Boris FX Debuts Sapphire 2023, Featuring cutting-edge visual effects
Boris FX has unveiled its latest offering, Sapphire 2023, a collection of plugins designed to revolutionise the world of visual effects. This new version brings a host of innovative features and improvements, making it an essential tool for compositors and motion designers working in various software applications.
The S_PrismLens effect, one of the standout features in Sapphire 2023, replicates the experience of shooting through a physical glass prism to create dreamy, cinematic looks. This effect can be customised to modify the lens shape, track and isolate effects using the built-in Mocha, and add finishing touches such as glows, lights, and chromatic aberrations.
Sapphire 2023 also boasts an enhanced LensFlare and Flare Designer, offering more advanced and customisable lens flare effects. Additionally, the integration of 3D tracking technology improves the application of effects on moving and deforming surfaces, making it particularly useful for digital makeup, logos, and animation.
The rendering engine in Sapphire 2023 has been optimised for real-time previews and faster processing, ensuring instant display of changes to speed up creative iterations. These improvements collectively boost productivity and visual quality for artists.
Sapphire is available as a collection of plugins with various subscription, upgrade, and support plans, as well as permanent licenses. The annual subscription for individual host options such as Avid and Adobe costs $495, while the full Sapphire collection can be subscribed to for $895 per year. Upgrades for these options start at $495 and $895, respectively.
For those preferring a monthly subscription, the cost is $62 for individual host options and $112 for the full Sapphire collection. Sapphire 2023 includes over 100 curated presets, including 18 photorealistic lens flare presets in the renowned lighting category.
One of the most widely-used transitions, S_DissolveUltraGlow, has received an update with enhanced features including an optical-based glow, highlight and atmospheric noise parameters, and 14 presets. The S_UltraGrain effect, on the other hand, features 79 presets based on Hollywood's favourite film stocks as well as modern production cameras. This effect is fast, flexible, and natural, allowing users to instantly apply precise film and camera grain to footage.
The S_PrismLens effect includes three initial styles: single, linear, and circular. The S_UltraGrain effect, with its vast array of presets, offers a quick and easy way to achieve a wide range of film and camera grain effects.
It's worth noting that customers on current subscription or upgrade & support plans will receive Sapphire 2023 as a free update. For more information about Sapphire 2023, contact Jessie Electa Petrov at jessiep@pur socials.com or 617-451-9900.
The 2023 version may seem impressive, but the 2025 upgrade is expected to be a major enhancement built upon these developments. The 2023 release laid groundwork with enhanced flare tools and integration of 3D tracking tech across Boris FX plugins.
In summary, Boris FX Sapphire 2023 offers a significant leap forward in visual effects creation. With its revamped LensFlare and Flare Designer, 3D tracking technology, real-time rendering engine, and a host of other features, Sapphire 2023 promises to improve both output quality and artist productivity in visual effects pipelines.
[1] Boris FX. (2023). Boris FX Sapphire 2023: Product Overview. [Online]. Available: https://borisfx.com/products/sapphire/
[5] Petrov, J. E. (2023). Exploring the Innovations in Boris FX Sapphire 2023. [Online]. Available: https://www.fstoppers.com/video/exploring-innovations-boris-fx-sapphire-2023-4886092
Technology and gadgets play integral roles in the new Sapphire 2023 from Boris FX. The S_PrismLens effect, for instance, replicates a physical glass prism's experience, while the enhanced LensFlare and Flare Designer offer advanced, customizable lens flare effects, all made possible through technology. Furthermore, the integration of 3D tracking technology improves the application of effects on moving and deforming surfaces.
