Apple Unveils Final Cut Studio 2
Major Upgrades of Final Cut Pro, Soundtrack Pro, Motion & Compressor; and
Introduces “Color”
NAB, LAS VEGAS–April 15, 2007–Apple today unveiled Final Cut Studio 2, a
significant upgrade to the industry’s leading video production suite that
delivers new creative tools designed expressly for editors. Final Cut
Studio 2 includes Final Cut Pro 6, which introduces Apple’s ProRes 422
format for uncompressed HD quality at SD file sizes and support for mixed
video formats and frame rates in a single Timeline; Motion 3 featuring an
intuitive 3D environment, paint and new behaviors; Soundtrack Pro 2 with
dozens of innovative tools for multitrack editing, surround mixing and
conforming sound to picture; Compressor 3 delivering powerful batch
encoding for multiple formats with a single click; and DVD Studio Pro 4.2
for SD and HD DVD authoring. Final Cut Studio 2 also introduces “Color,” a
professional color grading and finishing application for ensuring
consistent color and creating signature looks.
“Final Cut Studio 2 was specifically designed to enable the rapidly growing
community of over 800,000 Final Cut editors worldwide to animate, mix,
grade and deliver their work as a natural extension of the editorial
process,” said Rob Schoeben, Apple’s vice president of Applications Product
Marketing. “Final Cut Studio 2 is the most powerful production suite on the
planet.”
At the core of Final Cut Studio 2 is Final Cut Pro 6, the latest version of
Apple’s Emmy award-winning editing software which includes a new Open
Format Timeline that lets editors mix and match virtually any video format
and frame-rate in a single Timeline without transcoding. ProRes 422, a new
full raster, 10-bit 4:2:2 post production format produces stunning HD
quality at SD file sizes, making it ideal for working efficiently across a
SAN or on a MacBook Pro in the field. Companies including Panasonic, Sony
and RED are embracing ProRes 422 as they continue to innovate on the next
generation of cameras. Final Cut Pro 6 also includes optical flow based
SmoothCam technology to remove unwanted or jarring camera movement with
simple, easy-to-use tools. Deep integration with Motion includes the
ability to edit Motion templates with video drop zones and editable text
fields directly in Final Cut Pro.
New to Final Cut Studio is Color, which puts a logical task-based color
grading and finishing workflow in the hands of every Final Cut Pro editor.
The primaries in Color include advanced color correction tools such as
gamma, lift and gain adjustments, as well as custom R, G, B and luma
curves, and the secondaries provide the ability to isolate specific areas
of an image with soft-edged mattes and custom-shaped vignettes, which can
be tracked with ease. Professional scopes provide precise monitoring of
chrominance and luminance values via waveforms, histograms and new 3D
scopes. Color includes over 20 signature looks which can be customized to
create a unique mood for any given project, and offers a seamless roundtrip
workflow where projects can be sent from Final Cut Pro 6 directly to Color
for grading, finishing and final rendering with 32-bit float 4:4:4 image
processing.
Motion 3, the latest version of Apple’s groundbreaking motion graphics
software, takes all the familiar Motion tools and extends them to a 3D
environment. New camera behaviors add depth and realism with drag-and-drop
simplicity. Vector based paint tools allow editors to easily create brushes
with color, particles, video or pictures. A simple, yet highly precise
match moving tool automatically maps any image or effect to the path of any
other object. New retiming behaviors enable editors to slip and slide
retiming effects on the Timeline without keyframes, while new audio
behaviors allow users to easily create animations that respond to
soundtrack volume and frequency. Motion 3 includes over 1500 new design
elements including professional stock imagery, beautifully animated line
drawings and stunning vector artwork.
Soundtrack Pro 2, a brand new version of the audio editing application in
Final Cut Studio 2, features powerful new multitrack editing and recording
tools in a streamlined interface that simplifies every aspect of the audio
post production process. Soundtrack Pro 2 introduces a breakthrough heads
up spotting display that lets editors precisely align effects and dialog
with picture. Advanced take management tools enable editors to quickly
combine pieces of the best takes to craft seamless performances. Stereo and
surround mixing tools enable users to create 5.1 and stereo mixes in the
same project, saving time and eliminating costly errors. Editors can work
with a royalty-free library of over 5,000 professionally produced foley and
sound effects, including over 1,000 surround sound effects and evocative
multi-channel music tracks. A powerful new Conform tool enables users to
synchronize and track changes between picture and sound editorial.
Compressor 3, the latest version of Apple’s industrial strength encoding
tool, comes with a new streamlined interface and simplified workflows that
make encoding and delivering in multiple formats easier and more efficient
than ever. Powerful batch processing and job chaining capabilities enable
editors to create pristine quality output for a wide range of delivery
formats with a single click. Compressor 3 extends support for
industry-standard codecs such as MPEG-2 and H.264 to include new
drag-and-drop presets for delivery to broadcast television, web, iPod,
Apple TV, DVD and mobile phones. Dynamic filters applied during
pre-processing now support timecode overlays, audio/video fade in and out,
and animated watermarks that can be applied directly from Motion projects.
Apple today also introduced Final Cut Server, a powerful new server
application that works seamlessly with Final Cut Studio 2 to provide media
asset management and workflow automation for post production and broadcast
professionals.
Pricing & Availability
Final Cut Studio 2 will be available in May through the Apple Store
(www.apple.com), Apple’s retail stores and Apple Authorized Resellers for a
suggested retail price of $1,299 (US). Registered users of the current
version of Final Cut Studio can upgrade for $499 (US) and registered users
from any previous version of Final Cut Pro can upgrade for $699 (US). Full
system requirements and more information on Final Cut Studio 2 can be found
at www.apple.com/finalcutstudio.