Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/1256765
he latest version of Vegas Pro is 17, and the newest release among the Version 17 offerings is Vegas Post. In my opinion they should have called it Vegas Pro Pre-Post-Master, but that's way too long of a name. However, the reason I champion my naming scheme is because Vegas Post can be used for way more than just video post production. Let's have a look. Vegas Post is a package containing three very powerful production tools: Vegas Pro 17, Vegas Effects and Vegas Image. The core of this suite of programs is Vegas Pro 17. With over 30 new fea- tures, it's clear that Vegas Pro is staying on track with the future of video editing. And clearly the team at Vegas Creative Software has been listening to their user base. All of the features can be tracked directly to a requests from users. They listened and delivered. Vegas Pro has al- ways been a fast editor, but now, realtime playback and rendering is boosted — again — by taking advantage of the latest hardware acceleration. The "Pro" in Vegas Pro delivers support for 8K footage, HDR color support en- hancements, Project Notes for team pro- duction, LUT Export, Hi-DPI improvements, super-smooth slow motion and more. The "Pre" in my naming scheme is for pre-production. For example, the voice- over for a project was already recorded, in Vegas of course, and it was time to create a storyboard of the visuals. The graph- ics artist popped open his tablet and sketched out a series of JPGs for each scene. With that finished, we loaded the JPGs onto the timeline and timed them to the narration. A quick render, using the GPU acceleration, provided our client with an excellent example of what the finished project would look like before the camera ever left its case. Sold! Pre-production workflows are further enhanced by Vegas Image. Each of the still images in the project were pro- cessed before hitting the timeline. Colors adjusted, text added, images sharpened, exposure problems fixed — all as part of pre-production. With numerous ways to apply a mask and 50-plus effects, Vegas Image is a great pre or post production tool. As for "Post" in my naming scheme, this part of the workflow has been rock- ing from the start. Fast and simple! If you can use a mouse you can create a video. It's that easy. Vegas Pro made the drag- and-drop, edit-on-the-timeline workflow famous years ago. Whether it's 8K foot- age or shots from your phone, just drop it on the timeline and get busy. Straight cuts, automatic cross fades, fade-in/out, all the standard edits you'd ever like to make with results in realtime. When it comes time to add video effects to your project, there is a seamless workflow between Vegas Pro and Vegas Effects. Need to add some flames or rain to a particular scene? Right-click on the event and choose Edit in Vegas Effects. A world of effects and composting is now open to you. Vegas Pro itself has a ton of video and audio effects, and plays well with third-party effects. Vegas Effects takes the whole workflow up a notch by adding new effects not standard in Vegas Pro, as well as a powerful compositing work- space. Build up a multi-layered composite and dig into a set of effects to enhance your production with color correction and grading, or take your video to the next level by adding special effects such as particle generation, distortions, anima- tions, behaviors and more. Work your magic, save, return to Vegas Pro, and all your compositing and effects handiwork is ready for playback and preview. So, where does "Master" come into play? Vegas Pro is a fantastic tool for multitrack recording, editing, mixing, and mastering at sample rates as high as 192kHz at 24-bit. Several times I've taken a project from multitrack recording and mixing to producing the final Red Book standard audio CD master using one tool — Vegas Pro. Can your NLE do that? A sweet suite of tools for pre-pro- duction, post production and mastering. If you haven't had a chance to try it, there's never been a better time. A free trial is available so you can test drive it right away. Happy editing! Michael Bryant is a musician, audio & video editor, and freelance writer. He has been following the development of Vegas Pro for 20 years. REVIEW VEGAS PRO 17 BY MICHAEL BRYANT XXXXXX A POWERFUL PACKAGE OF TOOLS FOR EDITING & VFX T VITAL STATS MANUFACTURER: Vegas Creative Software PRODUCT: Vegas Pro 17 PRICE: $299 new; $199 upgrade WEBSITE: vegascreativesoftware.com