Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/110591
vfx plug-ins "destroy" footage. In addition to damaging effects, users get tools for creating the look of security cameras and cell phone camera footage. Pricing is $99 and existing users can upgrade for $79. Rather than introduce new features, Sharp says Digieffects is currently working to improve workflows within the Apple and Adobe plug-in architectures. Digieffects' plug-ins allow users to safely work with fire. Sharp says there has been a dramatic shift in the plug-in business, due to the democratization of camera and editing technology. "It started with the MiniDV tape format," notes Sharp, and continued with the introduction of Final Cut Pro. He also points to less expensive computers and the Internet as a distribution medium as influential to his customers and his business. "Ten years ago, the only one that could afford our product were post houses," he recalls. "It was four times more expensive than it is today. Your market was a rather limited market." Today, that all has changed. Customers range from those working on projects for Madison Avenue to budgetstrapped students living outside the US. As mentioned earlier, Digieffects' focus will now center on its Delirium and Damage plug-in packages. Delirium V.2.5 is a toolkit comprised of 44 different effects spanning five different categories. "Phenomena" includes nature effects, bubbles, fire and fog. "Color" helps with gradients, polarization, and color space. "Distort" can help editors achieve crystalizing and news print effects, as well as stripes and grids. Additional categories include "Mood" and "Composite." The compositing tools are designed for editors who may not be using After Effects and want a simple solution for performing the task. Pricing for new users is $299. Existing users can upgrade for $199. The Damage suite is designed to RED GIANT Beaverton, OR's Red Giant (www. redgiantsoftware.com) had three major releases in the past 12 months, but Drew Little says it's not uncommon for the plug-in developer to ship as many as 40 to 50 updates, full upgrades and new products in a typical year. The company offers over 50 plug-ins, which can be purchased individually or within the four suites it sells: Magic Bullet Suite ($799), Trapcode Suite ($899), Keying Suite ($799) and Effects Suite ($899). Magic Bullet Suite contains tools for color and finishing. Trapcode Suite is designed for broadcast and 3D work. The Keying Suite provides complete solutions for compositing, while the Effects Suite offers tools for creating lens flares, cartoon looks, water, glow, fire and light. Red Giant's "Red Pledge Guarantee" qualifies customers to receive free upgrades of any product to its current version. A buyer's purchase gives them a tool for use on all of the supported host platforms — After Effects, Avid, Final Cut Pro and Premiere — as well as both the Mac and Windows versions. Additionally, most of the purchase price from an individual product can be applied to the future purchase of a suite. Little says this business plan makes it very easy on their customers and is one reason for the success they've experienced. Another is the company's continuing investment in tutorials and original content that highlights Red Next Limit Technologies' (www.nextlimit.com) Realflow is a fluids and body dynamics software package. The company's connectivity plug-ins are compatible with 3DS Max, Maya, Softimage, Houdini, LightWave and Cinema 4D. Using Realflow, users can create anything from a single drop of water to a massive tsunami. Pricing starts at $3,995 for the first year. 28 Post • February 2013 Post0213_026-28,30-VFXrav3finalread.indd 28 Giant's tools. To date "RGTV" has more than 300 videos that are designed to help its users. "Red Giant TV is our destination for tutorial videos," says Little. "They are quick tips for getting started and there are more advanced tutorials. That frustration is something we always want to eliminate." Most of RGTV's content is produced by the company's in-house team, though they do occasionally invite guests to host tutorials too. They also have produced four short films to date, each of which was designed to highlight a specific major product release or set of tools. "The product is used extensively in the film, but they are story and dialogue intensive," Little explains. RGTV's content has received nearly 1.5 million views at press time.The videos are hosted on their Website, as well as shared on YouTube and Vimeo. One recent project, Tempo, is a sci-fi production that made use of all of Red Giant's visual effects tools. "We have a full-time filmmaking staff," says Little. "We released Tempo about a month ago and it's already had 250,000 views. The films are a way of getting Red Giant plug-ins easily create stylized looks. people to see more about what we do." The past year saw an upgrade to the company's most popular product, the Trapcode Suite (V.12.1/$899), and the introduction of Trapcode Mir ($99). Trapcode is a GPU–based motion graphics tool that creates organic fluid moving 3D objects. Knoll Light Factory 3 is another recent release. The lighting tool was given a slicker and more easy-to-use interface, similar to Red Giant's Magic Bullet Looks. For the year ahead, Little sees a technology trend leaning toward GPU-based tools. The company will also be focusing on filmmaking tools designed for users of the latest generation DSLR and GoPro cameras. "[They] have energized filmmakers and made that market bigger," says Little of the low-cost cameras. "[The industry] is also further energized by Final Cut Pro X. It's good for all of us in the industry. It brings thousands of new users in." www.postmagazine.com 1/24/13 4:55 PM