It’s Friday - let’s end the week with another edition of VP Land.

In this issue:

🧑🏻‍💻 Descript buys SquadCast
📺 AP releases AI guidelines for journalists
📷 Behind the scenes on a VP shoot with Vashi Nedomansky, ACE

and more! Let’s dive in.

MAIN STAGE

Descript Expands Their Video Tool Empire

We’re big fans of Descript around here (if you need a primer check out our tutorials).

It gets pigeonholed as a podcast editing tool, but we’ve used it to create rough cuts and assembly cuts on all types of projects (documentaries, promos, commercials, et al).

But, in the podcast world, they made a big announcement: acquiring SquadCast.

What’s SquadCast?

SquadCast is an audio and video remote recording studio, mostly focused on podcast recording.

Why not use Zoom? Because the quality sucks and you’re at the mercy of everyone’s internet connectivity.

SquadCast records higher quality, local files of everyone’s audio and video, uploading it in the background after the session is complete. So even if the internet is choppy you’ll still get high-quality, locally recorded files.

We personally use Riverside. At the time of deciding between the two, SquadCast was more focused on audio while Riverside supported 4K video recording.

That seems to have changed - SquadCast also supports 4K video.

I also want to note that these tools get a lot of focus for podcasting, but we use them for all types of remote recording, from creating YouTube videos to recording rough shots for pre-viz.

Vertical Recording to Editing Integration

This is a big integration for Descript. Previously you’d have to record your video or audio elsewhere, then bring it into a project.

Now you can launch a remote studio, bring in your guests, record, and then have a Descript project ready to edit, transcribed and everything.

Podcasting Arms Race

Riverside hasn’t been idle. They’ve been building more transcription and editing tools into their platform, but they’re still pretty limited with how much control you have over editing.

They do have easy export options, to bring a synchronized multicam interview into Premiere or Descript.

But Riverside requires its own subscription.

SquadCast is now included with a Descript membership - no extra cost.

Do you use any of these tools and what do you think of the Descript & SquadCast integration? Hit reply and let us know.

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DAILIES

Weekly Roundup:
Stories You May Have Missed

The Future of Documentary Filmmaking?
We’ve got an in-depth interview with Bad Decisions Studio about creating their photorealistic King Tut documentary with photogrammetry and Unreal Engine.

The Cinebot Mini
Mark Roberts Motion Control (MRMC) just announced its newest camera robot: the Cinebot Mini.

Generative AI on Adobe Express
Adobe Express, their cloud-based design platform (similar to Figma), has just rolled out Firefly generative AI integration.

VEGAS, the often forgotten powerful video editor, releases VEGAS Pro 21
Top-notch features include the Z-Depth tool for dynamic video effects, AI-powered masking, and text-to-speech, plus planar tracking tech integration with Boris FX Mocha.

VIDEO VILLAGE

AKS

🌐 Around the Web

• Tecent claims AI to be launched later this year will be one of China's best

• The Associated Press releases its guidelines for journalists

• Latest Adobe Premier Pro update adds color management for ARRIRAW

• Schedule posts and track your social media with Metricool*

• Runway unveils Watch feature; CEO feels Hollywood and AI 'needs to be more nuanced'

• Sony FX6 Version 4.0 firmware update features de-squeeze function for anamorphic lenses and expanded autofocus for S&Q mode

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CALL SHEET

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August 30 (other dates and cities available)
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October 3
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October 24 to 26
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