Larry Jordan's Newsletter: Nov. 6, 2023

November 6, 2023

The BIG news was the launch of the new M3 chips and Macs to put them to work. The M3 family continues Apple's development of custom silicon. While the new Macs don't start shipping till later this week, there is still plenty for us to consider when thinking about upgrades. There are many options - some better than others.

Link: Larry’s Initial Thoughts on Apple M3-series Chips

Thinking about Apple's M3 presentation, did you notice what was missing? Yup. Final Cut Pro was never mentioned. Was this an oversight? No, it was intentional. But what does it mean?

Link: So, Where Was Final Cut Pro, Apple?

It will be interesting to see if Apple announces anything about Final Cut at the upcoming FCP Creative Summit, starting in Cupertino later today.

Sonoma seems to have an ExFAT problem. Mary first reported this, but there are more reports on the web. If you use ExFAT SSDs, you MUST read this warning!

Link: Caution: macOS Sonoma May Not Support ExFAT

Thinking of things that are missing, Adobe made a BIG change with the latest version of Premiere Pro (v.24). They removed the ability to capture from video tape.

Link: Warning: Premiere Pro (v24.0) Removes Video Tape Capture

It would be REALLY useful if Adobe would release a stand-alone tape capture utility - even if it required retaining an older copy of macOS and an older computer - so that we don't lose access to the vast visual history recorded on video tape.

In the news:

Adobe updated Premiere Pro to version 24 and added a variety of new features. Here's the list.

Link: What’s New in Adobe Premiere Pro 24.0 (Oct. 2023)

FXFactory released Line Magic for Final Cut Pro. This plug-in easily creates titles where each line animates independently, with a variety of framing, color and animation options.

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

Blackmagic Design announced new lower prices for all Blackmagic Cloud Store models. The Blackmagic Cloud Store Mini 8TB is now reduced to US$1,645, the Blackmagic Cloud Store 20TB has been reduced to US$5,645 and the Blackmagic Cloud Store 80TB model is reduced to US$15,595.

Link: www.blackmagicdesign.com/media/release/20231101-01

Grass Valley created a free white paper looking at the challenges in shooting digital video of LED walls. A fundamental problem is that both LED walls and the image sensors in the camera use discrete pixel structures, which in certain cases can lead to interference between those two structures. This white paper suggests optimal camera positions and settings.

Link: www.grassvalley.com/media/iz1k3xki/led_wall_ds-pub-3-1051a-en.pdf

Webinars return THIS WEDNESDAY with "High-Tech Medley." In this session, I look at round-tripping projects between Premiere and Resolve and Final Cut and Resolve, as well as new features in Premiere including text-based editing, new color settings and creating custom project templates. As always, registration is free.

Link: Larry's FREE Weekly Webinar

Kevin was reading my Final Cut Pro Power Tips book and had a question about the difference between formats and codecs. The more I thought about it, the more interesting his question became. Because sometimes, they are synonyms - except when they are not.

Link: What’s the Difference Between a Format and a Codec?

AI continues to make news as it transforms the enterprise. However, implementing consistent AI policies is far harder than it looks. This week, I have a guest post from Joe Hart, CEO of Dale Carnegie Training, with eight key truths about successful AI adoption in the workplace. It is an interesting read.

Link: How to Avoid AI Adoption Angst in the Workplace

Truthfully, I don't know what's happening with Final Cut. We need to wait to see what Apple announces this week, if anything. But, whatever happens, the existing software will continue to work for a long time to come. I'm more worried about the ExFAT problem in Sonoma and removing support for tape capture from Premiere. The first creates lost files and the second disconnects us from our history.

Technology changes faster than any of us would like. Still, since we have limited control over it, we need to adapt. Do everything you can to transfer older tape files to digital. Preserve the past. Be careful not to upgrade too soon, lest you lose files. And, as always, remember that change is a part of life. We may not always like it, but change is not going away. We need to continue to find innovative ways to adapt.

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