Stranger Things — Series 5: Chapter 4 — Sorcerer — A Review

27th February, 2026: “The Turnbow Trap”.

An Introduction.

It’s Friday.

Which means several things.

Mostly that I’ll be eating dinner, soon: it’s that time on a Friday.

I also have something of a confession.

I’ve downloaded Apple’s Creator Studio: as a cheap way to get hold of Final Cut Pro, Apple’s pro level video editing suite.

So, hopefully, I’ll be using it to edit and export my reviews.

The one thing that HAS surprised me?

Is that the suite comes with an app called Compressor, that lets you scale videos up or down.

Including up to 8k resolution.

I don’t think I’ll be using it on a regular basis: I’ve just upscaled a two and a half test video — dummy footage in a dummy project, that’s the basis of my Daily Teaser videos — and it’s taken some ten minutes … 

And left my sixteen gigabyte, M4 Mac mini hot enough to boil tea!

I’ll probably make more use of it … when I get a new machine, with more RAM … !

~≈🐙≈~

At any rate, it’s still Friday, and dinner is still cooking.

Once that’s done?

I’ll wash up: then watch the fourth episode of Stranger Things 5: “Sorcerer” will hopefully maintain the quality of the series, thus far.

And let us know what’s happening with Max!

~≈🐙≈~

Nik Nak’s Daily Teaser — 2nd March 2026.

2nd February, 2026.

Right … I am officially in a rush: to get to both my Monday morning weight management meeting, and to this afternoon’s blood tests!

The reason for the rush … ?

Is simply the fact today’s introduction video took a dog’s age to upload!

Why, I don’t know.

But I suspect taking time, adjusting the various tweaks in Final Cut Pro, didn’t help!

~≈🎬≈~

As a quick thought … ?

Having Avantgarde’s “OKP Cipher” on in the background, helps.

It’s nicely upbeat: which I find helps me to type, rapidly.

Hey … ho!

~≈🆗≈~

Nik Nak’s Daily Teaser — 1/3/2026 — Nebraska (Ten Questions)

1st March, 2026: Nebraska.

I like somethings: and dislike others.

But you’ve possibly worked that out.

I don’t like the current, 47th, US President.

And make it a point of honour to not use the man’s name.

I don’t know if I’ve managed there, but I can at least try.

I don’t like unnecessary military action: at least, action I feel is unjustified.

So … ?

USA military action in Iran, taken in conjunction with Israel, is what I regard as unjustified.

I grant the Islamic republic’s unpleasant, and has violated the rights, and taken the lives of, protestors.

Furthermore?

The action taken has seen the death of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

If that doesn’t start a war?

I’ll be both grateful, and very surprised.

~≈🇮🇷≈~

Nik Nak’s Daily Teaser — 28/2/2026 — Andalusia

28th February, 2026: Andalucia.

Hmmm … 

That seems to work … 

I’ve subscribed to Apple’s Creator Studio, just recently: and found out that I could use a mix of Final Cut Pro, and Compressor, to make 8k video.

So … ?

I used the stock footage I keep for the quiz videos to make a dummy 8k video I could share via YouTube.

The results told me a few things.

Firstly?

When I upload an 8k video to the site, YouTube reduces the resolution to 4k.

The copy I’ve just downloaded?

Is some forty megabytes: compared to the approximately two gigabytes I uploaded.

I’m assuming the reductions are made, to allow YouTube to keep storage space and bandwidth — and thus costs — to a minimum.

Secondly?

It took ten minutes to render some three minutes of 8k footage.

I’d say that’s acceptable: but know longer videos will take longer to render.

I’m also aware the process had my machine running extremely hot to the touch: something I’m aware would happen, given my machine’s specs.

It’s got an M4 processor, and sixteen gigabytes of RAM, so you know.

The suggested, minimum, RAM is exactly that: sixteen gigabytes,

But the recommended minimum is thirty-two.

I can only tell you this, as a result.

Recording, and rendering, in 8k is something I’d love to do.

But would need machinery, and money, I don’t have.

That’s a shame: but that’s life.

~≈8️⃣≈~

Nik Nak’s Daily Teaser — 27-2-2026 — Gotta Catch ’Em All (Ten Questions)

27th February, 2026: Pokémon is spelt with an ‘é’ … !

OK … I’ve officially not got Radio Four’s today programme on.

It was just a touch distracting.

Instead … ?

I’ve got Dave Brubeck’s Time Out album playing.

It’s exactly the right pace, and no-one is either talking … or singing.

Which is nice … 

~≈🎵≈~

I’m not usually one for politics.

But … ?

I noticed that yesterday’s Gorton and Denton by-election was won by the Greens: which grabbed my attention, as I’ve been voting Green for a few years, now.

Hopefully?

They’ll do well at my home town’s upcoming local elections.

But I suspect Brentwood-based voters, ones who don’t want to vote for a mainstream party, will be disgruntled Conservatives: who’ll vote for Reform, rather than Green.

Reform aren’t a party I’d vote for, myself.

I’d rather spoil my vote, than vote Reform!

~≈🗳️≈~

Did I mention my nephew, Jude, was here, yesterday … ?

My nephew, Jude, was here, yesterday.

Yes: that means there’s a new JPDecember video up and running.

One thing we did discuss, last night?

Is whether Jude would be happy to give my rental copy of Final Cut Pro a go.

We’ll have to see: it would mean either using my user account for the job, then transferring it to his account, so he can upload the resulting video.

Or signing into my Apple ID … on his user account.

Which I’ll have to think about.

Either way?

Something did catch Jude’s attention … was something I’d noticed about Final Cut.

In theory, and if I’ve got it right … ?

You can use it, and Compressor, to export a video as an 8k video, an extremely high definition video.

As you can possibly imagine, Jude’s eyes lit up.

So did mine!

~≈🎞️≈~