Going outside the After Effects box

[Paul Moran]

http://www.vfxtalk.com/newsimages/NONEWS.jpg (http://www.digitalpostproduction.com/2003/01_jan/reviews/ssaekeyers.htm)

I really like and appreciate the keying plug-ins found in Adobe After Effects 5.5 Standard and Production Bundles. Nearly every single green screen or blue screen composite that I have done over the last two years, has been completed with the keying capabilities Adobe has included in the application.

However, for some people, spending any length of time making adjustments to the built in plug-ins may be too much time taken from the post process. For those times, you may want to go outside the box and take a look at some 3rd party keying plug-ins.

When I set out to write this article, I did not intend to rank these plug-ins in any particular order. Instead, I decided to group the plug-ins from least to most expensive and describe what the capabilities of each of these plug-ins are. Regardless of price, I have used every single one of these plug-ins to pull off successful keys.

source: DigitalPostProduction (http://www.digitalpostproduction.com)

[Jslave]

My favorite is Boris continuum complete plugin

You just can't beat how well the matte choker and other functions work

[Hugh]

Is that the same as is integrated into Boris RED/FX? I remember the first time I used Boris RED, how impressed I was with the Matte tools...

[Jslave]

You know I am not sure about that..

I know the continuum complete plugin is different from the regular boris AE plugin.

And I have not used the boris red enough to make a accurate judgement.

I would imagine that they are simular if not exactly the same though..

[freakdesign]

Ulitimatte is my plugin of choice for removing a greenscreen as it usually does a good job without having to delve too far into the settings.

(Having a good camera operator also helps)


I have not used some of the other plugins mentioned here and would be curious to know how they stack up against each other...