Apple has pushed out an update to its suite of pro video editing tools for Mac today, including new versions of Final Cut Pro X, Motion, and Compressor.
Final Cut has been upgraded to version 10.2, which adds support for 3D titles, improved color grading and effects tools, support for additional camera formats, and GPU-accelerated processing of RAW footage from RED cameras.
Motion now has the ability to create custom environments and materials for 3D titles and export them directly to Final Cut Pro, while Compressor gains the ability to package movies for sale on iTunes.
Earlier this year Final Cut’s existing titles garnered praise as the producers of the movie Focus revealed that they had been so pleased with the app’s built-in titles that they used them in the final cut of the film. Focus was promoted by Apple as the first major Hollywood movie to be edited entirely in the revamped version of Final Cut since it was released in 2011.
Highlighting Apple’s push to encourage video professionals to use the new versions of its software, Apple issued a press release announcing the updates:
Apple Updates Final Cut Pro X, Motion and Compressor
CUPERTINO, California—April 13, 2015—Apple® today updated Final Cut Pro® X, Motion and Compressor with new features for motion graphics and key enhancements to accelerate video editing, packaging and delivery. Final Cut Pro 10.2 introduces stunning 3D titles that are easy to use, improved masking for color grading and effects, and native support for more camera formats, as well as GPU-accelerated RED RAW processing. Motion 5.2 extends the power of 3D titles with the ability to create custom materials and environments and instantly publish them to Final Cut Pro X. Compressor 4.2 makes it easy to package a movie for sale on the iTunes Store®.
“From Hollywood blockbuster directors to first time movie makers, Final Cut Pro X is changing the way we edit movies today,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing. “The updated Final Cut Pro X, Motion and Compressor make it even easier to edit, title and package everything from short videos to feature-length films.”
“We loved using Final Cut Pro X to edit Focus,” said Glenn Ficarra and John Requa, co-directors of the 2015 feature film, Focus. “We created the final theatrical titles for the movie right in Final Cut Pro, and the new 3D titling and effects features will let us take in-app graphics even further. We’re using the new Final Cut Pro on our next feature film.”
Final Cut Pro 10.2 lets video editors create gorgeous 3D titles with drag-and-drop ease and ships with simple templates to get started quickly, as well as cinematic templates with built-in backgrounds and animations. Users can choose from a set of text styles to customize the look of their titles with hundreds of combinations of materials, lighting and edges, and instantly convert 2D titles to 3D and see changes in real time. Final Cut Pro 10.2 also lets editors view up to four video scopes simultaneously, for more precision when color grading, and includes improved Shape masks on any effect that can be saved as presets for quick access later. In addition, Final Cut Pro 10.2 natively supports even more video formats, including Panasonic AVC-Ultra and Sony XAVC-S, and makes working with RED RAW files faster than ever with GPU-accelerated transcoding, playback and rendering—including support for dual GPUs on Mac Pro®.
Video editors and motion graphics professionals can take advantage of Motion 5.2, which offers even more options for 3D titles. The app now lets users create dynamic titles with multiple lights and cameras, as well as multilayered scenes with 3D titles that cast ultra-realistic shadows and reflections on other objects. Dozens of third-party partners offer even more options for beautiful 3D titles, and hundreds of new 3D templates are coming soon from developers including Ripple Training, motionVFX and FxFactory—all of which work seamlessly in the new versions of Motion and Final Cut Pro. Motion also includes 12 new generator effects, improved keyframing and enhanced controls for mask and shape creation.
Compressor 4.2 makes it easier than ever to prepare a movie for sale on the iTunes Store. Simply choose the movie, trailer, closed captions, and more, and Compressor creates an iTunes Store Package, which users can submit to an iTunes Delivery Partner for sale on the store. Compressor also delivers key performance improvements for encoding tasks, including fast GPU rendering when using Send to Compressor and hardware-accelerated multi-pass H.264 encoding on compatible systems.
Pricing & Availability
Final Cut Pro 10.2, Motion 5.2 and Compressor 4.2 are available today from the Mac® App Store℠ for $299.99 (US), $49.99 (US), and $49.99 (US), respectively to new users, or as a free update for existing customers.
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They’ve updated the icons too. They look more Yosemite native now.