For some of you who may be new to Final Cut Pro here is an introduction from Apple themselves. Final Cut Pro 6 works best with a MacPro Intel chipset but it will work on lesser specification machines but I would not recommend this, personally. If you want to view HD footage onto a monitor you will need a I/O box like the Matrox MXO or an AJA io HD, there are other options but the Matrox and AJA are the most popular.

Making the transition from an SD timeline to an HD timeline only requires you to adjust some preferences in FCP and as in my case the AJA box has to be set up via software. I use 7200 SATA drives in 3 DP500 Sonnet cases giving me 15 drives plus 4 in the Mac itself. 

The main problems with HD is the fact that everything takes slightly longer to render, Motion a 3D graphics application is similar to ‘After Effects’ but I think it’s better. Motion 3 as it is officially known can give you some wonderful graphics but in 720 50P things get a little slower and rendering takes longer but you put up with it.

Final Cut Pro 6 on the other hand is fine with 720 50P using Apple ProRez but this means anything you bring into FCP must pass through the AJA first in order to transcode it to ProRez. 

Apple ProRes 422 brings powerful new capabilities to Final Cut Pro editors thanks to its outstanding technical characteristics.

Stunning HD Quality

• Quality indistinguishable from the most pristine sources. Maintains superb quality even after multiple encoding/decoding generations.

• Full-width 1920-by-1080 and 1280-by-720 resolution. Offers the highest visual detail possible in any HD format.

• 4:2:2 chroma sampling. Provides precise compositing and blending at sharp saturated-color boundaries.

• 10-bit sample depth. Preserves subtle gradients of 10-bit sources (sunsets, graphics, and the like) with no visible banding artifacts.

• I frame–only encoding. Ensures consistent quality in every frame and no artifacts from complex motion.

Part THREE : HD Camcorders

Getting started with Crumple Pop

A 2 minute tutorial using Crumple Pop in Final Cut Pro 6

www.crumplepop.com

CrumplePop Example Video from Gabriel Cheifetz on Vimeo.

Crumple Pop is one of those strange programs that comes along and once you get your head around what the hell it’s trying to tell you…you buy it.

I was looking for  something a wee bit grungy for my tum tabs in Final Cut Pro 6 for the videos on HD Warrior reviews and now I have it, which in my case really fits the bill…gaffer tape with ink pen…I love it.  Pre NAB special of $35 (Will be $65)

http://www.crumplepop.com

It’s been well over a year and no updates to DVD Studio Pro nor any sign of Blu-ray support.  So, what are your options? Adobe’s Encore fully supports Blu-ray and it’s not that difficult to learn. I have produced a couple of Blu-ray discs using Encore and the best bit is the tie in with Photoshop CS4.

In order to re-jig your menus you simply send it to Photoshop and send it back when finished, there is no such tie in with Studio Pro though you can import your own menus made in Photoshop but it’s no way near a slick as Encore.

I have been told that Apple are waiting to bring out Snow Leopard — the next advancement in Mac OS X — but this brings present Apple users to another abyss. The code will change making everything before redundant so as I see it it’s a new start and possibly a new MacPro otherwise all your previous applications won’t work. Now please correct me if I am wrong with this news.

Even with a new version of Final Cut Studio it looks unlikely that Apple are going to support Blu-ray so they must have some other solution up their sleeve ?

Some of the boys out there are transferring their HD footage onto media drives, allowing their clients to watch the HD footage via HDMI, this is not a bad idea and could actually make money if you hire your media drives out for talking sake to a pharmaceutical company showing off their new product at a trade show on a 60″ plasma.

I was exited to get an email from Debbie Price confirming my place on the seminar “Final Cut Studio – Pro Techniques”, presented by Larry Jordan, this man is exceptional… what he doesn’t know about FCP is not worth knowing, a true Guru in every sense of the word.

Friday the 13th…of February 2009 in Glasgow city centre, Debbie “Bring pencil and paper and lots of questions!  There will be lots of material covered so be ready to take notes.  It’s classroom-style seating, so you have room to write or setup your laptop.  However, this is a presentation, rather than hands-on training.  Also bring some business cards, you never know who you might meet.”

The man is a joy, a master of his trade, I sat in the room immersed with everything he had to tell us. There were at least 55 people in this small room spellbound by Mr Jordan, his confidence and knowledge about Soundtrack Pro and FCP was like handing out chocolate bars to children.

If you ever get the chance to attend on of his seminars jump at it.