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Filed under: Editing •Motion Graphics •Post Production •

FxFactory Pro and MOTYPE Review

Most people I know in this industry love new gear. And in the world of desktop video applications and editing, new gear is now less and less about the physical stuff with buttons and knobs and more about “the code.”

If you want access to a lot of new stuff, the easiest way to get high quality stuff to play with is to load FxFactory for Final Cut Pro, or FxFactory Pro with its 142 plug-ins already included. These plug-ins can be used in FCP, Motion, and After Effects. A similar product - Factory Tools - is available for Avid.

The very cool thing is that FxFactory is free and it gives you access to numerous free plug-ins. And I don’t mean “demo free” or “shareware free” or “for a limited time free.” I mean free. Now if you want to experience the true power of FxFactory, I won’t kid you, you are going to need to pony up some cash. FxFactory Pro gives you access to 142 plug-ins plus some other “pro” features for $399.

If you’re not ready to drop the $399 on FcFactory Pro, start out with the free download of FxFactory and experiment with the included plug-ins for the next two weeks. Do this when you have some time in your schedule to play and experiment a little. FxFactory Pro plug-ins load your FCP Effects>Video Filter menu with tons of yummy goodies. (Actually, FxFactory also creates generators and video transitions, which show up alongside the other generators and transitions inside FCP,  instead of under Video Filters.) Play with them for a while and you’ll find that several of them become indispensable parts of your editing arsenal.

I just did a high profile project for the Chicago Cubs and FxFactory plug-ins made a big difference in the “sizzle factor” of the piece. Because the footage looked so special, a fellow producer I showed it to said “Who shot all of this footage?” I had to explain that it was just the same plain, vanilla footage that is broadcast during the games. “But it looks so cool,” she responded. That’s what a little FxFactory – and some color correction – will do for you.

Click here to view the FxFactory demo video.

The plug-ins that are provided with FxFactory show up in your Video Filters menu organized into several categories of effects: NI Blur, NI Color Correction, NI Distort, NI Generators, NI Glow, NI Halftones, NI Sharpen, NI Stylize, NI Tiling, NI Transitions and NI Video. Experience FCP effects users may look at that list and say “Well, half of that stuff is already in FCP already.” But the specific effects inside those categories seem to have been well chosen to dispel that argument. Though there are definitely Blur options in FCP, the ones in FxFactory are unique and I found myself turning more and more to the FxFactory versions of nearly every effect instead of the Apple factory versions. Plus, when you’re looking to make this project look different than your last project, it helps to have all of the options you can get. All effects packages have effects built in that you know you will never use. FxFactory is no exception, but I was impressed by the percentage of useful filters compared to the relatively minor amount of chaff. In the latest version (2.06) FxFactory now supplies thumbnail previews of the effects in FCP and After Effects.

The real story behind FxFactory isn’t really about the built-in plug-ins available from FxFactory Pro though. The interesting story is really that it is really a plug-in management system that allows you access to a wide variety of third-party plug-ins that can be demoed and purchased from Noise Industries’ elegant on-line store.

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