New Stuff - Cool Stuff
July 21, 2014
In This Issue
Become a Member
All Kinds of Cool Stuff
Product Review: OWC ThunderBay 4 (Part 2)
Update: Apple ProRes 4444 XQ
Adobe Media Encoder: Watch Folders
FCP X: Convert Log C to Rec. 709
FCP X (v.10.1.2): Complete!
Top 3 Lists
Compressor 4.1 Training
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WELCOME BACK!

Larry Jordan I was reflecting, earlier today, that one of the reasons I enjoy Sunday is it's the day I dedicate to writing my weekly newsletter. It's the one day of the week where I'm free of the distractions of the business and can focus on learning something new to share with you. Sometimes, this writing process is easy. Other times, struggling to find a subject to write about is a LOT harder. This week, though, was fun.

On Saturday, I returned from several days of training in Florida, where I was teaching Audition, Premiere, Adobe Media Encoder and Motion at the annual convention of Home Video Studio owners.  It is an enjoyable group of people and I had a great time.

Over the last week, I've been learning more about ProRes 4444 XQ, along with a deeper exploration of the new features in FCP X v. 10.1.2.  I'll have more on this later in this newsletter.

Also, I spent this past week continuing my tests on the OWC ThunderBay 4 RAID - this time looking at different ways we can improve performance. You'll find a detailed write-up comparing SSD and spinning media, plus performance differences in different RAID levels. It may sound boring, but understanding this stuff can make a major difference in your storage, and save you from spending money you don't need to spend.

Plus, I have news, articles, featured interviews, and, as always, an updated Top 3 list. (By the way, next week, I'll have another product review - this one of the latest Thunderbolt RAID from G-Technology.)

APPLE STILL SELLING FINAL CUT STUDIO 3

Generic newsletter bullet Last week, I learned that Apple is still selling Final Cut Studio (3) via their telesales team.  Apple frequently sells end-of-life software until existing stocks run out; and they still have packages left. If you need a new copy of Final Cut Studio (3) - which includes Final Cut Pro 7 - call (800) MY-APPLE. This is only available from Apple via phone sales, not the web.

LARRY UPDATES HIS FCP X TRAINING!

Generic newsletter bullet Last week, I upgraded all our Final Cut Pro X training to include the latest new features in the 10.1.2 FCP X update.

If you are trying to learn Final Cut, my training can save you a lot of time compared to figuring it out by yourself. You'll learn dozens of ways to edit faster, better, with less stress and higher quality.

My training contains more than 210 movies, spanning more than 16 hours of training - and includes all the major features in Final Cut Pro X. This does more than simply show you which buttons to push - I explain what the buttons mean and why to push them.

Learn more here.

UPDATING MY FINAL CUT PRO X ARTICLES

Generic newsletter bullet I continue to discover new facets of the 10.1.2 update to Final Cut Pro X. Here, in brief form, is a summary. I also included a link to the original article so you can read more about it.

Generic newsletter bullet The biggest issue regarding whether FCP X will work with a Storage Area Network (SAN) or Network Attached Storage (NAS) is bandwidth; that is, the speed with which the network transfers data from the storage to the computer and back. For all but the smallest shops editing SD or HD video, editing teams will have better results when connecting devices using FibreChannel rather than than Ethernet; though Ethernet is much cheaper to install.

FCP X: Relinking Media

The 10.1.2 update to Final Cut adds additional robustness to relinking. For example, if you store media in folders within folders, you can now relink media by selecting just the top folder. All missing media contained in folders within that top folder will be relinked.

Keep in mind that it is always a good idea not to change the file names of media once it has been imported into Final Cut. However, the new symlinks that FCP X uses can often relink media even though the file name has changed.

FCP X 10.1.2: What's New In Media Management

Library Properties are designed to be "Set and Forget."  When you create a new Library, it will inherit the Library Properties of the existing, active library. However, you can change Library Properties at any time (Control+Cmd+J). When Library Properties are changed, existing files are NOT moved. The changed settings only affect new files.

While, generally, it is a good idea to store library cache files inside a library, a benefit to storing cache files externally is to save time when multiple editors need to access the same media, or when a solo editor needs to reference media between two different libraries.

This is especially true for analysis files. Analysis can often take a long time. By storing cache files externally, each editor does not need to separately analyze the files. Instead, one editor can analyze once, then share that data between editors.

Once you pick a location to store Library Backups, don't move the files manually. Library backups store relative path names to all media and cache files. Moving a backup manually can break those links.

FCP X 10.1.2: New Keyframe Behavior

In working with the new keyframe behavior in v.10.1.2, I've discovered that when you want to apply smoothing to position keyframes, creating keyframes in order and not copying/pasting data yields the best results. If you are not getting the movement you expect, try creating your keyframes in a different order to see if that fixes the problem.

THIS WEEK'S WEBINAR

This week's webinar looks at the New Features in Final Cut Pro X v.10.1.2.  During this one-hour live event, I'll show you the latest features and explain how they work.

This session is for any Final Cut Pro X editor looking to make the most of the latest update.

This live webinar is free - sign up here. 
 
LAST WEEK'S WEBINAR:
ADOBE PREMIERE PRO CC AND AUDITION CC
Generic newsletter bullet Thinking of new features, if you are a Premiere or Audition user, be sure to download your copy of last week's webinar covering the new features in the latest updates to both Premiere Pro and Audition.

Premiere, especially, saw almost three dozen new features added - many of which can make your editing life a lot easier.

Subscribers can access any of our webinars as part of their subscription (Subscribe here).

Click here to download a copy of this webinar for yourself. 

FEATURED BUZZ SHOW  

Buzz newsletter bullet Because of my trip to Florida, I wasn't able to post individual Buzz interviews this week. But I do want to recommend this week's show.

Jessica Sitomer discussed the challenges of marketing a creative business; as opposed to marketing a film.

Michele Yamazaki compares different software used for skin softening and retouching.

And Emery Wells is the co-founder and CEO of Frame.io, a new cloud-based review, storage, transcoding, versioning and task management platform that launched last week and is signing up interested folks for their up-coming beta program.

All-in-all, a fascinating show. Click here to listen.

We've added also text transcripts for each show courtesy of Take1.tv. Transcripts can be found on the show page. Read the show transcript here.

Buzz website: www.digitalproductionbuzz.com
 
THREE NEW ARTICLES THIS WEEK!

Generic newsletter bullet I have three new articles and one updated article this week - starting with an in-depth look at what we can do to maximize performance in a RAID.  Plus, setting up Watch Folders in Adobe Media Encoder and a new color correction feature that was released with the 10.1.2. update to Final Cut Pro X.

Plus, I've updated all our Top 3 lists.  Enjoy your week!
PRODUCT REVIEW: OWC THUNDERBAY 4 RAID
Maximizing Performance
 
Two week's ago, I wrote my initial reactions to the OWC ThunderBay 4 RAID. (Basically, I liked it.)

Then, the folks at OWC asked me to take a second look and compare using SSD drives to spinning media. So, this week, I looked at this unit solely from the point of view of performance.

I've written a lot about RAID levels, storage and performance. This week, I had time to test a number of different configurations and in this article I report the results.

There are some surprising results that I think you'll find very illuminating - plus, you'll also discover where you should, and shouldn't, spend your money.

UPDATE: APPLE PRORES 4444 XQ 
 
One of the most popular articles I've written in a while concerned the brand-new Apple ProRes 4444 XQ codec.

Since I wrote the article, I've learned more about how it works and when you should consider using it.

This week, I've updated the article with a better explanation of how it works and when to consider using it.  (You'll find the update at the end of the article.)

ARTICLE: ADOBE MEDIA ENCODER    
Creating Watch Folders 
 
Watch Folders allow us to automate media compression.

In this article, I explain what Watch Folders are and how to set them up in Adobe Media Encoder.

Unless you like watching a thermometer slowly crawl across the screen, you'll like using Watch Folders - a lot!

ARTICLE: FINAL CUT PRO X   
Convert Log C Files to Rec. 709  
 
Another new feature in the 10.1.2 update to Final Cut Pro X is the ability to quickly convert Log C files to Rec. 709.

While not all cameras shoot Log files, many cameras from Arri, Blackmagic Design, Canon, and Sony do.

Changing color space isn't hard, but it isn't obvious. This article explains what you need to know and how to do it.

ALL-NEW AND UPDATED!! 
FINAL CUT PRO X 10.1.2: COMPLETE 
              
This title contains everything you need to learn Apple's
Final Cut Pro X v.10.1!
 
This title includes both:

* FCP X: Workflow & Editing

* FCP X: Effects

 

All in one place, for one great price!

 

Start with initial setup and media management to editing, effects, and output, there's no finer training on the market.

* Need to get started in a hurry? We condensed everything you need into one chapter.

* Need to learn just the new features? We've got you covered.

* Need in-depth training on everything you need to know to become a video editing pro? Start at the beginning and work your way to the end.

You'll be amazed at how much you learn!

THIS TRAINING INCLUDES ALL THE NEW FEATURES IN THE FCP X 10.1.2 UPDATE.

Over 200 movies, more than 22 hours of training! Each movie is laser-focused to get you the information you need exactly when you need it. (The average movie length is about seven minutes.)

One title - everything you need - available right now.

TOP THREE + 1 LISTS 
   
Here are the most popular articles, webinars, and audio interviews for the past seven days across all my websites.

Articles

This list expanded to the Top 4 to add some variety:
For an index of all our articles, visit here.

 

Webinars

This list is based on the webinars watched most often by our monthly subscribers. For a list of all our webinars, visit here.

 

Digital Production Buzz Audio Interviews

For a list of all Buzz audio interviews, click here. 

BRAND-NEW TRAINING
Learn Apple Compressor 4.1
   
Apple continues to update Compressor with an all new interface, improved compression settings and better monitoring. This application has some much new stuff inside that we went back and re-did all our training for the new version.
  • Better organized
  • More informative
  • Tighter focus on making your images look great.
NEW TRAINING NOW SUPPORTS
COMPRESSOR 4.1.2

These days, everything we do ends up on the web.
Which means that if we don't know how to compress our video to make it look good, all our work during production and post is wasted.

In this in-depth video training, Larry Jordan shows you how to make the most of Apple Compressor 4.1.x.

Whether you are a new or experienced, this training will help you make your media look and sound great!
We are committed to providing the highest quality training at the lowest possible price and distributing it as widely as possible.

From subscriptions to individual downloads to free techniques and articles -- we've got your back.  And there's lots more to come.

Thanks!

Larry Jordan
Larry Jordan & Associates
P.S. I always love hearing from you. Feel free to write.