Next Generation of Award-Winning Visual Effects Software Enables Performance and Productivity Improvements for Linux Flame, Inferno, Flint HD and Smoke HD Users
CAMBRIDGE, MA, Mar 09, 2010 (MARKETWIRE via COMTEX) -- GenArts Inc., the premier provider of specialized visual effects software for the film, television and video industries, announced today the availability of GenArts Sapphire(TM) v5 for Autodesk systems users. Announced in November, Sapphire 5 promises to unlock artists' creativity with marked improvements to performance and productivity, all while significantly reducing infrastructure costs.
Sapphire 5 enables a completely interactive user experience at HD resolutions, thanks to full GPU-accelerated render speeds up to 700 percent faster than version 4. Now, batch jobs once requiring overnight processing can be processed in a fraction of the time. Sapphire 5 also uses full floating point for all internal processing, which improves visual effects quality - even on 8-, 10- and 12-bit footage -- and offers photorealistic image quality with the highest possible dynamic range. Sapphire 5 can also handle 16-bit floating point footage natively on the desktop and in batch, without clamping. By removing these performance limitations of versions past, Sapphire 5 enables artists to explore the full range of their creativity without the worry of incurring additional infrastructure costs.
"I've been testing Sapphire 5, and I must say I'm impressed with the speed of the plug-ins," said Victor Wolansky, Flame artist from e3 Post. "In addition, the full float support offers a huge difference in effects like blurs or vignettes where I used to see banding. Now they're absolutely perfect, and there is no speed impact. My Flame would not be complete without them."
In addition to performance and productivity improvements, Sapphire 5 also offers 15 vibrant new effects, including TVDamage, TVChannelChange, Technicolor and many new transitions. (A full list of new effects can be found at http://www.genarts.com/product/sapphire/autodesk/whatsnew)
New parameters are also offered in this release - many from customer requests:
All Threshold controls now go beyond 1 to support high dynamic range (HDR).
ZBlur and ZDefocus support Boost Highlights to give an "HDR look" even to normal footage.
New Blur parameters are included in Glint and Glare for improved realism.
Glow now has options for Show Threshold and Combine Mode to enhance flexibility and give new looks.
"Sapphire 5 for Autodesk is a critical component of our strategy to grow GenArts via innovation, as well as through acquisitions and alliances," said Steve Bannerman, CMO of GenArts. "Sapphire has been completely re-architected to not only deliver dramatic performance, usability and image quality enhancements today, but to serve as a platform upon which we can deliver entirely new classes of innovation in the future. We're extremely pleased with the feedback we've received from our early testers, and we're confident that Sapphire 5 will empower visual effects artists in completely new ways as they push the envelope to thrill and amaze audiences around the world."
Since the company's founding in 1996, GenArts software has been utilized in thousands of films, television broadcasts and commercials, including more than 20 Oscar-nominated pieces such as Titanic; I, Robot; Armageddon; Star Wars Episode I, II and III; The Matrix trilogy; The Lord of the Rings trilogy; Pearl Harbor; Spider Man; Pirates of the Caribbean; Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban; Transformers; The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe; Avatar and many more.
About GenArts GenArts, Inc. is the premier provider of specialized digital visual effects for the film, broadcast and video industries. As visual effects have become essential to the art of storytelling, GenArts' tools have emerged as the standard for creating high-end visual effects at leading studio, broadcast and post-production facilities around the world. GenArts' products have been used extensively to create an array of breathtaking effects for not only countless feature films, but television shows, commercials and music videos as well. GenArts enjoys the unique distinction of having been a key component of an Oscar-nominated film for the past 13 consecutive years.
The GenArts Sapphire(TM), Monsters(TM), Raptors(TM), Tinder(TM) and particleIllusion(TM) portfolio equips digital artists with a collection of state-of-the-art visual effects tools such as glows, light rays, lens flares, film, fire, fluid and particles that seamlessly integrate as software plug-ins into leading editing and compositing systems. GenArts was founded in 1996 in Cambridge, Mass. www.genarts.com.
Video Tutorial of the Sapphire Blur effect for Final Cut Pro. There are many kinds of blurs in the Sapphire package including Blur, BlurChroma, BlurChannels, BlurDirectional and BlurMotion.
Industry Leaders Collaborate to Enhance Nuke Market Growth
LONDON and CAMBRIDGE, Mass. - February 16, 2010 - GenArts Inc., the premier provider of specialized visual effects software for the film, television and video industries, and The Foundry, the world-leading visual effects software developer, today announced they have entered into a broad strategic alliance. Under the terms of the agreement, GenArts will acquire The Foundry's Tinder and Tinderbox plug-ins business and the two companies will enter into an arrangement to collaborate closely to expand the capabilities of the Nuke platform.
A well-established suite with a loyal customer following, Tinder and Tinderbox have been stalwarts in the visual effects plug-ins market for many years. GenArts will immediately assume all development, sales, marketing and customer support of Tinder and Tinderbox as they work to breathe new life into the venerable Tinder brand.
The strategic alliance allows the development teams from The Foundry and GenArts to work closely together to fully maximize the functionality of their future products. This collaboration opens the door to more effective delivery of new technology as the host platform and plug-in development can be more synchronized.
"Both GenArts and The Foundry deliver technologies that are essential to the compositing pipeline at Method," said Janelle Croshaw, of Method Studios. "Host platform development is often independent from the features and schedules of plug-in development. We're very pleased to see that GenArts and The Foundry understand that the way we use their products is extremely intertwined. This collaboration allows us to provide more seamless solutions to clients as we continue to deliver visual effects that push the limits of our audience's imagination."
As part of the alliance, GenArts will become the flagship partner in The Foundry's new third-party partner program for Nuke. GenArts will have an exclusive co-marketing relationship with The Foundry as a provider of visual effects plug-ins for Nuke and Nuke customers will have the option to install trial versions of GenArts plug-ins on Initial installation.
"The Foundry is very pleased to have come to this new arrangement with GenArts," said Bill Collis, CEO, The Foundry. "We believe that it's in the best interest of our customers for Tinder to be looked after by GenArts, while The Foundry concentrates on developing complex, problem-solving, image-processing plug-ins including further work on its award-winning Furnace and Ocula toolsets and new products based on our 3D scene technology. We hope our new third party program, launched today, with GenArts as our first provider, will bring a variety of plug-ins to the attention of Nuke users enabling them to do even more within the platform."
"GenArts' portfolio enjoys an unquestioned pedigree as the go-to tools in the arsenal of the world's best visual effects artists and editors," said Katherine Hays, CEO of GenArts. "Our alliance with The Foundry presents a unique opportunity to deliver value to Nuke users as the platform continues to gain momentum. Customers across the film, broadcast and commercial industries tell us that they highly value the benefits of standardizing their compositing pipeline on a common toolset from a trusted partner. The GenArts portfolio including Sapphire, Monsters, Raptors, wondertouch and now Tinder offers the most comprehensive suite of visual effects in the industry for our current and future customers. This strategic alliance with the Foundry further supports Nuke's growth into markets where GenArts software is a must-have."
For additional information, please refer to our FAQ
About GenArts
GenArts, Inc. is the premier provider of specialized digital visual effects for the film, broadcast and video industries. The GenArts Sapphire, Monsters and Raptors portfolio equips digital artists with a collection of state-of-the-art image processing and synthesis effects such as glows, light rays, lens flares, lightning, film damage, fire and fluid effects. The effects seamlessly integrate as software plug-ins into leading editing and compositing systems from Adobe, Apple, Avid, Autodesk, Assimilate, Eyeon, FilmLight, The Foundry, Quantel and SGO.
In November 2009 GenArts acquired wondertouch, an award-winning software developer specializing in particle effects. Their flagship product, particleIllusion, is considered one of the most popular solutions for particle effects creation, enabling artists to create natural effects such as smoke, fire, sparkles, fireworks and countless abstract effects. GenArts was founded in 1996 in Cambridge, Mass.
About The Foundry
The Foundry is a world-leading innovator of visual effects and image processing technologies that boost productivity in motion picture and video post-production. The Foundry has a well-established client base that includes leading visual effects facilities worldwide, such as Warner Bros., The Moving Picture Company, Weta Digital, Framestore, Sony Pictures Imageworks and Digital Domain. It is at the cutting edge of software development, marketing and sales for visual effects compositing. In June 2009, The Foundry announced a management buyout for an undisclosed sum led by Advent Venture Partners. Advent backed The Foundry's management team, led by CEO Dr Bill Collis and the original founders. The Foundry is highly profitable and has more than doubled in size in the past two years.
The Foundry's products support a wide range of award-winning host platforms including After Effects, Autodesk Media and Entertainment Systems, Avid DS, Nuke, Shake and Final Cut Pro. In 2007, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences awarded a Sci-Tech Award to The Foundry's development team for the Furnace image processing suite - and the company now holds two products with AMPAS Sci-Tech Award winning technology including high-end compositing system Nuke.
The Foundry is headquartered in London, and has offices in Los Angeles. For more information please visit: www.thefoundry.co.uk
GenArts/The Foundry Strategic Alliance FAQ
Announcement Date: Tuesday, 16 February 2010
What did GenArts and The Foundry announce?
GenArts and The Foundry today announced that they have entered into a broad strategic alliance. GenArts will acquire The Foundry's Tinder and Tinderbox plug-ins business and the two companies will enter into an arrangement to collaborate closely to expand the capabilities of the Nuke platform.
What are the components of this new strategic alliance?
There are three components to the alliance:
GenArts has acquired the Tinder and Tinderbox business from The Foundry. As such, GenArts will immediately assume all development, sales, marketing and customer support of Tinder and Tinderbox.
GenArts and The Foundry will collaborate to more closely synchronize the development of Nuke and GenArts plug-ins to fully maximize the functionality and customer value of their future products.
GenArts will become the flagship partner in The Foundry's new third-party partner program for Nuke. As such, GenArts will have an exclusive co-marketing relationship with The Foundry as a provider of visual effects plug-ins for Nuke and Nuke customers will have the option to install trial versions of GenArts plug-ins on Initial installation.
When does this alliance become effective?
The alliance is effective immediately.
Why did GenArts enter into this strategic alliance with The Foundry?
The alliance provides a means by which the development teams from GenArts and The Foundry can work closely together to fully maximize the functionality of their future products. This collaboration opens the door to more seamless technology delivery as the host platform and plug-in development can be more synchronized. In addition, we recognize that Tinder and Tinderbox are both well-established plug-in suites, with a loyal customer following, and have been stalwarts in the visual effects plug-ins market for many years. We are looking forward to revitalizing the Tinder brand and delivering new products that continue to provide great value to our customers.
How does the strategic alliance benefit customers?
Our customers have consistently told us that they are shifting their emphasis away from in-house visual effects tools development, and towards a greater reliance on standardized tools from trusted vendors. In addition, customers have said that they view their plug-ins and their host platform as two intertwined components of a single solution. GenArts' acquisition of The Foundry's Tinder and Tinderbox business allows both companies to focus on delivering best of breed product portfolios to customers. This is significant step toward facilitating our customer's ability to standardize on a more optimized portfolio of tools from their trusted vendors.
Meanwhile, the collaboration component of the alliance is designed to maximize the value of the Nuke platform by more closely aligning its development with that of GenArts' plug-ins. Customers will benefit from a more tightly integrated solution that more effectively exploits the strengths of each component. This collaboration is a natural extension of the work the two companies have done together as founding members of the Open Effects Association and creators of the OFX programming interface.
Does this mean that GenArts will be de-emphasizing support for other host platforms?
Absolutely not. GenArts has a long history of supporting all the host platforms that our customers consider important and we remain fully committed to this philosophy. This strategic alliance with The Foundry and the recent announcement of Sapphire 5 for Autodesk are both excellent examples of that commitment.
Why is selling the Tinder and Tinderbox business good for The Foundry?
The Foundry's plug-in strength has for many years been in complex research-based image-processing technology such as the award-winning Furnace and Ocula product lines. The Foundry intends to broaden its reach in this kind of plug-in technology.
But Tinder was where The Foundry started - how can you abandon it?
Yes, moving on from Tinder isn't something we do lightly. But we honestly believe it's in the best interest of our customers and an important step for future development at The Foundry.
What will The Foundry's plug-in team do now?
The Foundry's plug-in team has long been renowned for their innovation, winning an Academy Award for their Furnace product and multiple awards for their ground-breaking Ocula stereo-3D toolset. The team is hoping to continue their success in the hard science of images, expanding in size to support current products and develop entirely new ones. No staff will be moving from The Foundry to GenArts.
What will GenArts do with Tinder and Tinderbox in the future? We are very excited about the potential for innovation as a result of this alliance and our acquisition of the Tinder business and are evaluating feature and pricing options to provide customers maximum value and flexibility. Starting today, customers can go to genarts.com or Toolfarm.com to purchase Tinder or Tinderbox in their current form and at similar price points except for a few exceptions:
Tinderbox will now be sold as a full suite as opposed to individual boxes
The minimum period for all license rentals will now be 30 days
Only node locked licenses will be available for rent
Will Tinder or Tinderbox be folded into any current GenArts products such as Sapphire or Monsters?
Right now, there are no plans to combine Tinder or Tinderbox with Sapphire or Monsters to create a single product. For now, Tinder and Tinderbox will continue to be sold in their current form and at similar price points. We are continually evaluating feature as well as packaging and pricing options to provide our customers maximum value and flexibility.
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – December 17, 2009 -- GenArts Inc., the premier provider of specialized visual effects software for the film, television and video industries, today announced pricing for its GenArts Sapphir 5 licenses for Autodesk systems. A new Sapphire 5 license for Linux Flame, Inferno, Flint HD and Smoke HD will be priced at $8,499. This price represents a $1,500 decrease from Sapphire 4. Upgrades from Sapphire version 4 to Sapphire 5 will be priced at $3,499. In addition, new Sapphire 5 burn licenses have been reduced 50% from version 4 to $450.
Announced in November, Sapphire 5 will offer GPU-accelerated render speeds up to 700 percent faster than version 4, as well as support for full floating point workflows, enabling true photorealistic image quality with the highest dynamic range available. This increase in performance will dramatically change the complexion of the visual effects pipeline by lifting barriers to artists' creativity, while significantly reducing infrastructure costs.
Sapphire 5 is scheduled to ship in the first quarter of 2010 for Autodesk users. Please visit www.genarts.com/5 for more information.
GenArts Specialized Visual Effects Software: magic in every frame.
Unprecedented Performance and Quality Gains to Reshape Compositing Workflows
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. - November 23, 2009 - GenArts Inc., the premier provider of specialized visual effects software for the film, television and video industries, announced today GenArts Sapphire 5. The latest software upgrade is fully GPU-enabled to provide artists a completely interactive user experience at HD resolutions, while accelerating render speeds up to 700 percent. In addition, support for full floating point workflows will deliver true photorealistic image quality with the highest possible dynamic range. Sapphire 5 is scheduled to ship in the first quarter of 2010 for Autodesk users.
Sapphire 5 promises to markedly change the visual effects pipeline by stripping away the barriers to artists' creativity, while significantly reducing infrastructure costs. Featuring a completely interactive user experience at HD resolutions, Sapphire 5 will enable artists -- even in client-attended sessions -- to push the bounds of their imagination without intrusive pauses for screen refresh. In addition, full floating point support offers photorealistic image quality with the highest possible dynamic range, so artists can faithfully recreate looks that exist only in nature - or even beyond nature - with no loss in color information.
Sapphire 5 render times have been slashed dramatically so that batch jobs once requiring overnight processing are now merely "over lunch." Such performance gains can considerably extend the life of the nodes in a render farm or even reduce the number of nodes required to process a project.
"GenArts Sap"phire has long established itself as the must-have element in the compositor's or editor's toolbox," said Steve Bannerman, CMO of GenArts. "More and more customers are telling us that the opportunity cost of porting and optimizing in-house effects to new technologies like GPU is just too high. Sapphire 5 represents another huge step in supporting the rapidly growing trend away from this expensive development toward standardization on tools from their trusted vendor."
Since the company's founding in 1996, GenArts software has been utilized in hundreds of films, television broadcasts and commercials, including more than 20 Oscar-nominated pieces such as Titanic; I, Robot; Armageddon; Star Wars Episode I, II and III; The Matrix trilogy; The Lord of the Rings trilogy; Pearl Harbor; Spider Man; Pirates of the Caribbean; Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban; Transformers; The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe; and many more.'
About GenArts GenArts, Inc. is the premier provider of specialized digital visual effects for the film, broadcast and video industries. The GenArts Sapphire, Monsters and Raptors portfolio equips digital artists with a collection of state-of-the-art image processing and synthesis effects such as glows, light rays, lens flares, lightning, film damage, fire and fluid effects. The effects seamlessly integrate as software plug-ins into leading editing and compositing systems from Adobe, Apple, Avid, Autodesk, Assimilate, Eyeon, FilmLight, The Foundry, Quantel and SGO. The company was founded in 1996 in Cambridge, Mass. www.genarts.com.
The sale includes the DVD versions only, no downloads. Class On Demand will give the users free updates to Final Cut Pro 7 and Final Cut Studio 3 Training when they buy Final Cut Studio 2 or Final Cut Pro 6 training. All you need to do is peel off the sticker on the DVD and send it in to Class on Demand and they will send you the new training for free, released in about 6 weeks. You'll have to pay for shipping, but you'll get 2 sets of training for half the price of one!
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Get the After Effects compatible or FxPlug version of GenArts Sapphire for only $999! Save $700 only at Toolfarm.com
On November 18, 2009, only from 12:00am to 11:59pm PST, get GenArts Sapphire for just $999, regularly $1699. No orders will be taken after that time. Please see our contact page for the current time at our headquarters in San Francisco, CA.
The sale is for the node-locked version only of the Adobe After Effects compatible and FxPlug versions of Sapphire only. FxPlug works in Apple Final Cut Pro and Motion.
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Get Boris Continuum Chroma Key 6.0 for 50% off on Thursday. This suite of keying tools includes the Chroma Key, Matte Choker and Light Wrap tools, which for this suite have been re-engineered to run in real-time - even on HD clips.
Not only that, it comes with BCS Chroma Key Studio, exclusively for users of Apple Final Cut Pro, Motion, and Final Cut Express we offer Chroma Key Studio, which is included in the Chroma Key Unit. Regularly $299, get it for just $149.50 on November 19.
Sale Pricing (Note: Prices have been revised to reflect 30% discount)
Tiffen Dfx Digital Filter Suite for AE, FCP, or Avid - $419.97 (reg. $599.95) Hosts to choose from: After Effects v2, Final Cut Pro v2, Avid Editing Systems
Tiffen Dfx Plug-in for Photoshop or Aperture - $209.97 (reg. $299.95) Hosts to choose from: Photoshop v2, Apple Aperture v2
We're still getting all of the details together for you but plan on a BIG SALE next Wednesday, November 18, on GenArts Sapphire. It will be just $999, so submit your requests to whoever you need to ask (your boss, your board, your spouse perhaps?). The sale will include the versions for After Effects compatible, and FxPlug (FCP/Motion) Node-Lock licenses only. This is an incredible deal that won't be around again anytime soon!
GenArts Demo Reel
GenArts Sapphire for After Effects Before and After
Update 2.091 brings improved support for Nucleo Pro background renders. v2.09 added support for floating licenses on Windows and on Mac, support for Mac OS 10.6 Snow Leopard and floating licenses, plus it fixed a problem with Glare on HD footage . You can update or download a demo here.
Michele Yamazaki from Toolfarm is out on the West Coast today to present Boris Continuum Complete at Editor's Lounge tonight, Oct 30, 6:30pm. The topic du jour is Plug-ins, Pixels and Pumpkins: Compositing, Tracking and More. Featured guests will include Boris FX, Digital Film Tools, GenArts and Imagineer Systems. RSVP here for the event.
New Resources Make GenArts Tools Even Easier to Learn, With Minimal Time Investment
GenArts announced today that of new training DVDs are now shipping. Complete Training for GenArts Sapphire from Class on Demand. First announced at NAB in April 2009, this title features more than four hours of in-depth, hands-on training for GenArts Sapphire on Adobe After Effects and Apple Final Cut Pro. The title, designed for both novice and experienced users, guides artists through the many effects and transitions found in Sapphire so they can harness the full power of the suite with a minimal time investment. Users learn how to apply effects in every Sapphire category, and conclude by building a complete broadcast-ready promo spot. All footage and project files are included. The product retails for $129 USD and is available as a digital download or as a DVD from Toolfarm.
New Resources Make GenArts Tools Even Easier to Learn, With Minimal Time Investment
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. - August 25, 2009 - GenArts Inc., the premier provider of specialized visual effects software for the film, television and video industries, announced today the availability of new training videos and tutorials for GenArts Sapphire and Monsters users. Available immediately, these new resources include:
Complete Training for GenArts Sapphire from Class on Demand. First announced at NAB in April 2009, this title features more than four hours of in-depth, hands-on training for GenArts Sapphire on Adobe After Effects and Apple Final Cut Pro. The title, designed for both novice and experienced users, guides artists through the many effects and transitions found in Sapphire so they can harness the full power of the suite with a minimal time investment. Users learn how to apply effects in every Sapphire category, and conclude by building a complete broadcast-ready promo spot. All footage and project files are included. The product retails for $129 USD and is available as a digital download or as a DVD from Toolfarm.
Fifteen tutorials for GenArts Sapphire for Adobe After Effects and Apple Final Cut Pro. These new free tutorials offer helpful tips and tricks for many of Sapphire's most popular effects such as LensFlare, RackDefocus and FilmDamage. These tutorials are available as free digital downloads. After Effects users should visit http://genarts.com/product/tutorials/sapphire/ae, and Final Cut Pro users should visit http://genarts.com/product/tutorials/sapphire/fcp. Check in frequently as we are always adding more.
The Monsters Companion Pack for Autodesk systems Reviewer's Guide. This tutorial offers a comprehensive 10-minute overview of many of the sparks in the Monsters Companion Pack for Autodesk Flame and Smoke users. The tutorial includes demos of Flare, PixFly, TV, Brush and Smoke. Ideal for use alongside the free Monsters trial version, Autodesk artists can leverage this tutorial to quickly see professional results in a limited amount of time. The reviewer's guide is available as a free digital download at http://www.genarts.com/product/tutorials/monsters/companion.
"Since my work is always tied to a tight deadline, I seldom have extra time to explore in depth the tools I use to create visual effects," said Jim Geduldick, Sr. DI Artist at Offhollywood NY. "As a result, I know I'm missing out on some incredible features GenArts Sapphire has to offer. The Complete Training for GenArts Sapphire from Class on Demand gives me an easy way to learn how to tap into the depth of Sapphire's features and dramatically enhance my productivity."
"GenArts provides the powerful tools that the world's best artists use every day to bring the world's greatest stories to life," said Steve Bannerman, CMO of GenArts. "The availability of these new training resources will help ensure that both long-time GenArts customers, as well as new users exploring a trial, have the opportunity to experience the full potential of Sapphire and Monsters and feel the inspiration that brings magic to every frame."
Since the company's founding in 1996, GenArts' software has been utilized in hundreds of films, television broadcasts and commercials, including more than 20 Oscar-nominated pieces such as Titanic; I, Robot; Armageddon; Star Wars Episode I, II and III; The Matrix trilogy; The Lord of the Rings trilogy; Pearl Harbor; Spider Man; Pirates of the Caribbean; Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban; Transformers; The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe; and many more.
About GenArts GenArts, Inc. is the premier provider of specialized digital visual effects for the film, broadcast and video industries. The GenArts Sapphire, Monsters and Raptors portfolio equips digital artists with a collection of state-of-the-art image processing and synthesis effects such as: glows, light rays, lens flares, lightning, film damage, fire and fluid effects. The effects seamlessly integrate as software plug-ins into leading editing and compositing systems from Adobe, Apple, Avid, Autodesk, Assimilate, Eyeon, FilmLight, The Foundry, Quantel and SGO. The company was founded in 1996 in Cambridge, Mass. www.genarts.com.
Institutional Users On Adobe After Effects and Apple Final Cut Pro Can Now Enjoy Significantly Reduced Support Costs While Maximizing Resource Allocation
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. - August 25, 2009 - GenArts Inc., the premier provider of specialized visual effects software for the film, television and video industries, announced today a floating licensing option for institutional users of GenArts Sapphire on After Effects and Final Cut Pro host systems. The eagerly awaited floating license option offers significant flexibility, along with reduced support costs and more efficient resource allocation.
The new floating license option - supported via the Reprise License Manager (RLM) - allows customers to maintain licenses on a centralized server and "check them in and out" to users on a local area network as they are needed. This new Sapphire licensing option provides the following benefits:
Lower support costs. Since licenses can be seamlessly moved from one machine to another, managing licenses is far easier and machine downtime is minimized.
Greater flexibility. Customers can now easily support the dynamic requirements of freelance and temporary artists.
Efficient resource allocation. Customers can gain visibility into artist usage patterns and budget license purchases as their concurrency needs grow.
"GenArts Sapphire's new floating license option is essential in helping us keep our artist productivity high and our support costs low," said Saker Klippsten, Head of Engineering, Zoic Studios. "If a machine fails, we can have another one up and licensed immediately, keeping our artists working. In addition, floating licenses allow us to easily configure temporary workstations for freelance artists as they come and go. This new licensing option really saves us money while giving us much more freedom."
"Post-production houses rely on GenArts Sapphire every single day to ensure stellar visual effects results in feature films, commercials and television shows", said Steve Bannerman, CMO of GenArts. "Our new floating license option comes as a result of our continuing efforts to listen to our customers and deliver Sapphire in all the ways that meet their needs. We realize that our customers' businesses have changed and larger facilities need flexible options for keeping costs low and productivity high. Whether it's floating licenses, rentals or Web-activated serial numbers, GenArts delivers."
Since the company's founding in 1996, GenArts software has been utilized in hundreds of films, television broadcasts and commercials, including more than 20 Oscar-nominated pieces such as Titanic; I, Robot; Armageddon; Star Wars Episode I, II and III; The Matrix trilogy; The Lord of the Rings trilogy; Pearl Harbor; Spider Man; Pirates of the Caribbean; Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban; Transformers; The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe; and many more.
About GenArts GenArts, Inc. is the premier provider of specialized digital visual effects for the film, broadcast and video industries. The GenArts Sapphire, Monsters and Raptors portfolio equips digital artists with a collection of state-of-the-art image processing and synthesis effects such as: glows, light rays, lens flares, lightning, film damage, fire and fluid effects. The effects seamlessly integrate as software plug-ins into leading editing and compositing systems from Adobe, Apple, Avid, Autodesk, Assimilate, Eyeon, FilmLight, The Foundry, Quantel and SGO. The company was founded in 1996 in Cambridge, Mass. www.genarts.com.
License Rental Option Brings Benefits of Sapphire to Broader Range of Adobe After Effects, Apple Final Cut Pro Users
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. - July 7, 2009 -- GenArts Inc., the premier provider of specialized visual effects software for the film, television and video industries, announced today a monthly license rental option for its flagship GenArts SapphireTM visual effects software for Adobe After Effects and Apple Final Cut Pro. The program is designed to offer Sapphire's entire suite of industry-leading visual effects plug-ins at an extremely affordable cost of entry, thereby providing access to a much broader range of users.
Available immediately, the Sapphire rental program is priced monthly at $169 for the full suite. Customers can prepay an unlimited number of months, and the minimum rental period is one month. Users can also apply up to two months of their rental fees as a credit toward the purchase of a permanent license.
"The Sapphire rental program is ideal for independent artists who work on a project basis. I no longer have to make compromises in my work because of the price of the tools," said Rob Birnholz of Absolute Motion Graphics, an independent digital media creation studio in Orlando. "Not only do I get access to the highest quality visual effects software used by the world's best artists, but the flexibility of the rental model makes it far easier for me to assign the cost directly to a particular job."
Recognized by top studios and post-production houses for its image quality, organic look, speed and intuitive controls, GenArts Sapphire provides more than 200 state-of-the-art image processing and synthesis effects plug-ins. It has been used to create some of the most exciting visual effects in countless blockbuster and Oscar-nominated films. Now, these high-quality visual effects are within reach of many independent filmmakers, freelancers, rental houses, videographers, and even students and hobbyists.
"Visual effects have become essential to the art of communicating and modern-day storytelling. Oscar-winning features such as The Curious Case of Benjamin Button illustrate how the role of visual effects has evolved from pure action and fantasy sequences to becoming a core component of the story itself," said Steve Bannerman, CMO of GenArts. "Sapphire is widely recognized as a mission-critical tool in the arsenal of many of the world's best artists and editors, and we're thrilled to be able to offer its capabilities to a significantly wider range of customers by dramatically lowering the cost of entry."
Since the company's founding in 1996, GenArts software has been utilized in hundreds of films, television broadcasts and commercials, including more than 20 Oscar-nominated pieces such as Titanic; I, Robot; Armageddon; Star Wars Episode I, II and III; The Matrix trilogy; The Lord of the Rings trilogy; Pearl Harbor; Spider Man; Pirates of the Caribbean; Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban; Transformers; The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe; and many more.
The votes are tallied for the Toolfarm 2009 Plug-in Awards. Thank you for your input!
Congratulations to Trapcode Particular for being the most prized plug-in for After Effects, winning by a landslide! Congratulations also to the winner of the Drobo giveaway - Dan Owen of Ensightful.
GenArts Sapphire 2.07 for After Effects and compatible products is released and available for download. This is a free maintenance release for v2 customers, and should work with your existing v2 serial number.
New in Sapphire 2.07 for After Effects and Compatible Products:
A problem with thresholds in Glow, Glint, Glare and Convolve is fixed, giving improved but slightly different results from 2.06 and making the results compatible with Sapphire v1
An issue with rendering text layers on fields in AE CS4 is fixed
An issue with WarpBubble in AE CS4 is fixed
If you are still running Sapphire v1... what are you waiting for? Upgrade Now!
Sapphire was used in Iron Man (see article from Studio Daily) and also in Benjamin Button (which I have yet to see, but its high on my list). Below is a press release about GenArts Sapphire use in Academy Award nominated films.
Leading Visual Effects Software Utilized in Many Oscar Nominated Films Including This Year's The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and Iron Man
CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Feb. 2 /PRNewswire/ -- GenArts, the leading provider of visual effects software for the film, television and video industries, said today it has logged yet another banner year at the Oscars. The company said artists working on two of the three films nominated in 2009 to receive the Visual Effects Oscar created effects using GenArts Sapphire software. This marks 12 consecutive years that GenArts Sapphire has been used in films recognized by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for outstanding visual effects.
"We look back with a great deal of pride at the role our customers have played in some of these truly great films," said Karl Sims, the company's founder. Sims launched GenArts 12 years ago out of his barn in Cambridge, MA and just a year later saw his visual effects software used in the making of Titanic, the first Oscar winner in the decade-long streak. "We send warm congratulations to all of this year's Visual Effects nominees. For those of us who supply the software tricks and tools behind the scenes, it's a thrill to see the work we played a role in receive this prestigious recognition."
This year, the Oscar nominees that employed GenArts Sapphire include The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and Iron Man.
"GenArts Sapphire plug-ins are the core of our tool-set for finishing every shot at Hydraulx," said Colin Strause, owner of Hydraulx. "Their speed and effectiveness were paramount to us finalizing our complex shots on The Curious Case of Benjamin Button."
Since the company's founding in 1996, GenArts software has been utilized in hundreds of films and in more than 20 Oscar nominated pieces, including Titanic, I Robot, Armageddon, Star Wars Episode I, II and III, The Matrix trilogy, The Lord of the Rings trilogy, Pearl Harbor, Spider Man, Pirates of the Caribbean, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of the Azkaban, Transformers, The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, and many more.
About GenArts
GenArts, Inc. is the premier provider of digital visual effects for the film, broadcast and video industries. The GenArts Sapphire, Monsters and Raptors family equip digital artists with a collection of state-of-the-art image processing and synthesis effects such as: glows, light rays, lens flares, lightning, film damage, fire and fluid effects. The effects seamlessly integrate as software plug-ins into leading editing and compositing systems from Adobe, Apple, Avid, Autodesk, Assimilate, Eyeon, FilmLight, The Foundry, Quantel and SGO. The company was founded in 1996 in Cambridge, Mass. www.genarts.com.
Join GenArts and Toolfarm in celebrating the 12th consecutive year that Sapphire has been used in films recognized by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for outstanding visual effects. Enjoy blockbuster savings on the GenArts Sapphire Entire Package, on sale for one day only, February 24, 2009! Save $700 and get all of the Sapphire plug-ins for After Effects and Final Cut Pro, exclusively at Toolfarm. This once-in-a-lifetime sale ends at Midnight EST on February 24.
Afraid the sale will slip your mind after a late night of Oscar watching? Sign up for Toolfarm's Sales Alert. It's free and we'll send a text message reminder to your mobile phone or email on the morning of the sale.
Join GenArts and Toolfarm in celebrating the 12th consecutive year that Sapphire has been used in films recognized by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for outstanding visual effects. Enjoy blockbuster savings on the GenArts Sapphire Entire Package, on sale for one day only, February 24, 2009!
Save $700 and get all of the Sapphire plug-ins for After Effects and Final Cut Pro, exclusively at Toolfarm. This once-in-a-lifetime sale ends at Midnight EST on February 24.
Afraid the sale will slip your mind after a late night of Oscar watching? Sign up for Toolfarm's sales alert. It's free and we'll send a text message reminder to your mobile phone or email on the morning of the sale.
Available immediately, new version features 36 new effects and many enhancements
Cambridge, MA. December 2, 2008 -- GenArts, Inc., a leading provider of visual effects software for the film, broadcast and video industries, today announced the release of version 3 of its Sapphire Plug-ins for the Avid® AVXTM architecture. The new version includes several new features to help editors working on Avid Media Composer®, Symphony™ or NewsCutter® systems to enhance their content with powerful visual effects tools.
With this announcement, GenArts is responding to demand and strengthening its offering to the Avid community by adding 36 new effects, dozens of improvements to existing effects and expanded options. These additions allow for deeper integration and support for Avid solutions and give the Avid community even more stunning visual effects and simplified processes. For example, many Avid editors previously built transitions using a series of Sapphire effects that have now been reworked into 13 new single-step, drag and drop Transitions. There are also new innovative effects such as TVDamage, which simulates various artifacts of television broadcast and display such as static, ghosting and interference, and Technicolor 2Strip and 3Strip, which give the look of 1930-1955 Technicolor film. Other new practical additions include Deband, which removes banding artifacts from a clip by diffusing pixels across the banded areas while keeping the original edges intact.
Ken Miles, director of business development at Avid Technology, Inc. said, "GenArts has always shown a strong commitment to the Avid user community by providing high quality, innovative software that integrates seamlessly with Avid products. With today's announcement, Avid customers now have several new and improved effects that we are sure to see in more blockbuster films, TV shows and commercials."
"GenArts has seen Sapphire Plug-ins expand the workflow of Avid artists over the past eight years that it's supported the platform," said Katherine Hays, CEO of GenArts, Inc. "Taking our Avid customers' ever-changing needs into account, an important step in our ongoing innovation, we have further enhanced our product offerings to Avid's user base with this new release."
Key new features in Sapphire Plug-ins v3 for Avid:
New enhancements and options including 15 new LensFlares, Improved Glares and revamped RackDefocus.
Support for Windows Vista and 64bit systems
Supports promotion of previous Sapphire versions to v3
As with all GenArts products, version 3 offers quick and easy application of high quality, organic effects to Avid sequences, an easy to use interface with on-screen control widgets for efficient workflow, single click application of effects to titles and keys, seamless transition of effects from offline to online Avid systems, compatibility with any resolution setting, multiple options and parameters that can be adjusted and animated to create an unlimited range of unique results, online hyper-linked documentation, and RGBA support for all Avid editing products.
Availability and Pricing: Learn more/purchase Sapphire Plug-ins version 3 for Avid systems. Pricing for Sapphire 3 is: $1800 for Avid Media Composer Software-only; $2800 for Symphony, Media Composer, NewsCutter or DS Assist; and $4800 for Avid DS or DS/Symphony. Existing version 2 customers qualify for special upgrade pricing of $600, $900 and $1600, respectively. A free trial is available.
About Avid Technology, Inc. Avid is a worldwide leader in tools for film, video, audio and broadcast professionals - as well as for home audio and video enthusiasts. Avid professional and consumer brands include Avid®, Digidesign®, M-Audio®, Pinnacle Systems®, Sibelius® and Sundance Digital®. The vast majority of primetime television shows, feature films, commercials and chart-topping music hits are made using one or more Avid products. Whether used by seasoned professionals or beginning students, Avid's products and services enable customers to work more efficiently, productively and creatively. For more information about the company's Oscar®, Grammy® and Emmy® award-winning products and services, visit www.avid.com. About GenArts Founded in 1996 in Cambridge, Mass., GenArts, Inc. is the 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 over 200 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 from Adobe, Apple, Avid, Autodesk, Assimilate, Digital Vision, Eyeon, FilmLight, The Foundry, Quantel and SGO.
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 Iron Man, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, The Hulk, Spider-Man 1, 2 and 3, The Chronicles of Narnia, The Lord of the Rings trilogy, Star Wars - Episode I, II and III, Sin City, The Matrix trilogy, X-Men 1, 2 and 3, Titanic, Lost and CSI. Additional GenArts product information can be found at www.genarts.com.
GenArts, Inc., a leading provider of visual effects plug-ins for the film, broadcast and video industries, today announced the immediate availability of Sapphire Plug-ins for OFX products. A collaborative effort by visual effects developers, OFX is an open standard for plug-ins, enabling developers to support a broad range of platforms with a common interface. Sapphire Plug-ins for OFX makes its full range of features and functionality, including more than 200 Sapphire effects, available to users of a growing list of popular post-production platforms from industry leaders including Autodesk, The Foundry, Eyeon, FilmLight, Digital Vision and Assimilate. Demonstrations of the new release will be given at IBC 2008 on GenArts stand 7.K41.
As the industry standard for high-end, professional 2D visual effects, Sapphire Plug-ins provides sophisticated, organic visual effects which integrate natively with leading editing, compositing and finishing systems. The entire collection of more than 200 Sapphire effects includes everyday tools such as Glows, LensFlares, Glint, FilmDamage, and ZDefocus, to more exotic effects such as Lightning, FlysEye, and JpegDamage. With Sapphire Plug-ins for OFX, these effects can be applied easily by users of The Foundry's Nuke, Autodesk Toxik, Eyeon Fusion, FilmLight Baselight, Digital Vision Film Master and Assimilate Scratch. Future support is expected for other OFX host platforms.
"Sapphire Plug-ins have already become an essential part of our work, providing the kind of truly stunning results that our clients love," said Chris Wirth from Universal Images. "With the new OFX version, we'll gain even greater power and convenience for putting the full range of Sapphire effects to work in everything we do."
Sapphire Plug-ins v1 for OFX products includes the full range of effects, features and functionality already standard for other supported hosts including v2 for After Effects and Compatible products, v2 for Apple FxPlug and v4 for Autodesk systems. Support for floating licenses and background render nodes is also included.
"GenArts is committed to enabling digital content creators and post production artists. This release significantly broadens Sapphire's support to a range of new platforms in order to reach not only new users, but to better meet the needs of our existing clients as they evolve the way they work. Through supporting open standards such as OFX, GenArts has taken another step in creating new tools that will further support current and future artists as the visual effects industry progresses," comments Katherine Hays, CEO of GenArts.
Key features of Sapphire Plug-ins for OFX Products:
Over 200 effects.
Support for Windows 32 & 64, Linux 32 & 64 and Mac OS X Intel & PPC.
All plug-ins have multiple options and parameters that can be adjusted and animated for creating an unlimited range of effects.
Resolution independent, antialiased, high quality images.
Online hyper-linked documentation for all plug-ins.
Dual-core, quad-core and 8-core support for faster rendering.
On-screen user interface for visual control of many parameters.
Floating license option available.
About GenArts:
Founded in 1996 in Cambridge, Mass., GenArts, Inc. is the 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 over 200 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®, Premiere® Pro and Premiere® Elements; Apple® Final Cut Pro®, Final Cut Express®, Motion® and Shake®; Avid® AVX Products; Autodesk® Compositing & Editing Systems, Toxik® and Combustion®; The Foundry® Nuke®; Eyeon® Fusion®; FilmLight Baselight; Digital Vision Film Master; Assimilate™ Scratch®; and Quantel® generationQ products.
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 Iron Man, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, The Hulk, Spider-Man 1, 2 and 3, The Chronicles of Narnia, The Lord of the Rings trilogy, Star Wars - Episode I, II and III, Sin City, The Matrix trilogy, X-Men 1, 2 and 3, Titanic, Lost and CSI. Additional GenArts product information can be found at www.genarts.com.
Company to demonstrate their VFX plug-ins on a wide range of products at booth 1536
GenArts, Inc., a leading provider of visual effects plug-ins for the film, broadcast and video industries, will be exhibiting at SIGGRAPH 2008, being held August 12-14 at the Los Angeles Convention Center.
GenArts will feature Sapphire Plug-ins, a collection of over 200 image processing and synthesis effects, on a wide range of host platforms in the Plug-in Pavilion, booth 1536. Visitors to the booth will be given demonstrations of the latest Sapphire Plug-ins releases for Adobe After Effects and Apple Shake. GenArts will also be showing a technology preview of Sapphire Plug-ins for OFX products on The Foundry's Nuke, Autodesk Toxik and Eyeon Fusion.
About GenArts Founded in 1996 in Cambridge, Mass., GenArts, Inc. is the 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 over 200 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®, Premiere® Pro and Premiere® Elements; Apple® Final Cut Pro®, Final Cut Express®, Motion® and Shake®; Avid® AVX Products; Autodesk® Compositing & Editing Systems, and Combustion®; Eyeon® Fusion®; and Quantel® generationQ products.
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 Iron Man, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, The Hulk, Spider-Man 1, 2 and 3, The Chronicles of Narnia, The Lord of the Rings trilogy, Star Wars - Episode I, II and III, Sin City, The Matrix trilogy, X-Men 1, 2 and 3, Titanic, Lost and CSI. Additional GenArts product information can be found at www.genarts.com.
Sapphire Plug-ins 2.07 includes support for the new Avid 3.0 versions and Windows Vista. GenArts has recently added support for Mac OSX Leopard and automatic conforming of sequences that used Sapphire v1 to Sapphire v2/AVX2 with recent Avid versions.
This is a free maintenance release for existing v2 customers and your current serial number should just continue to work.
The new version can be downloaded and installed from here:
Todd Prives of GenArts demo of the new FxPlug version of Sapphire plug-ins for FCP and Motion. They're also giving away a package of GenArts Sapphire.
Claudia from SF Cutters says: "Todd's demos are famous for their understandability, clarity, and visual pleasure. Todd has been with GenArts for a long time and demos this product with the integrity it deserves. This is something you do not want to miss."
New version features over 200 effects with native support for Final Cut Pro and Motion
Cambridge, MA. March 18, 2008 - GenArts, Inc., a leading provider of visual effects plug-ins for the film, broadcast and video industries, today announced the immediate availability of Sapphire Plug-ins for Apple FxPlug products, including Final Cut Pro, Final Cut Express and Motion. Sapphire Plug-ins for FxPlug products contains over 200 image processing and synthesis effects, including the latest effects in the Sapphire suite such as FilmDamage, ZDefocus, Cartoon, BleachBypass, GradientMulti, SwishPan, Deband and Vignette. GenArts is offering the new FxPlug version at no additional charge to customers with Sapphire v2 for After Effects and compatible products.
The new version for FxPlug products features drag-on Transition effects for FCP, effects categorized by Generators, Filters and Transitions, and parameters arranged in groups for improved interface layout. "It's fantastic to have these effects as real transitions in FCP! Once again a great job by the GenArts Sapphire team," says Andy Tolbert from Wide Eyed Productions.
Usability enhancements in the FxPlug version also include the ability to open and close parameter groups in the UI and dial controls for angle parameters. Additionally, projects created in Motion using Sapphire effects can be easily imported into FCP. The FxPlug and After Effects versions of Sapphire can be used concurrently in FCP for compatibility with existing projects.
"GenArts has a long history of supporting Apple products, and this release further demonstrates our commitment to our mutual customers. We are proud to provide native support for all of the Apple FxPlug products with this new version of Sapphire, which dramatically enhances the full range of effects and functionality for FCP and Motion artists," comments Anish Dhanda, Managing Director of GenArts. Key features of Sapphire Plug-ins for Apple FxPlug Products:
Over 200 effects
Native support for Final Cut Pro, Final Cut Express and Motion
Convenient drag-on Transition effects for Final Cut Pro and Final Cut Express
Effects categorized by Generators, Filters and Transitions
Parameter groups can be opened and closed in the UI
FlickerRemove and FlickerMatch have Set Hold Level and Set Match Level buttons
Angle parameters use dial controls
Motion projects with Sapphire effects can be imported and embedded in Final Cut Pro
FxPlug and After Effects versions of Sapphire can be used together in Final Cut Pro
Support for Mac OS 10.5 Leopard and Mac Intel hardware
Many options and parameters which can be adjusted and animated for an unlimited range of results
Resolution independent, fully anti-aliased, high quality images
Easy to use and fully integrated within the native user interface
Multi-processor support for faster rendering
Online hyper-linked documentation
Availability and Pricing
Sapphire Plug-ins for Apple FxPlug Products can be purchased directly from GenArts or through their worldwide channel of authorized resellers. Pricing is $1699 for the entire package or $599 for one of four individual box sets. Special upgrade pricing for existing customers with Sapphire v1 for After Effects is offered for $599 and $199, respectively. Customers with Sapphire v2 for After Effects can use the FxPlug version at no charge on the same workstation. A new license purchased for FxPlug also allows use of the AE version. A free trial of the software is available online at www.genarts.com
About GenArts, Inc. Founded in 1996 in Cambridge, Mass., GenArts, Inc. is the 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 over 200 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®, Premiere® Pro and Premiere® Elements; Apple® Final Cut Pro®, Final Cut Express®, Motion® and Shake®; Avid® AVX Products; Autodesk® Compositing & Editing Systems, and Combustion®; Eyeon® Fusion®; and Quantel® generationQ products. 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: Pirates of the Caribbean 1, 2, and 3, Spider-Man 1, 2 and 3, Superman Returns, The Chronicles of Narnia, The Lord of the Rings trilogy, Star Wars - Episode I, II and III, Sin City, The Matrix trilogy, X-Men 1, 2 and 3, Titanic, Lost and CSI. Additional GenArts product information can be found at www.genarts.com.
Cambridge, MA. October 30, 2007 - GenArts, Inc., a leading provider of visual effects plug-ins for the film, broadcast and video industries, today announced the immediate availability of Sapphire Plug-ins version 2 for After Effects and compatible products including Adobe Premiere Pro, Apple Final Cut Pro, Autodesk Combustion, and Eyeon Fusion. The new release features over 30 new effects, plus many new parameters and improvements to existing effects in the package.
For over a decade, GenArts Sapphire Plug-ins have set the standard for sophisticated, organic visual effects which natively integrate with leading editing and compositing systems. Version 2 contains all of the visual effects and features that have established Sapphire Plug-ins as an indispensable part of the digital artist's toolkit - and introduces more than 30 new and innovative effects. FilmDamage, ZDefocus, Cartoon, BleachBypass, GradientMulti, SwishPan, Light3D, Deband, and TextureNeurons are a few of the new plug-ins in the collection of over 200 image processing and synthesis effects. Many new effects were designed to improve users' workflow while others offer easy ways to create eye-catching visuals, such as FilmDamage - which simulates aged film by adding scratches, dust, stains, grain, shake and flicker. Enhancements to existing effects in the package include a revamped RackDefocus, 4 new Glares and 14 new LensFlares.
"GenArts has the highest quality plug-ins you can find. I love the new effects in Sapphire 2 such as WarpMagnify, SwishPan and DissolveGlow, and I expect to use Vignette every day," comments Jack Tunnicliffe, Senior Effects Artist at Java Post Production. "The LensFlare additions are also fabulous."
Sapphire 2 includes support for the latest versions of all After Effects and compatible host applications including Adobe CS3 and the "Smart FX" API which provides more efficient processing and support for 32bit image formats. All platforms running v2 will have improved rendering speed.
"We are thrilled with this new release. After Effects, Final Cut Pro and the other compatible products have become integral parts of our high-end users' workflow as we see more and more clients working on multiple host platforms. Version 2 further extends their creative capabilities with many innovative effects and additional functionality," says Anish Dhanda, Managing Director of GenArts.
Key New Features of Sapphire Plug-ins 2 for After Effects and Compatible Products:
FilmDamage simulates aged film by adding scratches, dust, stains, grain, shake, flicker, etc.
ZDefocus defocuses areas of the source clip by different amounts using depth values from a z-buffer input.
Cartoon gives cartoon-like looks with exaggerated edges and flat areas of color.
Light3D performs 3D relighting of a clip using an input clip describing the surface normals.
Vignette darkens the outer edges of a clip with various shape options.
BleachBypass generates a stylized version of the source clip by simulating a bleach bypass process.
LensFlare has 14 new flare types, new parameters to adjust the look of the flares and an optional Matte input which allows selective blocking or colorizing of flares.
LensFlareAutoTrack can track and render flares at multiple hotspots.
RackDefocus has new shape options and improved performance.
Glare includes 4 new glare types and improved performance.
Adobe's "Smart FX" API is supported for AE7 and CS3 with more efficient processing and reading of 32bit image formats.
Windows Vista and Mac OS X Leopard are supported.
Availability and Pricing
Sapphire Plug-ins version 2 for After Effects and compatible products can be purchased directly from GenArts or through their worldwide channel of authorized resellers. Pricing for Sapphire 2 is $1699 for the entire package or $599 for one of four individual box sets. Special upgrade pricing for existing v1 customers is offered for $599 and $199, respectively. A free trial of the software is available online at www.genarts.com. Sapphire Plug-ins version 2 will also be available on Quantel generationQ products with VDS Synapse. For more information about Sapphire on Quantel please contact VDS.
About GenArts, Inc. Founded in 1996 in Cambridge, Mass., GenArts, Inc. is the 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 over 200 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®, Premiere® Pro and Premiere® Elements; Apple® Final Cut Pro® and Shake®; Avid® AVX Products; Autodesk® Compositing & Editing Systems, and Combustion®; Eyeon® Fusion®; and Quantel® generationQ products. 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: Pirates of the Caribbean 1, 2, and 3, Spider-Man 1, 2 and 3, 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, Sin City, The Matrix trilogy, X-Men 1, 2 and 3, Titanic, Lost and CSI. Additional GenArts product information can be found at www.genarts.com.
GenArts has told us that Sapphire 2 for After Effects and compatible products will be released by the end of this year and will include many new effects, plus enhancements to existing effects in the package.
In anticipation of the upcoming release, we'd like to extend a special upgrade offer to Sapphire customers who purchase Sapphire v1 now. Beginning October 1, 2007 customers who buy version 1 will be eligible for a free upgrade to version 2 when it becomes available.
Company to demonstrate their VFX plug-ins on a wide range of products in booth 321
Cambridge, MA. July 17, 2007 - GenArts, Inc., a leading provider of visual effects plug-ins for the film, broadcast and video industries, will be exhibiting at SIGGRAPH 2007, being held August 7-9 at the San Diego Convention Center. GenArts will feature Sapphire Plug-ins, a collection of over 200 image processing and synthesis effects, on a wide range of host platforms in the Plug-in Pavilion, booth 321. For over a decade, GenArts Sapphire Plug-ins have set the standard for sophisticated, organic visual effects which natively integrate with the industry's leading editing and compositing systems. Visitors to the booth will be given demonstrations of the latest Sapphire Plug-ins releases for: Adobe After Effects & Premiere Pro, Apple Final Cut Pro & Shake, Avid AVX Products, and Autodesk Combustion.
About GenArts, Inc. Founded in 1996 in Cambridge, Mass., GenArts, Inc. is the 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 over 200 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; Autodesk® Compositing & Editing Systems and Combustion®; Eyeon® Fusion®; Sony® XPRI®; and Quantel® generationQ products.
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: Pirates of the Caribbean 1, 2, and 3, Spider-Man 1, 2 and 3, 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, Sin City, The Matrix trilogy, X-Men 1, 2 and 3, Titanic, Lost and CSI.
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. - November 23, 2009 - GenArts Inc., the premier provider of specialized visual effects software for the film, television and video industries, announced today GenArts Sapphire 5. The latest software upgrade is fully GPU-enabled to provide artists a completely interactive user experience at HD resolutions, while accelerating render speeds up to 700 percent. In addition, support for full floating point workflows will deliver true photorealistic image quality with the highest possible dynamic range. Sapphire 5 is scheduled to ship in the first quarter of 2010 for Autodesk users.
Get the After Effects compatible or FxPlug version of GenArts Sapphire for only $999! Save $700 only at Toolfarm.com
