16 new backgrounds for iMovie that can be used in Final Cut Pro and some very curious new Motion discoveries. Copy protection being one of them.
iMovie also got an update on Thursday, with it came a new set of backgrounds that can be used in Final Cut Pro.
Tucked away in the iMovie release notes was the announcement of 16 new solid and textured backgrounds. As we first discovered that iMovie travel maps can be used (and edited) in FCP, we were obviously keen to see how these new backgrounds could be used in Final Cut Pro.
The good news is they do transfer over to Final Cut Pro. All you have to do is put the generators on the timeline in iMovie (Like the above screenshot), then 'Send Movie to Final Cut Pro' from the File menu.
Then the sequence should open up automatically in Final Cut Pro with the generators on a new Project timeline.
Good news, but some bad news as well. Depending on which iMovie generator you take over, it may only have a limited range of controls available in the FCP Inspector. Shame. Anyway, we all love free stuff and a funky colourful moving chevron background might be exactly what you are looking for!
But we didn't stop there...
Digging around in the iMovie app bundle, we found some new Motion projects that look to be replacements for the original compositions that were built in the now deprecated Quartz Composer.
Please, do not go digging in the app if you are unsure of what you are doing, you might remove something that is vital, resulting in it not being able to boot. You do so at your own risk!
But there are some templates that FCP & Motion users mind find handy. We made a copy and then opened up Action Background from the copy on the desktop.
So, have the old QC maps been replaced with Motion alternatives? They have, but they are 'locked' and display the message that they have been locked by a third-party developer.
Is this a new copyright protection device built right into Motion? I'm curious, how do you lock a Motion file without running it though another app? Is this FxPlug4 at work? You can open the file in Text Edit and have a browse for what's going on if you can't get to sleep tonight.
All interesting stuff, we will be spending more time exploring the internal workings of iMovie in the future. The ability to provide copy protection for standalone Motion plugins would be huge for developers.
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!
