Larry Jordan's Newsletter: Feb. 19, 2024

February 19, 2024

Wow! I have all kinds of goodies for you this week - spanning Final Cut, Premiere, Resolve, and computer hardware. But, this week, the best place to start is this tribute to something we use every day - but never think about.

Link: Tribute: The Man Who Invented the Timeline

Over the last few weeks, I've chronicled my learning curve editing in DaVinci Resolve. Last week, I edited my webinar in Resolve. While most of that process went fine - except for stumbling around trying to find where Resolve put the tools I needed - there was one big rock I crashed against that I didn't expect.

Link: The Critical Importance of Project Settings in DaVinci Resolve

There are five more tutorials below - including one on how to successfully edit when you can't connect to the web.

In the news:

Digital Anarchy published a trouble-shooting blog on why plug-ins may not show up in your NLE, especially in Adobe Premiere Pro.

Link: Trouble-shooting Missing Plug-Ins

Ars Technica reported on OpenAI's Sora, a text-to-video AI model that can generate 60-second photo-realistic HD video from written descriptions. It doesn't create soundtracks, but it provides the highest-quality video images seen yet.

Link: OpenAI Introduces Sora - Photo-realistic Video Generator

SmallHD launched the Quantum 32, a 31.5" quantum dot OLED monitor designed for HDR color grading and mastering.

Link: https://smallhd.com/pages/quantum-32

Sachtler launched a new Cine Series of fluid tripod heads. Three models, Cine 20, Cine 30 and Cine 50, make up the Cine fluid head series. The heads offer controlled, smooth camera movement through variable drag settings and fine counterbalance.

Link: https://www.sachtler.com/en/

TV Technology published a report on Audio over IP. This free guide looks at how IP is changing the way audio is processed, managed and delivered in today’s broadcast environment and how it is revolutionizing the viewing experience.

Link: Audio Over IP (AoIP) - What Is It? What's Next?

FireCut.ai introduced FireCut for Adobe Premiere. This AI-assisted tool removes silences, cuts between cameras based on dialog, and many more tools aimed at podcasters and influencers. A 7-day free trial is available.

Link: https://firecut.ai

Avid and Broadcast created a free report exploring the latest trends, challenges, and opportunities in the post-production industry in 2024. Learn from top experts at Picture Shop, Formosa, Sky, the BBC, and Gorilla, as they reveal their predictions for the future and discuss how AI is transforming the sector.

Link: https://connect.avid.com/future-of-post-production-wp-lp.html

Webinars resumed - finally! - last week and over seventeen topics were covered on hardware, workflow, Premiere and Final Cut. The entire webinar is now posted to my store and our Video Training Library. Plus, this week, save 25% on the download version!

Link: Webinar 351: Ask Larry Anything!

A question in the webinar was from a reader who needed to edit classified materials without connecting their computer to the web for security reasons. He wondered whether that was possible. The answer is "Yes!" but the answer varied by NLE. Here's what you need to know.

Link: Is It Possible to Edit Video Without Connecting to the Web?

An issue I ran into recently was that my monitor would flash to black for 5-10 seconds every few minutes. It was very frustrating and I couldn't figure it out. Until I changed the cable. Here's what I learned.

Link: Which Provides Higher Quality – DisplayPort or HDMI [v]

For editors new to Premiere, there is a very powerful navigation tool that does not appear in the interface. This allows you to navigate anywhere you need to go in the source or program monitor, even the timeline, without using your mouse. It's a technique I use all the time.

Link: Use Timecode to Navigate Timeline or Media in Adobe Premiere Pro [v]

Audio drop-outs, that is, unexpected moments of silence in an audio clip, are frustrating because there is a large number of potential causes. This short video explains what they are and potential fixes.

Link: Fix Audio Drop-outs During Video Editing [v]

Another time-saving technique in Final Cut is the ability to copy and paste effects from one clip to another. But there's a hidden gotcha that you need to pay attention to - and a limitation you may not expect.

Link: How to Paste Effects and Adjust Keyframes in Apple Final Cut Pro [v]

The countdown to NAB has started, though we are still in the early days. Every year, we expect to see seismic changes in our industry, and, for the last several years, we haven't been disappointed. I'm seeing clearer differentiation between the top NLEs, greater use of AI just about everywhere, and growing concern on the health of the media and entertainment industry. Change begins first with the images on camera, but change is coming for the rest of us. The key - as always - is to stay informed, polish your people skills, and look for ways to integrate - rather than resist - these technological changes. Something is far easier to say than to do.

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