High-performance, high-capacity storage is at the heart of everything we do as media editors. Clearly, performance improves with each generation of gear. Equally clearly, none of us have unlimited budgets. These tests compare the benefits of migrating from Thunderbolt 2 storage to Thunderbolt 3.
For many years, I’ve written that the fuller a spinning hard disk drive (HDD) is, the slower it goes. But, while I’ve “known” this for years, I never really bothered to test it. Until this week, as part of a detailed review of a Thunderbay 4 HDD RAID. Here’s the answer.
I’ve often wondered just how much better an SSD is for multicam editing than an HDD (spinning hard disk drive). Recently, as part of detailed review of the OWC Thunderbay 4 HDD RAID, I decided to find out.
I’ve always “known” that HFS+ is better for formatting spinning hard drives for the Mac than APFS. But, I wondered, is that just hearsay or is there some truth to it? So, I put them both to the test. The results are surprising.
Christopher Campbell created an amazing time-lapse image sequence about painting a large picture. Then, he asked me for ways to make this time-lapse look better. Here is a technique you can use in Final Cut Pro, Premiere Pro or DaVinci Resolve.
As I was editing a recent webinar, I rediscovered three highly useful techniques that sped my work. Since these are not techniques I use everyday, I wanted to share them with you so you could save some time on your next edit as well.
Whether you’re working on a film, a podcast, or a YouTube video, getting the audio right is crucial for your project to shine. In this guest post, Abdul Jabbar describes the importance of creating good audio in post-production.
Apple changed how adjustment layers for Final Cut are created in Motion with FCP 11. An adjustment layer in Final Cut Pro is a special clip to which you can apply effects that affect all layers or clips below it. The only problem is that it doesn’t exist. Here’s how to create it.
The Ken Burns effect provides automated image animation and it works for both horizontal and vertical projects. But there are several cases where keyframes work better. Larry Jordan illustrates both in this short video.
Drop zones are areas in a Final Cut Pro effect into which you can insert an image or video. But, there’s a key “gotcha” that you need to know to use them effectively. Larry Jordan explains.
Backups are basic to protecting your media. But what should you use for hardware, or software, and how many backups is “enough.” Larry Jordan explains the basics.
Feathering converts a hard edge to a soft fade. Feathering an image out is easy. Feathering an image in, though, is much harder. Here’s what you need to know, as Larry Jordan explains.
There are four menu options to scale images in Premiere Pro. One is a really bad choice, while two aren’t bad. But one is clearly the best choice when you also want to animate image scaling. Larry Jordan explains.
[ This is an excerpt from a recent webinar: “Essential Workflow in Adobe Premiere Pro v25” which is available as a download in our store, or as part of our Video Training Library. ] EXCERPT DESCRIPTION Most of the preference …
A fast way to edit video programs that feature lots of interviews is using speech-to-text editing in Adobe Premiere Pro. In this short video, Larry Jordan shows how you can quickly create and edit using transcripts, then how to turn those transcripts into captions.
The impact of AI on media, whether Apple is abandoning Final Cut, secrets of Premiere and hidden techniques in Final Cut – this “Ask Larry Anything!” session covers a wealth of topics you won’t learn anywhere else.
Adobe Premiere Pro has evolved a lot over the years. This session showcases a complete workflow through the application, from import to editing to export, along with highlighting the latest features in the 2025 release.
Dan asks: “I just edited a short family video and was stunned at how long it took! What should my expectations be for editing a project?” This is a GREAT question and one that I’m asking my readers to share their thoughts. Yes, the answer could be anything – but we still need to create an estimate.
Gary asks: “I recall you said that mixed frame rates cannot exist on a DaVinci Resolve timeline. Often my media is submitted in a myriad of forms/rates. How do I deal with that?” Actually, Resolve handles mixed frame rates easily – with one BIG!! gotcha. Here are the details.
Geoff is experiencing consistent jerkiness during pans of any speed on multiple cameras when shooting PAL video. Take a look and see if you can solve the problem.
Recently, I made a mistake that destroyed all my existing projects. Here’s what I did, and here’s what I learned: how to archive projects, how to restore from backups and where to set the initial Resolve Project Library.
DaVinci Resolve 19 is the latest version of this highly-popular video editing software. In this four-part series, master trainer Larry Jordan first explores the entire workflow from import to export. Then, he showcases how to create multicam edits; record, edit and mix audio using the Fairlight page, and create color look using the Color page. Everything you need to know – all in one place.
Here’s a very fast technique that can reduce (or emphasize) wrinkles in an actor’s face – without resorting to plug-ins. Watch as Larry Jordan illustrates how this adjustment works – improving how an actor looks instantly!
In this short video, Larry Jordan demonstrates how to import timelines from Adobe Premiere Pro or Apple Final Cut Pro for color grading, then export them back out again.
This short video showcases the differences between using Lift – Gamma – Gain and Shadows – Mids – Highlights to change the gray-scale values of a clip. These differences are significant, powerful, and highly useful, as Larry Jordan illustrates.
DaVinci Resolve has a preference with a default setting that makes editing audio almost impossible. Here’s which preference to change and how to edit audio in very small increments, easily and accurately, using the Fairlight page in DaVinci Resolve 19.
In our continuing exploration of DaVinci Resolv 19, this session presents an in-depth look at color correcting and grading using the Color page of DaVinci Resolve 19.
Recently, Jungle Power launched a series of eco-friendly, on-location power generation systems. To learn more, I emailed a series of questions to Mark Naidoo, CEO of Jungle Power.
Over the last week, I tested Apple Final Cut Pro 11, Adobe Premiere Pro 25 and DaVinci Resolve 19.1 using a variety of computers from 2018 to the new M4 Pro Mac mini. This article summarizes what I’ve learned with an emphasis on the M4 Pro Mac mini and M2 Max Mac Studio.
This review looks at the performance differences in video editing running DaVinci Resolve 19.1 on a variety of Macs from the 2018 Mac mini to the new 2024 Apple M4 Pro Mac mini.
The new Transcribe to Captions automatically generates text captions from clips in the Final Cut timeline. It fast and dead easy to use… except, there’s one small problem: It creates captions in the wrong format. In this demo, Larry Jordan shows how it works and how to change caption formats.
The new Magnetic Mask is nothing short of amazing. Whether you want to remove a background, improve a color grade, or apply an effect to only a portion of the clip, the Magnetic mask is your new tool of choice. This video shows how it works.
Separating actual performance from all the marketing hype and reviews by people who don’t know anything about video editing is a challenge. Larry Jordan tests FCP, Premiere, & Resolve using Intel and M-series computers. The results will surprise you.
Watch as Larry Jordan demos every new feature in Apple Final Cut Pro 11 – including the amazing Magnetic Mask.
The new Transcribe to Captions Feature in Final Cut Pro – the first, big step toward speech-to-text. Here’s an illustrated tutorial on how this works AND an essential workaround that you need to know.
Here’s an illustrated, step-by-step tutorial to Apple’s Magnetic Mask, new with Final Cut Pro 11. This can create amazing results quickly – once you know how it works.
Recently, FxFactory updated their flagship product, FxFactory Pro, to version 6. To learn more about this update, I emailed Niclas Bahn, head of Business Development at FxFactory.
This review looks at the performance differences in video editing running Adobe Premiere Pro 25 on a variety of Macs from the 2018 Mac mini to the new 2024 Apple M4 Pro Mac mini. The results may surprise you!
It’s important to remember that you don’t need to buy the fully-loaded version of any system to get serious work done. Here are my thoughts on how to configure an M4-series Mac for serious video editing without breaking the bank.
This review looks at the performance differences in video editing running Apple Final Cut Pro 11 on a variety of Macs from the 2018 Mac mini to the new 2024 Apple M4 Pro Mac mini. The results may surprise you!
Today, Apple updated Final Cut Pro – Mac to version 11, along with updates to Final Cut Camera, Final Cut Pro – iPad and Logic. Here are the details and more links.
“How fast is fast enough?” is a question I’ve been pondering this last week. I decided to compare the speeds of two popular SSD drives: the T9 and T5 from Samsung. Partly, to see how fast they were, and partly to see if they were “fast enough” for video editing.
One of the highlight features in the latest version of Adobe Premiere Pro is the Properties panel. Here’s an illustrated tutorial on how it works.
Audio normalization makes one or more selected audio clips louder, without creating distortion, by raising the gain (audio level) of each clip such that the loudest portion of each clip does not exceed the level that you specify. This tutorial explains when to use it and when you should not.
Over the weekend, I bought a newly-announced M4 Pro Mac Mini. This article explains what I bought and why. (Updated based on my recent performance tests.)
Last week, Apple announcing a bevy of new Macs: MacBook Pro, iMac, and Mac mini; each using variations of the M4: M4, M4 Pro, and M4 Max. Here are my thoughts on what to know, when to upgrade, and where to spend your money.
Another question I asked my interview guests at the 2024 NAB Show New York, was what key trends were they watching? As you might expect, there’s a LOT! going on.
It appears as a bug during audio dialog editing in DaVinci Resolve 19. What it ACTUALLY is, is a preference that defaults to the wrong setting.
Paul is creating a compilation video and asks: What happens when I copy clips from one Final Cut Pro library to another? And how can I keep my library sizes small? The answer? It all depends upon how you initially import your media.
One of the questions I asked my interview guests at the NAB Show New York, was, in spite of all the stress in media today, what made them optimistic? Twelve interviews from the 2024 NAB Show in New York City.
Templates are simply customized project files for Premiere or Audition that are saved to a specific location, then accessed whenever you create a new project. These can significantly speed your workflow when you are creating similar projects over and over.
The new context-aware Properties Panel highlights the new features in the October 2024 release of Adobe Premiere Pro, showcased at the recent Adobe MAX conference. Here’s a list of what’s new.
Here’s a detailed look at how I recorded my interviews at the NAB Show New York. This goes into detail in terms of how I edited, how clips were named and the audio effects and settings I used.
In this interview, Larry Jordan and Gary Adcock discuss what AI (Artificial Intelligence) is and is not, whether we should be afraid of it, and how it gets trained.
In this interview, Larry Jordan and Megan Fasy discuss the relationship between marketing, advertising and PR; mistakes companies make when dealing with a PR agency; the current state of the market; and reasons for optimism in media.
In this interview, Larry Jordan and Sadie Groom discuss how to effectively create PR, mistakes companies make when dealing with the press, when to work with a PR agency, the current state of the market, and the importance of personal connections.
In this interview, Larry Jordan and Matt Morgan discuss Ross Video’s expansion into corporate media production, the requirements of live production, and the differences between broadcast and corporate media.
In this interview, Larry Jordan and Andrew Takacs discuss the remote production tools QuickLink provides, why they are needed, how they are used, and their new integration with collaborative software like Skype and Teams.
In this interview, Larry Jordan and Jeff Sengpiehl discuss how the media industry has morphed over the last few years, where growth is occurring, and how AI is playing a more nuanced role in production and post today.
In this interview, Larry Jordan and Kari Eythorsson discuss how Clear-Com began in the rock palaces of 1960’s San Fransisco, how they evolved a cloud-based intercom solution and began offering communications on a per-project basis.
In this interview, Larry Jordan and Victor Ha discuss when is the time to step up to a camera from a mobile device, FujiFilm’s emphasis on color and film emulation, and how the process of creating images has evolved over the last few years.
In this interview, Larry Jordan and Tara Montford discuss the 20-year history of Editshare, the stresses in the industry today, and emerging new markets.
In this interview, Larry and Neal discuss the role MPE plays in media post-production around the world, along with the opportunities and challenges of remote production and post.
In this interview, Larry and Costa discuss how the Telos Alliance got its name, its view of the marketplace and why their tagline is “Love what you hear” and how they make audio better.
In this interview, Larry and Phil discuss the mind-bending graphics that Pixotope creates, why it uses the Unreal Engine, and the need for graphic designers – at every level – to find ways to improve on their best work..
In this interview, Larry and Sean discuss what OpenDrives provides, the benefits of the OpenDrives architecture, why storage performance is so challenging, why storage hardware and controller software need to be different, and the industry trend toward the commoditization of storage.
In this interview, Larry and Meghan discuss what CueScript is, their latest teleprompter offerings, and tips on picking the right prompter.
In this interview, Larry and Gary discuss the challenges of accurately tracking camera pan and tilt changes when shooting on an LED volume stage and how Cartoni is providing tripod heads that track this and send it to the computer. As well, Gary shares his thoughts on how to pick the right tripod for your work.
In this interview, Larry and Ray discuss Avid’s recent acquisition of WolfTech for newsroom operations, improved support for sharing projects between Media Composer and ProTools, and new trends in automation and “digital first,” meaning files for social media take priority.
In this interview, Larry and Marc discuss the differences between backups and archives, the current state of archiving using LTO tape and trends toward integrating archiving with cloud services.
In this interview, Larry and Andy discuss Appear’s products for the transport of digital media files – including compression, IP encapsulation, transport, manipulation, and processing – that are all part of the live production process.
In this interview, Larry and Sam discuss Axle’s media management software, optimized for social media, the benefits of using AI without using the Cloud and the key decentralization trend that’s upending media production.
In this brief introduction to his interviews at the NAB Show New York 2024, Larry Jordan summarizes what he learned, and what we can expect in his upcoming interviews.
In this interview, Larry and Michael discuss shared storage, and why it is important for NexSan to design, build, test and support their system within their company. As well, Michael explains what storage may be a commodity, but support is not.
In this interview, Larry and Matt discuss remote media access for collaborative editing, the performance issues of accessing media remotely, when to use local cacheing, and announcing LucidLink 3.0 for mobile devices.
In this interview, Larry and Chris discuss the latest products from Vizrt, how their products integrate throughout the entire production chain, the differences between NDI and ST2120, and how remote production is changing the face of production for both large and small companies.
In this interview, Larry and Simon discuss making the transition from still photography to moving images, how he finds clients and the key points he made in his keynote speech at the conference.
In this interview, Larry and Randi discuss how PostPerspective has evolved over the last 15 years, her thoughts on the impact of AI and how the media industry will get past the challenges its currently facing.
In this interview, Larry and Chris discuss what Panasonic Connect is, the difference between mobile phones and Panasonic’s cameras, and the features required for a camera geared for live events.
In this interview, Larry and Ian discuss digital sculpting, overcoming the fear of “the blank page,” and new releases from Maxon.
In this interview, Larry and Bram discuss the new Quantum Dot technology for HDR monitors, the challenges of bringing prices down, and when is the best time to invest in a high-quality HDR monitor.
In this interview, Larry and Colin discuss the emerging Creator Economy, the challenges of being an influencer, and the key ideas behind Colin’s panel presentation at the NAB Show New York.
In this interview, Larry and Bob discuss Blackmagic’s latest products, the need for – and uses of – a camera that creates 17K images, and his thoughts on the challenges facing today’s media industry.
In this interview, Larry and Mike discuss the current challenges facing the media industry including a shrinking workforce, the impact of AI, and the advent of new career opportunities with companies that exist solely online.
Here’s a list – with links – to all of Larry’s interviews at the NAB Show New York 2024.
Karen Chupka heads-up all the NAB shows. In this interview, Larry and Karen discuss her first six months on the job, her goals for the NAB Show in New York City, the changes in media today, and her plans for the 2025 NAB Show in Las Vegas.
On October 9 – 10, 2024, I recorded thirty 10-minute one-on-one video interviews at the NAB Show in New York City. To do this, I used a mixture of my own gear and rental equipment. Here’s what I used and learned.
Announcing “Edit-Smarter.com” – Larry Jordan’s latest website devoted to media interviews and tutorial videos.
There are several reasons why you might want to send a project from Premiere Pro to DaVinci Resolve: For example, to create more complex effects in Fusion or more detailed color correction on the Color page. If you do, you also need to know how to get those files there and back.
There are several reasons why you might want to send a project from Final Cut Pro to DaVinci Resolve: For example, to mix the audio in Fairlight or do more detailed color correction on the Color page. If you do, you also need to know how to get those files there and back.
I’ve been a fan of Lume Cube lights for a long while now. Last week, I purchased the Studio Panel Lighting Kit, which contains two LumeCube LED panel lights, with tripods and barn doors. Here’s my review.
Next week, Larry Jordan is interviewing almost three dozen companies about their latest products and future technology. These interviews will be posted to his website, along with other locations announced soon Here’s a list of who’s scheduled to appear.
The Fairlight audio page in Resolve has very sophisticated audio recording capability. But it certainly isn’t intuitive. In this short video, Larry Jordan shows how to record audio narration in Resolve.
In spite of our best efforts, all too often we have audio that has problems: too much noise or hum. In this short video, Larry Jordan shows how to use Resolve’s audio effects to fix both those problems.
In our continuing exploration of DaVinci Resolve, this session presents how to do audio editing, cleanup, and mixing in Fairlight; which is the audio page in DaVinci Resolve 19.
The Røde Podcaster Pro II is a beautiful machine, damaged by poor documentation, led astray by poorly-trained and over-stretched technical support, and done in by inadequate attention to audio levels; especially regarding live streaming – for which it was originally designed. It is fine as the front-end to a DAW, but very expensive to use just for that purpose.
