Several different options are available when dragging within the Timeline.

When dragging in the Timeline, use these tips:

• Dragging in the Timeline horizontally results in an overwrite edit by default.
• Dragging in the Timeline horizontally results in an insert or swap edit when you hold down the Option key.
• Dragging in the Timeline vertically results in an overwrite edit by default.
• Dragging in the Timeline vertically results in an insert edit when you press the Option key after you start to drag.
• Pressing the Option key and then dragging in the Timeline vertically results in a cloned copy added to the Timeline via an insert edit.
• Pressing the Option and Shift keys and then dragging in the Timeline vertically results in a cloned copy added to the Timeline directly above the clip.

Like this tip? It comes from the book
Final Cut Studio On the Spot from Focal Press.

Join Apple Certified Trainer Richard Harrington as he shows you how to capture video in Final Cut Pro once your clips have been logged.



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Want 30 minutes of free training on Adobe Photoshop CS3? Adobe had me in their theater at NAB giving lessons. Here's a recording from one of the days so you can see what was taught.



If you want more free classes... visit the Adobe TV site.

Following up on my "Really Cool Adobe Announcements" post...

Adobe has actually posted their "secret" presentation from NAB. Hart Shafer talks about four cool things Adobe has up their sleeve.



You SO need to watch this... trust me. BTW (for those of you waiting... they did show OnLocation for Mac in this demo).

Thanks to the School of Podcasting for having us on the show. I had a chance to catch up and talk with the host about what folks need to think about when moving into the world of video podcasting. The interview also features my co-author (and business partner) Mark Weiser.

You can get the interview for free right here (http://www.schoolofpodcasting.libsyn.com/index.php?post_id=330803) and you should also check out their other shows which offer great perspective.

Adobe released the Adobe Media Player software on April 9, which allows a customizable, cross-platform media player experience. Built using the Adobe AIR runtime, the media player harnessed the power of Flash to create a rich media experience. To complete the experience, Adobe adds support for both RSS feeds and H.264 video, two of the open standards used by the podcasting movement.

What does this all mean? I had a chance to sit down with Deeje Cooley, who serves as an evangelist for Adobe’s Dynamic Media Organization (and formerly as the product manager for the Adobe Media Player). Cooley was tasked with bringing the product to market and he shared insight into Adobe’s motivation for the product and goals for its role in the market. Unlike competing products, the Adobe Media Player has chosen to focus on being a video-only player.

“The growth of video online, the dramatic growth of flash as the video delivery mechanism of choice… there was a ripe opportunity to take advantage of all these events around the industry,” said Cooley. “We started to build an RSS aggregator and quickly recognized that video was going to be a significant media online and so it became a video RSS aggregator. And so that’s really the birth of the Adobe Media Player.”

MUCH MORE AFTER THE JUMP

Read More...

When dragging tracks in the Timeline, where you drag is as important as what you drag. Careless dragging may result in an unintended overwrite edit when you intended
an insert edit.

If you look closely at the Timeline, you’ll notice that it’s divided by a thin gray line. When dragging, look to see which region you enter to determine the edit type.

When dragging from the Viewer or a bin, use these tips:

• Dragging to the upper-third of the track results in an insert edit.
  • Dragging to the lower two-thirds of the track results in an overwrite edit.
  

Like this tip? It comes from the book
Final Cut Studio On the Spot from Focal Press.

Adobe showed some awesome stuff at NAB. My favorite was a future version of Premiere that transcribes your footage, then makes the transcription searchable for both editing and publishing to the web. I was going to do an in-depth write-up.... but then I got busy (still will).

In the meantime. Check out this article for details.
http://www.peachpit.com/blogs/blog.aspx?b=a75e92b0-f44f-4dfb-9eb4-96920bcaddc1

Author and video podcaster Richard Harrington shows you the china ball, an affordable soft lighting source.

Apple iTunes just promoted my company to network status. You can find all of our "in-house" technical training podcasts on a single page now.

I encourage you to take a look at our several shows.

• Understanding Adobe Photoshop – iPod and HD – A general interest show about Photoshop for beginners and intermediates
• Photoshop for Video – iPod and HD – A show about creating graphics for video pros and motion graphic designers
• Producing Video Podcasts – iPod and HD – A show that offers both production and post tips for making video for the web
• Final Cut Help – iPod – Weekly tips about using Final Cut Studio

Remember, the podcasts are totally free, all we ask is you post a review to the iTunes store and tell a friend.

I just released two newly updated Final Cut Pro discs. We updated our Absolute Training for Final Cut Studios Disc 1 & 2. Both DVDs are full current for Final Cut Studio 2 and include hands-on training files as well as HD resolution training and iPod files.

Apple Final Cut Pro
Volume 1: Getting Started in Final Cut Pro
Volume 2: Going Deeper in Final Cut Studio

Also, you may have missed that we recently released the following titles. These also include HD and iPod versions on the same disc.

Apple Color
Volume 11: Introduction to Color
Volume 12: Advanced Color
Bundled for Savings

Apple Motion
Volume 13: Getting Started with Apple Motion
Volume 14: Going Deeper with Apple Motion
Volume 15: Advanced Techniques with Apple Motion
Bundled for Savings

Thanks to all the great people who attended my classes at NAB this year. It was a ton of work to prep (and I must admit I needed some rest when I got back home). As promised, the class notes and resources have been posted to the Handouts section (be sure to browse for other resources as well).

Here's the list of what's available.

01 Fast Start with Adobe Photoshop for Video Pros – Slides | Book Sample
02 Video Podcasting Essentials – Slides
03 Selling Podcasting to Your Clients – Slides
04 A Sense of Perspective with Vanishing Point – Slides | Practice Files
05 Creating Movement within Photos with After Effects CS3 – Slides | Practice Files 1 | Practice Files 2
06 Directing Video Podcasts – Slides
07 Project Management for Video Pros – Slides
08 In-Depth: Video Production for the Web – Slides
09 Creating a Graphic Identity for Your Web Video – Slides [Enhanced PDF]
10 Render Faster: Wait Less and Play More in Adobe After Effects – Slides
11 Storyboard Techniques with Adobe Photoshop – Slides
12 Creative and Animated DVD menus using Photoshop – Handouts
13 Automating Broadcast Design with Photoshop – Slides
14 Seeing a New Light: FCP Color Correction – Slides | DVD

Want to create a cartoon effect for your video? Be sure to check out this step-by-step tutorial I wrote for Layers Magazine.

“Sure, clients want it…that “cartoon look.” But let’s face it; good animation is hard to come by. Unless you have a gaggle of animators locked in your closet, you’ll need to get creative. Sure, you could break out the pencil and paper (or maybe even try shadow puppets), but we’re here to offer you a different solution. By harnessing the power of Adobe CS3 Production Premium, you can convert video frames into vector art into film-resolution movie files. Curious? It’s all possible with the power of the Production Premium. Read on.”

Thanks to Planet Photoshop for making Photoshop for Video their pick of the week.

“This week I recommend Photoshop for Video by Richard Harrington. This book covers the information you need to implement Photoshop into your video workflow. It covers using channels effectively, setting up automation, creating interesting effects, and much more. If you want to get a better handle on working with Photoshop in your video workflow then this is the book for you. Richard is an Adobe Certified Expert in Photoshop and After Effects and is an instructor at major events like Photoshop World and NAB. His visual communications consultancy, RHED Pixel, creates motion graphics and produces video and multimedia projects. Richard also has a blog at RasterVector.com and another at PhotoshopForVideo.com.”

Be sure to check out the rest of the site for a ton of great tutorials and video tips.

This is an excerpt from an article to be released in full later this week:

Adobe released the Adobe Media Player software on April 9, which allows a customizable, cross-platform media player experience. Built using as an Adobe Air application, the media player harnessed the power of Flash to create a rich media experience. To complete the experience, Adobe adds support for both RSS feeds and H.264 video, two of the open standards used by the podcasting movement.

What does this all mean? I had a chance to sit down with Deeje Cooley, who serves as the evangelist for Adobe’s Dynamic Media Organization (and formerly as the product manager for the Adobe Media Player). Cooley was tasked with bringing the product to market and he shared insight into Adobe’s motivation for the product and goals for its role in the market. Unlike competing products, the Adobe Media Player has chosen to focus on being a video-only player.

“The growth of video online, the dramatic growth of flash as the video delivery mechanism of choice… there was a ripe opportunity to take advantage of all these events around the industry,” said Cooley. “We started to build an RSS aggregator and quickly recognized that video was going to be a significant media online and so it became a video RSS aggregator. And so that’s really the birth of the Adobe Media Player.”



The Adobe Media Player is immediately available as a free download for Windows and Macintosh platforms from http://www.adobe.com/go/mp.

I just got back from NAB this morning... here are a handful of videos we produced while on the road.


The Litepanels Micro


The Matrox MXO 2

More from the NAB Show Floor.

On the Scene at NAB 2008


The AJA IO HD with Gary Adcock

Background noise? Air conditioning rumble? Soundtrack Pro makes it easy to fix. By combining the Set Noise Print and Reduce Noise commands you can dramatically improve a clip.

1. Select a clip in your Final Cut Pro Timeline.
   2 Right-click and choose Send To > Soundtrack Pro Audio Project File. The audio moves from your Timeline into Soundtrack Pro.
2. Zoom into a part of your audio file that contains just the background noise that you’d like to remove. Select the audio in the Soundtrack Pro Timeline.
   4 Choose Process > Noise Reduction > Set Noise Print. The noise print identifies the frequencies that you’d like to remove from the file.
3. Select the audio in the Timeline that you’d like to repair (this will usually be the entire Timeline).
   6 Choose Process > Noise Reduction > Reduce Noise. The Reduce Noise dialog appears.
4. Click the Preview button (play icon) to hear the noise reduction previewed.
   8 Drag the Noise Threshold slider left to lower the threshold, or drag it right to raise the threshold.
5. Drag the Reduction slider to the right to increase the amount of noise reduction.
   10 Use the Tone Control slider left to preserve more of the bass or treble content.
6. To toggle a before and after state, click the Bypass button.
   12 When satisfied, click the Apply button.
   

Like this tip? It comes from the book
Final Cut Studio On the Spot from Focal Press.

Join Apple Certified Trainer Mason Dixon as he shows you how to get started with Motion.



Like the podcast? Subscribe for FREE.
Want more training? Check out our DVDs.

On the road at NAB... here are a handful of videos we produced.

The Red Scarlet: A First Look


Adobe Media Player at NAB 2008

Our favorite way to rip and up-convert music from stock music CDs is to use iTunes.
We all know music CDs are recorded at a sampling rate of 44.1kHz. Final Cut Pro and digital video love to work at a sampling rate of 48kHz. Yes, we know Final Cut Pro can up-sample on the fly, but why waste CPU power that could be going to your real-time video playback?

Here’s all you need to do:

1. Open iTunes.
   2 Open Preferences under the Edit menu.
2. Click the Advanced icon in the toolbar then choose Importing.
3. Under Import Using, select AIFF Encoder.
   5 Under Setting, select Custom.
4. Another dialog box opens. Here, select a sample rate of 48.000 kHz. Click OK and then OK again.
   7 Now click the General button.
5. Under iTunes Music Folder Location, change it to target your desktop. (This will make it real easy to find and move your newly ripped tracks.)
   9 Pop in your CD. If you’re connected to the Internet, iTunes will go to the CDDB and grab the album name and track names. (Yes, it seem as if most of our library music is listed in the CDDB.) This is great because most of the work is done. Create a playlist of all the tracks you want to rip.
6. Click Import, and you’re done!
   

Once you’ve set up your preferences, just “rip and roll” every time you need to grab a music cut. Fast, easy, elegant…and of course…cool.




Like this tip? It comes from the book
Final Cut Studio On the Spot from Focal Press.

Join Apple Certified Trainer Richard Harrington as he explains how to hook up DV decks for capture in Final Cut Pro.



Like the podcast? Subscribe for FREE.
Want more training? Check out our DVDs.

The Aperture book is DONE and off to print. We worked in complete coverage on Aperture 2.1 which has some great new features. I've logged a lot of time with the application and wanted to offer some insight on the best of the new features in the free 2.1 update.

• Dodge & Burn Plug-in – This plug-in offers much more than just Dodge and Burn. You'll also find brush-based tools for Contrast, Saturation, Sharpen Fade, and Blur. The plug-in also opens the door to third-party development (including some cool tools from nik Software.
• Customize Default Adjustment Set – You can now specify which adjustments appear by default in the Adjustments Inspector/HUD.
• Updated Crop Tool – The crop tool has been simplified. The new UI makes it easier to preserve an image's original aspect ratio, match the aspect ratio of your display, or use one of the standard preset aspect ratios.
• Flip Images – You can now flip or flop images horizontally or vertically within Aperture.
• Save Books as JPEG or TIFF images – This means you can now submit books to several third party websites.

The book will be out very soon... you can order it here.