15 New Filters, New 3D Objects, Exchange Keyframe Animation with Adobe After Effects
Marlborough MA - June 22, 2009 - Boris FX, the leading developer of integrated effects technology for video and film, announced that Boris Continuum Complete 6 AVX (BCC 6 AVX) for Avid editing and finishing systems is now available. BCC 6 AVX is based on Avid's AVX 2 plug-in architecture with support for Avid Media Composer, Avid NewsCutter and Avid Symphony. A special AVX 1 version of BCC 6 AVX for Avid DS will be released in the near future.
BCC 6 AVX adds nearly 200 plug-in filters to Avid editing and finishing systems. The new release features 15 new effects including Extruded Text, Extruded EPS, Layer Deformer, Cartoon Look, Lightning, and Swish Pan. In addition, BCC 6 AVX delivers unique workflow enhancements such as the ability to animate BCC filters in Adobe After Effects and transfer the animation to the Avid timeline - while preserving After Effects keyframes.
"BCC 6 AVX shows our strong commitment to Avid plug-in development. We are thrilled to bring OpenGL-accelerated 3D filters to Avid editors via Avid's AVX real-time plug-in architecture," commented Boris Yamnitsky, president and founder, Boris FX. "With BCC 6 AVX, Avid editors can edit extruded text, warp 2D layers in 3D space, and import and extrude EPS files within Avid's native editing interface - without needing to render in another application. In addition, for the first time, Avid editors can animate BCC filters in Adobe After Effects and transfer the animation to the Avid timeline while preserving After Effects keyframes."
New BCC 6 AVX Feature Highlights
15 New Filters range from realistic 3D vector graphics extrusions to painting and image restoration. The new 3D Objects category includes Extruded Text, Extruded EPS, Extruded Spline, Type-On Text, and Layer Deformer. New image restoration filters include DV Fixer, Smooth Tone, and Pixel Fixer. New image painting filters consist of Charcoal Sketch, Pencil Sketch, Water Color, and Cartoon Look. New OpenGL filters include Lightning and Tile Mosaic. A new Swish Pan transition filter is also included.
BCC Extruded Text - OpenGL-accelerated 3D text generator with built-in 3D shatters and a warp deformer. Multiple 3D materials can be created from external image files featuring texture and bump maps as well as reflections. Each material can be individually saved as a preset and applied to the front, back, bevel, or extrusion surface of the text object. The text object can be further deformed and animated with a number of innovative deformers such as Bend, Taper, Twist, Shatter, Ripple, Pulse, or Curl.
BCC Extruded EPS - provides an easy way to import and extrude Adobe Illustrator layered vector logos and graphics in Avid editing and finishing systems.BCC Type-On Text - 3D extruded text can be animated in true 3D space in a type-on or type-off fashion with each letter precisely interacting with the rest of the text in 3D. All 3D properties of the BCC Extruded Text filter are available in the Type-On effect.BCC Extruded Spline - based on built-in primitives such as a medallion or heart. Create 3D extruded objects fully-modeled with bevels and spline-based extrusion profiles.BCC Layer Deformer - warp any 2D layer in 3D space with built-in 3D shatters and bend deformers. Create 3D shapes such as fully or partially wrapped spheres and cylinders with multiple layers mapped onto the surfaces.BCC Pixel Fixer - remove bad pixels resulting from a faulty digital camera sensor or dust on a camera lens. Up to 10 bad spots can be repaired with a single filter application - without any degradation of image quality or sharpness.BCC DV Fixer - soften or remove diagonal stair-step lines (aka jaggies) from a clip captured with a lower-quality camera. Repair compression artifacts without degrading image sharpness or quality. BCC Smooth Tone - smoothes or softens an image while preserving detail contrast, making skin tones silky-smooth without loss of sharpness in the image. A great tool for working with "talking heads" and on-camera interview footage.BCC Swish Pan - simulates panning a camera very quickly in a 180 degree arc, creating the look of a fast blur between outgoing and incoming clips.BCC Charcoal Sketch - simulates the painterly look of an image that was created using charcoals.BCC Pencil Sketch - simulates the look of a hand-drawn pencil-sketched image.BCC Water Color - simulates the wash look of a watercolor painting.BCC Cartoon Look - simulates a rotoscope toon-animation look.BCC Tile Mosaic - simulates the look of hand-cut opaque tiles.BCC Lightning - generates simulated lightning bolts and plasma arcs.
Significant Performance Gains. Every filter is either OpenGL-based or multiprocessor-accelerated for ultimate rendering speed on modern computing and graphics platforms.Custom Animated Presets. This unique feature lets users save and re-use every parameter animation in every BCC filter - even across host applications and platforms. For the first time, users may animate BCC filters in Adobe After Effects and transfer the animation to the Avid timeline while preserving After Effects keyframes. BCC 6 AVX includes hundreds of factory-installed animated presets. Animated presets are now saved in industry-standard XML format and can be edited by any XML-compliant text editor.Single-Click Custom Preset Navigation Tool lets users easily browse presets without opening a pop-up window. Presets are immediately applied and the host preview window is automatically updated to reflect the selected preset.Built-In Motion Tracker Enhancements are found in almost every filter. Users may now save motion tracker data from one filter and load the saved data in another filter.
About Boris FX Founded in 1995, Boris FX is the leading developer of integrated graphics and effects technology, delivering 3D compositing and vector graphic products for the broadcast, post production, film and multimedia markets. Boris products have grown to serve over 200,000 artists worldwide. The company's success lies in its ability to tightly integrate and leverage technologies through strong partnerships with industry-leading manufacturers such as Adobe, Apple, Autodesk, Avid, Grass Valley, Media 100, and Sony.
A public beta of BCC 6 AVX for Avid editing and finishing systems is now available!Get It Now
BCC 6 AVX brings nearly 200 filters to Avid Media Composer, Avid NewsCutter, and Avid Symphony. The new release features 15 new filters including Extruded Spline, Layer Deformer, Cartoon Look, Lightning, and Swish Pan. In addition, BCC 6 AVX delivers unique workflow enhancements such as the ability to animate a BCC filter in Adobe After Effects and transfer the animation to the Avid timeline – while preserving After Effects keyframes.
Dave Helmly, North American DMO Technical Sales Manager at Adobe, emailed us about the new Adobe CS4 video updates: After Effects 9.02, Premiere Pro 4.1, Media Encoder 4.1
The new CS4 video updates will be available late tonight/Friday morning and contain several new updates and several critical fixes for After Effects.
Some of the new features are:
Major Speed improvements for Media Encoder (new support for RED)
New RED R3D workflow & Raw setting panel
Avid Import & Export (We are currently testing FCP Export)
DVD/VOB support (edit directly off the DVD !)
Faster/smooth AVCHD playback
Faster project loading
New Frame Export
And more......
Adobe also showed several things at NAB 2009 that they have cooking in the Adobe Labs and are planning to beta test a few of these new features this summer. The plan is to make these available on the Adobe Labs site.
May 18, 2009 - LA JOLLA, CA - Following its acclaimed release of the original Video Essentials effects plugin collection, NewBlue, Inc. is back with NewBlue Video Essentials II. Featuring an indispensable toolbox of 10 distinct video effects plugins, NewBlue Video Essentials II aids video professionals and enthusiasts in restoring, refining and enhancing their video.
With features such as chromakey, picture-in-picture, noise reducer and rack focus, NewBlue Video Essentials II joins the company's highly-regarded product line of 18 exclusive video effects plugins collections. The product is available for all major video editing software platforms, including Adobe After Effects, Adobe Premiere, Adobe Premiere Elements, Adobe Premiere Pro, Apple Final Cut Pro, Apple Final Cut Express, Avid Media Composer, Avid NewsCutter, Avid Symphony, Avid Xpress, Avid Liquid, Corel (formerly Ulead) VideoStudio, Pinnacle Studio, Sony Vegas, Sony Vegas Movie Studio and Thomson Grass Valley EDIUS. The collection is value-priced at $79.95.
"We created NewBlue Video Essentials II in response to the incredible feedback we received regarding our original Video Essentials collection," explains Chief Technology Officer, Todor J. Fay. "This collection represents the best-of-the-best of these ideas and suggestions."
Included in NewBlue Video Essentials II are:
Chroma Key, which mixes two shots together by converting a selected color in the source shot into transparency.
Color EQ, which adjusts the color characteristics of a selected color range in the scene.
Color Swap, which replaces a selected color range in the scene with a different color.
Lens Correction, which both corrects camera distortion to improve image quality and introduces distortion for an aesthetic effect.
Letterbox, which translates film shot in a different aspect ratio by stretching the source material back to its original shape and filling in the borders appropriately.
Noise Reducer, which removes noise in the image, particularly useful with old analog video or scenes shot in low light.
Picture-In-Picture, which provides a very thorough picture in picture effect that includes full 3D geometry, border, shadow, and reflection features.
Rack Focus, which creates an artificial focus blur that mimics camera depth of field.
Shadows and Highlights, which helps correct lighting problems, providing a software fill light for underexposed areas and a dampener for overexposed highlights.
Users can purchase NewBlue Video Essentials directly from the company's website at http://www.newbluefx.com/video-essentials-ii.html. A fully-functional trial version is available for download, as well.
About NewBlue, Inc.
NewBlue, Inc. develops innovative audio, video and multimedia technologies for leading companies throughout the world. Founded in early 2002, NewBlue creates and licenses a range of proprietary technologies - including a series of NewBlueFX video technologies, the NewBlue Audio Engine and Audiomatrix technology platform-- that meet the varied multimedia needs of mid-and large-sized companies. Experienced developers, musicians, artists, and software professionals with a unique and commanding set of skills, experience and talent comprise the NewBlue team.
The company unveiled its NewBlueFX (http://www.newbluefx.com) product line in 2006 to meet the needs of digital video editing enthusiasts. The NewBlueFX collection of software plug-ins includes special audio and video effects, such as audio filters, noise reduction, equalization, compression and dozens of sophisticated graphic filters and transitions. To date, the NewBlueFX line includes 5 audio-oriented plug-in collections and 13 video-oriented effects and transitions collections for the Adobe Premiere, Avid Liquid, Avid Media Composer, Avid Xpress Pro, Pinnacle Studio and Sony Vegas desktop video product lines, as well as AVCHD UpShift, an AVCHD conversion utility created in conjunction with VASST.
For further information on NewBlueFX, please see http://www.newbluefx.com/media-kit.html.
Adobe Premiere Pro CS4 4.1 offers further RED camera compatibility, Avid interoperability and improved performance
Adobe Premiere Pro CS4 version 4.1 provides a host of updated compatibility that advances Adobe's leadership in enabling open, flexible post-production workflows, including improved interoperability with RED camera and Avid software workflows and broader support for leading post-production hardware such as AJA, Blackmagic and Matrox video cards. This new, faster version of Adobe Premiere Pro CS4 will be available in late May 2009 via the Adobe updater and from adobe.com at no charge for customers of Adobe Premiere Pro CS4, CS4 Production Premium, and CS4 Master Collection software. Learn more here.
Seven companies joined forces at NAB last month to launch The Open Effects Association. This non-profit, UK-based company aims to develop and promote open standards across the visual effects community. Founding members are Assimilate, Autodesk®, Digieffects, FilmLight, The Foundry, GenArts® and RE:Vision Effects. These companies have helped artists create ground-breaking VFX shots on just about everything that hits cinema screens.
The Association's initial focus is to improve the OFX image processing plug-in standard launched by The Foundry in 2004. The goal for the OpenFX API is to reduce the level of development and support required for plug-ins across different compositing and editing host platforms. The OpenFX API has, to date, been adopted by:
Assimilate® SCRATCH®
Autodesk® ToxikTM software
FilmLight's Baselight
GenArts® Sapphire® plug-ins
The Foundry's Nuke compositor and Tinder, Keylight and Furnace plug-ins
RE:Vision Effects' ReelSmartTM Motion Blur and DE:Noise plug-ins
Digital Vision's FilmMaster
Grass Valley's Bones
Eyeon Fusion
Avid DS
Photron's Primatte Keyer
The Association hopes that as a new, independent organization, it will encourage increasingly open communication and collaboration between hosts and plug-in developers and establish a uniform specification to benefit everyone involved, starting with the artists.
Bruno Nicoletti, Chief Technical Officer at The Foundry and main creator of the original OpenFX API comments: "It was always The Foundry's aim to make life easier for everyone. I'm reinvigorated by the formation of this new independent body, delighted to have been appointed to the board and am looking forward to collaborating with the other members and encouraging uptake of OpenFX API as a standard."
Gary Oberbrunner, Chief Scientist, Vice President of Engineering at GenArts and newly appointed Director of the OFX Association adds, "GenArts Sapphire has a well-earned reputation for supporting a wide range of host platforms. We've been supportive of the OpenFX premise since its inception, and Sapphire runs on all major OpenFX hosts. We at GenArts are excited about the OFX Association, and we believe this new approach will enable the industry to advance our common goals more quickly."
If you are interested in learning more or joining the OFX Association, please contact Bruno Nicoletti, bruno@thefoundry.co.uk.
There are several specials that are ending by April 30 (I know, can you believe April is almost over! Wow, how time flies!) Here's the list:
Red Giant and Trapcode NAB Specials - Save 30% on all products including bundles, upgrades and even academic. Ends Midnight PST April 29. That's tonight, folks!
Digieffects NAB Deals - Digieffects MegaSuite Half off and Save $100 on New Digieffects Freeform! Expires April 30, 2009.
Imagineer NAB Deals - Save 25% on all Imagineer Products Through April 30th!
Next Limit RealFlow 4: - Through April 30, 2009, upgrade your Academic version to the full standard version for 50% Off!
Zaxwerks 3D Invigorator for Photoshop - 3D Invigorator is available for an introductory price of $149 USD through April 30, 2009. It is regularly priced at $199 USD.
San Francisco, CA, April 7, 2009 - Red Giant Software (http://www.redgiantsoftware.com/), publisher of the popular Magic Bullet and Trapcode plug-ins, will show four new and updated products at the upcoming NAB Show in Las Vegas, NV (April 20-23, 2009).
All purchases of Toonit and Particular from today will receive a free upgrade to v2 when it ships.
Red Giant Software offers a vast range of visual effects plug-ins, with over 30 packages designed for Adobe After Effects, Premiere Pro, Apple Final Cut Pro, Motion, and Avid
The product line features industry leading effects for designing realistic fire, rain, and water; adding popular looks; and creating perfect keys
Red Giant effects have enhanced feature films such as The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Mummy 3, and Grindhouse, and add sparkle to cable and broadcast content from NBC Universal, Food Network, ESPN, Disney, CNN, Comedy Central, MTV, and TNT.
New Products at NAB 2009
Visit the Red Giant Software booth SL2529H at NAB in Las Vegas, Nevada (April 20-23, 2008) to see demonstrations of four new products
This set of 15 plug-ins can be in used in combination with any keyer to soften alpha channels, match foreground and background colors, fix outlines, and clean up noise
Generate perfects keys to ensure seamless compositing within Final Cut Pro, eliminating the need for extra compositing tools.
For just $99, Quick Looks is a light version of our full Looks tool (Magic Bullet Looks) with the same speed and quality, but without the editing tools
In just two clicks, users can choose from more than 100 presets from classic films, television shows, or music videos.
Red Giant TV Tuesdays
Be sure to tune in on Tuesdays to catch the next free tutorial on Red Giant's range of motion graphics, compositing and effects plug-ins
The shows feature one or more Red Giant products used in combination with the tools built into After Effects, Final Cut Pro, Premiere Pro, and more
Host Aharon Rabinowitz shares his tried-and-true techniques for producing higher quality work in less time
Each episode also offers a corresponding product discount available for a short time after the episode airs
Red Giant Software LLC is a San Francisco-based company that develops professional tools for digital video production
Products are available as plug-ins for popular video editing and effects applications, including After Effects, Final Cut Pro, Motion, Premiere Pro, and Avid. All tools are based on production-proven technology developed by visual effects veterans
All product and company names herein may be trademarks of their respective owners
Oak Park, CA March 31, 2009 - Digital Film Tools releases zMatte v3, a full featured blue and green screen keyer for Adobe After Effects and Photoshop, Apple Final Cut Pro and Avid Editing Systems.
zMatte is a full-featured keyer that is the result of our experience in creating countless successful blue and green screen composites. Using proprietary matte extraction techniques, zMatte quickly and simply creates mattes with minimal parameters even if you are dealing with fine hair detail, smoke, or reflections. It is easy to use, yet provides the needed tools when faced with good, bad, or ugly shots -- tools such as multiple matte creation, automatic spill suppression, sophisticated matte and edge manipulation, and color correction.
zMatte includes a complete set of keying plug-ins comprised of: Color Suppress for removing blue or green spill light; DeArtifact to clean up compression artifacts in DV and HD footage; Edge Composite to color correct, blur or mix only the edge of the key; Framer Averager for smoothing out film grain and video noise; Holdout Composite to matte the usually problematic smoke, fire and explosions; the zMatte Keyer to handle the heavy keying tasks; Light Wrap to bring background color into the foreground element; a Matte Generator used to key images not meant to be keyed; Matte Repair to fix common matte problems; Matte Wrap for retaining the definition of the matte edges while creating a smooth blend of transparency starting at the edge of the matte changing to fully opaque moving inward; and Screen Smoother to smooth out unevenly lit blue and green screens.
Digital Film Tools brings together the unbeatable combination of superior software designers, motion picture visual effects veterans, video editors and photographers. Add three Emmy Awards and experience in creating visual effects for hundreds of feature films, commercials and television shows and you have a recipe for success. Created for rigorous production demands by digital artists for digital artists, zMatte is available for download or purchase at:
London, UK. March 26th 2009 Much has changed at leading VFX software developer, The Foundry, during the last twelve months. This will be reflected on the show floor at NAB 2009, as the company plays host to a series of exciting 'behind the scenes' demos and product announcements at its booth #SL326 at the Las Vegas Convention Center.
Continuing the development and support of its Academy Award®-winning compositing and plug-in technologies has necessitated the addition of 15 staff globally. The company now has offices in Los Angeles, a local presence in southeast Asia and has expanded into two additional floors at its HQ in Soho, London.
Blockbuster VFX demos on Nuke: At NAB 2009, The Foundry will let its customers do the most of the talking. Leading visual effects professionals will treat visitors to a series of behind-the-scenes looks at how Nuke was used to great effects on the international blockbusters Iron Man and Watchmen as well as the game World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King.
New Nuke products: The Foundry team will showcase Nuke 5.2, the latest release of its acclaimed compositing software, featuring new pre-comp tools, Python UI and metadata improvements, plus support for 3D LUTs and OpenGL GLSL shaders, video output cards and a RED R3D Redcode format-reader enabling full 32-bit floating point processing. RED Digital Cinema will be represented on The Foundry's booth on 21st, 22nd and 23rd April demonstrating the new RED-to-Nuke workflow.
Visitors can take a look at Nuke 6.0 (due for release in Q3), which promises a new Paint and Roto toolset. The release of 6.0 is set to coincide with the launch of NukePro, a brand new product offering incorporating lens tools, a camera tracker, FurnaceCore and Keylight all in one compositing package. All Nuke 5.2 orders with maintenance taken before the end of NAB 2009 will receive NukePro automatically as it becomes available later in the year, delivering a saving of over $2,500 on list price.
Plug-in developments: The Foundry has reinforced its commitment to the development of industry-leading creative and image-processing plug-ins with the recent appointment of Tom Cowland as plug-in product manager. Brand new products on show at NAB are FurnaceCore for Fusion (also integral to NukePro) and Tinderbox 4 for Nuke. Future releases planned for later in 2009 include a new keyer for Autodesk and Adobe and some exciting tools for Final Cut Pro.
Ocula 3D stereo toolset: The Foundry is also continuing development of Ocula, its range of stereoscopic plug-ins, with the release of new tools driven by production feedback later in the year. Ocula was used by Digital Domain on a stereo 3D commercial spot for SoBe broadcast to 96million viewers during SuperBowl XLIII, and is currently being put through its paces by Weta Digital on James Cameron's Avatar.
FXGuide and FCP: During NAB 2009 The Foundry is also sponsoring FX Guide's Bar Camp on 20th April at the Renaissance Hotel and is again supporting the FCP Supermeet on the 21st at the Rio Hotel. To attend please visit www.lafcpug.org/nab_2009.html.
About The Foundry The Foundry is a world-leading innovator of visual effects and image processing technologies that boost productivity in motion picture and video post production. On February 10th 2007, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences awarded a Sci-Tech Award® to The Foundry's development team for the Furnace image processing suite. The company now has two Academy Award® winning technologies including the high-end compositing system Nuke.
The Foundry's products support a wide range of host platforms including After Effects, Autodesk® Media and Entertainment Systems, Avid DS, Baselight, Film Master, Nuke, Scratch and Shake. The company has also driven OpenFX, an open standard for visual effects plug-ins, now broadly adopted by host and plug-in developers such as Autodesk®, Assimilate, FilmLight, Digital Vision, Eyeon Software Inc, Grass Valley, Soluciones Graficas por Ordenador (S.G.O.), Photron, Final Cut Pro and others.
Customers benefit from simplified ingest process and full offline to online Advanced RED Conform Workflow
TEWKSBURY, Mass., March 5, 2009 - Avid Technology, Inc. (NASDAQ: AVID) today announced that Avid® DS now offers native support for the RED R3D file format, delivering customers increased efficiencies in the editorial and finishing process of RED-originated projects.
With native support for RED, Avid customers will benefit from:
A speedier ingest of RED footage;
The ability to apply RLX color intent data to the footage in the Avid system; and
Capabilities to preset project and sequence settings for RED projects at 2k, 3k, and 4k resolutions.
In addition to handling native R3D footage, Avid DS customers will now be able to create HD RGB 4:4:4 proxies from high-resolution RED source material, which will provide real-time program monitoring and result in faster system response time - enabling artists to stay focused on the creative editorial aspects of a project.
Avid will also offer native RED support for the offline editing process via MetaFuze®, a tool that automates the conversion of formats such as RED and DPX to Avid DNxHD® media for HD offline workflows in Avid Media Composer® and HD finishing in Symphony systems. As a result, customers are able to take advantage of the Avid Advanced Conform workflow for RED and seamlessly move their projects from offline to online.
"We are very excited about the new Avid and RED integration", said Ted Schilowitz of RED Digital Cinema. "The ability to use the MetaFuze tool to turn RED files into true native MXF files at the various offline and online resolutions is a very powerful step that will enable a more streamlined workflow for the many RED projects around the world that are cutting on Avid. The DS integration of RED files for online color grading and finishing is another important development on making offline to online very cost-effective. Fewer workflow steps and tape layoffs for finishing with RED files is the most effective and efficient way to deliver projects."
Kirk Arnold, EVP and GM of Customer Operations at Avid said, "We strive to make the technology seamless for customers to allow them to keep focused on unleashing the creative talents that continue to entertain millions. We also understand that our customers want freedom and flexibility to work with whichever format they choose, and our effort to offer native RED support is the latest example of how we continue to evolve our solutions and meet customers' needs."
Native support for R3D files is available in Avid DS. version 10.1.1. For customers looking to upgrade, visit the Avid download center. About Avid Technology, Inc.
Avid is a worldwide leader in tools for film, video, audio, and broadcast professionals -- as well as for home audio and video enthusiasts. Avid professional and consumer brands include Avid, Digidesign®, M-Audio®, Pinnacle Systems®, Sibelius® and Sundance Digital® The vast majority of primetime television shows, feature films, commercials and chart-topping music hits are made using one or more Avid products. Whether used by seasoned professionals or beginning students, Avid's products and services enable customers to work more efficiently, productively and creatively. Avid received an Oscar® statuette representing the 1998 Scientific and Technical Award for the concept, design, and engineering of the Avid Film Composer® system for motion picture editing. For more information about the company's Oscar, Grammy® and Emmy® award-winning products and services, visit www.avid.com, del.icio.us, Flickr, twitter and YouTube; connect with Avid on Facebook or subscribe to Avid Industry Buzz.
I've been following Editblog (aka Scott Simmons) on Twitter and he's been posting links to Quicktips each day on his blog. The tips are mainly for Avid and Final Cut Pro (though I'm a Premiere Pro user, primarily, when it comes to editing.) Check out his great tips here.
New Light Version of Looks Offers 100+ Presets with One Click
San Francisco, CA, January 12, 2009 - Red Giant Software, with popular products including Magic Bullet Suite, Knoll Light Factory and Trapcode Suite, today introduced a new color correction tool suited for budget conscious film makers that want professional quality tools. Magic Bullet Quick Looks, a light version of Magic Bullet Looks) offers the fastest way to give clips a classic film look. Users can choose from 100+ presets to get the look of popular films including: The Matrix, Bad Boys, Saving Private Ryan, or TV shows like CSI.
Highlights
100-Look Library More than one hundred unique Looks, conveniently organized by category in the Look Library, are a great starting point for defining the mood of any scene. The presets range from simple exposure and film process emulation to radical color changes. Best of all users can use the Look Theater to browse through the library using their own images - finding a look couldn't be easier.
Professional Looks quickly - and on a budget Quick Looks offers the same professional presets as the more expensive Magic Bullet Looks tool, but offers a streamlined interface without the tools to create custom Looks. Instead, choose a Look from the library, adjust a single Strength control. It's that simple.
Blazing speed with DeepColor RT Maximize performance with the power of the DeepColor RT engine. Play back SD and HD (720p) projects in real-time by efficiently using the system's graphics processing power. The next-generation DeepColor RT engine preserves quality in every application host so that 10-bit projects remain 10-bit.
Add warmth to wedding videos, even when shot on cloudy days
Pricing and Availability Magic Bullet Quick Looks is a light version of the full Magic Bullet Looks tool with the same speed and quality but without editing tools for $99 USD. Quick Looks is a plug-in for both Mac OS X and Windows users running Adobe Premiere Pro, After Effects, Apple Final Cut Pro, Motion, or Avid Xpress Pro/Media Composer. The product is available now for purchase at http://toolfarm.stores.yahoo.net/redgimabuqul.html
About Red Giant Software Red Giant Software LLC is a San Francisco-based company that develops professional tools for digital video production. Products are available as plug-ins for popular video editing and effects applications, including After Effects, Final Cut Pro, Motion, Premiere Pro, and Avid. All tools are based on production-proven technology developed by visual effects veterans.
Available immediately, new version features 36 new effects and many enhancements
Cambridge, MA. December 2, 2008 -- GenArts, Inc., a leading provider of visual effects software for the film, broadcast and video industries, today announced the release of version 3 of its Sapphire Plug-ins for the Avid® AVXTM architecture. The new version includes several new features to help editors working on Avid Media Composer®, Symphony™ or NewsCutter® systems to enhance their content with powerful visual effects tools.
With this announcement, GenArts is responding to demand and strengthening its offering to the Avid community by adding 36 new effects, dozens of improvements to existing effects and expanded options. These additions allow for deeper integration and support for Avid solutions and give the Avid community even more stunning visual effects and simplified processes. For example, many Avid editors previously built transitions using a series of Sapphire effects that have now been reworked into 13 new single-step, drag and drop Transitions. There are also new innovative effects such as TVDamage, which simulates various artifacts of television broadcast and display such as static, ghosting and interference, and Technicolor 2Strip and 3Strip, which give the look of 1930-1955 Technicolor film. Other new practical additions include Deband, which removes banding artifacts from a clip by diffusing pixels across the banded areas while keeping the original edges intact.
Ken Miles, director of business development at Avid Technology, Inc. said, "GenArts has always shown a strong commitment to the Avid user community by providing high quality, innovative software that integrates seamlessly with Avid products. With today's announcement, Avid customers now have several new and improved effects that we are sure to see in more blockbuster films, TV shows and commercials."
"GenArts has seen Sapphire Plug-ins expand the workflow of Avid artists over the past eight years that it's supported the platform," said Katherine Hays, CEO of GenArts, Inc. "Taking our Avid customers' ever-changing needs into account, an important step in our ongoing innovation, we have further enhanced our product offerings to Avid's user base with this new release."
Key new features in Sapphire Plug-ins v3 for Avid:
New enhancements and options including 15 new LensFlares, Improved Glares and revamped RackDefocus.
Support for Windows Vista and 64bit systems
Supports promotion of previous Sapphire versions to v3
As with all GenArts products, version 3 offers quick and easy application of high quality, organic effects to Avid sequences, an easy to use interface with on-screen control widgets for efficient workflow, single click application of effects to titles and keys, seamless transition of effects from offline to online Avid systems, compatibility with any resolution setting, multiple options and parameters that can be adjusted and animated to create an unlimited range of unique results, online hyper-linked documentation, and RGBA support for all Avid editing products.
Availability and Pricing: Learn more/purchase Sapphire Plug-ins version 3 for Avid systems. Pricing for Sapphire 3 is: $1800 for Avid Media Composer Software-only; $2800 for Symphony, Media Composer, NewsCutter or DS Assist; and $4800 for Avid DS or DS/Symphony. Existing version 2 customers qualify for special upgrade pricing of $600, $900 and $1600, respectively. A free trial is available.
About Avid Technology, Inc. Avid is a worldwide leader in tools for film, video, audio and broadcast professionals - as well as for home audio and video enthusiasts. Avid professional and consumer brands include Avid®, Digidesign®, M-Audio®, Pinnacle Systems®, Sibelius® and Sundance Digital®. The vast majority of primetime television shows, feature films, commercials and chart-topping music hits are made using one or more Avid products. Whether used by seasoned professionals or beginning students, Avid's products and services enable customers to work more efficiently, productively and creatively. For more information about the company's Oscar®, Grammy® and Emmy® award-winning products and services, visit www.avid.com. About GenArts Founded in 1996 in Cambridge, Mass., GenArts, Inc. is the premier provider of digital visual effects plug-ins for the film, broadcast and video industries. Their product, Sapphire Plug-ins, equips digital artists with a collection of over 200 state-of-the-art image processing and synthesis effects such as: Glows, EdgeRays, LensFlare, Lightning, FilmEffect, Warps and Textures. The effects seamlessly integrate into a number of editing and compositing systems from Adobe, Apple, Avid, Autodesk, Assimilate, Digital Vision, Eyeon, FilmLight, The Foundry, Quantel and SGO.
Sapphire Plug-ins have become the industry standard for high-end visual effects creation by providing unrivaled image quality, a unique organic look, and ease of use. They have been used extensively in an array of television programs, music videos and feature films, including Iron Man, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, The Hulk, Spider-Man 1, 2 and 3, The Chronicles of Narnia, The Lord of the Rings trilogy, Star Wars - Episode I, II and III, Sin City, The Matrix trilogy, X-Men 1, 2 and 3, Titanic, Lost and CSI. Additional GenArts product information can be found at www.genarts.com.
Studio Daily has an interesting user story about managing multiple workflows that use FCP, Avid and After Effects!
The film, a romantic comedy called The Other End of the Line, directed by Jim Dodson, was shot in both the U.S. and India.
"We were really under the gun with this project," says Dodson. "But with Automatic Duck Pro Import AE, we were able to import 250 layers from Final Cut into After Effects with all the stacks in place and in the right order. Without the plug-in, we wouldn't have made it in time to Cannes."
The Duck also saved Dodson time when creating an HD online in Final Cut Pro of the trailer, originally created by an outside shop on the Avid. "Automatic Duck Pro Export FCP read in the Avid timeline and gave us a flawless Final Cut sequence," he says.
Matt Silverman was recently asked a question regarding unsatisfactory results with deinterlacing in After Effects. The customer's footage had the following workflow
Shot at 35mm
Telecine color correct transfered to NTSC Digibeta
Digitized to Avid Nitris DX at 1:1 MXF
Exported to 29.97 NTSC TIFF sequence
Imported into After Effects
Deinterlaced with interpret fields or with BCC Deinterlace
The customer complained about soft results with loss of detail, most apparent in hair, teeth and clothing textures. What would Matt Silverman do?
Matt: Sounds like he does not want to de-interlace, but rather remove pulldown (assuming film was shot 24fps). So, he should bring the footage into AE, go to interpret footage, and click "guess pulldown". This should find the correct pulldown cadence for the first shot and make the clip 23.976fps progressive. If he has edited the show in Avid, more than likely the pulldown cadences will vary from shot to shot, which is a huge pain in the ass to deal with. Here is how I have dealt with this.... I have only done this on TV spots, so there aren't many cuts... a longer show could take a while...
Import the footage five times into AE, rename the clips in the project window A,B,C,D,E
Go to interpret footage on each shot and choose a different pulldown cadence for each (this makes each clip 23.976fps).
Drop the "A" clip into a new 23.976fps comp.
Use the Magnum Script from aescripts.com to find the cut points and split the clip into individual layers per shot.
Drag through the clips in the timeline to see if there are any random interlaced frames. When you find an interlaced frame, it means that it is using the wrong pulldown cadence. Select this bad clip in the timeline, then grab the B version from the project window and option-drag it into the timeline to replace the bad one. Scrub through to see if there is still an interlaced frame. If so, repeat the option drag with the other versions in the project window until the interlacing disappears.
Check all of your cut points to make sure there are no half fields showing on the first or last frame.
If I did not understand and he truly wants to de-interlace, then Red Giant Magic Bullet Frames or RE:Vision Effects FieldsKit are the tickets. I usually go to FieldsKit first... they now have a motion estimation option. Sometimes it might produce a weird artifact and Bullet works better.
Scott Simmons has an article up at Studio Daily, Adobe fires another shot across Apple's bow, about Premiere Pro's latest update to version 4.0.1. It's a HUGE update for just a single point, as Scott says, it should be Premiere Pro 4.1. I was taking with David Helmly from Adobe a couple of weeks ago and he was telling me about the new features in PPRO 4.0.1 and I agree, its a huge update.
San Francisco, CA, November 10, 2008 - Red Giant Software, publisher of the popular Magic Bullet, Knoll Light Factory and Trapcode products, today introduced Red Giant Warp. Adding a perfect shadow, a realistic reflection or working with distorted video can be tough. Red Giant Warp makes it easy to generate these effects quickly.
The three powerful plug-ins in the Warp toolset give users ultimate control over shadows, reflections and corner point warps. The Shadow tool renders realistic shadows for text or subjects shot on greenscreen, while the Reflection tool creates perfect mirror-like reflections. The advanced Corner Pin tool includes features for working with warped images, importing tracking data from Mocha for After Effects, and adding secondary transforms and motion blur-everything you need to heighten realism in any scene. Priced at $199, Warp is available for purchase from http://toolfarm.stores.yahoo.net/redgiantwarp10.html.
The capabilities of Red Giant Warp go far beyond those of its application hosts. Designed with input from real-world testers, Warp includes features such as dual-warp corner pinning with full motion blur support, 3D shadows with user-definable bending effects, and powerful reflection compositing that would be complex and time-consuming to generate by hand. With Warp, users can generate these realistic effects quickly and without complex compositing tricks.
Highlights
Pin with Precision
It's tough to take video from a warped source, such as a billboard shot in perspective, and add it to another video. But the dual warping tools in Warp's Corner Pin plug-in make it easy to take any video source, warped or not, and put it into a new place with proper perspective. With advanced offset controls and direct Mocha for After Effects integration, manipulating corner pins with tracking data couldn't be easier.
Play on the Dark Side
Adding depth is easy with the Shadow tool. Three point controls let users set the shadow perspective, and fade controls to create realistic falloff. A unique bend control can warp the shadow to create the illusion of shadows falling on two planes in 3D space.
Reflect your World
Adding a simple reflection is easy in most tools, but making it look real can be a challenge. Reflection provides an easy-to-use setup control for defining a mirror reflection for any source video or image. Extensive controls let you add fade-out or blur to make your reflection look sharp or diffuse.
Tiffen announces its Dfx version 2.0 Digital Filter Software
Now offers an incredible two thousand filters and effects!
Based on the success of its original award-winning Dfx Digital Filter software that revolutionized the digital filter market, Tiffen now introduces Dfx version 2.0.
Steven Tiffen, company CEO commented. "We are very excited about the release of Tiffen Dfx version 2.0. It affirms our on-going commitment to the software category, as we extend our reach into the digital imaging marketplace with innovative new products."
The new version now features multiple masking and layering capabilities with its Photoshop and Aperture plug-ins, previously only offered with the Stand-alone edition, plus more than 1,000 new filters and effects including: Ambient Light, Close Up Lens, Dot, Eye Light, Flag, Gobo, HFX® Star, Haze, High Contrast, Ice Halos, Rainbows, Sepia, Sky, Soft Contrast, Soft Light, Warm Center Spot, Warm Polarizer, Water Droplets, Wide Angle Lens and 812® Warming.
Professionals and enthusiasts alike can now choose from a palette of more than 2,000 standard, exclusive and special effect filters that simulate Tiffen's award-winning optical equivalents. These can all be quickly and easily customized, then saved to a filter library for later use. An exclusive new feature with Tiffen Dfx version 2.0 plug-ins for Photoshop/Elements and Aperture owners is multiple masking and multiple layering capabilities without having to exit the plug-in each time.
This revolutionary new feature, speeds workflow and extends the already incredible capabilities inherent with Dfx Digital Filter software.
Unlike other software that professes to offer you selection technology that is precise, our exclusive EZ Mask, one of seven mask types, allows users to create precise multiple masks with just a few quick strokes.
And, with our multiple layering, users can quickly and simply add multiple filters on a single Photoshop layer. In addition, filters and masks can be easily copied and moved between Dfx layers.
Creative control no one else can even come close to, and there's still more!
Tiffen Dfx version 2.0 now includes foreign language support for French, Spanish, German and Japanese in the Adobe Photoshop, Apple Aperture and Stand-alone editions.
Current owners of original Dfx editions will be able to upgrade to the corresponding Dfx version 2.0 edition and should visit the Tiffen website for complete details.
Toolfarm is hosting the Boris BCC Rays Cartoon Plugin! For a limited time, we're offering a free, fully-licensed plug-in from Boris Continuum Complete 5 - Rays Cartoon.
Tutorial: BCC Rays Cartoon for Adobe After Effects CS3 and FxPlug (Final Cut Pro/Motion) - Use the BCC Rays Cartoon in Adobe After Effects CS3 or Final Cut Pro and Motion to generate a volumetric lighting effect on an animated text element.
*If you download the BCC Rays Cartoon plug-in, your information will be shared with Boris FX. Normally we do not share any of this information with any of our vendors or anyone else, but in this case, we've made an exception, so we can bring this free plug-in to you. With any other download, your email will not be shared with anyone.
Dave Basulto has put up a video overview at Digital Producer called Getting acquainted with Nuke - Part 1. Check it out!
Already acquainted with Nuke? Get your Nuke plugins at Toolfarm! Toolfarm caters to a lot more than just After Effects, Final Cut Studio and Avid crowd. Check out the expanded list of plug-ins along the left side of the site. We have tons of plug-ins for 3D apps such as Cinema 4D, Lightwave, Maya and 3ds Max. Need Sony Vegas or Eyeon Fusion or something for your Autodesk software? We got'em. Even Protools... yeah, that's right! View all Plug-ins.
Class on Demand Training for Avid Media Composer will give you the solid foundation needed to quickly and easily get started with Avid Media Composer. Learn to edit like a pro regardless of past software experience. Award-winning editor, Steve Hullfish, will guide you through a series of information-packed lessons.
Try out the brand new Red Giant Software Radium Glow! This is an unlockable demo, so if you try it and like it, and would like to purchase a serial number, you can use the trial version.
Radium Glow runs in a variety of host applications. Each purchase and serial number allows the owner to use the product on more than one host application, but only on a single computer at any one time. Except where noted, the features are the same in all systems and host applications.
Adobe After Effects CS3, 7 Adobe Premiere Pro CS3 Apple Final Cut Pro 6, 5.1.4 Apple Motion 3.02 Avid Xpress Pro/Media Composer 5.6, 5.7 / 2.6, 2.7
Digieffects Simulate: Illuma is also an unlockable trial version and works with: Adobe After Effects 7, CS3 Final Cut Pro FCP 5.1 and higher Adobe Premiere Pro 2.0+ Autodesk Combustion 4
Red Giant Software, publisher of Knoll Light Factory and Trapcode, today added a new motion graphics tool to its growing line of professional digital video products. Red Giant Radium Glow is used to add optical glows and glitter to projects easily.
Unlike most glow filters that just blur the source video, Radium Glow provides pinpoint control over the glow, with editable shapes that can generate precise outlines or create glimmering points. The advanced edge controls, built-in masking, and output controls in Radium Glow let you mimic real light behavior. The three plug-ins can be used to add neon-shaped glows to text, or be combined with Trapcode Particular or other plug-ins to create dazzling sparkle and shimmer effects. Radium Glow supports numerous host applications for the low price of $99 USD.
Highlights:
Radium's intelligent area selection system makes the image glow where the source is the brightest. Bright parts of the subject glow larger, much like the result of widening a real camera's iris. This yields natural-looking halos and sparkle that cannot be replicated with other glow effects.
Radium Glow offers three different glow plug-ins. The set includes advanced masking and intensity controls, Glow Lite for simple controls to apply a glow quickly, and Glow Edge for applying glows only around the edges of objects. Four quality levels and full 32-bit floating-point rendering let users find the right tradeoff between speed and detail.
Unlike other glow plug-ins, Radium Glow uses shapes to generate a glow. Simple circles and star shapes are included, along with a library of 10 other shapes to enable sophisticated glow effects. Glow can even use any source image as a shape, giving users powerful creative control.
Pricing and Availability:
Red Giant Radium Glow is available now for $99 USD and supports After Effects, Premiere Pro, Final Cut Pro, Motion, and Avid AVX systems.
About Red Giant Software
Red Giant Software LLC (http://redgiantsoftware.com/) is a San Francisco-based company that develops professional tools for digital video production. Products are available as plug-ins for popular video editing and effects applications including After Effects, Final Cut Pro, Motion, Premiere Pro, and Avid. All tools are based on production-proven technology developed by visual effects veterans.
Sapphire Plug-ins 2.07 includes support for the new Avid 3.0 versions and Windows Vista. GenArts has recently added support for Mac OSX Leopard and automatic conforming of sequences that used Sapphire v1 to Sapphire v2/AVX2 with recent Avid versions.
This is a free maintenance release for existing v2 customers and your current serial number should just continue to work.
The new version can be downloaded and installed from here:
Red Giant Software, publisher of a line of professional digital video tools, including Knoll Light Factory and Trapcode, today released Magic Bullet Looks 1.1 with new support for Sony Vegas 8. Magic Bullet Looks has become the defacto standard plug-in for helping to set the mood for everything from a wedding to the next Sundance original. Support is available for After Effects, Final Cut Pro, Avid, Adobe Premiere Pro, Motion, and now Sony Vegas.
Magic Bullet Looks also includes the standalone Magic Bullet LooksBuilder, for pre-visualizing looks on set or anywhere. Portable presets load into any editing hosts, so the same Looks you create on set are the ones you finish with in the editorial suite: no need for an expensive finishing system.
What's New?
Added plug-in support for Sony Vegas 8
Floating point rendering support for Vegas that produces high-quality cinematic results
For more information, visit http://www.redgiantsoftware.com/products/categories/color-correction/magic-bullet-looks/
Pricing and Availability
Magic Bullet Looks is the next generation of look tools for Magic Bullet Editors and Magic Bullet Suite customers, and includes:
A plug-in for Adobe After Effects, Final Cut Pro, Avid, Adobe Premiere Pro, Motion, and Vegas
A stand-alone LooksBuilder application that runs on laptops for Looks generation anywhere
Magic Bullet Misfire adds film damage such as dust and scratches to artificially age a film
Magic Bullet Looks is available new for $399 USD. Existing Magic Bullet Editors or Magic Bullet Suite customers may upgrade to Magic Bullet Looks for $99 USD. Current Magic Bullet Looks users qualify for a free version of Magic Bullet Looks 1.1, which adds Sony Vegas support.
About Red Giant Software
Red Giant Software LLC (http://redgiantsoftware.com/) is a San Francisco-based company that develops professional tools for digital video production. Products are available as plug-ins for popular video editing and effects applications including After Effects, Final Cut Pro, Motion, Premiere Pro, and Avid. All tools are based on production-proven technology developed by visual effects veterans.
Yes, it's been a long wait for the ToonIt! speed update. But it's arrived! Version 1.1 brings multi-processor support to the product.
While ToonIt! is definitely not real-time (especially on HD), the update does dramatically improve things, especially when using After Effects CS3. ToonIt! is still a little render-intensive, but that is necessary to get the unparrelled cartoon rendering from video.
New Update Takes Advantage of Multi-Processor Machines for Notable Speed Increase During Render
San Francisco, CA - June 3, 2008 - Digital Anarchy, a leading provider of visual effects software for Adobe, Avid, and Apple products, today announced the version 1.1 update for ToonIt! Film/Video and ToonIt! Avid. Version 1.1 speeds up the rendering of ToonIt! by taking advantage of multi-processors. This allows users to quickly render cartoon-like images from film and video footage. The filters use advanced algorithms from Toonamation to create flat shades of color with full control over details like outlines, shading styles and halftone effects.
The ToonIt! 1.1 update adds a few new features, bug fixes, and speeds up rendering time by taking advantage of multi-processor machines. ToonIt! 1.1 renders 70-90% faster than version 1.0.2 and over 300% faster when using After Effects CS3 and a quad-core machine. Standard Definition footage takes about 1 sec/frame using After Effects CS3 and a quad-core.
Jim Tierney, president of Digital Anarchy, said, "ToonIt! has been incredibly well received, but many users have complained about the speed. So we spent some time optimizing it and retooling it for multi-processor machines. This has given ToonIt! a tremendous speed boost. When used with the great multi-processor support in After Effects CS3, the speed increase is pretty amazing. We're very excited about this update."
With these four plugins, artists can customize the 'toon' effect for almost any image with styles like Flat Cartoon, Graphic Novel, Line Art, and Pen & Ink. One of the main features of ToonIt! is its ability to create a smooth animation over time with very little jitter and minimal temporal artifacts. While other cartooning software frequently produces an undesirable 'vibrating' image when played back at full speed, ToonIt! filters reduce these graphic issues and produce very consistent, pleasing results from one frame to the next.
Pricing and Availability
ToonIt! Film/Video is priced at USD $299. ToonIt! Avid is priced at USD $295. Both products are on sale for USD $259 through June 15, 2008. Version 1.1 will ship with all new orders. The 1.1 update is free to existing users, who should visit the company's website for update instructions at: http://digitalanarchy.com/toonVID/request.php
ToonIt! Film/Video works in After Effects 5.5 and higher (including AE CS3), Final Cut Pro 4.5 and higher, Motion 2.1 and higher, and Premiere Pro 2.0 and higher. ToonIt! Avid works in Avid host applications that support the AVX1 and AVX2 standards. Both products run under Macintosh 10.3.9 and higher (including 10.5) and runs natively on Intel Macs. The products run under Windows 2000, XP Home, XP Pro, Vista 32-bit and Vista 64-bit systems. Demo filters and samples are available at www.digitalanarchy.com.
Version 2.04 addresses issues found since the 2.03 release last year and also adds new 'Use Existing Media' codec compatibilies for DV25, DV50 and DVProHD Avid media.
With Pro Import FCP 2.04 you can import Avid sequences that use DV25, DV50 or DVCProHD media with the 'Use Existing Media' option and Pro Import FCP will create QuickTime reference movies to the Avid OMF or MXF media files using Apple's own QuickTime codecs. This means Final Cut Pro is very happy to play back the media files and you shouldn't see any possible conflicts from the Avid Codecs.
Pro Import AE 4.02
Pro Import AE has been updated to version 4.02 and is also available for download from the Automatic Duck site.
This version corrects issues discovered since the release of 4.01 last year. This includes a recent issue with QuickTime 7.4.1 on Windows.
More Automatic Duck news
Automatic Duck president Wes Plate will be visiting a few Final Cut Pro and Avid user groups to preview some of the new capabilities coming in Pro Export FCP 4.0. More visits are expected later this year, but coming up in May and June the following are planned...
100+ Legendary Filters for Avid editing and finishing systems
Final Effects Complete 5 AVX brings Ball Action, Mr. Mercury, and 100+ other legendary visual effects to Avid editing and finishing systems as an AVX 2.0 plug-in set. Supporting both Windows and Macintosh (Universal Binary), the new FEC 5 AVX takes full advantage of AVX 2.0's power and performance. New features include support for 16 bit-color processing, AVX 2.0 real-time filters, native on-screen controls, multi-processor acceleration, a number of new wipe transition filters, and hundreds of factory-installed presets.
Boris FX Ships Final Effects Complete 5.0 for Avid AVX
New version of Final Effects Complete now available for Avid editing and finishing systems supporting the AVX plug-in format
Boris FX, the leading developer of integrated effects technology for video and film, announced that Final Effects Complete 5.0 for AVX (FEC 5 AVX) is now shipping. This is the third release in the FEC product family that also included FEC 5.0 for AE (shipping since February 2008) and FEC 5.0 for FxPlug (shipping since March 2008). FEC 5 AVX adds support for Avid editing and finishing systems based on Avid's proprietary AVX 2.0 plug-in interface running on Mac and Windows platforms.
"Final Effects Complete has been a long-time favorite of Avid editors, affording organic looks and increasing the production value of many high profile projects," comments Boris Yamnitsky, founder and president, Boris FX. "This latest release breathes new life into the legendary Final Effects Complete package with all of the modern amenities of AVX 2 as well as features transplanted from FEC's sibling - BCC 5 AVX."
Final Effects Complete 5 for AVX is an update to FEC 4 AVX. FEC 5 AVX adds new support for 16 bit-color processing, AVX 2 real-time (RT) filters, native on-screen controls, multi-processor acceleration, Universal Binary support on Macintosh, and several new wipe transition filters. Hundreds of factory-installed presets provide quick starting points for new effects.
FEC 5 AVX is fully compatible with FEC 5 AE for Adobe After Effects and FEC 5 FxPlug for Apple Final Cut Studio. Individual filter presets can be saved and loaded across all NLEs and platforms for seamless, open-architecture workflow.
New FEC 5 AVX filters include:
Blur Dissolve: organic blur transition with apply modes and glows
Lens Wipe: zoom in with a lens effect
Rain Wipe: transitions using rain drops to wipe image
Griddler Wipe: zoom in with a griddler effect
Pin Wipe: transition with a 4 corner pin effect
Slant Wipe: transition with a slant effect
Spherize Wipe: spherize and undistort to complete transition
Universal Binary: supports Intel and PowerPC Macintosh computers
Supports Avid's Advanced Keyframing Mode
EZ Parameter display mode: view most commonly used parameters
Smart Parameter mode: view modified parameters only
Multi-processor acceleration boosts production speed
Boris Motion Tracker and PixelChooser borrowed from BCC allow users to selectively apply filters to specific areas of the image, greatly extending the compositing power of Avid editors.
New FEC Native Parameter UI sports new control groups, contextual controls, on-screen widgets, custom controls and many other improvements. All parameter options are now readily available as native parameters without a need to open modal dialog windows.
Load and Save Presets feature allows users to exchange effects on all supported hosts on Windows or Macintosh.
The built-in Electronic Help system provides comprehensive information to maximize productivity.
Pricing and Availability
FEC 5 AVX is available today through the Boris FX worldwide reseller channel and direct from www.borisfx.com for an MSRP of $895.00 new or an upgrade price of $295.00 for existing FEC AVX users. FEC 5 AVX is also available as part of the Boris Box Set (Windows Bundle, Mac Bundle) which includes all Boris products for an MSRP of $1995.
NewBlue Widens it Offerings for Desktop Video Enthusiasts Video, Multimedia and Technology Editors
LA JOLLA, CA (March 24, 2008) - NewBlue, Inc. today continued its rapid expansion into the desktop video special effects market with a host of new video special effects plug-ins for Avid Media Composer and Avid Xpress Pro video editing systems. Avid customers can now enjoy 893 presets and 71 effects plug-ins encompassed in 7 distinct and competitively-priced NewBlueFX plug-in collections, designed to enhance the video editing experience. In addition to the Avid line of video editing software, NewBlue also provides plug-in technologies for the Adobe Premiere and Sony Vegas host platforms.
The NewBlueFX video plug-ins product line for Avid Media Composer and Avid Xpress Pro systems consists video plug-ins collections that provide artistic techniques, such as air brushing, pastel sketching and line drawing, as well as motion effects, such as earthquake, spin blur, wiggle and zoom.
"Avid is synonymous with digital video editing," explains Paul Devermann, NewBlue's VP, Business Development. "NewBlue is pleased to provide a rich set of video effects and transitions for customers of Avid Media Composer and Avid Xpress Pro systems."
Ken Miles, Director, Business Development, Avid Technology, Inc. said, "We're very excited to be able offer our customers support for a new suite of third party effects, designed to add flair and creativity to their productions. New Blue continues to innovate in the space of digital media creation, and we're looking forward to hearing success stories from the industry as customers start deploying these new effects into their workflows."
Among the NewBlueFX plug-in collections released for Avid Media Composer and Avid Xpress Pro systems are seven VideoFX collections, including NewBlue 3D Effects, NewBlue 3D Transformations, NewBlue Art Blends, NewBlue Art Effects, NewBlue Film Effects, NewBlue Motion Blends and NewBlue Motion Effects.
Included in the VideoFX category are seven collections:
NewBlue 3D Explosions, 180 presets in 13 different plug-ins that introduce creative new ways to blast a scene into pieces. Plug-ins include: Blow Apart, Bouncing Cubes, Bouncing Frames, Box Explode, Confetti, Grid Fall Away, Grid Explosion, Intensity Grid, Plane Explode, Spiral, Spiral Rotation, Vortex, and Wiggle. ($119.95 USD)
NewBlue 3D Transformations, 165 presets in 13 high energy transitions breaks creative ground with new ways to slice, fly and reassemble a scene with every technique. Plug-ins include: Box Fold, Checker Board, Comb, Flip, Fly Away, Louver Grid, Louvers, Magic Carpet, Page Turn, Pizza Boxes, Rotating Frames, Spiral Bounce, and Twist. ($119.95 USD)
NewBlue Art Blends, 101 transitions in 10 specialized video effects that shift images through unique, stunning graphics filters. Plug-ins include: Color Melt, Color Wash, Contrast, Duochrome, Glow, Halo, Metallic, Shiny Fog, Sketch, and Vivid. ($119.95 USD)
NewBlue Art Effects, 99 effects in 10 specialized video filters that shift video into a visually stunning alternate reality. Plug-ins include: Air Brush, Colorize, Color Melt, Dream Glow, Duochrome, Ghost, Hand Drawn, Line Drawing, Metallic, and Pastel Sketch. ($139.95 USD)
NewBlue Film Effects, 81 presets in 5 dynamic filters that recreate the inexact mechanics of hand cranked cameras, dirty projectors, and decades sitting in film vaults. Plug-ins include: Film Camera, Film Damage, Film Express, Film Look, and Film Pro. ($159.95 USD)
NewBlue Motion Blends, 112 transitions in 10 specialized video effects that twist, turn and transmogrify video from one scene to the next. Plug-ins include: Liquify, Roll, Shake, Shear, Shredder, Smear, Spin, Twirl, Wave, and Zoom. ($119.95 USD)
NewBlue Motion Effects, 99 effects in 10 specialized video filters that add movement to images in a number of ways. Plug-ins include: Active Camera, Earthquake, Motion Blur, Ripple, Rolling Waves, Shear Energy, Spin Blur, Warp, Wiggle, and Zoom Blur. ($139.95 USD)
Users can purchase NewBlueFX directly from the company's website at http://www.newbluefx.com . Fully-functional trial versions are available for download, as well.
About NewBlue, Inc.
NewBlue, Inc. develops innovative audio, video and multimedia technologies for leading companies throughout the world. Founded in early 2002, NewBlue develops and licenses a range of proprietary technologies-- including a series of NewBlueFX video technologies, the NewBlue Audio Engine and Audiomatrix technology platform - that meet the varied multimedia needs of mid-and large-sized companies. Experienced developers, musicians, artists, and software professionals with a unique and commanding set of skills, experience and talent comprise the NewBlue team.
The company unveiled its NewBlueFX product line in 2006 to meet the needs of digital video editing enthusiasts. The NewBlueFX collection of software plug-ins includes special audio and video effects, such as audio filters, noise reduction, equalization, compression and dozens of sophisticated graphic filters and transitions. To date, the NewBlueFX line includes 5 audio-oriented plug-in collections and 7 video-oriented effects and transitions collections for the Sony Vegas, Adobe Premiere, Avid Media Composer and Avid Xpress Pro desktop video product lines. About Avid Technology, Inc.
Avid is a worldwide leader in tools for film, video, audio, 3D animation, gaming and broadcast professionals – as well as for home audio and video enthusiasts. Avid professional and consumer brands include Avid, Digidesign®, M-Audio®, Pinnacle Systems®, Sibelius®, Softimage® and Sundance Digital®. The vast majority of primetime television shows, feature films, commercials and chart-topping music hits are made using one or more Avid products. Whether used by seasoned professionals or beginning students, Avid's products and services enable customers to work more efficiently, productively and creatively. For more information about the company’s award-winning products and services, visit www.avid.com.
I wouldn't miss it for the world! The IMUG Media Motion Ball and meeting up with our vendors and customers for a couple of days is worth the trip. It's a shame Apple won't be there. Last year I demo'd FxPlug plug-ins at their booth and had a great time. I'll miss them, but I can imagine it must be crazy expensive to rent booth space and pay for transportation and hotel rooms for all of their employees. I can't blame them. They'll be missed but I'll still be there.
Guests: Philip Hodgetts, Michele Yamazaki, Michael Mongillo and Daren Dochterman Listen now
Show 18 highlights include:
Philip Hodgetts, President, Open Television Network Philip discusses the NAB pull outs by Avid & Apple and investigates the rumors that Apple may be selling the Pro Apps.
Michele Yamazaki, VP of Marketing/Content Creator and Web Czarina @ Toolfarm Michele talks about the killer new MyToolfarm
Michael Mongillo, Director, Mean Time Productions Indy Director from Connecticut, Michael talks about making a movie with Michael Madsen and how to get your productions off the ground. ORIGINALLY AIRED ON CONNECTICUT PRODUCTION SCENE--JULY 2006
Daren Dochterman Conceptual Artist, 2D & 3D Animator, BetaFive Daren discusses updating Star Trek: The Motion Picture and his role on other major motion pictures. ORIGINALLY AIRED ON CREATIVE COW'S RED HOT ROUND-UP--JANUARY 2007
Digital Anarchy ToonIt! the popular cartooning effects package, now gives Avid editors the ability to reliably and easily creates cartoon-like images from footage. This is Digital Anarchy's first product for Avid. ToonIt! uses advanced algorithms from Toonamation to create beautiful cartoon shading and lines from your footage. It works in Avid Media Composer, NewsCutter, Avid Xpress, and any other Avid application that supports AVX 1 or AVX 2 plugins. This product is Intel Mac native. Mac 10.3.9 +higher. Windows 2000, Win XP Home, Win XP Pro, Vista 32-bit, Vista 64-bit.
Limited time introductory offer! Get ToonIt! for Avid for just $229. Save $70! This offer is a Toolfarm only special!
Other news about ToonIt!, the long wait (and long render times) is over. They finally have a multi-processor aware version of ToonIt available to those of you who own it. To get it, please send your name, platform, host application(s), and serial number to beta@digitalanarchy.com. You MUST have already purchased it (the AE/FCP compatible version) to receive the beta. This will be a free update.
ProDAD Mercalli is a plug-in that lets you stabilize shaky footage during post processing. Mercalli detects and distinguishes between intended movements, such as panning or zoom shots, and unintended shocks and shakes. Simple and easy to use, and comes in two versions: Pro and Light. Both versions also include "Video-Shaker", which adds shake to a shot, and is ideal for scenes that previously appeared too sterile or for adding extra movement. Available for Adobe After Effects, Adobe Premiere Pro and Elements, Avid Liquid and Sony Vegas.
San Francisco, CA, October 17, 2007 - Red Giant Software has released Magic Bullet Looks, its highly anticipated and revolutionary color correction tool. Looks' powerful tools can be used on-set or in the edit suite to subtly adjust tone, color and focus to simulate the appearance of classic films or duplicate specific production conditions. Users can choose from more than a hundred Look presets, all neatly organized into 10 categories, to help set the mood for anything from a wedding video to the next Sundance original.
Magic Bullet Looks includes Magic Bullet LooksBuilder, a stand-alone application to pre-visualize looks anywhere. LooksBuilder's intuitive interface models the way light moves through a camera with simulated filters, lenses and film stocks that can be adjusted on the fly. Look presets are portable and load into any of the supported editing hosts, so the same Looks created on set are the ones used to finish in the editorial suite. Hundreds of look options are available with one click right in your editor, without having to go to a separate finishing system.
"When you shoot on location, you're often stuck with what nature gives you. Often the lighting is poor and you have to make do. Magic Bullet Looks lets me re-light my shots and make my talent look great all with a few simple clicks." said Eric Escobar, filmmaker at Kontent Films in San Francisco.
For detailed Product Information, visit: http://redgiantsoftware.com/magicbulletlooks.html
For answers to Frequently Asked Questions, visit: http://redgiantsoftware.com/magicbulletlooksfaq.html
What's New?
A brand-new interface for creating and customizing looks easier and more intuitively
More than 100 Look presets that offer popular looks like Crime Scene, Blue Bleach or Subtle Film
36 powerful new tools expand upon the 10 simple functions of Magic Bullet Editors' Look Suite
Pricing and Availability
Magic Bullet Looks is the next generation of look tools for Magic Bullet Editors and Magic Bullet Suite, customers and includes:
A plug-in for Adobe After Effects, Final Cut Pro, Avid, Adobe Premiere Pro and Motion
A stand-alone LooksBuilder application that runs on laptops for Looks generation anywhere
Magic Bullet Misfire adds film damage such as dust and scratches to artificially age a film
Customers who purchased Magic Bullet Editors or Magic Bullet Suite on or after April 11, 2007 are entitled to a free upgrade and should complete this form.
About Red Giant Software
Red Giant Software LLC (www.redgiantsoftware.com) is a San Francisco-based company that develops professional tools for digital video production. Products are available as plug-ins for popular video editing and effects applications including After Effects, Final Cut Pro, Motion, Premiere Pro, and Avid. All tools are based on production-proven technology developed by visual effects veterans.
John Dickinson just sent me the link to a video he just finished for Red Giant Software: Getting Started with Magic Bullet Looks. It's coming out soon. I can't say exactly when, but doesn't this get you excited about it! The interface and ease of use are unparalleled. It will be a lot of fun just to get in there and experiment.
And.... get this... the Standalone LooksBuilder will be given away for free! The free standalone works will still images like Tiffs and Jpegs and presets can be saved. The plug-in works with video.
Tiffen's Dfx Digital plug-ins are now available as a standalone plug-in set and in several varieties of bundles that combine After Effects, Final Cut Pro, Avid, Photoshop and the standalone.
I know many of you have been eagerly awaiting the AE CS3 upgrade for Knoll Light Factory for Mac.
Here you will find the latest software updates and any relevant downloads for each product. The updates will include fixes to known products and feature updates.
Try out Tiffen Dfx Digital Filter Suite for Photoshop/Photoshop Elements, Final Cut Pro 6, After Effects 7 and above and Avid AVX 1.5 on Mac and 1.0 and 1.5 on Windows.
Also, Avidion Real 3D for After Effects 7 and CS3 is now available for Mac. Both the Mac and Windows demos are not available. It's a really cool plug-in, so evaluate it now!
We've had the demo for GenArts Sapphire for After Effects, Final Cut Pro, Eyeon Fusion and Combustion up forevah, now you can try out the AVX and Shake demos. Aren't ya excited? You're welcome.
Shine, Starglow, and 3D Stroke Now Support Final Cut Pro, Motion, Premiere Pro, and Avid AVX
San Francisco, CA, July 23, 2007 – Red Giant Software, publisher of a line of professional digital video tools, including Magic Bullet and Knoll Light Factory, today released new versions of the popular Trapcode motion graphics products, Shine, Starglow, and 3D Stroke. In 2006, Red Giant Software and Trapcode formed a partnership, where Red Giant Software assumed exclusive publishing rights to all seven Trapcode products worldwide.
Trapcode Shine version 1.5 is a handy plug-in for simulating a bright spotlight behind text or logos. Shine is used frequently for movie titling effects. Users can also create sun rays from clouds or other objects, which are great for animating backgrounds for DVD projects.
Trapcode Starglow version 1.5 brings text and titles to life with glows and glints. The filters are based on a star shape that consists of eight directions, and each direction can be assigned an individual color map and streak length. Many users like to use Shine and Starglow together.
Trapcode 3D Stroke version 2.5 lets users dynamically write on a logo in 3D space; plus create organic and fluid lines. This effect is used commonly on TV, for example with the Food Network and ABC IDs.
What’s New?
Shine, Starglow, and 3D Stroke now work for the first time in Final Cut Pro, Motion, After Effects, Premiere Pro, and Avid AVX.
Support has been added for full 32-bit floating-point rendering for generating light rays, glows, and animated lines with the highest quality output.
3D Stroke now features a series of 40 preset shapes for generating outlines or swirling strokes to captivate your audience.
Pricing and Availability
Trapcode Shine, Starglow, and 3D Stroke are now available for $99 USD each. Each product order includes support for Final Cut Pro, Motion, After Effects, Premiere Pro, and Avid AVX.
Current Trapcode After Effects users can upgrade for $49 USD per product or $99 for all three. All upgrades include support for all platforms – Final Cut Pro, Motion, After Effects, Premiere Pro, and Avid AVX.
About Trapcode Trapcode makes software for visual effects and motion graphics. The focus is on creating robust, user friendly, affordable, and versatile products. Trapcode has seven products: Shine, 3D Stroke, Sound Keys, Starglow, Lux, Particular, and Echospace. All plug-ins support After Effects.
Trapcode is a privately held Aktiebolag (AB) based in Sweden. Founded and operated by Peder Norrby.
About Red Giant Software Red Giant Software LLC (www.redgiantsoftware.com) is a San Francisco-based company that develops professional tools for digital video production. Products are available as plug-ins for popular video editing and effects applications including After Effects, Final Cut Pro, Motion, Premiere Pro, and Avid. All tools are based on production-proven technology developed by visual effects veterans.
For the first time ever, Trapcode products will be available from your editing application! Use them inside of Apple Final Cut Pro, Avid or Adobe Premiere Pro! The Trapcode 3S Pack, which includes Shine 1.5, Starglow 1.5 and 3D Stroke 2.5 is now shipping.
The upgrades require that you own a previous version of the product being purchased.
What is included in the upgrade?
Full 32-bit floating-point rendering: All products now render in 32-bit float for higher quality
New support for Final Cut Pro, Premiere Pro and Avid: Yes, you get all hosts for the $99 upgrade price!
Final Cut Studio 2/MacIntel support If you plan on using these products on a Mac Intel system, an upgrade is required
Avid MacIntel support If you plan on using these products on an Avid Mac-Intel based system then an upgrade is required
Adobe After Effects & Premiere Pro CS3 support If you plan on using these products with Adobe's CS3 products an upgrade is required
Tiffen, the world's premier manufacturer and distributor of award-winning Tiffen filters and other photographic accessories in collaboration with Digital Film Tools, a leading visual effects developer to the motion picture, television and professional still imaging markets, is proud to announce the online availability of its Tiffen Dfx Digital Filter Suite software at tiffen.com.
The culmination of years of research, Tiffen Dfx digital filter software is destined to become a major technological breakthrough. By incorporating the innovative product design of its world-renowned optical filters with superior software designers, Tiffen and Digital Film Tools now blend the line between traditional and digital image control for still, film and video!
Providing ease of use, unmatched performance, tremendous flexibility, and infinite creative control, Tiffen Dfx software quite literally offers something for everyone, whether photo enthusiast, professional photographer, cinematographer or editor.
The new digital filter software is offered as comprehensive stand-alones as well as a suite of application-specific plug-ins that seamlessly integrate with today's most popular still image-manipulation programs. Also available, is a separate suite of plug-ins for video post-production applications for Adobe After Effects, Apple Final Cut Pro and Avid Editing Systems. Together, this combined understanding of optical filters and computer software creates an unbeatable combination.
All Dfx sales, support, downloads and product upgrades will be available directly through Tiffen or its dealer network, with software development handled by Digital Film Tools.
The Tiffen Dfx digital filter suite is the definitive set of digital optical filters. Up to 1000 filters, including simulations of many popular award-winning Tiffen glass filters, specialized lenses, optical lab processes, film grain, exacting color correction plus natural light and photographic effects--are now in a controlled digital environment with either 8 or 16 bits per channel processing.
If you've used Digital Film Tools 55mm or Digital Film Lab, you're familiar with the plug-ins.
Company to demonstrate their VFX plug-ins on a wide range of products in booth 321
Cambridge, MA. July 17, 2007 - GenArts, Inc., a leading provider of visual effects plug-ins for the film, broadcast and video industries, will be exhibiting at SIGGRAPH 2007, being held August 7-9 at the San Diego Convention Center. GenArts will feature Sapphire Plug-ins, a collection of over 200 image processing and synthesis effects, on a wide range of host platforms in the Plug-in Pavilion, booth 321. For over a decade, GenArts Sapphire Plug-ins have set the standard for sophisticated, organic visual effects which natively integrate with the industry's leading editing and compositing systems. Visitors to the booth will be given demonstrations of the latest Sapphire Plug-ins releases for: Adobe After Effects & Premiere Pro, Apple Final Cut Pro & Shake, Avid AVX Products, and Autodesk Combustion.
About GenArts, Inc. Founded in 1996 in Cambridge, Mass., GenArts, Inc. is the premier provider of digital visual effects plug-ins for the film, broadcast and video industries. Their product, Sapphire Plug-ins, equips digital artists with a collection of over 200 state-of-the-art image processing and synthesis effects such as: Glows, EdgeRays, LensFlare, Lightning, FilmEffect, Warps and Textures. The effects seamlessly integrate into a number of editing and compositing systems including: Adobe® After Effects® and Premiere® Pro; Apple® Final Cut Pro® and Shake®; Avid® AVX Products; Autodesk® Compositing & Editing Systems and Combustion®; Eyeon® Fusion®; Sony® XPRI®; and Quantel® generationQ products.
Sapphire Plug-ins have become the industry standard for high-end visual effects creation by providing unrivaled image quality, a unique organic look, and ease of use. They have been used extensively in an array of television programs, music videos and feature films, including: Pirates of the Caribbean 1, 2, and 3, Spider-Man 1, 2 and 3, Superman Returns, The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe, The Lord of the Rings trilogy, Star Wars – Episode I, II and III, Sin City, The Matrix trilogy, X-Men 1, 2 and 3, Titanic, Lost and CSI.
Custom on-screen controls, enhanced motion tracking and popular new filters such as Match Move and Up-Rez extend Avid NLE motion graphics capabilities
Marlborough MA - Boris FX, the leading developer of integrated effects technology for video and film, announced that Boris Continuum Complete 5.0 for Avid® AVXTM 2.0 architecture (BCC 5.0 for AVX) is now available. BCC 5.0 for AVX is a high performance desktop compositing plug-in package offering over 180 filters for professional visual effects creation. Leveraging the new AVX 2.0 API features, BCC 5.0 delivers a number of user workspace enhancements including on screen and contextual controls for faster and better effects design. Other significant additions are the new BCC 5.0 for AVX filters that incorporate high powered image scaling and motion tracking as well as OGL acceleration for creating unique looks and organic effects.
"Already one of the most popular compositing applications among Avid users, the new BCC release is a quantum leap ahead of its peers with Avid integration. Combine this with highly sought after features such as Match Move and Up Rez and BCC 5.0 is one of the most robust and highly engineered compositing plug-in applications on the market today," said Boris FX founder Boris Yamnitsky.
New User Workspace Enhancements The new BCC 5.0 on screen controls are designed specially for Avid AVX systems. They provide Avid editors an organized workspace in which they can visually set up often used geometric parameters such as Motion Tracker and Pixel Chooser. The new BCC 5.0 contextual controls reduce the user interface clutter whilst the new EZ mode helps users keep their focus on the main filter parameters.
"With the release of BCC 5.0, I can't imagine needing another effects package! Being able to take the same filter set from my compositing tools - After Effects and Combustion - and match the look and feel as a native AVX tool in the editing application completes the post production work flow," comments David Baertsh, creative director and senior editor, DB Editorial. "The BCC film process tools will impress even the most critical director/producer. It comes closer than anything I have seen for matching HD cameras to 35mm film. BCC 5.0 is a Must-Have addition to every video finishing system."
BCC 5.0 Filter and Feature Highlights New BCC 5.0 filters are either multi-core processor or OGL accelerated to take full advantage of new desktop and laptop hardware.
BCC Pan and Zoom; known as the "Ken Burns" effect; BCC Pan and Zoom improves on the Avid Pan and Zoom filter by giving users more extensive controls for precise image scaling and re-sampling. Overall better workflow and image quality is achieved with special filter features such as the "watch folder" and new "UpRez" filter.
BCC UpRez; for common SD to HD conversions, the new BCC UpRez filter provides high quality conversion results.
Built-in Motion Tracking for new BCC Match Move filter; based on the award-winning motion tracking technology in Boris Red, the new BCC Match Move filter allows users to combine motion tracking with transformation/compositing of a layer. With the release of version 5, the Motion Tracker has an improved UI, making it even easier to use.
New fast rendering OGL BCC filters; LED, Prism, Scanlines, and Damaged TV filters leverage OGL rendering technology allowing Avid editors to produce eye catching and unique looks quickly.
Enhanced noise and edge detection algorithms; BCC Turbulence, Noise Map 2 and Color Choker filters now offer users even more choices for stylizing their media.
"Boris has hit a home run once again. This latest release of the BCC effects package adds many new options that were wanted by many including myself. Great job as usual," Terence Curren, editor and president, Alpha Dogs.
About Boris FX Founded in 1995 in Boston MA, Boris FX is the leading developer of integrated graphics and effects technology, delivering 3D compositing and vector graphic products for the broadcast, post production, film and multi-media industries. Since the company's inception, Boris products have grown to serve over 200,000 artists worldwide. A great part of its success lies in the ability to tightly integrate and leverage technologies through strong partnerships with industry-leading manufacturers including Adobe®, Apple®, Autodesk®, Avid®, Eyeon® Grass Valley, Matrox®, Media 100®, Sony Pictures Digital®, and Ulead®.
Red Giant Software announced the release schedule for several Trapcode plug-ins, Magic Bullet Looks and Instant HD Pro.
The first week of July, Trapcode 3D Stroke, Shine and Starglow, will be available as FxPlug plug-ins for Final Cut Pro, Motion. The three plug-ins will also be released for Premiere Pro and Avid. All will support floating point and will retail at $99 each. I demo'd these plug-ins in Motion 3 at NAB and they're pretty much the exact same plug-ins you love in After Effects. Trapcode 3D Stroke does work a bit differenty, though.
Magic Bullet Looks is scheduled for August availability.
Matt Armstrong at Studio Daily says, "Another thing of note is that Looks will be free to demo, test and use, with purchase only required in order to render it. This means anyone can create looks for your color correction, save then and pass them off to their editor, colorist, producer, in order to give them an idea of the look they are trying to achieve." Don't worry, Toolfarm will have the new Red Giant demos available, too. Yeah, I can tell you were worried for a second there.
Instant HD Pro v1.0 is a new product for upresing footage to HD will be out in August for $399. The original Instant HD retails for $99. The PRO version includes the original Instant HD which has been updated to handle both interlaced and progressive sources for greater flexibility (no more deinterlacing!). Two HD up-conversion options to deliver the results you need. It will sell for $399.
You'll have to wait for September to get your hands on the highly anticipated Trapcode Flux, which will be released as Trapcode Form. I prefer the name Flux. I wonder why it was changed? Form looks quite a bit like Trapcode Particular but it works with shapes and surfaces instead of particles. I've talked to some of the guys beta testing and they're blown away by it. I saw it at Peder Norrby's party at NAB and it does look super cool.
April 21, 2007 -- Digital Film Tools releases new versions of 55mm, Digital Film Lab, EZ Mask, Light, Ozone, Snap and zMatte for Adobe Photoshop versions 7 through CS3 and Photoshop Elements as well as new Intel Mac compatible versions of 55mm, Digital Film Lab, Composite Suite, and zMatte for Avid Editing Systems -- specifically Avid Media Composer 2.5.1 and higher and Avid Xpress Pro 5.5.1 and higher.
Digital Film Tools has created the definitive set of digital optical filters meant to simulate popular glass camera filters, specialized lenses, optical lab processes, film grain, exacting color correction, natural light and photographic effects as well as unrivaled masking and compositing software. Releasing new versions of all of it's software for Adobe Photoshop, Digital Film Tools is offering upgrades for 55mm, Composite Suite, Digital Film Lab, EZ Mask, Light, Ozone, Snap and zMatte. They have undergone a major face lift with all filters sporting a new, eye catching interface and Adobe Photoshop CS3 compatibility. The user interface contains a visual, thumbnail preview for each filter with many filters utilizing an extensive preset library. Some of the new features include three different compare modes, a resizeable image viewer, On-Line Help, and products with more than one filter show all filters within the user interface for quick filter selection. All of the upgraded software is compatible with Adobe Photoshop 7 through CS3 and Photoshop Elements, Windows XP and Vista as well as Macintosh PowerPC and Intel machines. Digital Film Tools has also released new Intel Mac compatible versions of 55mm, Digital Film Lab, Composite Suite, and zMatte for Avid Editing Systems--specifically Avid Media Composer 2.5.1 and higher and Avid Xpress Pro 5.5.1 and higher.
Digital Film Tools brings together the unbeatable combination of superior software designers, motion picture visual effects veterans, video editors and photographers. Add three Emmy Awards and experience in creating visual effects for hundreds of feature films, commercials and television shows and you have a recipe for success. Digital Film Tools software is available for download or purchase at Toolfarm.com; Upgrade pricing is available for existing customers.
Boris Continuum Complete 5.0 adds full support for Apple Final Cut Studio FXPlug architecture, advanced image scaling and format conversion, and new OGL accelerated filters
Marlborough MA - Boris FX, the leading developer of integrated effects technology for video and film, has announced Boris Continuum Complete version 5.0 (BCC 5.0). BCC is a comprehensive suite of native filters and transitions designed for Adobe", Apple", Autodesk, and Avid" non linear editing and compositing systems.
BCC 5.0 expands production flexibility of BCC by offering Universal binary support for all host applications running on the Macintosh platform including Adobe Creative Suite 3.0. The BCC 5.0 release also offers full native support for the new Apple FXPlug and Avid AVX 2.0 on Intel-based Macintosh computers. In addition to expanding host support and optimizing performance across platforms, the 180 plus BCC 5.0 filter set breaks the record by introducing new innovative and accelerated filters for fast effects production and image manipulation. Comprehensive pan and scan controls, superior up rez conversions, integrated motion tracking for video editors, and accelerated Open GL effects make BCC 5.0 one of the most robust compositing tools on the market today.
"All BCC iterations since BCC version 1.0 for After Effects have been essential parts of my compositing toolbox. Key features like BCC's use of AE masks lets the effects go just where it's needed," comments Kurt Wiley, FX/animation specialist. "Aside from the new styling looks, BCC 5.0 control over AE up rezes improves magnification and line definition – ideal for the multiple formats we deal with on a near daily basis."
Attendees to the NAB 2007 Exhibition can see Boris Continuum Complete 5.0 on stand SL 10520.
Boris Continuum Complete 5.0 Feature Highlights
Precise Pan and Zoom Techniques BCC Pan and Zoom: Known as Ken Burns effect (panning and zooming large still image or photograph); the new BCC Pan and Zoom filter offers on screen controls, convenient preview modes, and advanced image filtering algorithms for precise image motion and scaling. Users can also import external files.
High Quality SD to HD Media Conversions BCC UpRez: Ideal for working with multiple SD and HD formats in the same project; BCC UpRez quickly converts SD to HD with optimal image quality.
Motion Tracking within your Video Editor BCC MatchMove brings award winning Boris RED motion tracking within the video editor. BCC MatchMove locks the movement of one image clip to another. Users can alter the moving image with the Boris DVE.
New BCC 5.0 OGL Accelerated Filters BCC LED enables artists to make a clip appear as though it was constructed out of an array of blinking or solid LED lights. The new BCC Prism filter simulates the photographic effect of chromatic aberration; similar to a bad lens that creates color fringing along edges of contrast within the image. BCC Scan Lines generates rolling RGB scan lines over the image clip; emulating the effect of a computer monitor that is shot on video tape or film. BCC DamagedTV emulates the appearance of a CRT style television set that is receiving a bad signal or is in need of repair. BCC Noise Map generates procedural auto-animated image clips that can be used as backdrops or as a mask track input for other image clips. The new BCC Turbulence generates auto-animated gel-like distortion fields in an image clip utilizing the input from the built-in noise map and turbulence controls. The BCC Color Choker filter allows users to easily posterize and blur the colors in an image clip. Colors can be attenuated or remapped individually or as an RGB group.
"BCC is an exceptional filter set and certainly one of the fan favorites among our customers. With BCC version 5.0 we have ensured that our users get maximum productivity whether they are using the new Intel-based architectures or a legacy application from previous years," comments Boris Yamnitsky, founder and president, Boris FX. "And as with every Boris release, we have pushed the envelope and introduced some of the most innovative effects creation filters on the market today. We look forward to the Boris community creating their incredible pieces and packages with BCC 5.0."
Pricing and Availability Boris Continuum Complete 5.0 is available at Toolfarm.com Q2 2007.
BCC FXPlug for Apple Final Cut Pro; $795.00 MSRP
BCC for Adobe and compatible hosts ; $795.00 MSRP
BCC AVX for Avid Xpress Pro; $795.00 MSRP
BCC AVX for Avid Composer and Symphony; $1995.00 MSRP
Existing Boris Continuum Complete owners can upgrade to Boris Continuum Complete 5.0 for $249.00.
Customers who purchased or upgraded to BCC 4.0 after April 1, 2007 will receive BCC5 upgrade free of charge.
For more information, please visit Boris FX at NAB 2007 on stand SL 10520 or their web site at www.borisfx.com. Please contact Janice Dolan at janice@zazilmediagroup.com for BCC 5.0 imagery.
About Boris FX Founded in 1995 in Boston MA, Boris FX is the leading developer of integrated graphics and effects technology, delivering 3D compositing and vector graphic products for the broadcast, post production, film and multi-media industries. Since the company's inception, Boris products have grown to serve over 125,000 artists worldwide. A great part of its success lies in the ability to tightly integrate and leverage technologies through strong partnerships with industry-leading manufacturers including Adobe", Apple", Autodesk", Avid", Canopus", Discreet", Eyeon", in-sync", Incite", Leitch", Matrox", Media 100", Sony Pictures Digital", and Ulead". For more information, visit www.borisfx.com.
Boris Red 4.1.3 and Boris Continuum Complete AVX 4.2.2 are now available as Universal Binary AVX plug-ins for Avid Media Composer 2.7 and Avid Xpress Pro 5.7. Boris Red and Boris Continuum Complete AVX take full advantage of the improved OpenGL graphics hardware available in the Mac Pro and MacBook Pro models, setting a new standard in performance and features.
Red 4.x customers who are upgrading Avid systems to the Intel Mac platform may download a free update from the Boris FX web site. Older versions of Red may be upgraded for $295.
BCC AVX 4.2.2 is included with the Avid Media Composer 2.7 Upgrade. BCC AVX 4.x customers who are upgrading to Xpress Pro 5.7 may upgrade to BCC AVX 4.2.2 for $50. Xpress Pro customers may upgrade older versions of BCC AVX for $249
Red is available for $995. BCC AVX is available starting at $795 for Avid Xpress Pro systems. See all Boris plug-ins for Avid.
Cambridge, MA. March 30, 2007 - GenArts, Inc., a leading provider of visual effects plug-ins for the film, broadcast and video industries, today announced the immediate availability of Sapphire Plug-ins version 2.05 for Avid® AVXTM products. The new version is compatible with Avid systems running on the Intel-based Mac platform and includes various improvements for both Mac and Windows platforms.
The initial release of Sapphire 2 contained 46 new effects including FilmDamage, Cartoon and many unique temporal effects, as well as a number of improvements for users, such as single click application of effects to a title or key, background and mask inputs, and 2D moves built into the plug-ins. "We are pleased to offer our continued support for Avid’s most recent improvements and make our latest plug-in package for their products available on Mac Intel," said Anish Dhanda, managing director of GenArts, Inc.
Adam Kranitz, product marketing manager at Avid Technology, Inc. said, "GenArts provides the Avid creative community with an indispensable collection of visual effects tools that seamlessly integrates with Avid editing systems and enriches our customers' experience. With this prompt release for Intel-based Macs in parallel with the release of Avid’s applications for the platform, GenArts is clearly demonstrating its continued support and strong commitment to the Avid user community."
Key new features in Sapphire Plug-ins 2.05:
Support for Avid editing systems running on Intel-based Macs: Media Composer® Adrenaline™ v2.7, Media Composer v2.7 software, and Avid Xpress® Pro 5.7
Universal support for Mac Intel and Mac PowerPC including new native x86 code to provide excellent performance on Mac Intel processors
Sequences and bins saved with previous versions of Sapphire 2.x on Windows or Mac PowerPC are fully conformable to version 2.05 on Windows, Mac PowerPC and Mac Intel
Summary of new features in Sapphire Plug-ins 2:
Over 190 total plug-ins including 46 new effects
New FilmDamage effect simulates aged film by adding scratches, dust, stains, grain, shake, flicker, etc.
Single click application of effects to a title or key
New crop and 2D transform parameters
Optional background and mask inputs
Support for AVX1 and AVX2, including the new AVX2 keyframe model
On-screen widgets for visual adjustment of many parameters
Plug-ins are grouped in 9 menus for easier access
Support for 16-bit images
Support for Avid DS Nitris® v8.0 on Windows 64
Improved rendering speed
Availability and Pricing The upgrade to v2.05 is free for existing v2 customers. Sapphire Plug-ins version 2 for Avid can be purchased directly from GenArts or through their worldwide channel of Avid Authorized resellers. Pricing for Sapphire 2 is: $1800 for Avid Xpress Pro; $2800 for Symphony Nitris, Media Composer® Adrenaline, Newscutter® and the Avid DS Assist Station; and $4800 for Avid DS Nitris v8.0. Sapphire Plug-ins version 1 customers are eligible for special upgrade pricing of $600, $900 and $1600, respectively. A free trial of the software is available online at www.genarts.com.
Showcases partner designed FxPacks and new releases of their visual effects plug-in products for Apple and Avid solutions
Boston, MA - February 16, 2007 - Noise Industries, developer of visual effects tools for the postproduction and broadcast markets will be demonstrating new releases of their GPU accelerated visual effects plug-in packages for Apple and Avid at NAB 2007 (www.nabshow.com) on stand SL3627J (Plug-in Pavilion). In addition to the new releases, Noise Industries will debut brand new FxPacks developed by Noise Industries partners.
New Release - Noise Industries FxFactory 1.5 for Apple Final Cut Studio FxFactory 1.5 for Apple Final Cut Studio offers GPU accelerated, native visual effects plug-ins for Apple Final Cut Pro and Apple Motion via Apple’s new FxPlug architecture running on both PowerPC and Intel-based Macs. The optimized plug-in architecture and development provides maximum speed and performance for visual effects creation. The new FxFactory release also offers a refined user interface, additional unique visual effects filters and transitions as well as support for 16 and 32 bit float (high precision) YUV support in FCP.
Noise Industries FxFactory 1.5 expansion "FxPacks" Noise Industries will also showcase brand new FxFactory expansion FxPacks. FxPacks are developed by Noise Industries and its partners using the Noise Industries FxFactory Pro plug-in manager. The FxFactory Pro plug-in manager provides non-developers, such as visual effects artists, a user-friendly graphical user interface to create additional effects for the FxFactory package. At NAB 2007, Noise Industries will roll out new FxFactory expansion FxPacks for Color Correction, Data Animation and Themes.
Noise Industries Factory Tools for Avid Xpress, Xpress Pro and Media Composer Demonstrated for the first time at NAB 2007 is Noise Industries’ Factory Tools 2.0 for Avid AVX running natively on the Intel-based Macintosh platform. The new Noise Industries release offers 30 new GPU accelerated native plug-ins for Avid Xpress, Xpress Pro and Media Composer users. As with FxFactory, Factory Tools offers a plug-in manager for Noise Industries and its partners to create additional FxPacks. Noise Industries will showcase brand new Factory Tools FxPacks at the NAB 2007 exhibition.
For more information about Noise Industries at NAB 2007 or for product imagery, please contact Niclas Bahn at njb@noiseindustries.com.
About Noise Industries, LLC Established in 2004, Boston Massachusetts based Noise Industries is an innovative developer of visual effects tools for the postproduction and broadcast community. Their products are integrated with popular non-linear editing and compositing products from Apple and Avid. For more information about Noise Industries, please visit visit: http://www.noiseindustries.com.
Company to showcase their latest VFX plug-ins and demo reel in newly designed booth SL2829
Cambridge, MA. February 13, 2007 -- GenArts, Inc., a leading provider of digital visual effects plug-ins for the film, broadcast and video industries, will be featuring its entire range of plug-ins at NAB 2007, being held April 16-19 at the Las Vegas Convention Center. Exhibiting in a newly designed booth, GenArts will have an expanded presence at this year’s NAB. Visitors to booth SL2829 will be given demonstrations of the latest versions of Sapphire Plug-ins on a number of host platforms including: Autodesk Compositing & Editing Systems and Combustion, Avid AVX Products, Adobe After Effects and Premiere Pro, and Apple Final Cut Pro and Shake. The expanded booth will also include a theater where GenArts will debut a new demo reel featuring Sapphire Plug-ins and representing the most recent work from premier post production houses worldwide.
About GenArts, Inc. Founded in 1996 in Cambridge, Mass., GenArts, Inc. is the premier provider of digital visual effects plug-ins for the film, broadcast and video industries. Their product, Sapphire Plug-ins, equips digital artists with a collection of over 190 state-of-the-art image processing and synthesis effects such as: Glows, EdgeRays, LensFlare, Lightning, FilmEffect, Warps and Textures. The effects seamlessly integrate into a number of editing and compositing systems including: Adobe® After Effects® and Premiere® Pro; Apple® Final Cut Pro® and Shake®; Avid® AVX Products; Autodesk® Compositing & Editing Systems and Combustion®; Eyeon® Fusion®; Sony® XPRI®; and Quantel® generationQ products.
Sapphire Plug-ins have become the industry standard for high-end visual effects creation by providing unrivaled image quality, a unique organic look, and ease of use. They have been used extensively in an array of television programs, music videos and feature films, including: Pirates of the Caribbean 1, 2, and 3, Superman Returns, The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe, The Lord of the Rings trilogy, Star Wars – Episode I, II and III, Spider-Man 1, 2 and 3, Sin City, The Matrix trilogy, X-Men 1, 2 and 3, Titanic, Lost and CSI.
Avid Media Composer customers who own BCC AVX 3.x may upgrade to BCC AVX 4.2 for $599. BCC AVX 4.2 takes advantage of Avid's AVX 2.0 architecture. The unique advantages of AVX 2.0 include access to Avid's advanced keyframing model, 16-bit color processing, and easy promotion of existing AVX 1.5 effects. Learn more about BCC AVX 4.2 or upgrade now.
An inexpensive, smart, fast, color correction tool without needing to fully understand the color wheel.
Now that you've locked your edit, it's time to load Colorista to apply a natural finish, and make your image pop. Under the hood is the next generation Magic Bullet engine with real-time processing for quick review and rendering of SD and HD media. Colorista is ready for action with industry-standard color wheels for precise color control. Tweak the image further with saturation and exposure to make it balanced. Plus, isolate areas with an animatable mask shape - the easiest way to light up your talent. Colorista paired with Look Suite are the perfect tools for color finishing.
Colorista ships as a native plug-in for all major hosts applications including Final Cut Pro (FX Plug), Motion, After Effects, Premiere Pro, and Avid AVX 2-compatible systems.
Red Giant Software Offers New Color Correction Tool: Magic Bullet Colorista
Colorista Paired with Look Suite are the Perfect Tools for Color Finishing
San Francisco, CA, December 15, 2006 – Red Giant Software today announced Magic Bullet Colorista, a new plug-in to get the right color for every shot. Magic Bullet Colorista ($199 USD) ships as a native plug-in for all major host applications including Final Cut Pro (FX Plug), Motion, After Effects, Premiere Pro, and Avid AVX compatible systems.
For the past 18 months, Red Giant Software has been engineering a completely new line of video enhancement products that address the needs of its customers. The number one request was an easy to use color correction tool that could deliver great results, fast. Proper color correction is of course an essential step before applying a Magic Bullet Look. So Red Giant took it upon themselves to create a high quality color correction tool. Magic Bullet Colorista is just what you'd expect from a Magic Bullet product with features that stand out from the crowd of color correction tools.
Colorista make your whites look white and your talent look their best with controls for modifying shadows, mid-tones and highlights. The familiar Lift, Gamma, Gain color wheels allow for easy adjustment of color balance and luminance with ultra-sensitive control for precise results. Additional, Saturation and Exposure options let you makes flesh tones look natural, plus set the highlight and shadow levels exactly.
Real-Time DeepColor RT
Maximize your performance with the power of the DeepColor RT engine inside Colorista. Playback SD and HD (720p) projects in real-time by efficiently using your system’s graphics processing power. The next-generation DeepColor RT engine preserves quality in every application host so that 10-bit projects remain 10-bit.
Power Mask with Ease
Apply the correction just where you need it. With Colorista you can create a simple circular or rectangular shape to isolate a specific zone. No longer is it necessary to pre-mask a shot to deepen the color of a sky or emphasize the action in a shot. The animatable controls for area and feather let you work right in the canvas or composer window.
Pricing and Availability
Magic Bullet Colorista is available now for $199 USD. To order, go to Colorista v1
About Red Giant Software
Red Giant Software LLC (http://redgiantsoftware.com/) is a San Francisco-based company that develops and distributes professional tools for digital video production. Products are available as plug-ins for popular video editing and effects applications including Adobe After Effects, Adobe Premiere Pro, and other compatible applications such as Apple’s Final Cut Pro. All tools are based on production-proven technology developed by visual effects veterans.
Combustion importer now Universal, adds HD ability
Automatic Duck's Pro Import Cmb 1.05 is now available, bringing Universalness as well as compatibility with Combustion 4.04 on the Mac. The new version of Pro Import Cmb can now also handle Avid DNxHD media!
If you're using Combustion on the Mac, you should definitely be using the latest 4.04 release. Not only is it native on Intel Macs, it is even much faster on PPC-based systems. On the Mac side, this new release of Pro Import Cmb is compatible with Combustion 4.04, but only 4.04, not earlier versions. On the Windows side, Pro Import Cmb works with Combustion 3.02 and later.
Pro Import Cmb 1.05 is a free update for users of Pro Import Cmb. Installers for the updated plug-ins can be found on the Automatic Duck web site. Users of Combustion 4.03 or earlier on Mac should not update.
Updates to FCP plug-ins correct P2 incompatibility
Automatic Duck recently learned of a problem where the FCP P2 import module would crash FCP if either of their Pro Import FCP or Pro Export FCP plug-ins were installed. This update corrects that defect.
Users of Pro Export FCP 3.0 can update to 3.05 at no cost. Users of Pro Import FCP 2.0 can update to 2.02 at no cost. Installers for the updated plug-ins can be found at the Automatic Duck web site. Users of older versions of these plug-ins can upgrade for $195.
15 New Filters, New 3D Objects, Exchange Keyframe Animation with Adobe After Effects
Matt Silverman was recently asked a question regarding unsatisfactory results with deinterlacing in After Effects. The customer's footage had the following workflow
