Simon Says has expanded its popular transcription service by adding 'Simon Says Assemble'. A web based, collaborative 'drag and drop' assemble tool for editing together interviews.
This was a logical step for the online transcription service Simon Says. That enabled FCP and other NLE users to easily upload a file for transcription. Once the automatic transcription had been completed, the user could then output the text as an XML for captions or notes on clips in FCP or even just a hard copy for producers.
And that's where the new service, Simon Says Assemble comes in. Instead of a producer marking up soundbites with a highlighter and then transferring the information over to the editor, this can now all take place within Assemble.
Just drag and drop the soundbite text from interviews into order, add, delete, re-order and then after a video preview, export an XML to the NLE of your choice. (Hopefully FCP but the service also works with DaVinci Resolve, and Adobe Premiere Pro.)
“Teams can now edit, discuss, and sign-off on rough cuts from the web as simply as editing text,” comments Shamir Allibhai, founder and CEO of Simon Says. “Transcription was the stepping stone to Simon Says Assemble, which empowers everyone involved in a project to find and order the meaningful parts of the video to create an impactful narrative. Assemble brings down technical and cost barriers and frees the story from the silos of an NLE.”
Shamir adds: “I deeply believe in video tech that increases simplicity and efficiency and that when you enable that, you bring in more creators, with their own unique voices, who will push forward the boundaries of storytelling and even the craft itself.
Simon Says Assemble Key Features
- Supports nearly all file formats and codecs
- Import from the web or natively from within Final Cut Pro X, DaVinci Resolve, and Adobe Premiere Pro
- Transcribe and translate in 100 languages
- Search and highlight soundbites directly in the transcript to add them to the timeline. Order and reorder soundbites freely as you preview playback.
- Collaborate with team members anywhere
- Export to every major NLE and DAW to finalize the edit; the timeline/sequence seamlessly recreates
- Export to subtitles, captions, and FCP titles
- Metadata including file location, framerate, and start timecode are preserved through to export
As for cost, here's the best bit. If you are an existing subscriber, Assemble is free. If you are not a subscriber then you just pay by the minutes of transcription.
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!
