No good movie can impress until well edited.
Even as editing becomes slicker by the day and a lot of editing dissolves, transitions and swipes look as good as carefully created VFX, Global computer giant Apple recently launched Final Cut Studio, an integrated solution with editing, Sound, VFX and DVD authoring software all in one box for the desktop.
The company also announced the new version of its compositing software Shake (Ver 4.0).Amongst new features in Shake 4 are the ability for the software to composite live action with 3D CGI Layers using Shake’s new OenGL accelerated 3D multi-plane compositing node.
The products were launched globally at this year’s NAB(Las Vegas) on April 17.
Speaking at a special Press Conference organised in Mumbai to expose and highlight the new features of the products, Apple Computers Product Marketing Manager – Professional Applications (For Asia Pacific) Sam Leung said that,” With Final Cut Studio we bring to the users and Apple loyalists an integrated solution which enables them to edit, create FX, do the background as well as sound FX and finally author their own DVDs all with one solution”
Later speaking to Animation ‘xpress he added,” We are targeting feature film makers, ad film makers, Post Production houses as well as young budding enthusiasts with this product”
Amongst the features that this new solution includes are
Final Cut Pro
– Native camera edit (Including HDV) without generation loss (Direct support for a range of prevalent industry formats and standards)
– Multicam tools with capability to take from upto 128 sources with simultaneous real-time playback from upto 16 sources
Soundtrack Pro
– Innovated waveform editor with flexible Action Layers
– Intelligent Find and Fix features
– 5,000 Apple loops and more than 50 professional plug-ins
Motion 2
– GPU accelerated 32 bit float rendering for true film quality output
– MIDI support which allows Motion 2 to be played like a musical instrument with animtion changes triggered by playing a keyboard or using faders or knobs on midi controller.
(The Midi keyboard was something that really seemed cool. With the kind of real time FX capabilities all at the striking of the Midi Keys, corresponding in intensity to the pressure and style of strokes, the Midi Keyboard seems a perfect fit for DJ’s VJ’S and Music video makers who would want to extend their artistic endaveors beyond music and into visuals)
DVD Studio Pro 4
– Support for burning High Def Video projects onto HD DVDs based on latest specifications
Final Cut Studio is available through Premium Video Resellers across India, for a suggested retail price of Rs.71,360/. The upgrade cost for Final Cut Pro is Rs.39,800 and Production Suite customers can upgrade for Rs.28,390/ The four component software included in Final Cut Studio namely Final Cut Pro 5, Soundtrack Pro, Motion 2 and DVD Studio Pro 4 will also be sold separately.