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Your Favorite FCP Effects Plugin Packages (paid and free)
Hello Everyone,
I was researching both on Creative Cow, and on Google, the most highly recommended effects plugins available for FCP (both free and paid).
I was wondering what is your favorite FCP plugin effects package for FCP 6 an 7, both paid and free? Which FCP plugin package do you rely on most when you edit?
Here are some of the Free FCP effects filters that I have installed and use (in no particular order):
1) Andy’s Filters
2) Too Much Too Soon (many plugins in their free package)
3) CGM (especially their aged film filter)
4) Nattress “G Free”
5) CHV Electronics (especially “iSilhouette” and “Silk and Fog”)
6) 1z1screenworks (their ‘demo’ package has demos and free)
7) AJW’s (Adam Wilt)
8) River Rock Studios
9) Tom’s Filters (“50 Point Bazier Matte 2”)
Here are the additional paid FCP plugins that I am considering purchasing:
1) Nattress Big Box of Tricks ($100 – about 75 plugins. CCow users seem to recommend this package as a good useful basic package)
2) Noise Industries FX Factory Pro ($399 – includes 170+ plugins)
3) GenArts Sapphire ($1,699 for non-floating license – includes 200+ Visual Effects Plugins. Expensive, but CCow members seem to recommend this package)
4) CoreMelt Complete ($399 – includes 200+ plugins)
5) Red Giant Software “Magic Bullet Suite 10” ($799 – includes 8 different software packages. Seems like very high quality FCP plugin effects)
6) Red Giant Software “Effects Suite 10” ($899 – includes 9 different software packages. from the Red Giant website, it was not clear to me whether you can use all of the “Effects Suite 10” plugins in FCP, or whether some of them only worked in After Effects. I posted a thread on the Red Giant forum to clarify that question: https://forums.creativecow.net/readpost/266/227)
Here are some FCP Plugins that others have recommended on CCow in the past:
Eureka!
Joe’s Filters
Boris Continuum Complete
CHV plugins
Nattress Film
Nattress Big Box of Tricks
DH Box
DVmatte Pro 3
TMTC
Stib’s Plugins
Andy’s Better 3DNoise Industries FX Factory
GenArts SapphireSo, what is your favorite FCP plugin package?
Thanks for sharing your recommendations and experience.
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9 Replies
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Hi Kashiar,
Are you really thinking to spending money in FC filters?
FCP is officially dead.
rafael -
as Rafael said….
but then if you do decide to get Sapphire, then get the AE licence and not the FCP one. With the AE licence you can run the plug-ins in After Effects, but you can also download the FCP plug-ins and run those using the same licence (as long as its all on the same computer).
I’m not sure if this works the other way around (ie, buy fcp licence and then run AE plugs as well).
Expensive but extremely good plug-ins
Adam Taylor
Video Editor/Audio Mixer/ Compositor/Motion GFX/Barista
Character Options Ltd
Oldham, UKhttp://www.sculptedbliss.co.uk
My YouTube Animations Page -
I am on this one with Raphael: Wait a little. Those are all great Plug Ins – specially Sapphire, nattress, Red Giant Stuff!
But let’s see, what the whole FCP X development will bring.
Right now I would be very careful in investing in this platform.
It’s like you found your girl friend cheating – and you right away offer her marriage and moving together.
Be cautious right now, that’s all i’m saying.Sascha
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Thank you, Rafael, Adam and Sascha, for your thoughts and feedback.
Yea, I’ve been reading the forum and internet posts about how Apple dumped professional editors.
Actually, I have always told my Apple-devoted friends that although I like Final Cut Pro as software, I did not like Apple as a company and their business practices and how they treated their customers.
For me, my trust with Apple was broken when they stopped supporting the PowerPC format with future software (they could have taken a little bit of time and made their new software work on both platforms, just as Windows was made to work on AMD and Intel processors, and Adobe makes their software work on Macs and PCs). Apple were thinking of the bottom line at the expense of their customers who invested thousands of dollars on their MAC equipment, and wanted PowerPC users to spend the more money to buy the new Intel Macs.
I have read several editors describe Apple’s behavior as ‘hubris,’ and that label feels appropriate.
Anyway…. back to the topic…
The reason why I am considering purchasing additional FCP plugins is because we are working on 3 film and DVD projects that we already started on Final Cut Pro, and it makes sense to me to stay with FCP to finish these, and I would like to have some additional effects to add some interesting looks.
I have heard several editors who are planning on continuing to use FCP Studio 3 until it doesn’t become practical for them to use it anymore, and I think that I will take this approach, and use FCP until it doesn’t serve my needs and I will have to purchase and use something else.
Perhaps Apple will listen to FCP editors, and revise FCP X to meet our needs, so patience with FCP might be best until we can’t wait anymore.
Regarding FCP Plugins, I know that the Red Giant software also supports CS5 and AE (as well as FCP), and as Adam mentioned, Sapphire also supports AE and Avid, as well as Motion.
So, perhaps the prudent and middle approach might be to purchase the least expensive plugins of the ones listed (that offer useful effects), perhaps the “Big Box of Tricks” and “FX Factory Pro”?
I also know that I could invest in After Effects, and although I have friends who work in AE, I want to try to add effects within the FCP framework for now, and give AE work to my friends in there are AE effects that we absolutely want to include in our projects that we can’t create in FCP.
So, does purchasing middle priced plugins under this circumstance make sense?
Thank you again for your thoughts and recommendations.
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Well, in this case, maybe Sapphire is a bit over the top.
FX Factory is very very good – I love the Plug Ins and they are as far as I remember pretty fair priced.
Maybe first get the free trial versions. They are full functioning, but with watermarks.
So, you can integrate them in your project – and play around with it.
And the once that stand the tests and you really want in your project – buy those then.
Besides, I still would wait with the big buy…even if FCP X is upgraded and will stand the Pepsi Challenge as professional NLE – since its architecture is entirely different from the old FCP – a lot of them won’t work.Sascha
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Sound advice, Sascha.
Thanks for your recommendation of FX Factory Pro. It is listed at $399. Not bad for 170+ plugins.
I remember reading that one or more of the plugin packages claim to also work with FCP X, but I will not be purchasing or investing in FCP X until it is tested, editor-approved, and ready for professional editing.
I will purchase plugins as needed for a project.
If Apple dumps its professional editing format, I have no qualms about jumping the Apple ship and using Adobe Premiere. Because of Apple’s pattern of disregarding their customers, I feel no loyalty to Apple whatsoever.
It is a shame that because FCP and Mac systems are used so widely in the Entertainment Industry, it provided good marketing for Apple since those who work in and control media helped to promote Apple products to the masses. It is similar to what Apple used to do in schools: put Mac products in the hands of school children so that they wold grow up knowing and supporting Apple and Mac products. But, Apple’s hubris and disregard for customers will be their downfall eventually. (For example, the Conan spoof of the mess of FCP X reaches customers and impacts Apple’s public relations: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LxKYuF9pENQ ).
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you do have another option with the Sapphire plug-ins (and no – i dont work for Genarts, i only noticed this the other when updating my own licence) and that is to rent them when you need them. Much cheaper this way and saves a massive outlay for things you may never use.
check out the genarts website for more info.
regards
adamAdam Taylor
Video Editor/Audio Mixer/ Compositor/Motion GFX/Barista
Character Options Ltd
Oldham, UKhttp://www.sculptedbliss.co.uk
My YouTube Animations Page -
Thank you, Adam.
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Hi Khashyar,
GenArts also has an all-new option at $299 – Sapphire Edge. Sapphire Edge was released on June 28 for FCP 6 & 7 and is built to support FCP X, available for FCP X by August. This is a new GenArts plugin designed with busy pro video editors in mind and has a built-in preset browser which enables you to preview the effects on your own work before applying. You can check out Sapphire Edge or take a 2-week trial at: https://bit.ly/jiyGZa
The next major release of our main flagship offering GenArts Sapphire will support FCP X as well, and that is coming soon so stay tuned!
– Alison
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