It's a stormy and rainy Monday all along the Eastern Seabord. Here are ten stories about Pro Video that I recommend reading while you are huddled up indoors.
Final Cut Pro X 10.0.6 Update. The big software news for editors this week was Apple's Final Cut Pro X update 10.0.6. This is essentially the biggest release since the original one, and once again it goes a long way towards resolving some of people's outstanding pain points. Philip Hodgetts had an opportunity to use the software for a fairly lengthy period of time so that he could test it with his essential 7toX add-on. As a result, he has put together the most detailed review I've seen thus far. Well worth your time to read this one.
Kicking the tires on Final Cut Pro X 10.0.6. In this post, Scottt Simmons takes an "honest look at some of the features as opposed to just listing out bullet points". The great thing about this post is that it's obvious that he has sat down and spent some time using the new software. His conclusion is that overall, this is a great update that adds a number of features that were needed. Well worth the read due to its detail.
10.0.6 brings a 3200% speed increase when rendering effects on a Final Cut Pro X timeline. According to FCP.co, 10.0.6 now uses the GPU for rendering on the timeline, which can produce a substantial improvement in rendering times compared to previous versions of FCP X. Your mileage may vary based on your setup, the graphics processor, and the type of material you work with, but this update would certainly address one of the big pain points that Rich mentioned when he switched to Premiere Pro.
Where goes Final Cut Pro X and the other NLEs?. Here is a good post by Philip Hodgetts about the speed of editing with the software and why he thinks it will dominate the NLE space. New users who aren't burdened by the dominant editing paradigm will have an easier (and possibly more positive) time becoming acquainted with the software, while other professionals who are used to the way their tools have always worked will find the transition takes more time and energy. For some this transition will be worth it, for others it won't be worth it, and for others, Hodgetts argues that the choice will be dictated by Producers in the drive for better, cheaper, and faster production.
Apple announces new iMacs with great features for video editors. With all of the posts about the update to Final Cut, it seems like the new macs were forgotten about by the video community. What do you think, will these astoundingly beautiful devices become the core of many edit suites?
Parenthood in Post Production Part TWO: Modern Director Mom. Another post in Kylee's great series on Parenthood in Post Production. Even if you don't have kids, this one may be worth reading for the tale of inspiration and working hard to meet your dreams.
Editor Kelley Dixon: How Breaking Bad Does It. A great presentation about editing Breaking Bad. Love the show, and this video has good tips on everything from the technical aspects of editing the series to how to get into the business.
Top 10 Reasons Why First-Time Freelancers Fail. If you do any freelance work, it's worth reading this blog on a regular basis. Tip of the hat to Patrick Inhofer for uncovering this one.
8-Bit is Still 8-Bit, Why DSLRs Are No Match for the 12-Bit Blackmagic Cinema Camera. An interesting look at Marco Solorio's video that focuses on how 12-bit RAW compares in relation to 8-bit alternatives, including many camera solutions costing much more.
Biggest Nightmares for Editors. I will wrap up this week's reads with our friend Tej's nightmare stories. Would love it if you can add your own horror stories to his comments.
