Premiere Plugins and other tools - Boris, Red Giant, Sapphire

[Dan Dorsey]

Hi all -

I'm looking to broaden the palette I can work with, and have talked the boss into acquiring some new tools for Premiere Pro CS6. However, the sky IS NOT the limit as far as budget goes, so I'm trying to be price conscious and shop smart. Ideally, I'd like one product that does it all. Perhaps it's wishful thinking. Here's the info I've got thus far.

It might help to know that I mainly produce video content for the automotive industry. Lots of car commercials! The following link has an example of the 'look' they like.

MAR 14 HONDAS GOT IT CKHZ 62275AH - YouTube

I was initially looking at Sapphire 7 by Genarts. I tried the demo, and liked the product, but was a bit taken aback by the price tag of $1,700.

It looks like Boris Continuum Complete has a tag of $995 and does a lot of the things Sapphire can -- but I haven't tried the demo, so I'm not sure if it has the full bag of tricks I'm looking for.

Red Giant seems to be the other Premier plugin program provider that people talk about. I'm not sure what their comparable product they offer -- it looks like it's probably Effects Suite 11.1. It looks like that runs about $499.

I fully appreciate the concept of 'You Get What You Pay For,' so I'm assuming there's a very good reason that Sapphire is priced so much higher than the others. I'd appreciate any input on these 3 products -- or a suggestion if there is something even better to consider.

Not to clog up this post with more info, but for the sake of not creating a new thread, I'll post it here:

3-D Titles. For $70 I can get Bluff Titler to make 3-D text. I've heard good reviews and the price seems very reasonable. I've been making 3-D text in PhotoShop CS6, but it's always been a bit more time-consuming than I'd like. Can you think of any reason not to start using Bluff Titler?

In reference to the video I posted, there are visual elements in it - like sparks that fly on with the price -- what's a good resource for little 'Accents' like that?

Lastly -- Sounds, and wooshes. I may have asked the question here or on another forum befiore, but what's a good resource to get a library of whooshes, hits, stings, etc.? Most people were saying "make your own." I don't have the time or desire to do it. Any thoughts?

Thanks,
Dan

[Dan Dorsey]

I hate to bump it, but really, no one has any opinions or suggestions?

[Craig Roblewsky]

Hey Dan,

Looks like nobody has given you an answer so I'll throw in my 2 cents worth for you. You mentioned Premiere, but do you also have access to After Effects? If so, there are some cool products below. If not, please disregard that portion of my answers.

Sapphire, Red Giant and Boris: I have all of the above and like all of them. You will find there are quite a few effects that are similar in all three so one or two suites will probably be fine for your needs. I probably go to the Red Giant suites more than the other two. Sapphire is quite cool, but you're right - it's a bit steep. (I can't really see any justification for the huge price gap) Boris is also quite handy to have around. I'd just try the free demos to see which works best for you and your work. Have you looked at Red Giant Universe yet? (lots of free effects and some premium ones if you subscribe)

If you have After Effects - your sparks and accents - Red Giant's Trapcode would make a huge variety of those types of elements for you.

Also - if you have After Effects - 3D text - If you want fast and easy - take a look at Videocopilot.net and try Element 3D. 3D text is just the tip of the iceberg on that plug-in. I highly recommend it.

While you're there, take a look at their new product: Motion Pulse. It has some really cool sound effects that might be what you need. They also have an older product: Designer Sound FX which has a lot of the whooshes etc...

I hope this helps a bit.

Craig

[Dan Dorsey]

Thanks, Craig. Very helpful.