***Update - Dual Thunderbolt iMac will support two extra 30" screens. Demo video posted***
Wow, the first multiple Thunderbolt Macs are just out: the goregeous updated iMacs. Dig deep though and you will find some interesting Final Cut Pro information in the specs.
Apple are still building the iMac page whilst we are writing this so we haven't got the full information to hand, but here are the specifications.
There is no doubt that the new iMacs will make great machines to edit on, the two larger machines have a 27 inch screen at 2560 x 1440 pixels. They also have two thunderbolt ports which mean a potential I/O speed of 20 Gps with two fast RAIDs attached.
Also noted is the fact that you can specify a Multi-Touch pad instead of a Magic Mouse - could this be the start of more gestures to control apps?
However the piece of information that got us interested was this.
Turbo Boost 2.0.
"Say you’re using a processor-intensive application like Aperture 3 or Final Cut Pro that benefits from extra power. Turbo Boost 2.0 automatically increases the speed of the active cores — up to 3.8GHz. And by shifting core frequency in small increments, Turbo Boost allows the processor to manage performance without sacrificing efficiency. All this takes place behind the scenes, so your work (or play) goes smoother and faster."
A quick update from Engadget. The two Thunderbolt ports will allow a three screen setup! Don't know how this will kill the GPU performance but it looks pretty impressive. Will probably mean the new MacPros will be able to do this too.
Very interesting.
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!
