Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/360038
www.postmagazine.com 48 POST AUGUST 2014 ontinuum Complete from Boris FX has had a unique relationship with Avid since 2005, when BCC was fi rst bundled with MC, allowing it to become the de facto third-party eff ects package for Avid for many years. Since then, a number of competitors have followed, creating a cat and mouse game with constantly-evolving features. I believe this release of BCC9 represents a light-speed jump for the BCC line and a boon for editors. And remember, BCC isn't just an eff ects package — it also has a powerful suite of tools that range from titling to keying — a lot under the hood. Note: BCC is now no longer bundled with Media Composer. NEW FEATURES Retooled for both speed and operability, a cursory glance shows a new empha- sis toward realtime eff ects; a welcome new (and bit overdue) dynamic eff ects browser; a slew of new transition eff ects; new image restoration capabilities, including a great new lens corrector for use with GoPro-style cameras; an improved vignette fi lter; and other major new features throughout. BCC9 now adds Open CL and CUDA acceleration for faster rendering. Pan and zoom now has increased capabilities, including 3D and vignetting. Plus, all the old tools are still included. BROWSING MADE EASY Perhaps the brightest and most welcome feature is the all-new FX Browser. You preview the eff ect without committing by just clicking on any of the selections. With over 1,000 presets included in BCC9, the browser is invaluable. All windows of the Browser are resizable. Needless to say, any preset you modify is easily saved and named for future use, showing up in the preset window. Another thoughtful feature is that a history of eff ects is created with each new eff ect click, so you don't have to remember which preset you've clicked on. BCC9 incorporates a compare mode, off ering either a split-screen showing fi ltered and unfi ltered sides, or smaller side-by-side boxes. A text-search window allows you to use keywords to search presets. Also handy is the ability to select between thumbnail and list view. One nice feature is that upon opening the browser, BCC will default to the last selection used. STANDALONE FX BROWSER In addition, the new browser can also be used alone in a mode that allows you to scan the entire FX library — all of it — at once. The main drawback is once fi nd- ing the preset you like in this mode, you have to return to the normal browser to apply it. All in all, the browser is the crowning achievement in BCC 9. GLISTENS, GLOWS & BLURS — OH MY! Next in line are the revamped transitions. Relatively new to the BCC schema, Boris has been pretty busy implementing more and more of these invaluable eff ects. It wasn't always BCC's strong point. Now BCC's risen to the occasion with over 22 new transitions that include damaged fi lm, light eff ects, vignetting, fl utter cuts, and my favorite, the old dream sequence water waves dissolve. There are glow dissolves, fl are transitions and lots of new eye candy. In total, there's about three times the amount of transitions than there were in BCC 8. There's an almost infi nite ability to customize all parameters using col- or-coded, on-screen overlay adjustment curves — it can be a little daunting. CHROMAKEY STUDIO — HOW SUITE! A new addition to Boris' image-pro- cessing tools is a major boost to BCC's greenscreen keying suite, Chromakey Studio. This brings a multitude of tools that previously required layering into one fi lter. They include masking, color correcting, garbage masking, and many other image-enhancement/correction tools. The result is a vast improvement and major time-saver. PICTURE PERFECT A whole other revamped area is in the Image Restoration group — the oldies are still there, but the new Magic Sharp appears to bring back original sharpness lost because of shooting conditions, fast motion and other camera-induced arti- facts. Magic Sharp really appears to put some detail back in without looking over enhanced. The other terrifi c fi lter in this group is the drop-on Lens Corrector that will instantly remove barrel distortion from GoPro and other cameras. GETTING ROUGHED UP Today, the clean look has been taking a backseat to edgier and grungier looks — and that's no exception with entries in the revamped Stylize group. BCC Grunge will will dirty up text and other imagery. It will erode edges and even allow you to add your own custom textures to treat video. With tons of variables, the ability to get down and dirty is endless. FINAL THOUGHTS There is much more going on in this dynamic new release than I can include here. This is a major release, well beyond the defi nition of an upgrade, and is really worth looking at. BORIS FX'S BCC9 BY JONATHAN MOSER FLASHCUT PRODUCTIONS, LLC NEW YORK CITY FLASHCUTTER@YAHOO.COM A NEW LOOK FOR THIS EDITORIAL WORKHORSE C VITAL STATS MANUFACTURER: Boris FX PRODUCT: BCC9 for Avid Media Composer (also supports Symphony, Newscutter, Adobe After Eff ects and Premiere, Sony Vegas Pro and Quantel) PRICE: $1,995 new; $599 upgrade WEBSITE: www.borisfx.com Dynamic new FX Browser previews eff ects Enhanced pan and zoom Tons of new drop-on transitions The Image Restoration group has been revamped, and the new Magic Sharp brings improved clarity to footage. REVIEW