Phantom Cine Kit now compatible with Final Cut Pro X
updated 10:58 pm EDT, Tue October 23, 2012
First native support since Final Cut Pro 3
Glue Tools, makers of a plugin that supports Vision Research's line of high-speed cameras, have announced that Tuesday's update to Apple's Final Cut Pro X version 10.0.6 brings support for the company's Phantom Cine format, allowing the plugin to be used natively for the first time since Final Cut Pro 3. Phantom cameras have found increasing favor with directors for its HD slow-motion capabilities.
Glue Tools CEO Bob Monaghan said his team were "delighted at how responsive and quick" the new version of FCPX with Phantom Cine footage, even on notebooks. The cameras and their ability to capture very high frame rates is often employed on TV shows and movies to emphasize a dramatic moment using high-quality slow motion visuals.
Vision Research's Phantom team were awarded a Science and Engineering Academy Award for their contribution to filmmaking technology. The ability to easily incorporate Phantom footage into Final Cut is expected to further cement Apple's pro video editing software leading position in the industry.
After a rough introduction from an industry resistant to change, the overhaul Apple gave the editing software with Final Cut Pro X's introduction has gradually been accepted. The transition has been helped by a rapid series of early updates that restored many missing features, along with the emergence of X-compatible plug-ins, and the low price that encouraged upgrading.
Phantom footage has been seen in recent movies like Inception, TRON: Legacy and others, along with TV shows and IMAX documentaries.
The Phantom Cine Toolkit, now at v3.1, sells for $800, though existing customers can upgrade for $400. It's available directly from the Glue Tools website.
