Apple’s OS X Lion

Today, Apple’s OS X Lion was released and at the end of the day over 7660 copies were downloaded and reviewed, 6,800 of those people rated it 5 stars. From the demos that I’ve seen there are some really cool new features especially OS X Lion Server for $49.99.

We’re all professionals here so there is no need for me to remind you about several points concerning major software upgrades.

1. Never upgrade any of your software in the middle of a project.

2. Make sure everything is stable before you install on your production computers. For major updates to the OS which Lion is, personally I wait at least 6 months before I upgrade my production computers. The 3rd party developers need time to catch up, and make sure all of their filters and plugins work. If you have a spare machine by all means install it now and start checking it out.

3. When you’re ready to update check your favorite blogs, and software companies to find out if there are any issues that you should be aware of . Do you need to upgrade other software too?

4. Allocate enough time for the upgrade. I’ve had upgrades and installs take several hours and occasionally even days.

5. Upgrade between projects.

In these exciting times it’s sometimes difficult to be patient and wait until at least one maintenance upgrade has been posted.

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Moving On

Four weeks after the release of Final Cut Pro X (FCPX) and the dust settles. Gloom takes hold as more and more pro editors are switching to Adobe Premier Pro (Pr). Premier’s interface is similar to FCP7 and most features work the same. Of course there are differences but you’ll feel comfortable enough with the UI for the transition to be relatively painless. Having access to online training makes the transition even easier. Sites like Lynda.com and Creative Edge offer monthly as well as annual subscriptions to training videos and books.

If you’re in need of a copy of FCP7, Apple has announced the limited release and limited distribution of Final Cut Studio 3 to help ease the backlash from the FCPX release. Check with your local non Apple dealer or Advantage Video Systems in CA is one of those dealers that has some copies in stock.

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Colorista II

This week I’ve been editing a 6 camera shoot in FCP7 and doing the color correction in Colorista II. If you haven’t used or looked at Colorista II you’re missing out. To say that Colorista II is a 3 Way color corrector on steroids is to sell it short.  A better description is it’s 3 times the 3 Way color corrector on steroids plus masking and additional features.

The screen shot above is the UI of the 1st section of 3, the Primary section. Each section has a 3 Way color corrector and HSL wheels. The 3 wheels adjust the usual highlights, midtones, and shadows. The bands around the 3 Way color wheels make adjusting the selected color and overall exposure very easy and intuitive. This is way better than moving the dot. The HSL wheels help to quickly adjust the color of your clip especially the orange spot which quickly nails your flesh tones.

If needed, the next section is the Master section which also includes curves in addition to the 3 Way and HSL color wheels.

If localized color adjustment is needed, then the Secondary Section is used. Beside the 3 Way and HSL color wheels this section also has a keyer, masking controls and blend modes.

Colorista II offers a lot of control in an easy to use intuitive interface. If you’ve been hesitant to use a full fledged color app, why not download the Colorista II sample and give it a try, I think you’ll be impressed. Oh, and did I tell you it’s a plugin and it also works in FCP7, CS5.5 Premier and After Effects. WOW.

Colorista II is available separately or in the Red Giant Magic Bullet Suite 11.

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Time to Switch

Three weeks and counting, and the discussions continue. Most of the pro community seems to agree that the FCPX workflows that work are if you’re a new editor, a one man shop, or if you don’t have many projects created in an earlier version of FCP – all of which make it easier to adopt FCPX.

But, if you have a large collection of earlier FCP projects that you’ll need to access in the coming years, or if you work in a larger shop and need to collaborate with others, then FCPX will not work for you. The basic design of the program, which stores projects and events on your local hard drives, and the lack of industry standard import & export formats to communicate with other software make it almost impossible at this time to share a project and send it to other apps for additional work. It’s easier to import earlier FCP projects into Premier Pro or Media Composer than it is into FCPX.

So if you need to access earlier FCP projects you are left with one choice, select a new NLE. At this time the obvious options are Adobe Production Premium & Adobe Premier Pro or Avid Media Composer. Both companies are offering “Switcher” or “Crossgrade” programs that will save you a minimum of 50%.

Adobe – http://success.adobe.com/en/na/sem/products/premiere.html?kw=p&sdid=FOHWZ&skwcid=TC|22175|adobe%20premier%20pro||S|b|7330619842

Avid – http://www.avid.com/US/specialoffers/fcp-mc-promotion?l=prehead&elq_mid=4593&elq_cid=3367361

Personally I have all four programs on my computer and I will be working with all four, FCP7, FCPX, PR, and MC. Depending on the project / client I’ll select the NLE that’s best for the job. The lack of multicam will limit the number of projects that I’ll be able to use FCPX on.

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Time Marches On

A little back history, my schedule has been crazy since February. The Editor’s Retreat and Mardi Gras in New Orleans. where I was able to get  some classic NO footage, of bands in the clubs and on the street, the Mardi Gras parades, NO art,  and more. A few weeks home to start the edit then off to NAB where I was impressed with Adobe’s CS5.5 upgrade and intrigued with Apple’s FCP X demo. While in Vegas I shot a Jessica McClintock and a Betsey Johnson fashion show which should be posted soon. Upon returning home, anxious to edit, I had a RAID drive die which started a negative spiral of hard drive problems which lasted a month and a half. I think things are finally settling down on that front. Then the release of CS5.5 and the launch of this site an Adobe Creative Suite blog @ 1CSPro.com  .  Then the launch of a Final Cut Pro blog @  1FCP.com  When the initial software that I had selected to build the blog sites wasn’t working, I switched to WordPress. Between focusing on building a new client web site and several blogs my attention has been focused on the web and the web software.  Fortunately the learning curve has been short, but it did take some time. So here we are today with things still evolving, with this blog, the software, the hardware and our industry. It sure looks like it’s going to be a really interesting year.

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Anniversary

Tuesday marked the 2 week anniversary of the release of Final Cut Pro X (FCP X) Now that we’re moving into the 3rd week the dust and anger has settled a bit as the FCP pro community assess their options as to how to proceed. The FCP pro community, many who have been editing with FCP for over 11 years, was dealt a 1 – 2 punch by Apple last week. The 1st blow was the inability to import any of potentially 11 years of projects edited in earlier versions of FCP. The 2nd blow, and many felt the biggest punch, was Apple’s sudden announcement that they had stopped selling FCP7 and the entire Final Cut Studio suite (FCS). One day it was there, then the next morning it had been pulled from the shelves without warning. This was particularly odd, because of Apple’s response to questions about the lack of some pro features in the new FCP X is to continue using FCP7. For post houses needing to add another editing seat, and with FCP7 no longer available, and with FCP X not ready to play in the standard work flow, editors were left with only one choice, move on. Fortunately, the move-on option offers 2 strong choices Adobe’s Premier Pro (PR) in their Production Premium Creative Suite 5.5  and Avid’s Media Composer (MC). Both programs offer the ability to work with your earlier FCP projects, so no lost years of editing here.

Both NLEs are mature stable products, but with a different interface. MC has evolved over the years mainly in the film industry so the UI and workflow mirror that environment. So it’s not surprising that MC is used to edit many TV shows and Hollywood movies. PR on the other hand has evolved along similar paths as FCP, digital imaging and video tape and it’s UI is more similar to FCP. Many photographers use Photoshop, many graphic designers use Illustrator, and many compositors, special fx designers use After Effects. With the streamlined UI in CS5.5 moving between the various modules in the suite is real sweet. So for the experienced FCP editor, the new DSLR editor, or the production / post house whose output is primarily to the web or DVDs / Blu-Ray, PR is probably the better choice, and if you are already using Photoshop, Illustrator, or After Effects it’s the obvious choice.

Both Adobe and Avid are offering free trial versions of their NLEs and “Switcher” or “Cross Grade” specials to help ease the transition.

Adobe – http://success.adobe.com/en/na/sem/products/premiere.html?kw=p&sdid=FOHWZ&skwcid=TC|22175|adobe%20premier%20pro||S|b|7330619842

Avid – http://www.avid.com/US/specialoffers/fcp-mc-promotion?l=prehead&elq_mid=4593&elq_cid=3367361

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Directions

Today marks the 2 week anniversary of the release of FCP X. Apple hasn’t released a timeline or any expected release dates for when we might expect the rumored upgrades. So where do we go, what direction do we head in? FCP X has a lot of really cool features and hints at the future, but for now if you intend to be an editor working in the industry you’ll need to learn one of  the industries’ accepted NLEs and that is Adobe’s Premier Pro (PP) and Avid’s Media Composer (MC). With Apple’s decision not to continue to sell or support FCP7, FCP7 is no longer an option, and until FCP X supports multicam, the ability to communicate with other industry standard software, and be able to import earlier FCP projects, etc. it just can’t be taken seriously as an industry player. With FCP 7 being pulled from the market, Apple has forced us into making a decision, sooner rather than later, about our future NLE. If you need to add an editing station now, or you have lots of footage that was edited in FCP that you will need to access in the future you are left with no choice but to switch to PP or MC. Now is the time to start converting those projects into a workable format, after all the first rule of business is to stay in business. You need to protect your assets and continue to be able to work. That being said, I think most people should be looking at FCP X and working with it as it holds a lot of promise, but for now you need to protect your career and your assets.

Both Adobe and Avid are running “Switcher” or “Cross Grade” specials which makes a lot sense. Decide which one works best for you and take advantage of these specials to help ease the transition. The direction is set and whether we like it or not we are being dragged along. Take the time and evaluate where you are and where you want to go so that you can make the right decision that works best for you.

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Red Giant Launches Magic Bullet Suite 11

Amidst all of the frustration and disappointment that editors have been experiencing this week relating to the FCP X release a light shines on the creative front. Red Giant has released a significant upgrade to their Magic Bullet Suite of effects and finishing software, designed by filmmaker Stu Maschwitz. The version 11 update includes updates to it’s core application Looks as well as several new additions, Grinder 1.5, and Cosmo, the companies new digital makeup package. Each of the 9 tools is installed with only one installer and one serial number, and all of the plugins are optimized for 64-bit for use in Adobe’s CS5.5 as well as Apple’s Final Cut Pro 7 and Motion. Red Giant says support for FCP X is due shortly. The price has stayed the same as version 10 at $799 and upgrades from Magic Bullet Looks are just $199

The company has had a complete makeover, with new product packaging, a new web site and even a name change, Red Giant Software is now just Red Giant.

Check out their latest brilliantly done video and the behind the scenes video which features the new Looks 2 and other Red Giant software.

Plot Device Trailer

http://vimeo.com/24725911

Plot Device

BTS of Plot Device

http://www.redgiantsoftware.com/videos/redgianttv/item/140/

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Hello Pro Market

With the disastrous launch of Apple’s FCP X and the announcements over the weekend to pull the Final Cut Pro Suite 3 off of the shelves and not provide a convenient upgrade path, Apple has done more to drive the Pro market to Adobe and Avid in this past week than a years worth of advertising ever could have done. With this move by Apple and the successful upgrade to CS5.5 Adobe has hit a home run.

I had switched to Adobe’s Creative Suite with version CS4 and with each upgrade I’ve been glad I did, as it has continued to get better and better. Adobe unlike Apple solicits feedback from their clients about what they like and don’t like about the software. Adobe also has taken a much more active participation in user groups and on line training with their Adobe TV. On all fronts Adobe has been reaching out to connect with their base, and with this disastrous launch of Apple’s FCP X, it’s going to pay rewards big time.

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