ToneGrade is a plug-in for Final Cut Pro X that, when applied to footage, resembles the High Dynamic Range (HDR) effect somewhat. ToneGrade is especially useful for close-ups of people and objects. It creates “character” by boosting local contrast and adding depth and potentially saturation.

A year ago, the Atomos Ninja and the Cinedeck Extreme field recorders were about the two only ones that could record video directly to a high-quality codec using a video camera’s HDMI output. Today, Black Magic has at least three devices that are capable of recording to Uncompressed the same way.

GoPro announced the release of a new version of its professional family of 2D and 3D production software GoPro CineForm Studio Premium and GoPro CineForm Studio Professional. The company recently released a new version of its free software, GoPro CineForm Studio, which adds powerful new features appealing to consumers and professionals alike.

Cinedeck has shipped Cinedeck RX, the latest addition to the Cinedeck product family. Cinedeck RX is a new, rack-mountable, solid-state recording, monitoring and playback system, that delivers tapeless workflow to studios, post-production facilities and broadcasters covering the wide range of cinema production, sporting, music, theatrical and entertainment events in both 2D and 3D stereoscopic formats.

This video tip shows you how to create a sub clip from a larger videoclip in the Final Cut Pro X Event browser. It’s simple and quick, but it’s a completely different way of working than with traditional NLEs.

Crumplepop’s lens effects Lumineux, Noire Moderne and Dacar for Final Cut Pro X are among the best and most useful I’ve ever seen. They can’t give your footage an eery look or make it look like it’s been damaged, but they allow you to create subtle atmospheres that bolster up your story.

Crumplepop’s ShrinkRay X is a plug-in that allows you to blur specific areas of your footage and bring others in focus. The result can be a lot like those puppeteer movies you sometimes see when people shoot stop motion series.

Avid’s Non-Linear Video Editor Media Composer saw an important upgrade right before 2011 ended. We took a look at the new features. Media Composer is now a 64-bit app and has 3D capabilities, but that’s not all. There are plenty of new features to make users happy.

Crumplepop is one of the very first to release plug-ins for Final Cut Pro X. The first one I tested is their SplitScreen X plug-in, which gives Final Cut Pro X users the ability to show different clips in one screen.