iPhone 14 Cinematic mode videos require macOS Ventura for full editing in Final Cut Pro

As noted during Final Cut Pro guru, Richard Taylor’s, most recent live stream, Cinematic mode videos shot on iPhone 14 will require macOS Ventura to have full control over focus point adjustments in Final Cut Pro. That’s because adjusting Cinematic mode videos shot on iOS 16, which comes preloaded on all new iPhone 14 models, requires macOS Ventura for full editing access within Final Cut Pro. This news comes after today’s update to Apple’s support document for editing Cinematic mode videos.

Apple notes in the document, updated September 29th, 2022:

To edit Cinematic mode videos recorded with iOS 16, you must use iOS 16, iPadOS 16.1, or macOS Ventura or later. iPadOS 16.1 and macOS Ventura will be available in October.

This means that if you wish to view and adjust focus points in a Cinematic mode video clips originating from any new iPhone 14 model in Final Cut Pro, you will need to wait until October’s release of macOS Ventura. iPhone 13 users, on the other hand, who have yet to update to iOS 16, will still be able to view and manipulate focus points in Final Cut Pro and iMovie on macOS Monterey.

The error when attempting to enable Cinematic Mode via Final Cut Pro’s Inspector

Although I no longer have an iPhone 13 in my possession, I have several Cinematic videos in my library that were originally shot on iPhone 13 running iOS 15. I confirmed that I was able to fully edit these videos on the current version of macOS 12.6 Monterey, and Final Cut Pro 10.6.4.

Cinematic toggle enabled in Final Cut Pro on macOS Ventura beta 9

I next installed the latest macOS Ventura beta 9 to see if Cinematic mode videos shot on iPhone 14, and thus iOS 16, would work in full on Final Cut Pro. Sure enough, I was able to enable the Cinematic toggle without error, even on the current Final Cut Pro 10.6.4 release.

In its support document, Apple notes that iPad users are also affected. Users wishing to edit Cinematic mode videos on iPad will need to wait until October’s release of iPadOS 16.1.

Cinematic mode has been vastly improved on new iPhone 14 hardware, including the ability to shoot in 4K24p on both the rear camera system and the upgraded front-facing camera. In my opinion, it’s one of the best upgrades to come to Apple’s new hardware.

macOS Ventura’s October release is rumored to be accompanied by several new M2 Macs, including an updated Mac mini and MacBook Pro. The same can be said of iPadOS 16.1, which should also see new iPad hardware coincide with its public debut.

Be sure to subscribe to Richard Taylor’s YouTube channel, as he often live streams and has tons of knowledge about Final Cut Pro. You can also subscribe to my new channel, Cellular, for lots of Apple-centric content to come.

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Scroll to Top