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Review - Genarts Sapphire v5 for Adobe’s After Effects

Now with everything that I love about Sapphire, it succumbs to the same problem as Monster (check out my review here), and that is simple.  It’s really expensive.  For the non-floating and floating licenses, you are looking at $1699 and $2499 respectively.  Now, don’t get me wrong, sometimes with effects, you do get what you pay for, but my wallet is crying at that price.  If you are thinking about picking up Sapphire (or Monster for that matter), take my advice, and pick it up as the bundle for $2299 US (non-floating).  I know it’s a more money, but Sapphire and Monster pack a one, two punch that should cover you for effects for a long time!

BONUS

I wanted to add this section in, as I think it’s important to the review of Sapphire, and that is that I mentioned above that I thought the Sapphire learning curve was high, and for me, with the amount of time I (don’t) have in my day, I don’t have time to figure out what how these plug-ins work, and the omission of presets, for me, really hurts what I can get out of the package.  Well, Genarts has partnered with Class On Demand to give us “Complete Training for GenArts Sapphire”.  Now, keep in mind that this is pre-version 5, but all the effects that are covered (about 25 of them) are all included in the recent release.  Todd Prives from Genarts is our host, and gives a really good overview of the “go-to” plug-ins in Sapphire.  He covers all the main categories in Sapphire, and in the process, takes you through creating a finished piece.  He covers Sapphire in both After Effects and Final Cut Pro, and includes all his project files as well.  Here’s a little sample of the training offered.

If you are going to be investing this type of money on a plug-in package, make sure you budget to pick up this training as well.  Todd is a great presenter, and because Sapphire is more “specialized” training, as opposed to something like After Effects in general, it will be difficult to find training as in-depth as this.  It’s $139 and worth the money if you’re new to Sapphire.  You can check it out here.

PROS

- 220 32-bit plug-ins for After Effects
- Like Monster, some exceptionally realistic looking effects, and the best “Glow” effect out there!
- Adobe CS5, 64-bit support
- Fantastic upgrade price - $299
- you can “rent” the plug-ins for only the time you need them.

CONS

- very high learning curve
- No presets
- $1699 non-floating price point is a little too high.
- Tutorials and training are “hidden” on Genarts’ website

In the end yes, Sapphire is expensive, but the plug-ins included do pack a good punch.  If you have the budget to spend a little more, pick it up with Monster and definitely pick up the training if you’re new to Sapphire to really unleash the power of your creativity.  For more information, or to download a free trail, you can check it out at http://www.genarts.com .

Kevin P McAuliffe is a Senior Editor at MIJO, in Toronto, Canada.  As always, you can send him an .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) or follow him on Twitter @ http://www.twitter.com/kpmcauliffe .

FTC Disclosure: I have not been offered any consideration or compensation from Genarts or Class on Demand for the review/editorial of this product(s).

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