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Best plug in provider

Hi,


I am a recent FCPX user and like all idiots i've decided to get the mag wheels and go faster stripes before i've passed my test. what I mean by this is that I am looking to understand what is the best source for plug ins. I can see pixel studios do lots of plug ins and provide bundle discounts. I have also read up on other bolt ons like, CoreMelt: Lock & Load X, mTitle 3D, Twixtor, FxFactory Pro (less so) and Primatte Keyer. These latter effects can be costly and though I am not opposed to spending the money I need to get the results I want, I also don't want to waste money as it is hard enough earned.


Thanks in advance to anybody who can help me wade through the muddy swamp of ignorance.


B

MacBook Pro with Retina display, macOS High Sierra (10.13.3)

Posted on Mar 12, 2018 1:44 AM

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10 replies

Mar 12, 2018 2:39 AM in response to Flam28

to add my 5¢ … as a plug-in-maker:

pixel studios has a bad reputation for two reasons: in the past for using other peoples copyrighted material, and actually because of bad customer care (read lots of complains of no feedback etc)

But indeed, a wild bouquet of eye-candy…


coremelt - famous for their tracker-based plugins

colorgrading central - famous for their CC tool (now a bit obsolete since v10.4)

fxfactory - rock solid, due to their own plugin management tool, offer free trials

motionvfx - they have an extreme range of plugins, very responsive …


… and, The Mother of all free plugins:

http://www.fcp.co/forum/9-free-fcpx-plugins-and-templates


… but, what Luís already said:

there's no inherently reason to bloat the hard-drive with any plugin available … and those mentioned above are all serving diff. niches …

Mar 12, 2018 1:29 PM in response to Luis Sequeira1

Hi,


I mentioned pixel studios and more specifically the other individual products because I had done some research based on what I would want to use and what I want to learn. In this sense I have done some research and used FCPX enough to warrant a somewhat informed decision. I don't feel I will be sure of that decision until I use the products, which is what lead me to this forum.


I get a sense that people don't want to bad mouth and company too much and that is understandable, and the warning you've provided is advice enough, thank you. The reality is that I am at a point where I will purchase some bolt ons, even if it is to satisfy my curiosity as to their value. If I can compare FCPX to a car then I would say I think there are some accessories that I expect will add real performance and some that I believe will only be cosmetic. I think both have value, albeit different, but what I am trying to figure which ones offer the best value, that are not just gimmicky.


I listed some product names and would appreciate your input about those specific products and or alternatives so my research is informed rather than sporadic and haphazard.


Really appreciate your earlier reply.


Kind Regards


B

Mar 12, 2018 1:39 PM in response to Karsten Schlüter

Hi Karsten,


I agree with what you said and thanks for being more specific about the -'s and +'s of pixel and the other packages. My take on it is that I should have a sense of the effects I want to use and try to learn how to use them while I build my FCPX knowledge so any learning encompasses the skills to use the bolt on effects that I am most likely to sue while I use FCPX.


In some sense this puts the horse before the cart, but it's not completely like that in that whatever additional time spent training and learning how to use the effects effectively will add value to future work "if" I use those same effects. In this sense I understand I am gambling with my time, money and the future off the World as we know it, but I feel it's a risk worth taking if in the end I acquire skills that allow me to deliver better results.


Agan; any advice you can provide me on products you use, or know of, would be of great help. The products I mentioned before (outside of the pixel studios ones) are bolt-ons that I could see myself using, it's just weather they are the best product.


Thanks for your reply and you've already provided me with a good sense of what I will be gaining and sacrificing if I add bolt ons. I would be equally grateful for any additional information.


Kind Regards


B

Mar 12, 2018 4:43 PM in response to Flam28

I think I should also add that I am not into clutter and I am not trying to satisfy some weird part of myself with being able to look at a long list of add ons while I use FCPX, especially ones that I will never or hardly use. I've suffered the problems with fonts in word, photoshop and other packages to know additions take up speed. That said though... as much as I trust FCPX have developed a great product I just expect that "some" third party companies will have designed their add ons to work better that the standard FCPX, as is the case with cars. I hope that is not heresy...

Mar 12, 2018 9:38 PM in response to Flam28

Flam28 wrote:


Agan; any advice you can provide me on products you use, or know of, would be of great help. The products I mentioned before (outside of the pixel studios ones) are bolt-ons that I could see myself using, it's just weather they are the best product.




CoreMelt: Lock & Load X, mTitle 3D, Twixtor, FxFactory Pro (less so) and Primatte Keyer.


CoreMelt: tested L&L, nice, but using FCPX' own stabilizer, happy with it, using TrackX (rarely), a bit strange interface, from an enthusiastic Motion users perspective, Motion covers 80% of TrackX 😉


… generally: 'trackers' are nice for some fancy titles ('attached' to objects), replacing content and fixing flaws … but I use'm less & less.

(aside, I expect some 'smart' tracker in some future gen of FCPX, highSierra would allow that on an OS-level… <tea leaf mode off>


mTitle - no hands on, if I need custom ones, I build my own in Motion. Published ~100 free ones @fcpco.


Twixtor - done lots of football reports, season-in-review stuff = slowmo is a Must! … had a look at Twixtor: a) no trial avail - too bad!, b) basic functions are covered by FCPX' Optical Flow, c) never understood Twixtors interface to define background/foregrounds … when you record, with OF in mind, little need to spend so much money - imho!


FxFactory - what Luís says …


Primatte Keyer - no hands on, but claiming myself, using World Worst Greenscreen in Movie History (ever, not to say eva!!!😝) in some zero-budget school projects, I'm a huge fan of FCPX' keyer. Follow advice from rippletraining and it gives awesome results. Little need for 3rd party products. But if you do, have a look at Simon Ubsdell/Tokyo Production … Simon IS one of the best, undoubtedly …


management summary:

FCPX comes with an arsenal of 'effects'; many miss the options, the 'knobs' to play with.

Asking for 'best' provokes instant reply 'define best' … do you need a tracker, replace content, use color-key? Discussion gets soon academic: What's best for me is of no use for others. And vice versa.


No word yet about topics much higher on list: color correction, grading, audio (!!!) …

Final word: don't fix it in the post, be practical.

Mar 12, 2018 9:42 PM in response to Karsten Schlüter

Jesus Karsten,


That was genius.... though I am not implying you are Jesus. Thanks for the comprehensive reply, I am very grateful. I always find it difficult to provide an opinion and can sometimes be torn because I appreciate one mans melons are another mans nuts. In this sense I don't think its possible to be impartial.. but who said honesty relied on impartiality! Your considered and informed opinions have offered me good value and again, I am very grateful..


DG


Brendan

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