… for Adobe Premiere Pro CC

Tip #1180: Color Tricks for Surreal Effects

Larry Jordan – LarryJordan.com

The Channel Mixer provides opportunities to play with color in surreal ways.

The source image (left) and after processing by the Channel Mixer.

Topic $TipTopic

Most of the time, I want my images to look “real” or “normal.” However, sometimes, reality is the LAST thing you want. How can you make your images look surreal – or down-right other-worldly?

Time to meet the Channel Mixer effect.

The Channel Mixer maps the three color channels – red, green and blue – to the other two channels. Every pixel contains values from all three channels to varying degrees.

This effect says: Take the red values in each pixel and instead of increasing or decreasing their red content, increase or decrease the blue (or green) content instead. This very quickly takes a normal looking image and makes it surreal.

This effect needs to be played with to appreciate what it can do.

Apply Effects > Color Correction > Channel Mixer to a clip, then drag the sliders around and watch what happens.

The screen shot is a perfect example. In it, I’m mapping blue elements in each pixel to boost the red.


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… for Adobe Premiere Pro CC

Tip #1179: Double-click & Mouse Tricks

Larry Jordan – LarryJordan.com

Double-clicking is a cool way to change the interface.

Drag the small vertical line next to the chevron to resize the Workspace bar.

Topic $TipTopic

Hidden in Adobe Premiere are some interesting double-click mouse tricks. Here’s what I’ve discovered so far.

NOTE: I’m using the Premiere Nov. 2020 update. I have no idea how long these have been in the software.

Double-click mouse tricks:

  • Double-click the header – where “Learning” and “Assembly” are located – to hide it. Single-click the small space that remains to get them to reappear.
  • Drag the small vertical line between the workspace names at the top and the right chevron arrow to expand or collapse the space for workspace names.
  • Click the small House icon in the top left corner to return to the Home screen (duh… took me forever to try this).
  • Double-click the top of the Program Monitor to bring it full-screen. Double-click in the same place to put it back.
  • Actually, double-click the top of ANY panel to expand it to full-screen.

NOTE: This last double-click is the same as pressing the tilde key – except you don’t need to worry about where your cursor is located.

These are some very cool time-savers. Share ones you’ve discovered in the comments, below.


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… for Codecs & Media

Tip #1174: Apple Updates Compressor to v4.5

Larry Jordan – LarryJordan.com

Apple updates Compressor to support Bug Sur and Apple silicon.

The spiffy new Compressor 4.5 logo.

Topic $TipTopic

Last Thursday, Apple updated Compressor to version 4.5. The update was principally to support Big Sur and the upcoming switch to Apple silicon.

However, the app also got a new icon (see screen shot), along with a rounder version number – 4.5 – plus a variety of bug fixes, including:

  • Export HLG high-dynamic-range projects with Dolby Vision 8.4 metadata for optimized playback on Apple devices.
  • Fixes an issue where audio sync could drift when changing the frame rate of a clip.
  • Fixes an issue where creating a BluRay disc from a DV-PAL source would fail.
  • Includes built-in support for Avid DNxHR® and Avid DNxHD® decoding and playback.

NOTE: Here is a link to the complete Compressor Release Notes from Apple.


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… for Codecs & Media

Tip #1173: What is ProRAW?

Larry Jordan – LarryJordan.com

ProRAW is a pre-processed raw still image format designed to improve image quality.

(Image courtesy of Pexels.com.)

Topic $TipTopic

Apple ProRAW is a new still image raw format that is coming to the iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone Pro Max later in 2020.

According to TomsGuide.com: “ProRAW, in a nutshell, will capture RAW images but apply some image processing on top. This includes merging frames from several shots captured by the cameras on the iPhone 12 Pro, using Apple’s Deep Fusion and Smart HDR tech, or applying noise reduction.”

According to Tom’s Guide: “This new imaging format has been designed to tap into the upgraded triple rear camera array on both the iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max, which also feature a LiDAR sensor to gather more image information.”

“Think of it like this:,” Tom’s Guide wrote, “producing a finished image from RAW is like cooking a meal from scratch, including prepping all the ingredients. JPEG images on the other hand are the cooked meal. So using this analogy, ProRAW is like cooking a meal, only you have all the ingredients that are measured out and ready to use. Effectively, ProRAW provides base processing on an image for people to then [more easily] edit into final photographs.”

Here’s the link to the Tom’s Guide article.


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… for Codecs & Media

Tip #1170: Free Media Compression Webinars

Larry Jordan – LarryJordan.com

All Larry’s webinars are free.

Topic $TipTopic

Many editors have questions about media compression – how to get the best results with the smallest files, or how to make projects look good on social media.

Larry Jordan is offering two free webinars to answer your questions: one covering Apple Compressor and the other Adobe Media Encoder.

Both webinars have similar content:

  • Basic compression terms
  • Explore the interface
  • How to create a custom location
  • How to compress a file for social media
  • How to modify an existing compression setting
  • How to create a new compression setting
  • How to automate compression
  • Explore special compression settings

Here’s the link to sign up for any of these four webinars – Wednesday at 9 AM or 12 PM.


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… for Apple Final Cut Pro X

Tip #1172: Apple Updates Final Cut Pro X, et al.

Larry Jordan – LarryJordan.com

New versions are mostly bug fixes, with support for Big Sur and Apple silicon.

Spiffy new logos for Motion (top), Final Cut (right) and Compressor (bottom).

Topic $TipTopic

On Thursday, Nov. 12, Apple updated their suite of video applications to support improved performance and efficiency on Mac computers with Apple silicon, as well as support for Big Sur.

At the same time, all three applications sport new icons, illustrated in the screen shot.

NOTE: The new versions of Final Cut, Motion & Compressor can be installed on systems running either Big Sur or Catalina. GarageBand was also updated, but requires Big Sur for installation.

FINAL CUT PRO X (v.10.5)

In addition to support for Apple silicon, the latest version of Final Cut Pro 10.5 also enables users to:

  • Accelerate machine learning analysis for Smart Conform using the Apple Neural Engine on Mac computers with Apple silicon
  • Create a copy of your library and automatically transcode media to ProRes Proxy or H.264 at various resolutions to reduce file sizes and speed up editing.

This update to Final Cut Pro X also includes:

  • Export HLG high-dynamic-range projects with Dolby Vision 8.4 metadata for optimized playback on Apple devices.
  • Fixes an issue in which LUTs were not available in optimized or proxy clips.
  • Improves appearance of HDR thumbnails in the browser and timeline.
  • Improves reliability when previewing built-in sound effects in the browser.
  • Fixes an issue in which audio waveforms would not update in the inspector after adding a filter or making a volume change.
  • Fixes an issue in which chapter markers were not available when sharing.
  • Improves reliability when creating proxy media from non-square pixel interlaced clips.
  • Improves stability when applying stabilization and color balance during import.
  • Fixes an issue in which audio sync could drift when retiming clips.
  • Improves reliability with Social Media content positioning when using Smart Conform to switch between vertical and horizontal frame sizes.
  • Improves reliability when using onscreen Crop controls in the viewer.
  • Fixes an issue in which copying stills between libraries would result in duplicate files.
  • Includes built-in support for Avid DNxHR® and Avid DNxHD® decoding and playback.

NOTE: Here’s a link to the Final Cut Pro X Release Notes from Apple.

MOTION (v.5.5)

In addition to support for Apple silicon, the Motion 5.5 update includes:

  • Export HLG high-dynamic-range projects with Dolby Vision 8.4 metadata for optimized playback on Apple devices.
  • Improves stability when clicking in an empty canvas on on a Mac Pro with two AMD Radeon Pro Vega II Duo GPUs and a Blackmagic eGPU Pro.
  • Improves stability when manipulating groups of keyframes selected across multiple parameters.
  • Improves stability using the Stroke filter when selecting a stroke type in the HUD.
  • Fixes an issue in which the Poke filter center is offset from the onscreen control.
  • Improves stability when deleting layers after removing a marker.
  • Includes built-in support for Avid DNxHR® and Avid DNxHD® decoding and playback.

NOTE: Here’s a link to the Motion Release Notes from Apple.

COMPRESSOR (v. 4.5)

In addition to support for Apple silicon, the Compressor 4.5 update includes:

  • Export HLG high-dynamic-range projects with Dolby Vision 8.4 metadata for optimized playback on Apple devices.
  • Fixes an issue where audio sync could drift when changing the frame rate of a clip.
  • Fixes an issue where creating a BluRay disc from a DV-PAL source would fail.
  • Includes built-in support for Avid DNxHR® and Avid DNxHD® decoding and playback.

NOTE: Here is a link to the Compressor Release Notes from Apple.


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… for Apple Final Cut Pro X

Tip #1171: Light Wrap Makes Keys Believable

Larry Jordan – LarryJordan.com

Light Wrap won’t fix a bad key, but it will make a good key blend better with the background.

Light Wrap applied to a key, with the Mode set to Overlay.

Topic $TipTopic

Buried in a folder at the bottom of the Keyer effect is Light Wrap. This makes the edges of a key look more organic by blending them with the background. Learn more.

The trickiest part of any key are the edges. Edges are what make a key work or fail. Light Wrap blends the colors at the edge of a foreground object with the colors in the background when creating a chroma-key (green-screen key). Light Wrap is turned off by default.

Once you’ve created the cleanest key you can, go to the bottom of the Keyer effect and open the Light Wrap folder.

As you increase Amount, the colors of the background will blend with the edges of the foreground. This tends to make the two shots look more related. I generally set Amount to 50, but you can enter higher numbers by typing them in.

NOTE: This effect is subtle, not dramatic. The goal is to make the foreground look to be part of the background, not to apply a noticeable color change.

I generally leave both Intensity and Opacity at 100%. But, I also change the Mode from Normal to Overlay. Both of these options make edges less noticeable.


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… for Apple Final Cut Pro X

Tip #1152: Tips for a Better Chroma-Key

Larry Jordan – LarryJordan.com

If you have multiple shades of green, use multiple Sample Color areas.

The source image (top) and the alpha channel results after adding two color section regions.

Topic $TipTopic

Chroma-keys, also called “green-screen keys,” allow us to remove a green (or any other color, actually) background and replace it with something more interesting. What you may not know, though, is that there is a hidden tool in Final Cut that makes selecting the correct shade of green a lot easier.

The top image in the screen shot illustrates the problem: there are two different shades of green in the background. To fix this, apply Keying > Keyer effect to the clip with a green background, then, go to the Video Inspector.

At the top of the Keyer effect are two controls:

  • Sample Color. This determines what color to “remove” (i.e. make transparent).
  • Edges. This helps determine where an edge is located, for those portions of an image where the edge is hard to see.

The trick, with Sample Color, is that you can apply more than one setting. For example, in the lower screen shot, one selection region was set for the foreground green, while a second was set for the background green.

What, at first, seemed like a very difficult key became easy when the second selection area was added.

While there is no limit to the number of selection areas you can add, the general rule is add as few as possible to select the color you want to make transparent.


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… for Apple Final Cut Pro X

Tip #1149: Audio Effects Stacking Order is Important

Larry Jordan – LarryJordan.com

Audio effects process from top to bottom in Final Cut Pro X

Audio effects (just like video effects) process from top to bottom in the Inspector.

Topic $TipTopic

When adding effects to audio clips in Final Cut Pro X (or Motion), the order in which those effects are applied makes a difference. Here’s what you need to know.

Audio effects are processed from the top of the Inspector to the bottom. (See screen shot.)

The first effect to apply – if you need it – is noise reduction. Get rid of what you don’t want before you start shaping the sounds you do. Remember, your goal is to reduce noise, not eliminate it. If you want it gone, re-record in a studio.

NOTE: Noise reduction can often degrade the spoken voice. By processing noise first, you can then use effects farther down the “stack” to try to replace what noise reduction took away. This is why we reduce, not remove, noise.

Next, add any EQ or special effects you need to shape the sounds the way you want. You can add any reasonable number of filters here. You can always change the stacking order by dragging the name of the clip up or down.

Finally, at the bottom and ALWAYS last, apply either a compression or limiter filter. This makes sure that audio levels don’t exceed the level you specify. In Final Cut, I prefer to use Audio > Levels > Logic > Limiter.

NOTE: I should also mention that you don’t apply both a compression filter AND a limiter filter to the same track. Pick one or the other.


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… for Random Weirdness

Tip #1168: 10 Inspirational Tips from Spike Lee

Larry Jordan – LarryJordan.com

Making even a terrible film is hard. Never give up. Never stop learning.

Spike Lee

Topic $TipTopic

I first saw these 10 inspirational filmmaking tips from Spike Lee posted to LinkedIn.com. I don’t know who compiled them, but I thought they were deeply insightful.

  1. Write about yourself and what you know.
  2. Making even a terrible film is hard.
  3. If you want to be a director, you have a much bigger chance to ger your (first) film made if you also write your own screenplays.
  4. For drama you got to have two people butting heads. And to elevate that drama both have to be right.
  5. Your filmmaking always has room for improvement. Try to grow with every project.
  6. Laziness can hinder a filmmaker the most.
  7. To make it, you got to be relentless, you got to persevere, you got to be focused, you have to work on your craft and never stop learning.
  8. Make films with your phone and make them seen online. Film agencies have people whose only job is to look for new talent on the Internet.
  9. If you go to film school, don’t go for the degree. Go to learn the game, to use their resources and to come out with a finished film or screenplay.
  10. Write by hand.

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