Presented: June, 2010

Each week, Larry Jordan presents a live, online, training webinar discussing issues related to video post-production; often focused on Apple Final Cut applications. For a list of upcoming webinars, click here.

Duration: 50:05
File size: 107.8 MB (zip file)
Format: Quicktime movie (1280 x 800)

Important note: After you complete the store checkout process, you will see a Download Link on the Order Confirmation page. This link will allow you to download the product to your computer. You are given two attempts and 10 days to download your product. Since this is a downloadable product, there will not be a CD/DVD mailed to you.

Tutorial Overview

Working with still images in video is surprisingly difficult, because still images created on the computer have almost nothing in common with video images. Computers and video differ in resolution, color space, gray scale, and, most significantly, pixel aspect ratio. And these differences lead to a lot of confusion.

In this session, host Larry Jordan explains why it’s hard to make still images look good, shows how to prep your images for video, illustrates how to size your images properly, and shows how to create moves on stills using Apple’s Final Cut Pro and GeeThree’s PhotoMotion. Plus, this provides extensive tables illustrating how to properly size stills.

Audience Level

This tutorial is designed for editors who are comfortable with both Final Cut Pro and Photoshop; though other image editing software can be used. The techniques discussed here apply to all versions of Final Cut Pro and all versions of Photoshop. PhotoMotion requires Final Cut Pro 6 or later. All software techniques are specifically illustrated step-by-step.

Content Outline

• Explain the differences between still images on the computer and in video.
• Illustrate the differences in image resolution.
• Illustrate the differences in color space.
• Explain interlacing and why it adds complexity to stills in video.
• Illustrate pixel aspect ratios and why they are important.
• Show examples of how ignoring pixel aspect ratios create stretched graphics in video.
• Provide a table illustrating how to properly size still images for full screen video display.
• Provide a table illustrating how to properly size still images to do moves on images.
• Explain the differences in how Final Cut Pro imports single layer and multi-layer images.
• Provide a table illustrating how to size PSD images for video.
• Illustrate a workflow for properly importing PSD images into Final Cut Pro.
• Explain what gamma and color profiles are.
• Show how to properly set color profiles in Photoshop.
• Provide solutions to common still image problems, such as flickering.
• Show how to create moves on stills in Final Cut Pro.
• Show how to create moves on stills using PhotoMotion.

NOTE: The initial presentation was sponsored by GeeThree, Inc.