If we had to put bet the ranch on a different NLE giving Final Cut Pro X a good run for its money, it would be Blackmagic Design's DaVinci Resolve. Curious about the editing toolset in Resolve? Ripple Training has announced an editing and finishing tutorial and we have a 20% coupon code.
There are many similarities between FCPX and Resolve, in fact at trade shows we sometimes have to do a double take to make sure we know which NLE is running!
Why do we think the Resolve user base will grow? A few things. The first is is the fact that that the standard version is free. Blackmagic can afford to gift the app to the video and filmmaking industry because they make their money selling hardware. Free is very appealing to young aspiring editors and directors on a tight budget.
The second is the pace of development that Resolve has seen over the last couple of years. No doubt at NAB 2016 we will see even more new features announced.
So we tend to keep our eye on Resolve, not only for its editing potential, but as one industry wag said,"It is the best colour correction plugin for FCPX!"
One thing that will help is Ripple Training's new tutorial called Editing & Finishing in DaVinci Resolve 12. Normally priced at $99, Ripple has very kindly offered FCP.co readers the coupon code dvr12-20 for $20 off the tutorials until 11/16/2015.
"Editing & Finishing in DaVinci Resolve 12 is a 9 hour video training course that presents a comprehensive approach to learning and ultimately mastering Resolve 12’s new editing tools. You’ll learn why Resolve is not just a robust NLE, but a powerful grading and finishing solution capable of tackling any project, from short form projects to feature films. This hands-on tutorial allows you to follow along with the instructor using included ProRes project media as you learn editing and finishing workflows for both the free and the paid versions of Resolve."
The course has been authored by Alexis van Hurkman, the guy behind the Color Correction Handbook.
We also found this link so that you can watch 10 full lessons from Alexis for free. Worth a watch even if you are not interested in Resolve. We thought clip 80 was a good introduction to the different colour correcting tools.
Can't find DaVinci Resolve 12 in the update tab of the Mac App Store? It isn't there, you have to go to the Blackmagic site to download. They've also dropped the Lite from the name- the free version is now just called DaVinci Resolve. Its paid bigger brother gets the 'Studio' appendage.
I am the Editor-in-Chief of FCP.co and have run the website since its inception ten years ago.
I have also worked as a broadcast and corporate editor for over 30 years, starting on one inch tape, working through many formats, right up to today's NLEs.
Under the name Idustrial Revolution, I have written and sold plugins for Final Cut Pro for 13 years.
I was made a Freeman of Lichfield through The Worshipful Company of Smiths (established 1601). Though I haven't yet tried to herd a flock of sheep through the city centre!
Current Editing
2020 has been busy, the beginning of the year was finishing off a new property series (cut on FCP) for Channel 4 called The Great House Giveaway. I also designed and built the majority of the graphics as Motion templates. It has been a great success and the shows grabbed more viewers in the 4pm weekday slot than any previous strand. It has been recommissioned by C4 for 60 episodes, including prime-time versions and five themed programmes. The shows have also been nominated for a 2021 BAFTA.
Although both were postponed to later in the year, I worked again on ITV's coverage of the Tour de France and La Vuelta. 2020 was my 25th year of editing the TdF and my 20th year as lead editor. The Tour was the first broadcast show to adopt FCPX working for multiple editors on shared storage.
BBC's Snooker has played a big part in my life, I've been editing tournament coverage since 1997. I'm proud to be part of a very creative team that has pioneered many new ideas and workflows that are now industry standard in sports' production. This is currently an Adobe Premiere edit.
Covid cancelled some of the regular corporate events that I edit such as trade shows & events. I was lucky however to edit, from home, on projects for Amazon Kindle, Amazon Black Friday, Mastercard and very proud to have helped local charitable trust Kendall & Wall secure lottery funding.
As for software, my weapon of choice is Final Cut Pro and Motion, but I also have a good knowledge and broadcast credits with Adobe Premiere Pro, MOGRT design and Photoshop.
Plugin Design & Development
I'm the creative force behind Idustrial Revolution, one of the oldest Final Cut Pro plugin developers. It hosts a range of commercial and free plugins on the site. One free plugin was downloaded over a thousand times within 24 hours of release.
I also take on custom work, whether it is adapting an existing plugin for a special use or designing new plugins for clients from scratch. Having a good knowledge of editing allows me to build-in flexibility and more importantly, usability.
FCP.co
Now in its 10th year and 4th redesign, running FCP.co has given me knowledge on how to run a large CMS- you are currently reading my bio from the database! Although it sounds corny, I am pretty well up on social media trends & techniques, especially in the video sector. The recent Covid restrictions has enabled live FCP.co shows online. This involves managing a Zoom Webinar through Restream.io to YouTube and Facebook.
The Future
I'm always open to new ideas and opportunities, so please get in touch at editor (at) fcp.co. I've judged film competitions, presented workflow techniques to international audiences and come up with ideas for TV shows and software programs!
