holiday here in the US. Time to get back to work. Please spend a minute with my survey on a new training idea. I'd be grateful. I'll chat with you next week. In the meantime, edit well.

Get Organized for Editing
A common question in my email is: "How do I organize my files to make my editing more efficient?"  
 
Whether you use Premiere or Final Cut, this session covers exactly that. Specifically:
 
* Where should I store stuff
* Best ways to transfer files from
   camera to storage
* Creating proxy workflows
* Optimizing preference files
* Organizing media and projects
 
Using High-End Media in
Final Cut Pro X or Premiere Pro CC
RAW, sLog, HDR, 12-bit, 16-bit... What are all these different video formats and how do you work with them in Final Cut or Premiere? It's easy to get confused.
 
These two sessions cover: 
 
* What these formats are
* How to pick the right format for you
* System implications  
* How to use them in Final Cut Pro X
* How to use them in Premiere Pro 
Registration is FREE! Sign up here.  
» Final Cut Pro X: The Broadcast Safe Effect ( Tutorial)
   » How and why to protect your video levels. And when not to use it.
 
» Premiere Pro CC: Create an Automatic Proxy Workflow ( Tutorial)
   » How to create, automate and access proxy media files. And why to use this.

» Don't Lose Access to Older Media in macOS Catalina (Tutorial)
    » 32-bit apps and codecs will NOT be supported going forward. Learn more.

» EQ: Warm a Voice & Improve Clarity
 
» Improve Your Computer Security 
 
» Configure a Mac Mini for Video Editing

» Create a Dual-Boot Mac System Disk

» View all tutorials here.

» 272b: Get Organized in FCP X
 
 
» Apple Final Cut Pro X: Complete 
   
» 272a: Get Organized in Premiere  
 
» 237: Use Audition to mix
   Adobe Premiere Projects 
 
» View all webinars here.
 
© 2019 Thalo, LLC