Adobe MAX 2011 Technology Sneak Peeks

Adobe’s big annual MAX conference finished a couple of weeks ago, and as part of it they included a series of technology sneak peeks. I’ve gone through the videos posted on AdobeTV and pulled out the ones of most interest to us video folks:

Coke Classic: Final Cut Studio is Back

As has been reported and confirmed by multiple sources, you can once again buy Final Cut Studio. You won’t find it (yet?) in the physical or online Apple stores; you have to call 1-800-MY-APPLE, ask for part number MB642Z/A, and pay $999 ($899 educational).

Great. So?

When FCP-X came out, some tried to placate the naysayers by reminding them that the new version wasn’t compulsory; they could just continue to use the previous version - it’s not like their licenses had been taken away. The reply was yeah, but we’ll eventually need updates and support as hardware and the OS change - why continue to invest effort into a dead product? And unless Apple is about the announce the biggest mea culpa since Avid said they were abandoning the Mac (or Coke quietly took New Coke off the shelves), that part hasn’t changed, regardless of whether you can buy additional copies or not. With Apple’s professional video division focused on the numerous fixes enhancements that have been requested and promised for FCP-X, I just don’t see them launching a parallel development effort to update FCS as well. (Let me know if you’ve seen job postings for Apple that indicates otherwise.)

What this move probably reflects was that some large customers weren’t going to switch to FCP-X just yet, and in the meantime needed additional licensed copies. And more importantly, it shows that Apple listened, and reacted.

And that’s something.

In Appreciation Of The Lowly Wipe

While editing Michele Yamazaki’s upcoming book on After Effects plug-ins, she reminded us of the classic, then-revolutionary video Cry by the English singer/songwriter/music video producer duo of Lol Creme and Kevin Godley. Created prior to the days of morphing software, it pushed the limits of what could be done with soft-edge wipes between carefully aligned shots, dropping more than one jaw as a result. (Yes, today’s more sophisticated eyes will pick apart the flaws - but keep in mind this was all done in analog, over 25 years ago.)

Expert Tips on Final Cut Pro

Ever watch someone use (or even worse, demonstrate) a piece of software, and think to yourself “wait a minute - that’s not how you should do that…”? Then Rob Imbs of Lovely Junkie has a video for you. Rob has compiled what is no doubt years of hard-won Final Cut experience and “knowledge” into one tip-laden video of just about everything a beginner can do wrong. With a straight face. (Until the very end.) Watch it and weep. Then pass it along to an unsuspecting Final Cut Friend.

American Editor

More than one person has pointed me toward the relatively new blog American Editor, written by Rob Ashe: Senior Video Editor & Opening Title Designer of Conan O’Brien’s most recent ventures among other items on a long resume. Rob is a straight shooter with a wry sense of humor, who dishes up some honest opinions and advice on working in The Industry.

“Why 3D Doesn’t Work and Never Will”

While a large portion of both the media creation and consumption industries gear up to produce and support 3D films and video, others are digging in their heels and asking about the fit and fabric of the emperor’s clothes. Much loved sound designer and film editor Walter Murch - as well as film curmudgeon critic Roger Ebert - are two of those questioners. This blog post by Ebert reprints a detailed letter from Murch about the inherent technical issues of stereoscopic films that detract from the esthetic appreciation of them as well. It’s quite meaty - I suggest you go read it all - but the central issue Murch brings up is what he refers to as the ‘convergence/focus’ issue: “3D films require us to focus at one distance and converge at another. And 600 million years of evolution has never presented this problem before.”

50.94 Is Not A Valid Frame Rate

I recently had a fellow motion graphics artist asked me what format used a 50.94 fps frame rate, as a client had requested delivery at this rate. 50.94 is obviously a typo based on 59.94 fps (the field rate for NTSC, and the North American speed favored for some HD media such as 720p for sports and news). But a quick Google search turned it up in multiple places where people should know better. For example, I found it in:

more »

Creative Suite 5 is Shipping

Less than three weeks after “launching” Creative Suite 5 at NAB, Adobe has started shipping it, including After Effects and Premiere Pro. In case you missed it in the middle of the NAB information overload, Scott Simmons has already (p)reviewed Premiere Pro CS5, and we did the same with After Effects CS5. I imagine we’ll all have a lot more to say once we get a chance to use it more in real-world situations; stay tuned…

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