GenArts Inc. announced the immediate availability of Sapphire Plug-ins version 1.08 for After Effects and compatible products. The new version features enhancements for both Mac and Windows platforms. Version 1.08 for Mac adds Universal Binary support for FCP 5.1 and all After Effects compatible host products. The new release will also run under Rosetta and on Power PC Macs for use with applications such as Adobe After Effects that have not yet been compiled specifically for Intel-based Macs.
Sapphire Plug-ins version 1.08 for After Effects and compatible products can be purchased directly from GenArts or through its worldwide channel of authorized resellers. The upgrade is free for existing version 1 customers. Sapphire Plug-ins version 1.08 can be purchased either as a complete package for $1,699 or as four separate boxes for $599 each. A free trial of the software is available online at the GenArts website.
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: 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.
Founded in 1996 in Cambridge, Massachusetts, GenArts Inc. (www.genarts.com) is a 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 more than 175 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; Autodesks Discreet Systems and Combustion; Eyeon Fusion; Sony XPRI; and Quantel generationQ products.
Bill Desowitz, former editor of VFXWorld, is currently the Crafts Editor of IndieWire.
