More than 10 years after releasing Final Cut Pro X, Apple has released a long-overdue update to the video editing software on the Mac. The app is finally going up to Final Cut Pro 11, available as a free update for existing users and a US$299 one-time purchase for new customers.
Following in the Apple Intelligence spirit with iOS 18, it introduces various AI-powered features, including new masking tools and transcribing capabilities, as well as workflow improvements. The former, called Magnetic Mask, allows subjects in a clip to be isolated without the need for a green screen or rotoscoping, and can be combined with colour correction and video effects for a more stylised touch.
Meanwhile, Transcribe to Captions automatically generates closed captions in the timeline through an Apple-trained language model that transcribes spoken audio. These two additions join existing AI-powered tools such as Smart Conform, Enhance Light and Color, Smooth Slo-Mo, and Voice Isolation.
The other big highlight focuses on the tech giant’s mixed-reality headset, the Vision Pro. Now that the latest iPhones are able to capture Spatial Video, the footage can be edited in Final Cut Pro 11 through means like colour correction and depth positioning. Additionally, users will be able to expand Mac Virtual Display to a 32:9 ultra-wide canvas – equivalent to having two 5K monitors side by side – later this year.
The software also touts a fresh slate of editing tools that serve to streamline creative workflows. Magnetic Timeline, for example, offers a more efficient way to add and rearrange clips quickly, while keeping the video and audio perfectly in sync, whereas multicam editing instantly aligns multiple angles of a project between shots during playback.
Alongside the long-awaited update, Apple is rolling out Final Cut Pro for iPad 2.1, bringing light and colour enhancements, new inks for Live Drawing, new content library features, several quality-of-life workflow improvements, and more. It can be accessed as a free update for existing users, and is available on the App Store for US$4.99 per month or US$49 per year.
Si Jia is a casual geek at heart – or as casual as someone with Sephiroth’s theme on her Spotify playlist can get. A fan of movies, games, and Japanese culture, Si Jia’s greatest weakness is the Steam Summer Sale. Or any Steam sale, really.
Kevin Low
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