Sapphire 6
Publisher: GenArts
Type: Effects Plug-In
Cost: $1,699 new, $499 upgrade, $169 monthly rental
Release Date: Available Now
Official Website: Click Here
Download Demo: Click Here
Samples: Click Here
Review Issue: Issue #71 (November 2011)
Reviewed By: Mark Colegrove
Final Score: 9.0 out of 10
The latest version of Sapphire offers a very extensive set of over 240 plug-ins for every editing platform imaginable, including After Effects & Premiere Pro (which is the version I looked at for this review), as well as Final Cut 7, Autodesk, Avid, Nuke/OFX & Sony Vegas. Highly touted in this new release are many updates to the previous version including 6 new effects and 9 new transitions, updated LensFlare control as well as 3D lens flares (currently only available in actual 3D for After Effects), a preset browser and more.
Also included with Sapphire is a one-year subscription to FX Central, GenArts’ online resource including tons of downloadable presets (for quickly applying sleek looks to your projects) as well as tutorial videos that will help you get the most out of Sapphire.
Ease of Use
Sapphire is chock full of high-end effects intended for the professional user, and the extent to which you can manipulate each effect can seem a bit daunting at first. (If you’re wanting to dip a toe into the Sapphire pool before going up to the full suite, Gen Arts offers the much lower priced and more streamlined program, “Sapphire Edge” which includes easier to use look presets, effects and transitions helping the more casual user to work quickly.)
Those with a moderate effects knowledge should be able to step right in with Sapphire and get started, and you really don’t need to manipulate a filter too much to get what you want out of it.
Within each effect, each of the pull-down parameter options are clearly labeled, making their function inherently obvious. Furthermore, the new preset browser allows you to save your settings so that they can easily be recalled once you create a specific effect or transition that you’re using often. Included with the program are 1,100 presets already.
A quick look at some built-in presets for the Sapphire Glow Effect. You can also save your own here, and add updates from Gen Arts’ FX Central.
A easily applied Technicolor 3 Strip filter has a sweet retro look to it.
The ability to use all of the effects in Premiere Pro (with the exception of the 3D LensFlare) as well as After Effects also eliminates the need to break out of Premiere Pro to execute a simple glow effect (the glows look amazing by the way!).
Depth of Options
There are an insane number of effects to explore in Sapphire. The effects are broken down into 9 categories: Adjust, Blur & Sharpen, Composite, Distort, Lighting, Render, Stylize, Time & Transitions.
The transitions quickly became my favorite thing about Sapphire, and cool transitions are here in droves. 52 to be exact. I’m sure I’ll be exploiting all of them in plenty of projects down the road.
Some of the cool transitions Sapphire has to offer: a “Blob Wipe,” “Swish Pan,” and “Plasma Wipe.”
For previous users of Sapphire, new to version 6 are several new effects including MuzzleFlash. An effect I could have used MANY times in the past, the ability to select from a few different types of guns and manipulate the flash in 3D space sure beats pasting a .jpeg into your video for a couple frames.
Have fun with your John Woo homage!
Performance
Performance is where Sapphire really shines. Render times are quick thanks to the GPU-accelerated effects (provided you’re using a CUDA-based nVidia card), and the attention paid to the quality of each effect rivals what’s found in similar plug-in collections this massive, like Boris for example, which has several effects that feel like “filler.” Everything seems very stable and “plays nice” within the built-in framework of After Effects and Premiere Pro.
Sapphire never fails to take me aback by the slick professional look to each effect, including some lens flares that would make JJ Abrams drool, and they easily blow anything already found in After Effects right out of the water. The controls offer you the ability to be as subtle or as over-the-top as you want.
A nice subtle lens flare.
Value
There’s always a downside isn’t there? While Sapphire is one of the best and most extensive set of plug-ins I’ve used, at $1,699 for the full version, it’s also the most expensive, and might be out of the range of many “Microfilmmaker” budgets out there. But for those with a budget for it and are looking for serious high-end effects,\ might prefer this to Boris, Sapphire’s chief competitor which clocks in around $1,000.
The $499 upgrade for previous users is much more reasonable, and there is enough new here to justify the purchase. As mentioned before, the preset browser is all-new, and comes in very handy. Sapphire v6 also has 64-bit support for the latest editing software, and there are several new filters like Flashbulbs (which create a busy photo-shoot type effect), a Laser Beam generator, and a “Stretch Frame Edge” effect for incorporating 4×3 content into 16×9 projects. All in all, a worthy upgrade. (And of course, if you don’t have the money to roll into a full purchase but need it for a targeted project or film, GenArts does have a $169 monthly rental price for the entire suite.)
Final Comments
Sapphire is truly a beast. It’s one of the most complete plug-in tool sets available, although there’s still several things that I’ll find myself using other plug-in sets for, so it should be noted that it isn’t the ONLY plug-in you’ll need. Its price point may put it out of the grasps of most users, but if you’re producing a lot of commercials or productions that demand a slick polish, Sapphire is truly the way to go over its competitors. The, much cheaper, $169 monthly rental may also be a viable option to get yourself through a particular project. I know I’ll keep using Sapphire for years to come, and I’m eager to see what comes down the pipeline through their FX Central site as well, which is a great way of involving and teaching the consumer in this online age that more companies should adopt.
BREAKDOWN
9.0 : Ease of Use
10.0 : Depth of Options
10.0 : Performance
7.0 : Value
9.0: Overall Score
Mark Colegrove
Mark Colegrove is the director of 2008's horror/comedy Isle of the Damned, which is self-distributed through his production company, Dire Wit Films. Based in Maryland, he currently produces corporate video and is working on his second feature, Driven to Succeed, a driver's ed comedy.