You may well know ZERO VFX for their amazing visual effects work in feature films and television commercials. They transformed the cities of Boston and Worcester into a gritty 1970s New York City for American Hustle. They made Denzel Washington just a bit more bad-ass in The Equalizer. And now they're also making some bad-ass software for post pros.
Today this Boston-based VFX studio has formally launched a new software division called Code Zero. And the first, formal product launch from this new initiative is called Compression Preview. And it's available today for only $49. Now, Compression Preview isn't their first endeavor in software. You may remember over the summer that ZERO sold its cloud-based rendering technology - ZYNC Render - to Google. It was a technology they developed themselves to solve their own, real-world rendering requirements. Productized it. Formed a company around it. Then sold it to Google. So these guys have some experience in making viable, valuable software.
Here's the press release that hit the wires today. But definitely check it out here, or watch a brief tutorial here.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
ZERO VFX Boston Launches Compression Preview Plug-in for After Effects Artists
First Software Product from ZERO’s New Software Division, Code Zero, Eliminates the Pre-Render Guesswork: Preview and Fix Banding, Artifacting, Color Shifts Before Compressing
Boston, MA (December 2, 2014) – ZERO VFX (www.zerovfx.com) today announced it has launched its first new software plug-in for the post production marketplace as a result of its newly formed software division, Code Zero Software. The new plug-in, Compression Preview, enables After Effects artists to preview sequences prior to rendering, check for unwanted artifacts, banding and color shifts and make tweaks and changes to the compression parameters to ensure the best possible end product. Providing these powerful capabilities saves artists valuable time and resources by ensuring the look and quality of their work before final rendering and publishing.
ZERO VFX also announced it has teamed up with Boston-based Noise Industries and Ephere to help market, sell and support Compression Preview. With its deep connections and expertise in the VFX software industry, the combined team is well positioned to provide comprehensive sales and marketing support for After Effects artists world wide.
Compression Preview is available immediately and is priced at $49.00 USD. For more information or to purchase Compression Preview, please visit: http://compressionpreview.com/
Jaime Fortuno-Lavin is the lead commercial compositor for Zero VFX and has been using Compression Preview on client work. Jaime had this to say about Compression Preview:
"We worked on a web pre-roll spot where our actor was over a white cyc - we were of course working and delivering at full res, which meant we couldn't see what the piece looked like once it got compressed all the way down for distribution. Once it was compressed, a strange lighting aberration showed up. We were able to fix it and re-deliver super fast, but still, it was from this experience that we realized there were no good tools out there to help. Now there is!"
“The team at ZERO VFX is in a unique position; we exist at the confluence of creativity and technology and can leverage a very active visual-effects pipeline creating work for feature films, broadcast and web advertising to develop relevant, viable and attractive new software. We’re constantly innovating based on the post production work we do for our clients which include major feature films such as ‘The Equalizer’ and literally hundreds of commercial projects each year,” said Brian Drewes, co-founder of ZERO VFX and Code Zero Software. “Compression Preview is a perfect example of technology that was born from a very real pain point that our artists experience everyday, and translates into a valuable solution for the marketplace.”
Brian Drewes and Sean Devereaux, who are the co-founders of both ZERO VFX and Code Zero have deep experience in planning, developing and selling software in this market. Their first effort, ZYNC Render, was acquired by Google, Inc. in 2014. Compression Preview is their second effort, and the team has several more projects in the pipeline.
Compression Preview: Saving Your Work and Your Sanity
As every post production artist knows, it is difficult to accurately gauge how sequences will hold up through the compression and online distribution process. Quite often, unwanted elements are discovered only after the project is delivered. Compression Preview allows artists to ensure the best looking end product possible by offering the ability to compress a frame range directly from within the After Effects timeline. Artists can tweak the parameters to combat unwanted artifacts, banding and color shifts with ease.
Key main features of Compression Preview include the ability to:
- View and Remove Artifacts
- Reduce Banding
- Counter Color Shifts
- Mitigate compression problems in real-time
- Estimate final file size in After Effects
- Offer presets for popular video distribution, including Youtube and Vimeo
Compression Preview System Requirements:
- After Effects (CS5.5 / 6 / CC / CC 2014)
- Windows (7 / Vista / XP / 8) or Mac (OSX 10.9 or 10.10)
ZERO VFX and Code Zero Software have also created a useful tutorial, which can be viewed here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z_eZZZ6W5O8
For any additional questions on Compression Preview, please email us at [email protected].
About ZERO
Small, nimble, creative and highly innovative, the group of visual effects and digital media artists at ZERO question standard assumptions and challenge the status quo. We tap into each others' passion, vision and energy to push creative further. We change, we evolve, we direct, we produce, we develop; we are impassioned by our projects and inspired by our clients. We strive for excellence in every work we create. We bring it.
At ZERO, the team is everything. It’s an environment we encourage, and in it, we thrive. It allows for more iterations, more opportunities for creative input and most of all, better work with fewer compromises.
ZERO VFX visual effects and post production studio is physically based in Boston, Massachusetts. But our impact is felt everywhere. To learn more, please visit www.zerovfx.com.