GenArts Sapphire Glow and Glint plug-ins were used to light up this figure in the music video for “A Twist of Fate,” sung by artist Emilia. The effects were created by post house FX2. (Photo courtesy Revolver Film Co.)
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Trends have come and gone in video postproduction, each one brightening and then fading out as newer ideas came along. First there were dissolves, then wipes, then fancier wipes (matrix wipes, rotational wipes, Kiki wipes), and other digital transitions. We had 2D DVE effects/transitions followed by 3D DVE effects/transitions, including warps, cube effects, trails, and light sources. We had sepia programs and blue-toned programs. Each new, trendy effect had a startlingly profound impact, only to be diluted by copycat products that eroded the wow factor.
Although my last staff editing position before going freelance was as a special effects editor/compositor, I strongly believe that when you decide to throw in some effects to spice up an otherwise mediocre production, you have created nothing more than “effecty” mediocre programming.
At last we may be seeing an effects trend that will not fade away like the others. The reason? These effects are used for a specific purpose and not just for shock value. What is this latest trend? Plug-ins.
Generally, there are two types of plug-ins: effects and applets. Effects would include things like gunshot muzzle flashes, lightning, lens flares, and film scratches. The other type, which I call applets, are supplementary tools for nonlinear postproduction software. This type would include the popular Ultimatte and Primatte chromakey software plug-ins; compositing applet plug-ins like Discreet Combustion and Artel Software Boris FX or Red (when they can be accessed from within the postproduction application); CG plug-ins such as Inscriber CG or Qscribe; and a Video Systems NAB 2001 Pick Hits award winner, Automatic Duck Automatic Composition Import plug-in.
A brief history
Perry Kivolowitz, now of Profound Effects, could well be the inventor of the media plug-in effect. Many know him better as the Academy Award-winning founder of Elastic Reality. He hopes to be better remembered for a product called Useful Things, described as “the first genuine plug-in generator.”
Kivolowitz introduced graphics-related plug-ins in 1988 with his pioneering product Art Department Professional. Among his initial reasons for creating plug-ins was a need to conserve the platform's limited memory, issue bug fixes on a small code base, and create an after-market for third parties that could strengthen the platform with additions. “I am fairly certain that my use of plug-ins predates Photoshop,” he says.
The Moving Picture Company’s digital artist Dan Sanders’ work on the new Polo Smoothies ads involved some cosmetic cover-up work. The ads are a send-up of haute couture and the general chic and cheerfulness found in the pages of glossy society magazines. But there was one painfully obvious problem. “The models were really spotty,” says Sanders. “The ads had to look really chic, and this meant the models having clear, smooth skin.” The solution lay in running the blighted areas through 5D Clean, and then recomping them into the final sequence. “5D Clean doesn’t soften the image like normal blurring does,” he says. “Rather it averages out any blotches on the plate and keeps all of the edge detail. It’s the perfect tool for cleaning up faces. In fact, we use it all the time for this sort of work.” 5D Monsters offers a range of more than 350 visual effects plug-ins.
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Adobe was one of the first manufacturers to understand the benefit of plug-ins and to create software architecture to encourage third-party plug-in development. First, it implemented a plug-in architecture for Photoshop, and later for Premiere and After Effects. Adobe's sizeable user base also attracted the interest of third-party developers.
In the high end of the compositing arena, Discreet understood the benefits as well, and its SGI-based product drew third-party plug-in manufacturers such as 5D (established in 1990). The first 5D product was a plug-in called TMorph. Many of 5D's first 10 boxes of plug-in effects were based on effects written at high-end Discreet postproduction facilities as effects for specific projects by staff Irix code-writers, but the effects had the potential for more generalized applications.
Early low-end postproduction plug-ins included John Knoll's Lens Flare Pro, followed in 1995 by Final Effects developed by Nils Schneider and Jens Enqvist. At MacWorld 1995 in Boston, the Boris FX plug-in was introduced — compatible with both Adobe Premiere and Premiere plug-in-compliant Media 100.
Industry leaders Adobe and Discreet developed the standards for interfacing plug-ins. Later, Quan-tel (1995) and Avid AVX (1999) offered additional plug-in markets for developers with their software developer's kits.
“It takes time for editing manufacturers to make changes and update their software,” says Marco Paolini of Digital Film Tools. “Small plug-in companies can respond quickly, and in many cases do a much better job in adding functionality to existing editing systems.”
Plug-ins today
Ron Gonsalves of Deep Devices compared the modularity of plug-ins to the way “black box” hardware was integrated into linear online rooms in years past. There was always some new device to integrate into a linear online suite so it could be considered state of the art. In the same way, today's plug-ins offer the latest tool, process, or effect, and provide access to the latest visual style or look, but without requiring new hardware or a new or upgraded editing system.
“Host applications can't — and shouldn't — strive to do everything,” says Pete Litwinowicz of Re:Vision Effects. “In general, plug-ins provide functions that are only meaningful to a small portion of the customers for a particular application. This is the perfect opportunity for smaller companies like ours to fill the holes.
“Everybody wins. By having a plug-in architecture, the main editing/compositing vendors don't need to charge everyone for functionality that just a few operators need. However, the operators can still get what they need and have it work right inside their favorite application by buying plug-ins that extend the functionality of the main program. Furthermore, the customer wins because they only have to purchase the extensions they actually need.”
“This is something Adobe picked up on early, and I think it's been partially responsible for the success of their products,” says Jim Tierney of Digital Anarchy.
“The products themselves are great, but the way third-party developers have extended those products in many cases have made them amazing. After Effects is probably the most successful market for plug-ins, simply because it has the most robust plug-in API, which gives access to almost all the functions within After Effects. Each new release of After Effects brings new API features.”
Bob Currier of Synthetic Aperture points out, “The companies writing the postproduction software have to serve a broad general market, meaning that they leave out specialized niche features. Third parties can implement those features as plug-ins. If the editing/compositing software manufacturer tried incorporating all the various plug-in functions into an application, it would increase the cost of that application tremendously.”
While niche functions often migrate into base applications, the case of 5D Cyborg has proven the opposite is a possibility as well — the plug-ins became a compositing/finishing platform application.
Either way, constant changes and platform evolution make it difficult for third-party plug-in manufacturers. Their products must continuously evolve to stay ahead of the applications.
Those who use the plug-ins must also keep up. A combination of imagination and experience are critical. As for experience, compositors need to play with the plug-ins — combining them and massaging them. They need to watch what other creative compositors and designers are doing with them, and watch the graphics designers as well.
Of course, even effects plug-ins can be overdone. After Effects plug-in expert Wes Plate, owner of Automatic Duck, says it best: “I know an editor whose demo reel is a mash of explosions and glows and blurs and other stuff.
“When I see this person they invariably ask me, ‘What plug-ins are you using these days?’ You can tell this editor thinks that if they slathered five effects onto some video footage, suddenly their edit is good. It isn't. A plug-in doesn't save a bad edit, but a plug-in can help tell a story, can enhance a cut, can save time and money. Some plug-ins are great, others, not so great. Just like the creatives in the industry.”
What to expect in the future
Several manufacturers expressed hope for an open standard, universal plug-in, but others said it would never happen because a universal standard would require too much of a compromise.
This background lighting effect
comes from Digital Film Tools Composite Suite 2.0, a comprehensive set of effects plug-ins for Avid editing systems and Adobe After Effects.Composite Suite includes 15 effects plug-ins that were until recently only available inhouse at Digital FilmWorks, a Los Angeles-based visual effects facility specializing in feature film and television special effects.
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Certainly, a good strong interface benefits the editing/compositing platform. Also, more could be done to help third-party manufacturers to extend the life of established software and plug the holes of missing tools. Manufacturers also agree that in an era of established dominating platform providers, plug-ins are where the action is.
Generally, all plug-in effects require rendering, but future trends might include a platform supporting both editing/compositing applications. The plug-ins could become so fast and powerful that render times will shrink and become near instantaneous operations. Another trend may be toward smaller plug-in packages, which will result in lower prices.
In addition to the postproduction moving-image plug-ins mentioned in this article, there are many plug-in solutions for audio postproduction. Furthermore, the largest area of plug-in development can be found in the fields of graphics and 3D animation.
As to what new effects or applets will become available in the future, Jim Tierney of Digital Anarchy says he believes users are a manufacturer's best source of inspiration. He urges users to participate in Internet forums, email lists, and user groups. Tierney believes most manufacturers either lurk or participate in such groups, and many of their ideas for new plug-ins are derived from them.
One of the primary methods of promotion that plug-in manufacturers use is the free sample download. “Developers are usually small businesses, and if you find a tool useful, please pay for it and support the company that developed it,” Tierney asks. Apparently the issue of payment is a serious concern for plug-in manufacturers, and more than one has gone out of business because of it.
There are many new research and development concepts in the area of plug-ins, from Perry Kivolowitz's Profound Effects Useful Things to projects at universities and media laboratories such as NYU Media Research Lab's Image Analogies Project (online at http://mrl.nyu.edu/projects/image-analogies).
One area of development is ease of use. For example, 5D is looking into diversity presets, which take users through a whole range of possibilities quickly and easily.
Many editors will be surprised to learn how many different plug-in effects are available. Not only is there a plethora of effects, but by combining them you can generate an infinite number of imaging possibilities.
Finally, there are a few points worth mentioning. Several plug-in manufacturers suggested that before paying for a new system or a major NLE manufacturer upgrade, you might want to consider investing in a few third-party plug-ins. This might provide a better value for your investment.
Also, to get the most out of an investment in a series of plug-ins, you need to really explore their possibilities — turn them upside down, combine them, and really shake them up. You will discover things you never anticipated.
Plug-in developers
3Prong, makers of DirtFiX, FlickerFiX, SpeedRamP, ColorFiX, and CalcFX www.3prong.com
5D, makers of Monsters, Mashers, and Color*Star www.five-d.com
Alien Skin Software, makers of Eye Candy for After Effects www.alienskin.com/ecae/ecae_main.html
Artel Software, makers of Boris FX 6.0, Boris Red 2.1, Boris Graffiti, Boris AE, Boris Continuum, and Boris Factory www.borisfx.com
Deep Devices, makers of TextureMill and RetroScan www.members.aol.com/deepdevice
DigiEffects, makers of Delirium, Euphoria, CineLook, CineMotion, Aurorix, Berserk, Cyclonist, and AgedFilm www.digieffects.com
Digital Anarchy, makers of Elements of Anarchy:Text and Knoll Spark Pack www.digitalanarchy.com
Digital Film Tools, makers of Composite Suite and Composite Suite Color Correct www.digitalfilmtools.com/html/digitalfilmtools.html
The Foundry, makers of Tinder, Tinderbox, Keylight, and Anvil www.thefoundry.co.uk
GenArts, makers of Sapphire plug-ins www.genarts.com
Komkom Doorn, makers of Krokodove www.komkomdoorn.com
Pinnacle Systems, makers of Commotion, Image Lounge, Knoll Light Factory, Plug-in Pack, Primatte Keyer, TitleDeko Pro, and Hollywood FX www.pinnaclesys.com/ProfessionalDivision_new.asp?SolutionID=20
Pixélan Software, makers of SpiceMaster, Video SpiceRack, Video SpiceRack Pro, and OrganicFX www.pixelan.com
Profound Effects, maker of Elastic Gasket and Useful Things www.profoundeffects.com
Re:Vision Effects, maker of ReelSmart FieldsKit, ReelSmart Motion Blur, ReelSmart Shade/Shape, ReelSmart Twixtor, and Video Gogh www.revisionfx.com
Stagetools, maker of Moving Picture www.stagetools.com
Steve Walker SW Effects
www.walkersj.com
Synthetic Aperture, makers of Echo Fire 2.0 and Video Finesse www.syntheticaperture.com
Ultimatte
www.ultimatte.com/software.html
Visual Infinity, makers of Grain Surgery www.visinf.com
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