Apple rolls out Final Cut Pro for iPad 2 with AI enhancements

Apple has launched the much-anticipated Final Cut Pro for iPad 2, introducing significant updates to its video creation application for iPad and additional artificial intelligence features for the Mac version.

The new build for iPad supports projects on external drives and introduces Live Multicam, which records from multiple angles simultaneously, leveraging the company’s Final Cut Camera app for iPhone and iPad. The application also enables iPad Pro users to exploit the device's Thunderbolt connection for editing projects directly from an external drive.

The advanced features include support for colour grading, application of multiple effects, and rendering of graphically intense timelines even faster than before. Furthermore, Final Cut Camera can now also work as a standalone professional video capture app on iPhone and iPad.

The new features are supported by the M4 chip and iPad Pro users will see boosts to their editing and finishing abilities. Brent Chiu-Watson, Apple’s senior director of Apps Worldwide Product Marketing, emphasised that the new Final Cut Pro for iPad embodies a transformation in production workflows by centralising the iPad in the process and allowing creators to edit and share more quickly, regardless of location.

The updates also encompass new enhancements for Mac users. AI features allow editors to customise the appearance of videos or photos swiftly and retime visuals with greater ease. The updated tools expedite the management of colour correction and video effects and simplify timeline navigation.

Final Cut Pro for iPad gives users the power to customise content further than ever before. Users can choose from new colour-grading presets and text titles, select from new soundtracks, and add dynamic backgrounds to create effect overlays and title sequences, adding depth and character to their projects.

The newly unveiled Apple Pencil Pro also offers increased precision for users. Live Drawing now includes support for barrel roll and squeeze and presents an array of brushes and settings.

New AI features and organisational tools on Mac offer a free update to existing users. Enhanced Light and Colour allows users to enhance colour, colour balance, contrast, and brightness in one simple step and is optimised for SDR, HDR, RAW, and Log-encoded media.

Also, with Final Cut Pro 10.8 for Mac, effects can be given custom names in the inspector for easier identification of changes applied to a clip. Text search in the timeline also provides important information like reel, scene, and camera angle, amongst others.