Tom Stern of Microfilmmaker Magazine reviews Boris Final Effects Complete 5 and gives it a "Microfilmmaker Magazine Award of Superiority".

Congrats to Boris for the great review. Read it here.

Labels: Boris, Final Effects Complete, reviews

Digieffects Simulate Illuma got a nice review at DigitalArts this week.

Low-cost; great lighting tools for motion-graphics artists; innovative preset and randomize system.

• Digieffects Simulate Illuma in our Plug-in Finder
• Buy Simulate Illuma
• Try Simulate Illuma

Labels: Demo, Digieffects Simulate, Illuma, reviews

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.

Read the full review here: "Holy Hot Looks Batman, they're Magic Bullets!"

Labels: Genesis Project, Magic Bullet Looks, Red Giant, reviews

Scott Novasic gives Digieffects Damage a fabulous review.

Damage is a must-have for any animator or editor! These are not redundant effects overlapping things done in other packages I own, they are unique and versatile tools for manipulating and yes, damaging imagery unlike any other tool I have come across. Add to that, that these are, for the most part, FASTER than realtime and Im in love. For $99 its a steal. Digieffects, under new ownership, has set the bar high. Im excited to see what else they deliver us in the future.

Labels: Damage, DigiEffects, DMN, reviews

Congratulations to Digieffects for the great review of Damage at Microfilmmaker Magazine. Sort of a humorous review too.

Also, if you truly derive pleasure from destroying perfect good footage, the cost of this plug-in is much cheaper than hiring a psychiatrist to tell you why you feel that way. Plus, you'll get the same therapeutic value.

• Download a demo of Damage
• Buy Digieffects Damage for $99
• Learn more about Damage in Toolfarm's Plug-in Finder

Labels: Damage, DigiEffects, MicroFilmmaker Magazine, reviews

I've been plowing through Maxon Cinema 4D version 10.5 Studio ($3500 retail) for a few weeks now, and I'm pretty impressed with the whole experience. The most important feature I needed was MoGraph ($399 retail), a separate module for procedurally animating arrays of objects, much like how Trapcode's Form animates arrays of particles. Demo's I've seen of Form are awesome, and I think you might be able to do the same thing with MoGraph, (though it'll take forever to render). The interface for these procedural animations is probably the easiest to grasp of any 3D application. I get good performance on my MacBook Pro, but I've run out of RAM 3 times, based on excessive polygon counts. Sub-division surfaces, or HyperNURBS in MAXONspeak, was the method of my RAM-busting. I haven't tried distributed rendering yet to see if that avoids my memory issues.

The Materials Editor is the most straightforward I've come across and is a pleasure to use, especially for adding material libraries posted on the net. The Hair module is pretty straightforward, and renders quickly. Most of my older C4D files opened fine in 10.5, and the speed gain over my Dual 2.0 G5 was notable.

For what you're getting, I'd like more than a single "Getting Started" printed manual. The online documentation follows the menu bar and command options, less the job or technique you want to accomplish. There are many free tutorial resources on the web, and the included training DVD's are quite helpful getting you out the gate.

I'll be the first to admit Cinema 4D isn't the cheapest solution around, especially with the Studio configuration. If you're into character animation, Maya is still the bread and butter of VFX facilities, but MAXON's character tools get better each release, and for a high-end 3D app, nothing out there easier to pick up quickly. I'm all about the ease of use. It blows LightWave 3D out of the water. Sony Pictures ImageWorks standardized on MAXON's BodyPaint, which is now simply a part of C4D Core. There are competitive upgrade offers, and until June 30, you can get Core and one optional module for $1135; look at the web page.

Labels: Maxon Cinema 4D, reviews

Casey Wilson reviews Wacom Cintiq 12WX: Tools to help a visually impaired artist

Labels: DMN, reviews, Wacom Tablets

Toolfarm Forum Expert Jim Geduldick (aka Apple Jim) reviews Digital Film Tools Power Matte: Generating mattes for After Effects over at Digital Producer.

Labels: After Effects, Digital Film Tools, DMN, Jim Geduldick, Power Matte, reviews

Here's a quick excerpt from the review

A toolbox loaded with high quality ready-to-go effects, and the ability to customise, create and share your own effects means your collection can just keep growing. With the FxPacks on offer and FxFactory Pro, you get versatility, dedication and a willingness to develop further, which sounds like value for money to me.

Read the full review

Labels: FxFactory, Noise Industries, reviews

Kevin McAuliffe reviews Noise Industries FXFactory Pro 2.0.2 and gives it an 'Absolute Buy'.

See, I wasn't just just blowing smoke when I told you it was a great plug-in package. Learn more about FxFactory in our Plug-in Finder.

Labels: Final Cut Pro, FxFactory, FxPlug, Motion, Noise Industries, reviews

Here is an excerpt from the Media 100 review:

Overall, it is quite amazing (and instructive) to see how Media 100's development has come along recently, with features being added slowly but steadily, and extremely intelligently. They've patiently updated what was necessary to bring the platform back into the modern marketplace, adding and refining features methodically and leveraging the software assets and capabilities of Boris Graffiti, FX, and RED.

They have done all of this and kept the price of both the hardware-based and software-only packages very reasonable. For those who prefer Media 100's clean and uncluttered interface and extensive feature set, this is all very good news. For those who have moved to other editing platforms, it is definitely time to take a peek back into Media 100 and see how it all looks. For those looking to set up a Mac-based suite, a look at the new Media 100 HD is more than worth the effort: Media 100 has reconstituted itself as a full featured, efficient, fast, and a well-priced value worthy of any editing platform.

Read the complete review in the February 20, 2008 issue of TV Technology.

Labels: Boris, Media 100, reviews

Robert Jensen reviews Tiffen DFX plugins. The review focuses on the Photoshop plugins, but there are also plug-ins for After Effects, Final Cut Pro, Avid and a standalone version. Here are a couple of excerpts from the review:

The control Tiffen gives you over the filters is amazing in its scope and very well thought out. The more I played around the more my imagination ran wild and the better my images looked in the end.

The creative possibilities are endless. It would take months to explore every option available. I especially loved being able to add special effects like the 204 Shutter and using the displacement map to make it look realistic.

Read the review

Labels: reviews, Tiffen Dfx

Dave Basulto of Filmmaking Central reviews Trapcode Form Training with Harry Frank and gives it a perfect score.

I give Trapcode Form Training with Harry Frank a whopping 5/5 stars for well explained training and ROI. You can pick up the training at ToolFarm.com. I highly recommend Trapcode Form Training with Harry Frank for anyone wanting to get going with Form fast.

Congratulations on the great review, Harry. Trapcode has also endorsed the training. It is really good.

Labels: Harry Frank, reviews, Trapcode Form

Marc Franklin over at Studio Monthly reviewed Boris Continuum Complete 5 and gave it mad props.

...BCC 5 is a sophisticated and fast answer to your workflow. It has a high-end feature set that lets you create top-notch results within minutes.

Read the BCC5 Review at Studio Monthly

Labels: Boris, Continuum Complete, reviews, Studio Daily

Here is the review that I mentioned earlier in the month for BCC5 for FCP from Post Magazine. Enjoy.

I should mention it's actually called Boris Continuum Complete 5 FxPlug, meaning it runs in both Final Cut Pro and Motion and allows you to work between the two programs without rendering. FxPlug technology is so awesome.

Labels: Boris, Continuum Complete, reviews

Wondertouch particleIllusion is a standalone particle emitter and it's really cool. Jeremy Hanke of Microfilmmaker Magazine reviews particleIllusion for Mac and Windows. He thought it was freakin' awesome. Check out the review. Jeremy is a great writer and he has written a ton of reviews.

If you haven't tried Wondertouch particleIlluion, download a free demo today.

On a side note, particleIllusion for After Effects will be out in the near future. Stay tuned.

Labels: particleIllusion, reviews, wondertouch

Ryan Graham at Microfilmmaker Magazine reviews Avidion Real 3D, a fantastic plug-in for Adobe After Effects. It may be a plug-in you're not entirely familiar with because it doesn't (yet) have the brand recognition of Trapcode or Boris, so I encourage you to download a demo of Real 3D and try it out. After reading the review, you'll be dying to get your fingers on it!

Labels: Avidion Real3D, Demo, reviews

I was just looking through Post's website and there are some reviews that might interest you.

Imagineer Mocha review by Fred Ruckel. Fred likes Mocha. Buy mocha!... do it for the children.

Post Magazine Reviews Boris Continuum Complete 5

Here is an excerpt from the review: "Boris Continuum Complete (BCC) has become an indispensable tool for my post production workflow. A job is not 'complete' until it's been run through Continuum Complete. No matter what kind of job it is: from keying to motion tracking or grading to uprezing, BCC has something for everyone."

I don't have a link (yet) to the BCC review. Maybe it's not on the site yet. I'll keep an eye out. Learn more about Boris Continuum Complete in our Plug-in Finder

Labels: Boris FX, Continuum Complete, Imagineer Systems, mocha, reviews

Dave Basulto at Filmmaking Central reviews ReVision Effects De:Noise plug-in in his video podcast and gives it a rave review.

Labels: DE:Noise, Filmmaking Central, Re:Vision Effects, reviews

Boris Continuum Complete 5 is an exceptional plug-in set for Apple Final Cut Pro and Motion, and I could go on for hours about all the effects and how great they are. The amount of thought that went into this plug-in set is obvious, and Boris is moving this plug-in set forward by leaps and bounds. Don't let the $895 price tag scare you away, as there are a few plug-ins in this set that if you were to buy separately, would almost cost you the same as BCC 5 itself. For all the users of Boris Continuum Complete who haven't upgraded to version five, what are you waiting for, and for everyone else, head on over to www.borisfx.com to download the free demo. You won't be disappointed.

• Buy or upgrade Boris Continuum Complete
• Download a free demo of Boris Continuum Complete
• Learn more about Boris Continuum Complete in our Plug-in Finder

Labels: Boris, Continuum Complete, reviews

Okay, two things here: First, check out this beautiful movie from LME that shows off their templates for Adobe After Effects. The movie refers to all LME templates and bundles.

Review: LME Amazing Video Walls & Displays

Also, check out this review for LME Amazing Video Walls & Displays. I've been sitting on this review for a few months, only because I got very busy. If you're not one to read, basically it says that LME Amazing Video Walls & Displays is really great and you need it. You should read it though. It would make me happy.

Labels: LME, reviews

A boxed version of Noise Industries FxFactory is now available. FxFactory is a primo plug-in package for Final Cut Pro and Motion. It's FxPlug, so it's fast, and of course, it's Universal.

Read a review of FxFactory Pro by Jim Geduldick

Read an interview with Niclas Bahn of Noise Industries - Niclas explains exactly what FxFactory is and why it's the plug-in package for Final Cut Studio that you must own.

Labels: Final Cut Pro, FxFactory, FxPlug, Inspirations, Motion, Noise Industries, reviews

Jim Geduldick, one of the gifted forum experts at Toolfarm, reviews Noise Industries FxFactory, an FxPlug plug-in package for Apple Final Cut Pro and Motion.

Labels: FxFactory, Noise Industries, reviews

Kevin McCauliffe at DMN reviews Boris RED 4.1. Kevin says "I have to admit, I went into looking at Boris RED a little skeptical, and walked away almost speechless. RED is an excellent product that every editor should have to complement Motion 3. With Motion's new 3D capabilities, and the effects and graphical WOW of Boris RED, any editor with Final Cut Studio will be able to put a smile on even the most particular client's face."

Read the review

Labels: Boris, RED, reviews

Justin Pugh of MircoFilmmaker Magazine reviews Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 1.0 and gives it a score of 9.3! He goes through deep details on the ease of use, value, depth of options, performance and value.

Labels: Adobe, Lightroom, MicroFilmmaker Magazine, Photoshop, reviews

Jeremy Hanke reviews Red Giant's Magic Bullet Colorista and give it a 9.3 out of 10. This is a terrific review. Jeremy is the editor of Microfilmmaker Magaine and always gives a great terrific unbiased review.

Labels: Colorista, Magic Bullet, Red Giant, reviews

"Time to Animate Everything" or "Bigger, Better, Faster"

Yes, you read that right! The first review of After Effects CS3. I had to wait until the clock struck midnight to post this and it was tough to wait!

WOW! I'm blown away. The new features Puppet, Shape, 3D Type and Brainstorm are killer. The Shape Tool is something I've been waiting for for a long time, Shapes like Photoshop. "BrainStorm can take your effect, or effects and derive a series of alternate options by modifying the various parameters in those effects and keyframes." The Puppet feature is a warping/morphing type of tool and Ko gives a nice Quicktime sample. Oh, and 3D Text.... I need to catch my breath!

Oh, don't wait any longer, Read the Review NOW!

Labels: Adobe, After Effects, Ko Maruyama, reviews

The new enhancements, especially the added filters and improved interface, make Boris Red 4.1 worth the upgrade.

- James Rankin, DV Magazine

Read the review and check out the Boris Red entry in our Plug-in Finder.

Labels: Boris, RED, reviews

Andy Yardy of MicroFilmmaker Magazine has a terrific review of GridIron's Nucleo Pro. He gives it a total score of 9.5 out of 10.

Read the review of Nucleo Pro

By the way, you probably noticed our new site design. Have you seen the new and improved reviews section?

Labels: GridIron, Nucleo, reviews

By Michele Yamazaki, Toolfarm, Inc.

There are several wonderful training pieces for After Effects, but it's the Chunkalize feature that really sets the dvCreator's training apart. Chunkalized.... I know, it sounds like a slogan for Chips Ahoy cookies.

What the heck is Chunkalized?, you're wondering. It's a simple, interactive feature which allows the viewer to work in After Effects along with the video DVD without missing a beat. The video automatically pauses for you at the end of the chunk so that you can flip between the video and After Effects, do the excercise and come back. If you miss something, you can quickly jump back to the last Chunk without having to look around for the start point. This hands-on approach saves time and streamlines the training process. You can bypass this feature, too, if you choose not to use it. (View some excerpts)

Labels: After Effects, DVCreators.net, reviews, Training

Check out Boujou 4: Camera and object tracking software introduces scripting control By Todd Sheridan Perry. There's a nice before and after image and Todd says "is and always has been an impressive piece of software, and it's performed beautifully on numerous projects I've been a part of."

Buy Boujou 4 | Upgrade to Boujou 4

Yes, it is an expensive product, but it's so awesome! If you use our "holiday gift" that we gave to our mailing list, you would save $479! If you have no idea what I'm talking about, you might want to join our mailing list to get in on the next deal!

Labels: Boujou, reviews

Tinderbox 4 has won The DingBat Magazine: "The Monthly Review of Cool Tools Editors' Choice Award" and there is a cracking review! (If you're not from England, cracking is slang for really brilliant.) Congratulations to The Foundry!

Tinderbox 4 is available at Toolfarm. Betcha already knew that, though.

Labels: After Effects, plug-ins, reviews, The Foundry, Tinderbox