Apple spices Final Cut Pro with a little deliberate, focused AI

It looks as if Apple for some weird reason kept back news around its Pro apps during the pro Mac user focused ‘Scary Fast’ event, as it has announced significant improvements for Logic and Final Cut Pro on both Mac and iPads. You can read about the Logic Pro improvements here.

What’s new in Final Cut Pro?

The update to Apple’s app for video professionals has a focus on streamlining workflows. It also offers improvements to timeline navigation, expanded in-app content, and voiceover recording.

The apps have also been optimized for Apple Silicon. Thanks to these processors it’s now possible to accelerate H.264 and HEVC exports by automatically sending video segments to available media engines for simultaneous processing.

But another awesome feature is object tracking, which makes use of machine learning to accomplish powerful effects. For example, this can analyze the movement of faces and other objects when used on Macs to help create great shows.

Final Cut Pro for iPad improves Multi-Touch editing, with support for voiceover recording, expanded in-app content options, added color-grading presets, and workflow improvements.

What’s new in Final Cut Pro for Mac?

• Final Cut Pro introduces automatic timeline scrolling, making it easier for users to stay focused by keeping their clips in view under the playhead during playback. Editors can dynamically adjust their timeline view during playback by using the Zoom tool or keyboard shortcuts.
• Editors can now more easily see the organization of their timeline at a glance and easily differentiate clips by assigned role, improving the experience of viewing video and audio role colors.
• Editors can quickly clean up complex sections of the timeline, and can fine-tune the edit by combining a selected group of overlapping connected clips into a single connected storyline.
• To further streamline organization, editors can also combine connected clips with existing connected storylines.

What’s new in Final Cut Pro for iPad?

• Creators can easily record narration and live audio directly in the timeline using the built-in microphones or external microphones on their iPad.
• Users can tap record as they play their timeline, or find the exact point where they want to start a voiceover and use a countdown to start.
• Users can now turn stabilization on (or off) in the pro camera mode to improve shaky footage for smoother videos.
• Footage can be ingested directly into a project.
• Creators can group connected clips or storylines into a single connected storyline. The new group command combines the Magnetic Timeline with connected clips and organizes the timeline.
• New keyboard shortcuts for voiceover and grouping clips help increase editing speed.
• The release introduces new color-grading presets, titles and generators.
• Final Cut Pro for iPad also lets you import projects created in iMovie for iOS, and also permits export of projects to FCP on a Mac.

How much and when?

Final Cut Pro 10.7 will be available later this month as a free update for existing users, or for $299.99 for new users. A 90-day free trial of Final Cut Pro is available.

Final Cut Pro for iPad 1.3 will be available later this month as a free update for existing users, or to purchase for $4.99 per month or $49 per year with a one-month free trial. Final Cut Pro is compatible with M1 chip iPad models or later and requires iPadOS 16.6.

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