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3066 articles.

Positives and Negatives of SSD Drives

SSD (solid-state drives) are the latest fashion in hard drives. Impervious to vibration, with no mechanical movement, they are ideal for computers in rugged situations. But are they good for editing? This article provides answers to that question.

Sony Hard Disk Recording Unit Trouble

Larry explains in this article why a subscriber is having difficulty with a video transfer from his Sony hard disk recording unit (HVR DR60).

Quick Software Notes

A few bullet point suggestions for subjects ranging from trying to up-res from SD to HD without losing detail to getting Compressor to launch.

Snow Leopard and Multiple Processors

Apple has announced a new version of its operating system for next year – 10.6 (Snow Leopard). This article looks at what this may mean for Final Cut Pro users.

FCP 7: Getting Smoothcam to Work Faster

Smoothcam, Final Cut Pro’s motion stabilization filter, can really smooth out some very shaky shots. But it can take a long time to do so. This article shows you what you can do to speed this process up.

Smooth Moves on Stills

Creating smooth moves on stills is at the heart of many documentaries. Final Cut makes creating moves easy. But smoothness is sometimes much harder to achieve. Take a look at what these editors have to say about the best way to get your images to move.

FCP 7: Creating a Slow Motion Effect

This article grew out of a reader question about how to create special effects in Final Cut.

FCP 7: Getting Slo-Mo Images to Look Better

The quality of slo-mo footage processing can vary by the level of equipment you possess. However, does this mean that you should upgrade? There are three possible answers here: Yes, No, and Maybe.

Slipping a Filter

Here’s a simple technique to apply a filter to a portion of clip — then use the Slip tool to move it where you need it.

When Should You Upgrade to Snow Leopard?

Snow Leopard, Apple’s latest operating system, is not for everyone. But it may be for you. This article describes what you need to know in deciding when to upgrade your system.

Roll Your Own Keyboard Shortcuts

Final Cut has always allowed keyboard customization. This article shows some new “almost-secret” techniques buried in OS X that allow you to create customized keyboard shortcuts in ANY application.

Shooting SD or HD for the Web

In this article a subscriber brings Larry a question regarding the benefits of shooting on a HD camera for video that will be transferred to the web and Larry offers an explanation as well as an alternative.

Shooting NTSC to go to PAL

Converting between NTSC and PAL video is tricky because they have different image sizes, frame rates, and pixel aspect ratios. Ideally, if you need PAL, shoot PAL. If you need NTSC and PAL, shoot PAL because it’s easier to move from PAL to NTSC, than the other way around. However, if you need to go from NTSC to PAL, this explains how.

Shimmer Effects with Still Images

Still images, especially when you move on them, create weird shimmer, or moiré, patterns. This article describes what they are and how to fix them.

Software Review: Sheffield Softworks Retouching Filters

Sheffield Softworks creates filters specifically designed for video retouching. They have a suite of products – Electronic Makeup Artist, Digital Coverup, and Look Sweet – which make the process of fixing your video much simpler, In this article, we take an in-depth look at each of the three, illustrate how it can best be used, and show you how to use it.

Setting Up for an Audio Mix

In this article Larry handles a question regarding whether a series of continuous time code cuts will translate into the OMF or be ignored.

Understanding Sequence Settings in Final Cut Pro

Confused about all the options available in Sequence Settings? Well, this article can help. It may not explain ALL the different choices, but it will help you focus on the ones that are the most important.

Understanding the Selection Tools

The number one interface rule for Final Cut is “select something, then do something to it.” Well, I’ve discovered that virtually no editor knows what these selection tools can do. Which is a shame, because once you understand how these work, they can make a real difference in speeding up your work. This article explains how.

Scrolling Vertically in the Timeline

Moving horizontally in the Timeline is easy. Moving vertically is easy, too, once you know the secret. Here’s how.

Setting Up Capture Scratch and Two Gripes

Trying to figure out the best way to setup scratch disks is very confusing. In this dialog with Lachlan Coles, I explain ways to minimize problems. This isn’t the same thing as having Final Cut do what you want; but it does mean that your system will be both reliable and smooth.