Yes, we know the video and audio quality are not the best, but first let me tell you about how this video was made. Technology is amazing. This was streaming live from my iPhone from the Lansing Center yesterday. They had video blocked at the convention hall so I couldn't go straight from my computer. This was recorded over 3G. Knowing that, it's not too bad, eh!
Alicia from Toolfarm is demoing Magic Bullet Looks and Video Copilot's new one, Optical Flares, from our table at the show. I finally got to see the video today. Yes, that is one extreme close-up on me! I needed a monitor on the front of the phone.
We are hoping to do some more live broadcasts from future events, like NAB. Hopefully we can work the bugs out by then and have better quality. I know we will not have wifi at NAB. It costs entirely too much.
Red Giant Magic Bullet Looks v1.2: Includes a fix for Mac users with OS 10.5.7 or 10.5.8 using either a NVIDIA 7300 or a NVIDIA Quadro series card. Read FAQ.
San Francisco, CA, June 23, 2009 - Red Giant Software is proud to announce that Stu Maschwitz is now the new Creative Director for Magic Bullet products. Stu Maschwitz is the original creator of the Magic Bullet Suite of plug-ins.
"In my directing work, on projects big and small, I'm always finding ways that the filmmaking process can be made more efficient, more fun, and more accessible to all budget levels. Over the years I've enjoyed a great relationship with Red Giant Software, who have taken these ideas and turned them into tools that the world can enjoy. It's great to make that relationship official," said Stu Maschwitz.
"The Magic Bullet vision is to create software that gives any production, regardless of budget, the look of a high-end feature film. We are immensely pleased that Stu is dedicating his time and vision to enhance and grow the Magic Bullet tools in 2009 and beyond. He has already begun to work on new Magic Bullet products, and you will see many new and updated tools coming later this year," said Sean Safreed, Co-Founder and Director of Products at Red Giant Software.
About Magic Bullet In 2000, Stu Maschwitz created the Magic Bullet Suite, a set of After Effects plug-ins that allowed users to create film-like output from any video source. Prior to 2007, The Orphanage owned the intellectual property behind Magic Bullet, but the product was published and managed by Red Giant Software. Red Giant Software purchased Magic Bullet from The Orphanage in late 2006. Post-acquisition, Red Giant Software developed the Magic Bullet Colorista and Magic Bullet Looks color tools, which are among the most widely used color correction and enhancements tools on the market. Hundreds of thousands of users rely on Magic Bullet tools to enhance their productions. Consumers turn to Magic Bullet to add style to their home movies and feature film artists add a sense of place, as seen in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.
About Stu Maschwitz Stu Maschwitz is a director, author, and champion of what has become known as the "DV Rebel" school of filmmaking, which suggests that high production value can be achieved at any budget level. Hailed by Shoot Magazine as one of the "Ten Commercial Directors To Watch," Maschwitz quickly gained a reputation for tackling extraordinarily complex visual challenges while injecting his signature kinetic style. An innovator in filmmaking technology, Maschwitz is the creator of the revolutionary Magic Bullet software-which gives inexpensive digital video the lush look of film.
About Red Giant SoftwareRed 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 Angels & Demons, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Mummy 3, and Grindhouse, and added sparkle to cable and broadcast content from NBC Universal, Food Network, ESPN, Disney, CNN, Comedy Central, MTV, and TNT.
Aside from its power, Looks relies on a well-designed custom user interface to edit and apply effects. Maschwitz's breakthrough was to redesign the Looks GUI based on common tools that are part of steps in the production and post chain. Effects can be applied to these stages and in this order: Subject, Matte, Lens, Camera and Post. Some effects, like Fill Light can only be applied to a single stage, like Subject. Others, such as Film-like Curves, may be applied to difference stages in the chain, plus can be applied to more than one stage within the same effect chain. A single "look" is made up of a series of filters chained in sequence. For example, the Mexicali preset look consists of Curves + Exposure + Lift/Gain/Gamma + Curves + Auto Shoulder.
Looks is the unofficial #1 plug-in on my Top 10 Must-Have Plug-ins for Adobe After Effects list. Do you think Looks or another plug-in is the most flexible and user-friendly plug-in out there? Let us know! We're running a Plug-ins Survey and if you fill it out, you will be entered to win a Drobo! Click Here to take survey.
Buy Magic Bullet Looks here. Toolfarm has an everyday 5% discount on pretty much all of the software in our store, so buy it at Toolfarm, mmmmkay.
Red Giant Magic Bullet Looks: Desert sunrise, Arctic tundra, nighttime urban streets: the look of your footage defines the mood. Now you can define the style of your video or film, regardless of on-set conditions, with powerful imaging tools. Choose from more than a hundred Look presets, all neatly organized into 10 categories, to help set the mood for everything from a wedding to the next Sundance original.
You also get Magic Bullet LooksBuilder, a stand-alone application that lets you pre-visualize looks on set or anywhere, using a JPEG or TIFF image. Look presets are portable and load into any of the editing hosts, so the same Looks you create on set are the ones you finish with in the editorial suite. It's no longer necessary to have an expensive finishing system. Magic Bullet Looks provides hundreds of options with one click.
Through May 2009, buy any Adobe product or Apple Final Cut Studio, including upgrades, and you can add Magic Bullet Looks for just $99! Looks normally retails for $399. Offer expires May 31, 2009. View Details.
Back in January I presented the "Top 10 Must-Have Plug-ins for Adobe After Effects" at MGFest in Chicago. The presentation was only 22 minutes so that really didn't give me much of a chance to show off the capabilities of the plug-ins and I wanted to do a feature on this for Toolfarm with lots of movie samples.
Several people have asked me about the list and wanting to republish it, so here it is. (If you want to republish the list, go for it, just please link back to Toolfarm). First, a bit about the criteria and some notes.
The plug-in should be a single plug-in and so I tried to avoid big plug-in packages when possible. There will be notes included about the product when needed. The plug-in had to be unique, fast, powerful or something I've used a lot and it fits into my workflow. If it hit 3 of the criteria, I would consider it for the list.
This is MY opinion, not because I was paid to say this or because the plug-ins come from a manufacturer that gives us higher margins. It's very tough to seem unbiased, but I want you to know, it is all my opinion here.
These are in no particular order (but I do have a clear favorite).
The list was created in January 2009 and a few new plug-ins that I really like were not included in the list. I guess they'll have to wait for 2010.
Without further ado.....
1 Red Giant Primatte Keyer
Description: A Perfect Key the First Time! The simplest, fastest green-screen tool available that even extracts keys from challenging DV and low lit sources by sampling the background color and clicking.
Why I Like It: With my book about keying (Greenscreen Made Easy) out on the market, I've been doing quite a few seminars on keying. People always ask which keyer I like the best. I've been showing Primatte quite a bit and did two presentations at NAB at the Red Giant booth. I find that Primatte is easy to show because of how it works. It's not a matter of fiddling with a bunch of numbers to get the right settings, but dragging around your mouse and clicking big buttons. It works in a very visual manner, which is perfect for artists (who aren't engineers). Also, Primatte has everything I need in one tool.
Easy to use and very fast
Built in DV Deartifactor, Spill Suppression, Color Matching and Light Wrap
Description: ReelSmart Motion Blur Pro automatically tracks every pixel in a sequence and blurs based on calculated motion.
Why I like it: Again, with the greenscreen book, I've realized how incredible this tool really is! Have you ever tried to key footage with motion blur? Not too easy and the results aren't usually very good. You can shoot with a high shutter speed but then you lose all of that natural looking motion blur. This is where RSMB steps in and adds that natural looking footage back into your shot, without blurring the whole frame, just the movement in the video.
Also great for compositing 3D, which I have in the example below.
RSMB has adjustable tracking points for problematic footage
Description: Telcine-style color correction within After Effects, Premiere Pro & Final Cut Pro, giving you full creative control over the color and look of your images.
Why I like it: Color Finesse gives you total control of image, much more than just curves, levels, hue/saturation. You can make adjustments in HSL, RGB, CMY, and YCbCr color spaces, and have individual control over shadows, midtones, and highlights, as well as overall correction.
Has 32 Bit Float support... so why is this important? It allows you to have much more flexibility and allows AE to be used in higher end productions and more cinematic work. You will have more contrast between your blacks and whites. For details on working in 32-bit Float, check out Stu Maschwicz's article on 32-bit float workflow in AE on fxguide.
It ships with After Effects so it won't cost any extra.
Cost: $595 (Buy | No demo at Toolfarm, but you probably already have it if you have AE)
Sample: Just a couple of screenshots...
4 Red Giant Knoll Light Factory
Description: Light effects from John Knoll for photo-realistic sunsets and motion graphics.
Why I like it: Maybe this is just the kid in me, but plug-ins get bonus points for being fun to play with and easy to use and KLF is both. With KLF, you get natural looking lens flares and loads of great presets that are customizable. I really like the fact that you can set up an obscuration layer so that when an object moves in front of the flare, it dims or turns off.
Tons of variety for one type of effect (not a one trick pony)
Use presets or the Lens Editor to build your own flares.
Auto tracking
As with all of the Red Giant products, one license works in multiple host applications on one machine, so you don't need to buy multiple copies.
Description: Create 3D text and primitives without having to learn a 3D program.
Why I like it: I've attempted to learn a true 3D program and give up after about 30 minutes. I have bad depth perception (that's why I used to hit so many things with the car). ProAnimator makes it so easy to create slick looking 3D elements directly in AE and with a short learning curve. I picked up the plug-in quickly without using the manual (that is how I roll).
Nice presets
Track the After Effects camera and lights
Export wireframe versions for that techie, futuristic computer environment look
Description: 3D Particle system that produces various natural effects like smoke, fire and sparks and also organic and techie-style graphical effects that are very useful for motion graphics design.
Why I like it: I love how it looks and all of the presets. I'm a sucker for presets. I don't read manuals so presets help me get going. I just modify them until I get something I like. Particular has loads of fantastic presets, plus you can preview them and what you've created realtime in the Effect Controls window.
Particular is tightly integration with AE's Camera & lights - oh, wait until you see version 2!
Particular has a complex physics engine, allowing you to fully control your particles, again, new improvements in v2.
Inexpensive, especially considering all it can do. Particular is one of those tools you can use on a multitude of jobs and it will never get old.
Description: Damage creates an extensive variety of digital and/or analog defects/errors in your footage.
Why I like it: It's another plug-in that is fun to play with! I've used the plugin for many creative purposes - interference with a hologram popping on, a luma matte for a gradient wipe, and grungy moving backgrounds and grungy text. My favorite part is the little blue button that randomizes the effects. The effects do have a TON of sliders so it's not always clear on what needs to be adjusted to get the effect needed, and that little blue button is just what I need to get started. The plug-in is very fast for previews and renders and is CHEAP at just $99. Also, one license works in multiple hosts on a single computer (AE, FCP, PPRO, Combustion).
Description: Remove an object from your shot quickly without much work.
Why I like it: I showed Motion Key as part of BCC5 at NAB08 and found that this plug-in absolutely blew people away. If you've ever had to rotoscope something out of a clip of video, you know how tedious and un-fun it can be. Motion Key takes all the work out of it by using Optical Flow technology. It's now sold by it self as a single unit and is also included with Boris Continuum Complete 6.
Description: Academy Award winning keyer. It is simple to use and is particularly good at tackling reflections, semi-transparent areas and hair.
Why I like it: I know, two keyers on the list! What gives? You know I recently worked on a book, right? I have used a lot of keying tools in the past 2 years! Keylight is a very powerful keyer and when others can't do the job, Keylight can usually handle it. It is easy to use, fast and has built-in spill suppression. Keylight gives several ways to view the matte/key, and it's included with After Effects, so most of you already own Keylight. Also, Toolfarm also put out some great training for Keylight called Professional Keying with Keylight, that I highly recommend picking up.
Samples: I thought I'd just put the trailer for the Keylight training up. It will give you a good idea about what the plug-in does.
10 Red Giant Magic Bullet Looks
Description: Define the style of your video or film, regardless of on-set conditions, with powerful imaging tools.
Why I like it: This is my favorite plug-in of the lot. It is extremely easy to use, as the interface was designed for artists, not engineers. It comes with a huge library of Looks that are fully customizable and savable. It's lightning fast because of GPU acceleration. It can make video with flat lighting look amazing and it's also great for matching your foreground and background when compositing greenscreen. I use this on pretty much everything, including photos.
Cost: $399 (Buy | Try) Quick Looks now available for $99 (presets only).
Samples: Here's one from our German friend at MyToolfarm.
And here's a promo for a greenscreen contest that I used Looks on the webcam shots to spice them up.
Late Entry: Boris Continuum Complete 6.0 3D Object Filters
Description: 5 new plug-ins in BCC6 that extrude text, paths and eps/Illustrator files.
Why I like it: Easy to use and very fast (hardware accelerated). It works with the native AE camera and lights and everything except the text type window is in the native AE Effect control window. There are loads of options and loads of presets. All bevels can be customized with paths and did I mention the real-time previews? This will certainly make the 2010 top 10 list (but who will I bump?!)
Samples:Here's the finished video shown at the Boris FX Booth at NAB09.
Here's a tutorial I put out a couple of weeks ago.
And here's a tutorial I did for Boris FX. I plan to do a few more tutorials on these fan-diddly-tastic plug-ins.
Honorable Mention: Noise Industries FxFactory Pro
Description: Revolutionary VFX package with over 300 hardware accelerated plug-ins
Why I like it: I really was going for no big packages but just individual plug-ins in this list however, this one is a little different. Why is it different? With FxFactory, you can create your own FxPlug effects for Final Cut Studio without writing any code. Okay, I know this is for FCP and not AE, but, it's still an excellent package of plugins that are VERY fast and have unlimited expandability (you can download more plug-ins at the FxMarket).
Purchase Magic Bullet Looks and get the LooksPack: Indie Film FREE. Special Offer ends Today! Red Giant Software: LooksPack: Indie Film
Independent film director, Eric Escobar offers a collection of 20 original preset Looks. Inspired by classic American independent films, they are divided into Exterior Day looks, with selections such as Ironic Sunshine, Los Angeles, and Mumblefish; and Interior Day looks, such as Apartment in the Valley, Actor's Friend, and Cheap Drinks.
Red Giant Software: Magic Bullet Looks 1.2
Now you can define the style of your video or film with powerful imaging tools. Choose from 100+ Look presets, to help set the mood for everything from a wedding to the next Sundance original.
For a limited time, buy Magic Bullet Looks and get the LooksPack: Indie Film FREE. Special Offer ends April 7th, 2009. Red Giant Software: LooksPack: Indie Film
Independent film director, Eric Escobar offers a collection of 20 original preset Looks. Inspired by classic American independent films, they are divided into Exterior Day looks, with selections such as Ironic Sunshine, Los Angeles, and Mumblefish; and Interior Day looks, such as Apartment in the Valley, Actor's Friend, and Cheap Drinks.
Red Giant Software: Magic Bullet Looks 1.2
Now you can define the style of your video or film with powerful imaging tools. Choose from 100+ Look presets, to help set the mood for everything from a wedding to the next Sundance original.
Small Budget? Get Big Looks with the Indie Film LooksPack
Independent film director, Eric Escobar, offers a collection of 20 original preset Looks. Inspired by classic American independent films, they are divided into Exterior Day looks, with selections such as Ironic Sunshine, Los Angeles, and Mumblefish; and Interior Day looks, such as Apartment in the Valley, Actor's Friend, and Cheap Drinks.
Features
"Color is visceral. I think of coloring as editing the hue and tone of the raw image to reveal the emotion of the frame. My goal has been to balance that emotion while minimizing process - preserving what the story needs."
"Each family of Looks helps tell a common story that you will make unique when you add it to your image. Some of these looks are complicated, some are really simple. Please use them as a jumping-off point to create your own," says Eric Escobar.
Features:
Twenty original Looks give that independent-movie look to your own footage
Looks tailored for both indoor and outdoor shots
Additional video examples and training available at Eric's blog, PrepShootPost
System Requirements
Requires Magic Bullet Looks or Magic Bullet Quick Looks for render output.
About the Publisher
Eric Escobar is a San Francisco-based digital filmmaker. His films have screened in the US and internationally. In 2005 his short film, One Weekend A Month, won an honorable mention in short filmmaking at the Sundance Film Festival. In addition to making films, Eric has worked in filmmaking software development at Apple Inc., and Adobe Systems. Currently, Eric is working in a directors' collective called Kontent Films, where he directs commercials and his own original work, helps develop tools for filmmakers, and blogs extensively.
Red Giant Software: Episode 06: Controling Time with Sound By Aharon Rabinowitz came out a few days ago.
In this episode, Aharon continues to explore how audio can be used to control time, but he expands on that by showing you how it can be used to change the look of the footage as well.
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.
Quick Looks is the latest release from Red Giant software and the Magic Bullet collection. Magic Bullet Quick Looks is the light version of the full Magic Bullet Looks, the only difference is that you can't modify the presets like you can with the full Looks. You get the 100 built in presets only, and many users never modify the presets anyway. The presets are awesome. I'll have to put some before and afters up.
Reasons To Buy Magic Bullet Quick Looks
The fastest way to get classic film looks
Professional looks at a budget price
Adjust the mood to match the scene or dialogue throughout your movie
Shoot your video project color neutral, leaving flexibility to choose the best "look" in post
Add warmth to wedding videos, even when shot on cloudy days
Hosts:Adobe After Effects CS4, CS3, 7, 6.5; Adobe Premiere Pro CS4, CS3, 2.0; Apple Final Cut Pro 6; Apple Motion 3.02; Avid Xpress Pro/Media Composer 5.6+,2.6+.
When you order Magic Bullet Suite, you will receive a serial number that will work with multiple hosts, including Adobe After Effects, Apple Final Cut Pro, Premiere Pro and Avid*.
*Due to technical barriers, Steady and Frames do not support Avid.
In addition to the Red Giant and Trapcode Bundles, we're offering Complete training for Trapcode Particular from Class on Demand. (DVD | Download) Learn more about the sale here.
Red Giant Effects Bundle Also Includes Magic Bullet Looks and Instant HD
San Francisco, CA, October 14, 2008 - Red Giant Software, with popular products Magic Bullet, Knoll Light Factory and Trapcode, today announced that Panasonic expanded its long standing bundle with Red Giant Software to include ToonIt with its powerful AG-DVX100B camcorder purchased in the United States. Customers that purchase the AG-DVX100B camcorder between October 1, 2008 and December 31, 2008 will receive a complimentary copy of the Red Giant Effects Bundle, which includes ToonIt, Magic Bullet Looks, and Magic Bullet Instant HD. Panasonic began bundling Red Giant Software products with the AG-DVX100 line of camcorders in the summer of 2004.
About ToonIt
Red Giant ToonIt uses unique algorithms developed by Toonamation to transform images into beautiful cartoon shading and lines. Users can give video footage that sought-after cartoon look easily and quickly. The four plug-ins free users from time-consuming techniques like rotoscoping and hand painting, and give precise control over styles, shading and outlines. Now it is easy to quickly convert video into a stylized animation with great default settings.
About Magic Bullet Looks
Desert sunrise, Arctic tundra, nighttime urban streets: the look of footage defines the mood. With Magic Bullet Looks, users can define the style of their video or film, regardless of on-set conditions, with powerful imaging tools. Hundreds of presets are available to help set the mood for everything from a wedding to the next Sundance original. 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.
About Magic Bullet Instant HD
Instant HD up-converts DV video into a variety of HD video formats. Users can choose from a list of preset resolutions to easily integrate DV video into a High Definition production. When scaling from standard definition (SD) to high definition (HD), Instant HD's algorithms generate the missing pixels with integrated sharpening and anti-aliasing for sharp, clear results inside your favorite video application.
About the AG-DVX100B
The AG-DVX100B debuts as the industry's first DV camera-recorder to allow camera-to-camera time-code synchro and user-settable file transfer. This allows the AG-DVX100B to be used for simultaneous multi-camera recording techniques often used in video production. In addition to superior image quality, high sensitivity, 24P/30P Cinema mode and manual operation, it has the specifications needed for full-fledged professional video production. For more information on Panasonic's complete DV Cinema product line-up, visit http://www.panasonic.com/dvcinema.
About Red Giant Software
Red Giant Software LLC (http://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.
Powerful finishing tools for every editor in one package.
Magic Bullet Suite 2008 is a completely revamped product. Magic Bullet Suite now supports After Effects, Final Cut Pro, Motion, Premiere Pro, and Avid. The full suite of tools includes Magic Bullet Looks (including Misfire), Magic Bullet Frames, Magic Bullet Colorista, Magic Bullet Steady, and Instant HD for high-quality up-conversion.
Dennis Radeke reviews Red Giant Magic Bullet Looks at The Genesis Project.
Wow. Without diving into the toolsets and giving you a tutorial, let me say that the final output of the clips, the control that is possible, the speed at which the plugins perform, the performance inside of Adobe applications and the quality of the interface thoroughly impressed me.
Alicia VanHeulen of Toolfarm interviews Bryan Paperiski on shooting, editing and finishing a short film in 24 hours for a festival.
We'll be following Bryan, Alicia and others as they finish post on the piece using Red Giant and Digieffects plugins, among others, in After Effects. Check it out!
I was invited to the June Motion Picture Collective Meeting on plug-ins. It was held at Pratt Institute in New York City.
I got there about 45 minutes early and there was no one there! After about 30 minutes I started to worry that I came to the wrong place. As I was walking around I ran into Wes Plate of Automatic Duck. We chatted for a bit and then people started to roll in.
The pizza, sponsored by Sony, was incredible. Seriously, some of the best I've ever had. I had some veggie concoction, but Michael Vitti, head of MoPic Collective told me they also had some Cajun Shrimp pizza, but they only ordered one pie. Sounds fantastic!
The meeting started with an introduction and then Frank Garfi and Marc Fratto talked about their film Zombies Anonymous. Two words: Gratuitous violence. Their talk was pretty interesting though. They've taken the zombie story and flipped it around, making it a statement about how Arabs were treated after 9-11.
After that, Juan Martinez and Andrew Shipsides talked about Sony's EX Cameras.
Wes Plate from Automatic Duck came up and presented his products. Since there were so many editors in the audience, there was a lot of interest in his FCP products, especially.
My turn. Right before the show began, we were told we have an extra 15 minutes to fill. My presentation was planned to be exactly 20 minutes! Haha. I began asking the audience some questions about editing technique vs. software knowledge and then talked about Toolfarm. I presented Boris Continuum Complete and as usual, people are blown away by the Motion Key filter. I also had quite a bit of interest in the BCC Pan & Zoom filter which gives the Ken Burns style effect. I had a bit of time at the end, so I quickly showed Red Giant's Primatte Keyer, since keying seems to be a hot topic lately.
Next Michael Vitti showed Zaxwerks ProAnimator, then Jason Diamond showed Red Giant Magic Bullet Looks, which is always a crowd pleaser. I can't help but think that Zombies Anonymous could have benefited from a touch of Looks! Jason did a great job of presenting Looks and demo'd with some footage from a music video he had recently finished.
They also had an auction that night with tons of stuff.
Anyway, it was a good meeting and it was fun to get to New York City again. Thanks Michael Vitti for the invitation and the shirt. I love free shirts! It was great to see everyone in NYC, especially my old buddy Jim G. of the Toolfarm Expert Forum and Chris Tack, one of my former students who headed out to NYC after graduation. I also met quite a few new people from the NYC area. I saw Mario Lopez at a hot dog stand too! He's buff!
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.
The MyToolfarm Red Giant NAB Contest finished last week. We had some terrific entries and we want to thank everyone who participated. The entries needed to use Trapcode Form or Red Giant Magic Bullet Looks in their video. Here are the winners:
Grand Prize
B The Product - Submitted by Bert Kish
First runner up
Timex tv spot - Submitted by Nervo.tv (Nando Costa)
Second Runner Up
Tori Amos Greenscreen - Submitted by Mark Jeschke
We're a little late at announcing the winners to the public, but the winners were contacted on March 29.
use YouSendIt and send your files to john@redgiantsoftware.com. Please zip your movie file with a text file which includes your name and contact information, a description of your video and the plug-ins used.
Contest rules and information is right here. You must use either Trapcode Form or Magic Bullet Looks. The rest is up to you! All entries are due March 24. Don't miss out! You could win a trip to NAB in Las Vegas this April and show your work at the Red Giant booth on the show floor.
We've just added a quick sale on most of our Wacom Tablets. Save an additional 4% off the regular discounted price at Toolfarm! Save on the Intuos and the new Cintiq tablets. It's an instant rebate.... so instant that we just knocked it off the price! The offer expires February 29, 2008.
Also on special: Digital Anarchy ToonIt! for Avid Limited time Toolfarm only introductory pricing of $229! Save $70! This offer also ends February 29, 2008.
Buy Boris Continuum Complete 5 AE and get Title Toolkit for FREE! Expires Saturday, March 1, 2008. Title Toolkit is available for a suggested retail price of $299 USD. In addition, Title Toolkit is now included FREE with Boris Continuum Complete 5 AE purchases (including the AE/FxPlug bundle and BCC 5 upgrades). This offer expires Saturday, March 1, 2008 and is valid for the download version of Title Toolkit.
Check out our Current Specials page for all of our specials. We keep it updated with the latest deals and we have some AWESOME deals for March. Be sure to sign up for our newsletter so you don't miss out.
Only 10 days left! For the month of February, Digieffects and Red Giant Software are lowering the price of the crossgrade from Cinelook to either Magic Bullet Suite or Magic Bullet Looks.
San Francisco, CA - Red Giant Software is sponsoring a contest to let users submit their best work using Red Giant Software's Magic Bullet Looks or Trapcode Form tools and win a chance to show their work at NAB 2008.
Users will upload their videos to the My Toolfarm web site where other users can vote on the submission from now until March 24th. The winner will get to fly to NAB and present their work at the Red Giant Software booth at NAB 2008. Winners will be determined by user scores on the My Toolfarm web site and by a panel of Red Giant Software judges.
To enter and get detailed eligibility information go to: MyToolfarm
Prizes and Eligibility
Winner:
One round trip airline ticket to NAB 2008 held in Las Vegas, NV, April 14-17, 2008. The prize includes airfare and two days and one night in a hotel on The Strip.
2 hour showroom floor presentation at Red Giant's booth to promote your work;
Feature spot on Red Giant's Community site
One free Red Giant product OR free upgrade.
1st Runner Up:
Feature spot on Red Giant's 'Our Community' site
One free Red Giant product OR free upgrade.
2nd Runner Up:
Feature spot on Red Giant's 'Our Community' site
One free Red Giant product OR free upgrade.
Winners will be announced March 29, 2008
The grand prize will include expenses not to exceed a total of $1,300 US. The breakdown is as follows: Airfare capped at $700, hotel capped at $500, food/transportation capped at $100. The contest is open to Red Giant Software users of Magic Bullet Looks and Trapcode Form in North America. Void where prohibited.
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 month of February, Digieffects and Red Giant Software are lowering the price of the crossgrade from Cinelook to either Magic Bullet Suite or Magic Bullet Looks.
What: SF Cutters next meeting (San Francisco Final Cut Group)
Who:
Stu Maschwitz, founder of the Orphanage and developer of Red Giant Magic Bullet
Mark Christiansen, VFX Creator of 'Pirates of the Caribbean' and author of After Effects CS3 Professional Studio Techniques.
Bob Donlon of Adobe Systems: Many SF Cutters ask for Bob to return after his incredible overview of the entire Adobe CS3 Production Suite last Sept. Bob is back with more specifics on Flash and Audio in Adobe CS3.
When: Jan 31, 2008, 6:30pm PT - 9:15pm PT
Where: Adobe in San Francisco, 601 Townsend, San Francisco, CA 94103 Map
Well, the votes are tallied and Trapcode Form is the big winner of the Best New After Effect Plug-in of 2007. Only brand new plug-ins that were released in 2007 qualified, not new versions of older plug-ins. Red Giant Magic Bullet Looks and Zaxwerks Reflector ran a close race.
San Francisco, CA, December 4, 2007 - Red Giant Software Magic Bullet Looks was recently awarded a 2007 Vanguard Award by Digital Content Producer. Vanguard Awards go to the most groundbreaking new products for video production professionals that are released in the calendar year.
Magic Bullet Looks is a revolutionary, new 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. For more information, please visit Magic Bullet Looks in our Plug-in Finder.
Red Giant Software LLC (http://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.
All product and company names herein may be trademarks of their respective owners.
San Francisco, CA, October 18, 2007 - Red Giant Software, developer of a line of professional digital video tools, including Magic Bullet and Knoll Light Factory, today announced that the company reached an agreement with Digieffects to acquire Cinelook. This agreement secures Red Giant Software's position as the leading provider of color correction tools to set the mood of a movie. Following the recent launch of Magic Bullet Looks, Cinelook will no longer be sold or developed by either company. Digieffects will continue to offer free technical support to existing customers. Key pieces of the Cinelook technology and workflow may be added to future versions of the Magic Bullet line of tools.
Cinelook users can cross grade to Magic Bullet Looks for USD $199 (regularly $399) and Magic Bullet Suite 2007 USD $399 (regularly $799). A document will be available to help Cinelook users learn more about migrating their projects and workflow to Magic Bullet.
"This cross sell opportunity is the best way for Cinelook customers to get the latest technology," said Robert Sharp, President of Digieffects. "We will now turn our focus to our core products such as Delirium and the line of Buena Software products, recently acquired from Toolfarm."
"Cinelook was one of the first products to process video to emulate film," said Andrew Little, Co-Founder of Red Giant Software. "We are happy to forge this partnership with Digieffects and offer Cinelook customers a brand new playground to have fun and be creative with color correction and movie looks."
About Digieffects
Digieffects is a developer of popular software plug-ins for Adobe After Effects, Premiere Pro, Apple Final Cut Pro, and Autodesk Combustion. The company has been in the business since the beginning of the 'plug-in revolution' which dates back to 1996. Over the years, Digieffects has had great success with software products like Cinelook and Delirium and is proud to call thousands of video producers all around the world its customers and friends.
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.
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.
San Francisco, CA, June 23, 2009 - 
After that, Juan Martinez and Andrew Shipsides talked about Sony's EX Cameras.
Next Michael Vitti showed 
Well, the votes are tallied and 
Magic Bullet Looks is a revolutionary, new 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. For more information, please visit 
