NEWS - March 1, 2021
Happy March! We are getting ever closer to spring. Yay!

My lead story this week offers a flock - yea, verily, a festival of tips, techniques and keyboard shortcuts for faster trimming in Final Cut Pro.


In the news:

SmartSound had an interesting blog on "The Impact of Automation on Content Creators." More than anything, smart technologies and automation have revolutionized our workplaces, streamlined our workflows, and transformed how we work. This is a good discussion on the evolution of content.


Xytech announced the acquisition of ScheduALL. This acquisition provides Xytech the ability to bring to market an end-to-end resource management system with scalability and configurability in a cloud-enabled platform. Xytech will continue to support the ScheduALL application and all ScheduALL clients. Xytech also offers the MediaPulse facility management software and the MediaPulse Managed Cloud.


Brainstorm, a manufacturer of real-time 3D graphics and virtual studio solutions, announced the direct integration of InfinitySet with Sony’s BRC camera line-up, including the BRC-H800, BRC-X400 and BRC-X1000. This integration provides state-of-the-art Augmented Reality (AR) and virtual set applications with the combination of Brainstorm’s virtual set and AR experience with Sony’s cost-effective and easy-to-use PTZ cameras. They are presenting a webinar March 5 with more details.


Dr. Marc Batschkus, with Archiware, wrote an informative blog on how LTO drives, especially single desktop drives, are used more and more in independent production. He is seeing a trend of more but smaller installations right now.

Rumors are swirling about Apple shifting Final Cut Pro to a subscription model. Am I paying attention? Not really. Why? Because rumors are not reality. 


Our four-part webinar series on Apple Motion is over, but the response has been very positive. So, I created a special Motion Bundle which includes all four presentations, along with over twenty practice files so you can follow along. Save 20% compared to purchasing these separately. I enjoyed the presentations and hope you enjoy the training, too.


Webinars are taking the week off this week. As always, I'm interested in your suggestions on what we should cover in future sessions. Send me an email with your thoughts.

As we wrap up our conversation about Motion, I have four short video demos for you. Probably the most interesting showcases how to add depth-of-field focus to a camera. The rest show how to add cameras, work with multiple cameras and move a camera between sets. There's some very cool stuff this week. You'll find all these tutorials in the Tutorials & Reviews section below.


Finally, just as my Motion training ended, I discovered some really useful keyboard shortcuts that I wish I knew about four weeks ago. Still, late is better than never, so here's my last tutorial for the week.


Spring is just three weeks away and I can't wait! After the winter we've had, it will be good to enjoy the return to warmer weather, sunshine and, hopefully for more and more of us, the ability to gradually return to normal life. 

Take care, stay safe and be hopeful. Until next Monday, edit well.
TUTORIALS & REVIEWS
» Final Cut Pro: Trimming Tricks & Techniques (Tutorial)
» Shortcuts to help you work faster, better and more accurately.

» Rumors Are Not Reality (Commentary)
» Paying attention to rumors is, most often, a fool's game. Here's why.

» 10 Motion Keyboard Shortcuts I Wish I Knew Then (Tutorial)
» Ten keyboard shortcuts that make Apple Motion a whole lot easier to use.

» Add a Camera to Apple Motion 5.5 (Video Tutorial)
» How to add a camera, then decide between framing and viewpoint.

» Add Depth-of-Field to a Camera in Apple Motion 5.5. (Video Tutorial)
» Depth-of-field can now be added to computer-created scenes.

» Add Multiple Cameras to a Scene in Motion 5.5 (Video Tutorial)
» See how to add, frame and animate multiple cameras.

» Move a Camera Between Multiple Sets in Motion (Video Tutorial)
» Step-by-step on how to move a camera between 3D sets.
Bundle: Learn Apple Motion 5.5
SAVE 20% on the complete bundle of our Motion training:

* Introduction to Apple Motion 5.5
* Advanced Techniques for Apple Motion 5.5
* Lighting Techniques in Apple Motion 5.5.
* Cameras, Sets & Drop Zones in Apple Motion 5.5

Everything you need - all in one place!
Cameras, Sets & Drop Zones in Apple Motion 5.5

This week, we go deeper into 3D and add camera movement.

* Add a camera and moves to 3D text
* Build and light a simple set, then add cameras
* Use multiple cameras with multiple sets
* Create 3D templates for use in Final Cut Pro

Everything you need - all in one place!
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