Larry Jordan's Newsletter: Jan. 22, 2024

January 22, 2024

20th ANNIVERSARY MONTH!

Wow! It's COLD outside! I was looking for ways to keep warm and decided to do some speed testing with Final Cut Pro. Whoa! I didn't expect these results.

Link: How Rendering Affects Export Speed in Apple Final Cut Pro

For Premiere users, I created a fun exercise showing how to blow stuff up - or, even more fun, put it back together. (Even if you don't use Premiere, the three short video examples are fun to watch.)

Link: Blow Stuff Up – or Bring It Together – Using BorisFX Continuum 2024

In the news:

My review of OWC's Express 1M2 generated a lot of comments, however, Scott sent me a link to Dan Charlton's blog listing and analyzing the fastest USB-4 SSD enclosures. This is a bit technical but I found it fascinating, with excellent links.

Link: List & Analysis of High-Speed SSD Enclosures

SmallHD introduced the Ultra 7. Designed to withstand the extremes of any production environment, this small monitor has the processing power of 4K production monitors, customizable function buttons, and shock absorbing bumpers.

Link: https://smallhd.com/pages/ultra-7

Chris, at Lightworks, is continuing his blog on visual effects. While clearly focused on Lighworks, there's still interesting reading here.

Link: https://lwks.com/blog

Micromat released Lifespan 2, an SSD health monitoring utility. It can track how close your SSD drive is to its write-cycle limit can help preemptively plan for its replacement, avoiding unexpected data loss or system crashes.

Link: https://www.micromat.com/lifespan-2-intro/

Boya announced Boyamic 3-in-1 an all-in-one wireless microphone with on-board recording, combining compatibility, on-board recording, and studio-quality sound.

Link: https://www.boya-mic.com/

Saramonic introduced the Blink500 B2+, a versatile 4-in-1 microphone system with USB-C, Lightning, 3.5mm TRS, and 3.5mm TRRS connectors, providing compatibility across cameras, computers, and mobile devices.

Link: https://www.saramonic.com/

An article posted to Ars Technica highlights a recent survey where a quarter of global chief executives expect the deployment of generative artificial intelligence to lead to headcount reductions of at least 5 percent this year. What leads the list? Media & Entertainment.

Link: CEOs say Generative AI will result in job cuts

Chris shared this link "From the Diary of a CEO." This is an interview with an ex-Google executive on the dangers of AI. Content is indexed so you can jump to what you are interested in learning.

Link: YouTube interview: The Dangers of AI

Final Cut editors are often confused about connected clips, storylines and compound clips. So, I wrote a tutorial that explains the differences and how to pick the right option for your edit.

Link: Which to Pick: Connected Clip, Storyline or Compound Clip in Final Cut Pro

Another problem I've had since installing my M2 Mac Studio is that my second monitor would flash black every few minutes. It took me a while to figure out how to fix it, but the solution was easy.

Link: Fixing a Second Monitor that Flashes Black

David Dow sent me two links to distressing new features in Sonoma that may be driving you nuts:

Clayton wrote asking how I felt about 2024. I told him that creatively, these are exciting times. We can do things now that we could never do before. Folks with ideas have ever more powerful tools to bring those ideas to life. But, the business model on how to use those tools to make a living? That's a lot more challenging. I still think it requires focusing on the needs of your clients. Helping them realize that powerful tools do not equal powerful communication. Understanding your clients and the needs of their audience remain the key to successful communication. But, it never hurts to start thinking about your own Plan B.

Until next Monday, stay warm, stay healthy and edit well.