Like much of life, every product has its good and bad aspects, and one man's nirvana is another user's hell. This is the case with MoviePack 3.0, the new “all-in-one” video postproduction software tool from AIST of Germany. MoviePack lets users edit and manipulate digital video, add 2D and 3D special effects, create motion graphics, and watch it all in realtime in a freely scalable playback window.
After exhaustive public beta testing that, according to the company, involved more than 50,000 users from around the world, the software began shipping late last year.
The software isn't really my cup of tea for a variety of reasons, such as its learning curve and features that duplicate applications I've already invested in. Perhaps it is the idea of relearning about five new applications and the program's new conventions that pose problems for me. But some will find MoviePack to be exactly what they are looking for, especially those who have yet to settle upon an NLE or special effects package.
What a monstrous undertaking this is from a software-development standpoint: timeline and nonlinear editing, pro CG for titles, slick 3D effects, unlimited compositing, and advanced animation, all in one package. While I applaud the Swiss Army knife approach, it seems that any time a company tries to produce an all-in-one anything, something invariably suffers in the final mix. But MoviePack 3.0 performs well.
Let's face it — After Effects has become the de facto standard for those serious about compositing and motion effects. When MoviePack and other applications follow established programs' protocols without stifling their own software's functionality, they generally succeed. Why introduce a whole new set of hot keys, for instance, to the user's learning curve? Luckily, AIST's new software mostly follows tradition but also allows customization of frequently used functions.
But from the documentation to the feel of the interface, one gets the sense that this is a European product, which is OK, just different.
Germany isn't the United States, and perhaps realizing this, AIST recently opened a headquarters on U.S. shores. Officials there seem very service-oriented and indicate that the European programmers are eager to implement suggested changes to the application.
AIST, founded in 1995, distributes its products in half a dozen languages in more than 30 countries around the world. Make no mistake, these guys are in it for the long haul. With the right follow-through, AIST's products could give AE and other entrenched video software a real run for the money. AIST has laid out a whole series of interrelated digital video and audio technologies that I predict will be around a long time if the company provides hooks so that other developers can tie into them.
Foremost among the many, many features of the new MoviePack product are the underlying core MovieX technologies of AMT (Adaptive Line Mesh Technology) and QPM (Queued Processing Management), which are the bedrock for AIST's Live Preview in Realtime (LPR) ability. These proprietary technologies (which may be licensed to other applications in the future) provide realtime feedback with no hardware, keeping up with the user's actions and displaying transitions, effects, morphs, color corrections, and titles as immediately as your system will allow.
I tested the application on two systems. It was speedy on both and got even faster and smoother after I tweaked the system software and OpenGL settings.
According to support and other users, this optimization is often overlooked in the setup phase, but you can tweak it by clicking on the AIST folder within the Start menu. A menu pops up that says Video Setup (or DV Setup). Click on that and choose No (use Software Rendering), and that should do the trick. It did for me. You can also right-click inside the preview window and modify the display settings there to optimize the software's playback ability.
As with most highly complex tools today, there is no way to cover all the things it does and does not do. A free demo version of the program is available on the company's website, which I encourage you to check out. Let's hit the highlights.
The first is the everything-but-the-kitchen-sink approach. This program tries to do it all, and at an attractive price point. When given a powerful foundation like a 500MHz Pentium III, it succeeds for the most part. MoviePack includes professional features that power users ask for. I liked the unlimited number of layers and experimenting with the transparency of each.
In addition to offering more than 200 pre-built video transitions, MoviePack also facilitates customized video and audio transition effects. There are multiple transition styles, several title effects, and virtual lights and cameras for 3D animation. For output accuracy, colorbars are digitized into the program and played back through video cards from two different manufacturers, Fast and Pinnacle. Colorbars appeared to be very accurate on a waveform/vectorscope. It would be nice to have a software-based waveform/vectorscope.
MoviePack is completely scalable, and you can customize the interface to increase your productivity. The company emphasizes its product's modular and open design that allows for future expansion through AIST- and Premiere-compatible third-party plug-ins. This makes the software something that the user will never outgrow, and more manufacturers should keep this in mind. But still, some of MoviePack's naming, operations, and hot-key conventions are — in a word — different.
The marketing hype that our industry spews creates problems of its own. “Broadcast quality” is one example of a term that has been misused to the point of meaninglessness. The term “real-time” is another. In my humble opinion, nothing is truly realtime (taking place at the speed of light at the exact same time you perform an operation). But I will say that outside of a super-expensive hardware Harry or Flame paintbox or Media 100i system, this is as close to realtime as it gets — especially for less than a grand.
The ability to preview effects, edits, and filters adds to the creative process, allowing you to try different ideas quickly and easily. AIST's LPR technology lets you preview everything — even while working with multiple layers and video in numerous windows. Creative decisions can be made on the fly without the need for time-consuming rendering, which is the norm for products costing three times as much. This improves workflow and gives the editor the freedom to compare different artistic possibilities easily.
MoviePack offers support on a variety of levels. On the digital standards side, virtually all graphics, video, and audio formats, as well as most third-party video hardware products, are supported and compatible. The program also works directly with compressed digital video formats such as DV or MPEG-2. The software can simultaneously import and export multiple formats from HDTV quality in 16:9 to web streaming formats like Real and QuickTime. MoviePack uses a 32-bit color depth, supporting high-definition resolutions and beyond.
As for tech support, the staff was very responsive and knowledgeable. AIST offers free support for 90 days via a toll call, and replacement if the product is defective. As complex as the program is, I was disappointed that more tutorial resources were not available, as the learning curve is a bit too steep for my taste. The manual, which comes without a binder in a weird wire-hoop format, consists of 32 small booklets. Although competent, the documentation often left me scratching my head. On the other hand, the company is addressing the need for more educational information. AIST enhances its website continually with more technical docs, and a new chat area lets users compare notes and provide feedback to the company.
MoviePack supports the Adobe Premiere and After Effects plug-in format 100%. Well, OK, how about 95%? Some would not work. You can use plug-ins from compatible third-party manufacturers such as Final FX, Hollywood FX, and Boris RED, create your own transitions, or add to your library by purchasing volumes of extra transitions directly from AIST. Via the website, users can also post and exchange custom transitions among themselves.
The company must be listening to its users, because at this year's NAB convention AIST announced the new 4.0 version of MoviePack. Slated to ship later this summer, it has many new features users have requested:
A new Storyboard view for easier drag-and-drop placement of video clips and transitions.
A new skins-enabled browser that lets users change the look of the MoviePack interface by applying custom skins. Users will be able to select from existing skins or create their own.
Rubber-band editing of audio on the timeline.
Several new effects, including particles, floating mask with selection tools, and various effects masks.
Advanced editing timeline enhancements such as multiple views, single track or A/B roll mode, and location markers.
As for the future? MoviePack and the underlying MovieX technology already seem to be ahead of the hardware technology curve, and it will be a while before an affordable system will take full advantage of all they offer. The program supports any number of processors and is ready for the days of quad-CPU systems. MoviePack is the first of a series of products the company plans to roll out over the next few years. AIST has already shipped more affordable products with its DVsuite application. The company is keeping a close eye on today's emerging technologies.
MoviePack's street price point is half that of other, better-known software, and in the right hands the software can produce similarly stellar results. This package could be a cost-effective choice for a school, company, or individual looking for one common application that does it all. Are you looking for a sophisticated video postproduction Swiss Army knife? If you're not opposed to learning new ways of doing things, you might give MoviePack 3.0 a look.
