Blackmagic Designs releases Davinci Resolve 12

Blackmagic Designs have released Davinci Resolve 12. It is still Free for the Lite version, $995 for the full version or $29,995 for the full version including the full control surface.The new version has a new interface that is supposed to be easier on the eyes.It has multi-cam editing, that allows real time editing.It has also updated it's editing mode, with an improved Trim Mode and more.And it now has a new audio engine for better realtime playback.And of course grading improvements.

AVID will once again be releasing a free version of Media Composer

It is called AVID Media Composer FIRST, and will be heavily feature limited. Including only being able to save a limited number of saves and those saves can only be made to the cloud, and you can pay for more space.It is a good idea for AVID to do for sure, and I would like to see Adobe do it with Premiere Elements at least.

BlackMagic Designs shows off 2 new cameras at NAB, the URSA Mini and the Micro Cinema Cameras

BlackMagic have announced two new impressive looking cameras at NAB.The first is the URSA Mini which ranges from $2995 for the 4K EF Mount, to $5495 for 4.6K PL mount!Most impressive is that it has a global shutter at 30 FPS, and rolling shutter at up to 60 frames per second, with 15 stops of dynamic range! (I didn't realize that the 4K sensor does Global Shutter at up 60 FPS, but only has 12 stops of dynamic range, or that the Mini loses it's upgradeability that it's big brother has) Wow!Of course the shoulder kit is another $395 and the full viewfinder instead of the side screen is $1495!The second is the $995 Micro Cinema Camera, which seems to be a souped up 1080 version of a GoPro for flying on drones or mounting, and it can be remote controlled with radio control airplane receivers, and with additional equipment can even transit NTSC or PAL, and also has 13 stops of dynamic range!

Adobe teases Character Animator

Tod Kopriva at Adobe's AfterEffects blog has given a preview of the new Adobe Character Animator for After Effects.This looks like fun, though obviously a work in progress for animating Photoshop or Illustrator characters. Not sure how much use I will have for this, but will likely learn it anyway!

Adobe teases the next version of SpeedGrade and the new Project Candy

At it's Moving Colors blog, adobe has teased the next version of Adobe SpeedGrade. Unfortunately it doesn't really go into the program itself, just going into it's integration with Adobe Premiere Pro. I was really hoping for multi-monitor support, as I find it the biggest problem of SpeedGrade. I want to be able to put my scopes huge on a second monitor so I can see them!Anyway, here are the features that they list, and the videos which I have already shown in the Premiere Pro post.•The Lumetri Panel in Premiere Pro.•Curves, Hue and Saturation in Premiere Pro•Lumetri 3 Way Color Corrector in Premiere Pro•Taking it SpeedGrade, your Lumetri color correct in Premiere Pro shows as a single Lumetri Color Layer in SpeedGrade.•Introducting Project Candy. This is a new app for your phone that lets you take a photo and color match it in 3D color space and save it to your Creative Cloud library and apply it in Premiere, After Effects, Photoshop or SpeedGrade. To me it doesn't seem all new, but an update the existing iOS Adobe Color App that would let you take photos to make color swatches. The funny part is while I think it is a cool idea, I would rather have the tech built into After Effects or Premiere, so I could do this with a photo on the computer, as I am much more likely to find a reference image that I want to use instead of a photo I am going to take with my phone.

Adobe teases next version of Media Encoder

Adobe has teased the next version of Adobe Media Encoder at the Adobe PremierePro blog.Here is a quick breakdown of the new features.•Time Tuner to retime your sequences 5% with predictable results or even 10% at times.•Dolby Digital output.•JPEG 2000 MXF Support.•User interface refinements

Adobe teases the next version of Adobe Audition

Adobe has teased the next version of Audition at it's Adobe Audition blog.Here is a quick breakdown of the new features revealed.•Dynamic Link Streaming to play back Premiere Pro sequences directly.•Full Screen Mirror Video Display on a second monitor.•Relink Media•Automatic Session File Backup•Copy Imported Assets to Session Folder•Schedule Recording•Custom Level Meters Crossover Values•Import/Export Markers•Brazilian Portuguese Language Support•Audio Driver Performance and Stability UpdatesThis is a program I need to delve into more, but really I hope to pass my audio on to a real mixer, so it has never been as important to me.

Adobe teases the next release of After Effects

Todd Kopriva at his AfterEffects blog has teased the next version of After Effects to be shown at NAB next week.Here is a quick breakdown of the new features.•Creative Cloud libraries to share graphics and looks between Premiere, Photoshop and Illustrator.•Greater Interactive Performance thanks to a new architecture. Let's hope it doesn't break all current plug ins!•Unified and Simplified previews.•A preview of Adobe Character Animator.•Face Tracker Effect.Yes this all sounds pretty exciting, though the character animator seems pretty niche.

Adobe Reveals the next release of Premiere Pro

Adobe has revealed some features from it's next version of Creative Cloud at it's PremierePro blog.Here is a quick breakdown.•Lumetri Color Panel. Adobe has integrated more of the color engine of SpeedGrade directly in Premiere Pro, but with simpler to use controls for editors, but all grades will easily pass over to SpeedGrade. Now you get SpeedGrades videoscopes, and controls simplified to work like Lightroom as well as a new Lumetri 3 Way Color Corrector. The Lumetri Control PanelNew Curve and Hue/Saturation ControlsNew Lumetri 3 Way Color Corrector•Morph Cut allows you to seamlessly morph between to edits in a talking head interview to make it look like a single cut (kind of scary, but also an incredible tool if it works as described).•CC Libraries have been integrated into Premiere Pro and After Effects so you can save looks and graphics wherever you are logged into Creative Cloud.•Premiere Clip, Adobe's portable editing solution has an upgraded workflow.•Task Oriented Workspaces for editing, coloring, audio work or other needs (much like AVID's similar functions).•New formats including ProRes 4444XQ Avid DNxHR, Canon XF-AVC and Panasonic 4K_HS.•Closed Caption Support•Composite Previews during trim•Simpler Keyboard numerical import•Source Settings as Master Clip Effects•Improved AAF Exports•Improved Audio Routing•Improved Audition workflow, where audition will play the video directly from your media instead of rendering a video of your video.•Improved Mercury Transmit Performance•Time Tuner in Premiere and Media Encoder to allow you to retime a show up to 5% easily and possibly up to 10% in either direction without losing quality.Sounds impressive. I am looking forward to getting my hands on it!