Apple

Move Projects from FCP to AE Seamlessly (and Free!)

in , ,


Footage ©Kuhn Foundation, from the series Closer to Truth Cosmos. Consciousness. God.

I am always on the lookout for things that can make my life easier… sleep in a can, comfortable shoes, great software.
If you use Final Cut Pro and After Effects… do I have a find for you!  I just finished a new book called Video Made on a Mac, and in the process of writing about Motion Graphics workflows, I’ve discovered an absolute gem, from a little place called Popcorn Island.

From Final Cut Pro to After Effects

Getting your footage from Final Cut Pro to After Effects is a very common workflow. In fact, so many people choose to work this way that there are several free and for sale workflow tools on the market. But I have a new favorite.
The script Final Cut 2 After Effects supports the following features:

  • Cross Dissolve Transitions
  • Basic Editing Translation
  • Segmented Clips
  • Basic Keyframes
  • Time Remapping
  • Nested Sequences
  • Multiple Frame Rates and Aspect Ratios
  • Audio Channels
  • Name Length Error Checking
  • Support for PAL25 and 60


Oh and in case you missed it… FREE

Here’s how the process works:

  • Download and install the After Effects scripts from here.
  • Launch After Effects and Final Cut Pro.
  • Open a Final Cut Pro project with media you want to exchange.
  • Select one sequence in the Browser.
  • Choose File > Export > XML. Choose XML Level 4.
  • Target a location and click OK.
  • Swith to After Effects and choose File > Scripts and select the newly loaded script (PI_FCP2AE.jsxbin).
  • Navigate to the XML file you created in step 5 and click Open. The footage and a new composition are created in After Effects.
  • Explore the composition and check the results.


Enjoy…
Also, be sure to check out the new book, Video Made on a Mac.  More than 400 pages and 5.5 hours of video on Production and Postproduction Using Apple Final Cut Studio and Adobe Creative Suite.

Why You Need MobileMe

in ,

Apple's MobileMe suite of online tools is a very useful group of services. Whether you'r a photographer, graphic designer, video pro (or even an accountant) you need it. While it’s not really designed to be an enterprise-level tool, it is quite helpful to small and midsize companies. MobileMe offers several features that can help organize a project. These features are fully documented on Apple’s site, but here are the most useful:

  • Address Book syncing. It’s possible to have a shared Address Book for the entire company. This really helps keep records up to date and clients easier to locate. If you have multiple iPhone users who want to sync, they can make a group to streamline their contacts.
  • Calendar. MobileMe offers a robust online calendar tool that can also sync with iCal. This is particularly useful because it can help coordinate meetings and schedule staff and facilities. The shared calendar is also useful for iPhone users who are out of office and need to keep their meeting schedule up to date. If you need to share a calendar with clients or non-Mac users, you have two viable options. You can grant Web access to a MobileMe calendar (simply visit mobile.me.com and sign in). The drawback is that you grant write access to all calendars or no calendars. A better option for "selective" sharing is to use a Google calendar, which is also free (calendar.google.com).
  • iDisk. An iDisk is a great place to back up critical files. You can download the free Backup application from your iDisk, and then set files like Final Cut Pro project files to back up remotely. You can also use an iDisk as a drop box (Mac or Windows users) because it can be easily accessed through a Web browser. Similarly, you can access your iDisk through me.com and select files for file sharing with other users. Sharing files with clients is easy with MobileMe. They can get a personalized invitation, and you can even require a password.
  • Back to My Mac. This little-used feature is a true lifeline. It allows you to easily access any of your Macs remotely. You can use it to log into a machine back at the office and check progress on a render or grab a file that you forgot.
  • Find My Phone. Lose your iPhone or iPad, this device can tell you where you left it. It can also trigger an alarm, display a message, or remotely wipe a device. We've used the service three times in my house (and each time led to a successful recovery).


Get more useful techniques (and 6 hours of video) by reading Video Made on a Mac.

Free Plug-In for Apple and Adobe

in , ,

The Boris Continuum Materials Unit can be used to create a nearly infinite variety of animated backgrounds in After Effects, Premiere Pro, Final Cut Pro, Motion, and Final Cut Express. The plug-in suite includes 15 Boris Continuum Complete filters that can be stacked or used individually to create abstract animated backgrounds or lifelike footage. For a limited time, Eye Scream Factory and Boris FX have teamed up to offer COW members a fully licensed version of BCC Reptilian, one of the included filters. BCC Reptilian is designed to simulate the look of scaly or spotted animal skin. By adjusting the colors, textures, and lighting, you can create an amazing variety of effects. Download the Reptilian Filter

To get more details like this... sign up for the Creative COW newsletter.

How Everyone Can Create Better Video

in , , ,

An Interview with me.

"Author and video expert Richard Harrington discusses his efforts to bring superior video techniques to the rest of us. Rich discusses getting it right from the ground up, from camera set-up to final production, why so many users want to use greenscreen, and why the tools you have on the desktop are more than adequate."

How to Make an iBook Using Apple iWork

in , ,

So just yesterday, Apple announced a free update to its iWork software. The newest version allows for the export of ePub files (which happen to work great as iBooks and can be easily converted into files for Kindle and Nook readers). To test things out, I decided to give it a whirl. I took an old chapter from a book and a few movie files (yes... video IS supported on the iPad and other iOS devices).

Installing an ePub File


I whipped up my first ebook (you can download it here). To install the file, do the following.

1. Download the ePub file and unzip it.

2. Connect your iOS device.

3. Launch iTunes.

4. Drag the file onto your device.
\

5. Launch iBooks and select your book.

Creating an ePub File

Now... here's the QUICK tutorial on how to make one with Apple Pages.... I promise a detailed tutorial next week (but I had to get this out there).

1. Download this template file – http://images.apple.com/support/pages/docs/ePub_Best_Practices_EN.zip

2. Open the file and fill in your content. Be sure to use the styles drawer to use proper formatting.


3. Add photos or media files (such as audio or video). Stick with iPad compatible formats like MP4 and MP3. You can convert your files using iTunes.

4. When finished choose File > Export.

5. Choose the ePub format and enter details.


6. Click Next and choose a destination, then click Export.

For more... see this support document – http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4168

For more on using Pages and iWork, be sure to check out the Apple Training Series book.

Free Font Converter

in , ,



Have an old font that's not working right? Maybe it's PC-only and you're on a Mac. Here's a free service to convert fonts –

FreeFontConverter.com allows you to quickly convert between many font formats without the hassle of installing any software on your computer. Our service works on any operating system including Windows, Mac and Linux. Our font converting service works for all of the common font formats including TrueType (.ttf), OpenType (.oft) and PostScript (.ps). We can also convert many of the less well known font formats including Suitcase (.suit) and Data Fork (.dfont) fonts.

Thanks to Rod Harlan for pointing this one out.

New Digital Camera Update from Apple

in ,

Apple releases Digital Camera RAW Compatibility Update 3.3 for Canon Olympus Panasonic, and Sony http://support.apple.com/kb/DL1072


About Digital Camera RAW Compatibility Update 3.3
This update extends RAW image format compatibility to Aperture 3 and iPhoto '09 for the following cameras:

  • Canon PowerShot SX1 IS
  • Olympus E-PL1
  • Panasonic Lumix DMC-G2
  • Panasonic Lumix DMC-G10
  • Samsung NX10
  • Sony Alpha DSLR-A390
  • Sony Alpha NEX-3
  • Sony Alpha NEX-5


Get it here

How To Avoid Bad Powerpoint

in ,

Seven Deadly Sins of PowerPoint

  1. Too few slides
    2 Too many words
    3 No ‘road signs’ (where are you going?)
    4 Reliance on gimmicks (skip sound effects)
    5 Ignoring design
    6 Not rehearsing
    7 Forgetting your audience

The Rules of Presentation Design

  • Limit fonts used
    • Use a heavy font
    • Avoid stock templates
    • 3-7 bullets per page
    • A bullet is 2-5 words
    • Readability test, (stand 15 feet away from the screen, can you read it easily)
    • Design for the back of the room
    • Create your own templates
    • Use builds or simple animations to bring bullets on line by line
    • Justification & capitalization (be consistent)
    • Consider screen vs. print
    • Use transparency
    • Ease to change
    • With multiple presenters, utilize a style guide and templates

Safari Extensions Coming Soon

in ,

Looks like Apple is making it easier to find Safari extension soon. The Firefox community is already pretty vibrant in this regard and I look forward to more coming out for my favorite browser.

Apple sent out an email today asking for submission to their "Safari Extensions Gallery".

We'll soon be launching the Safari Extensions Gallery, a new destination that provides you with an opportunity to increase the visibility of your Safari extension beyond your website. The Safari Extensions Gallery will feature selected extensions that offer an innovative user experience. And a one-click installation process will allow users to seamlessly install extensions from a developer’s website without ever having to leave the Gallery.

MacRumors.com has early extensions that have already been released.

Now I Really Want a BMW

in ,

BMW introduces the next level of automotive consumer electronic device integration by supporting Apple's new iPod Out functionality. The new feature allows applications on Apple devices to be controlled and experienced with the iDrive interface concept.

Of course my kids would probably destroy it.... maybe they's loan me one.