Video editing plug-ins

No matter what video-editing application you use, there will come a time when you hit the buffers.

You’ll know exactly what it is you want, you’ll be able to see it in your head, but after several hours – or even days – poring over the help file and attempting different approaches, you’ll come to the gut-wrenching conclusion that it can’t be done.

For users of Windows Movie Maker, that time may be sooner than for those using, say, Sony Vegas, but the solution is the same – get a plug-in. These can help you achieve the impossible, whether it’s producing a complex 3D composite effect or providing a heart-shaped vignette transition.

There are free, cheap and expensive plug-ins that do simple and complex things, and most decent video editors are capable of working with them. Most are produced by third-party developers. In some cases, these are companies that have grown up to serve the film and TV production industry, while in others they are individuals with programming skills and an interest in digital video.

If your video editor costs less than £100, there’s a good chance you’ll be able to find inexpensive plug-ins for it. If you’re a professional and you need a certain tool or effect, price will be less of an issue. I’ve rounded up some plug-ins for the more popular video editors across the board – from consumer to pro applications and freeware to pro prices. The box gives details of the websites of all the plug-in developers mentioned, and some retailers.

Ulead Video Studio
NewBlue Essentials is a suite of VST-compatible audio tools and filters. Effects include Chorus, which makes an individual voice (or any sound) sound like a chorus of many, delay, echo, flange, reverb and slap back. Audio plug-ins often provide an array of incomprehensible parameters, but NewBlue has combined these into controls that are easy to use.

The plug-ins are well-designed and fit well with the application interface. Many of the controls are provided with presets, so reproducing the acoustics of a cathedral doesn’t require hours of experimentation.

All the NewBlue AudioFX plug-ins – there are also equalisers, production tools, scrubbers and sound benders – cost $49.95 (around £25), or you can get all five for $149.75 (around £75).

Boris Factory uses a greyscale image to create 100 transitions, including 3D flying zooms, page turns, particle effects and so on. Boris is well known in the pro video editing world for its Boris Red and Boris Blue 3D compositing, titling and effects applications. While they cost nearly $1,000 (around £500), this Ulead plug-in is a bargain at $49.95 (around £25).

After effects
Red Giant produces two Magic Bullet products – Magic Bullet Suite and Magic Bullet Editors. Both of these plug-ins are used to make video footage look as though it was shot on film. Film makers working on tight budgets are often forced to work with (relatively) inexpensive video, but want the results to look like film, which appears softer, smoother, less ‘real’ and just plain nicer than video.

The first step in this process (unless you are shooting with a progressive video camera, such as the Canon XL-2) is to combine interlaced video frames. Magic Bullet Suite carries out this conversion in addition to all the features in Magic Bullet Editors. The remaining tools are film effects that allow you to add characteristics such as specific colour and tonal attributes, grain, damage and projection artefacts.

Magic Bullet Suite costs $799 (£400); Editors costs $399 (£200).