Larry Jordan's Newsletter: Dec 11, 2023

December 11, 2023

Well, I didn't plan to make a mistake. But, when I did, I discovered something I didn't expect. When Apple released the latest version of Final Cut, they announced a new feature that sped up exports. So, I decided to test it... and discovered in the process a way to speed up our systems without spending a ton of cash.

Whether you use Final Cut, Premiere or Resolve, you need to read this.

Link: Storage Speed is Critical to Video Editing Performance

Webinars return this Wednesday - details here!

In the news:

FlexClip is a cloud-based, AI video editing and template system. While the site is focused more on home and social media creators, professional editors can use it as well. I interviewed Jessica Miller, of FlexClip to learn more. Interesting stuff.

Link: FlexClip: Cloud-based AI Video Editing and Templates

FXFactory released new Lens Filter plugins for Final Cut Pro. These creative filters and prisms add an unusual look to your video.

Link: https://fxfactory.com/info/lensfilters/

Re:Vision Effects launched Autograph Academy as a free way to learn the latest version of Autograph (v2023.11). Autograph provides 2D and 3D motion design, visual effects, and mass video production.

Link: https://www.left-angle.com/public/academy/

Last week, I mentioned that Zero Density released Reality5 and Traxis Camera Tracking products. Reality5 leverages Unreal Engine 5.3 to deliver hyper photorealistic virtual environments in real-time. Traxis works with Reality5 to track cameras for more immersive stories. Here's the link.

Link: https://zerodensity.io

Last week as well, I mentioned that MainConcept launched Live Encoder, an all-in-one, real-time encoding engine designed to simplify broadcast and OTT workflows. Here's the link.

Link: https://www.mainconcept.com/live-encoder

Webinars are back! Yay! This week is "Ask Larry Anything" - but, unlike most weeks, I already know what the questions are - because many editors sent them in last week. We'll cover performance, Topaz AI, Premiere, Final Cut and more. Visit the registration page to learn more. And, as always, registration is free for all my live events. (Feel free to email your questions and I'll add them.)

Link: Register for Larry's FREE Weekly Webinar

Testing the speeds of different RAIDs got me thinking about performance. I realized that sometimes even simple things can save us a lot of time. One way to save time is to create custom presets of effects that we use often, especially if our projects tend to use the same effects over and over.

In this first example, I show how to create, apply and share custom effect presets in Final Cut Pro.

Link: Create Custom Video or Audio Effect Presets in Apple Final Cut Pro

In this next example, I show how to create and apply custom effect presets in Premiere Pro. While similar to Final Cut, it isn't the same.

Link: Create Custom Video or Audio Effect Presets in Adobe Premiere Pro

My server died. Or, at least, it won't boot up. It was working perfectly until I powered it down for a week when I was out of the office. Now, it won't power up. Everything on it is backed up - to an expansion chassis that attaches to the server. Which, ah, won't boot up. It's days like today that make me wish we were still using paper. But, paper has its own limitations I guess. It's difficult to edit video by drawing pictures on sheets of paper. While finding that one key sentence hidden somewhere in a bookshelf of books can be... time-consuming.

Sigh... I'm sure I'll get this server working and be able to recover the data. But it will take time and, probably, money - both of which I don't have in abundance. Fortunately, the key files are stored separately. So, it could be worse. Still, it's a reminder that even expensive gear can go down when you least expect it. Keep your backups current and stored on different devices.

Until next week, stay safe, stay hopeful and edit well.