Month: April 2012

Categories
Apple Pro Apps Assisted Editing

7toX for Final Cut Pro 1.0.5 hits the Mac App Store

7toX version 1.0.5 hit the Mac App Store last night. This version is free from the Mac App Store and is mostly tidying up loose ends as we find them.

What’s New in this Version

  • Support for XML exported from Belle Nuit Subtitler
  • Support for XML exported from Movie★Slate
  • Bug fix for XML exported from Premiere Pro
  • Bug fix for Crop
  • Bug fix for Position, Scale, Crop and Distort for square pixel video in non-square pixel timelines, and non-square pixel video in square pixel timelines
  • Bug fix for detecting Photoshop clips in a Project

Categories
Apple Pro Apps Assisted Editing Item of Interest

Final Cut Pro X 10.0.4 hits the Mac App Store

Final Cut Pro X 10.0.4 hits the app store. Now Xto7 can support flattened multicam in the current release due to the new XML capabilities in this release – specifically, the presence of multicam data in the Project XML.

The current release of Xto7 (version 1.1.7) already supports this feature when sent 10.0.4 Project XML. Unfortunately, due to the way the two apps support Multicam, Xto7 can only do a “flattened” version. We translate the active angle as an independent clip, losing the Multicam information.

The reason is that FCP X multicam is much more powerful and forgiving than FCP 7’s version so it proved impossible to have any sort of reliable translation as Multiclips back. For example: FCP X supports MP4 media in multiclips; mixed formats in multiclips; mixed frame rates in multiclips; more than one clip in a multiclip angle, etc.  Any one of those items would prevent translation to FCP 7 Multiclips.

Categories
Assisted Editing Video Technology

Sync-N-Link X

We’re very pleased to announce Sync-N-Link X, a completely rethought version of our popular and powerful batch synchronizing application for dual system (separate audio and video) workflows.

When we considered what was needed for this workflow we realized we weren’t facing a simple rewrite, but like Final Cut Pro X itself, a complete rethink. Even better we’ve been able to make it much more affordable, reducing the price from $495 down to $199.99.  Here’s the press release:

Continue reading “Sync-N-Link X”

Categories
Distribution Item of Interest The Business of Production

Netflix bullish on original content

Netflix bullish on original content http://t.co/H4CNtw1i Interesting take on Netflix’ original programming – four series so far.

Sorry about the Variety Paywall if you run into it.

What’s particularly telling is that these original series are not some “alternate” programming: they’re coming from the same producers as would otherwise supply networks or cable channels. It makes my point that the networks/cablers don’t have a lock on the future and the new distribution channels (Netflix, Google, Amazon, Apple) can easily take over the role of the middle man as we currently know it.

Continue reading “Netflix bullish on original content”

Categories
Interesting Technology Item of Interest Video Technology

Impossible Software Is About To Do Impossible Things With Your Video.

Impossible Software Is About To Do Impossible Things With Your Video http://t.co/jpkhy2PQ

The technology Impossible Software are using to insert products into existing video is incredibly clever, particularly as a web service, but if it were my production – one I’d carefully composed and cared about – I think I’d be appalled at what was being done to the “finished” product.

There’s not much more to say beyond that: you’ll hate it or it will solve “everything” for marketers.  I don’t think I like it, other than for the pure tech.

Categories
Business & Marketing Distribution Item of Interest

Time To Move Beyond ‘Sharing’ and ‘Stealing’

Time To Move Beyond ‘Sharing’ And ‘Stealing’ in the Debate over Content http://t.co/qHR4XBSY Neither term helps the discussion.

Continue reading “Time To Move Beyond ‘Sharing’ and ‘Stealing’”

Categories
Assisted Editing Item of Interest Video Technology

Highlight Hunter Finds Your Best Clips

Highlight Hunter Finds Your Best Clips, Cuts Video Editing By 80% http://t.co/EruxPNpE

 

That’s the headline from Techcrunch but it’s really misleading. Highlight Hunter doesn’t actually “find” your best clips, you tail slate a good bit by covering the lens (black), and then it finds all the black bits, trims them and trims a certain (user specified) time before that.

As one records adventures, whatever they may be, a user bookmarks highlights by momentarily obscuring the camera lens after the highlight is over. Upon returning home, users open Highlight Hunter on a Mac or PC, load the highlight-rich videos, and, after a few minutes, the app has turned the footage into highlight clips.

The nifty thing about Highlight Hunter is that it is compatible with most outdoor video cameras (list here) or media files, and users have the ability to choose the length of their highlights, though the average is about 30 seconds. The app then spits that highlight real out, and the resulting file is compatible with other video editing apps so it can be uploaded to iMovie or the editing software of your choice for more advanced post-production. And, hey, you can also share it directly from within the app to Facebook or YouTube.

Can’t see it has much use in the sort of production I’m interested in!