GenArts Inc. announced the immediate availability of Sapphire Plug-ins version 2 for Avid editing systems. With 46 new effects and a wide array of new features, Sapphire 2 delivers the next evolution of industry-standard visual effects for Avid users. This release includes a variety of enhancements for users, such as single click application of effects to a title or key, background and mask inputs, 2D moves built into the plug-ins and a versatile new FilmDamage effect.
Curtis Nichols, senior editor at PCS Production Co., a full service media communications company, commented, Great upgrade! I love all the new parameters. Apply to Title/Key and Crop/Transform are important new features, and the grouping of effects is magnificent.
Version 2 contains all of the visual effects and features that have established Sapphire Plug-ins, plus many new effects, additional functionality and overall usability enhancements. "Sapphire 2 includes some great improvements on an already excellent product, noted Gus Comegys of Chainsaw, a post-production facility in Santa Monica. The new FilmDamage effect gives lovely organic results and the ability to easily add effects to titles is a big time saver. At Chainsaw, we have already used many of these new plug-ins on some of our biggest shows."
Sapphire Plug-ins 2 leverages the AVX2 feature set, enabling Avid editors to be even more productive with onscreen widgets, improved keyframing and many new temporal effects. "Third-party developers play a very important role in the Avid community by offering tools that enrich the editing experience, fuel creativity and further expand the functionality of our products. Over the years, many of our customers have come to rely on GenArts Sapphire Plug-ins for their visual effects work, said Matt Allard, senior product manager, Avid Technology Inc. The release of Sapphire Plug-ins 2 demonstrates GenArts continued success in taking full advantage of the AVX development architecture as well as their commitment to serving Avids users.
Key new features include:* 46 new effects* Single click application of effects to a title or key* New crop and 2D transform parameters* Optional background and mask inputs* Support for AVX2 keyframe model* On-screen widgets for visual adjustment of many parameters* Plug-ins are grouped in nine menus for easier access* Support for 16-bit images* Improved rendering speed* FilmDamage simulates aged film by adding scratches, dust, stains, grain, shake, flicker, etc.* Temporal effects such as FieldRemove, FlickerRemove, FeedBack, RandomEdits, TimeSlice, MotionDetect and TimeWarpRGB* New transition effects such as WipeRings, WipeTiles, SwishPan, DissolveGlow and DissolveFilm* New stylize effects such as Cartoon, Posterize, HalfToneRings, BleachBypass and Vignette
Sapphire Plug-ins have been used extensively in an array of television programs, music videos and feature films, including: THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: THE LION, THE WITCH & 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, TITANIC, LOST and CSI.
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: $1,800 for Avid Xpress Pro; $2,800 for Symphony Nitris, Media Composer Adrenaline, Xpress or Newscutter; and $4,800 for Avid DS Nitris. Existing version 1 customers qualify for special upgrade pricing of $600, $900 and $1,600, respectively. A free trial of the software is available online at www.genarts.com.
GenArts will be giving demonstrations of Sapphire Plug-ins version 2 at NAB in booths SL5138J and SL1513.
Founded in 1996 in Cambridge, Massachussets, 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 than190 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, Shake and Motion; Avid; Autodesks Discreet Systems and Combustion; Eyeon Fusion; SonyXPRI; and Quantel generationQ products.
Avid Technology Inc (www.avid.com) is a world leader in digital nonlinear media creation, management, and distribution solutions, enabling film, video, audio, animation, games and broadcast professionals to work more efficiently, productively and creatively.
Bill Desowitz, former editor of VFXWorld, is currently the Crafts Editor of IndieWire.
