GenArts Releases Sapphire Plug-ins Version 3 for Avid Editing Products

GenArts Releases Sapphire Plug-ins Version 3 for Avid Editing Products

- Available immediately, new version features 36 new effects and many enhancements -

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Dec. 2 /PRNewswire/ -- GenArts, Inc., a leading provider of visual effects software for the film, broadcast and video industries, today announced the release of version 3 of its Sapphire Plug-ins for the Avid(R) AVX(TM) architecture. The new version includes several new features to help editors working on Avid Media Composer(R), Symphony(TM) or NewsCutter(R) systems to enhance their content with powerful visual effects tools.

With this announcement, GenArts is responding to demand and strengthening its offering to the Avid community by adding 36 new effects, dozens of improvements to existing effects and expanded options. These additions allow for deeper integration and support for Avid solutions and give the Avid community even more stunning visual effects and simplified processes. For example, many Avid editors previously built transitions using a series of Sapphire effects that have now been reworked into 13 new single-step, drag and drop Transitions. There are also new innovative effects such as TVDamage, which simulates various artifacts of television broadcast and display such as static, ghosting and interference, and Technicolor 2Strip and 3Strip, which give the look of 1930-1955 Technicolor film. Other new practical additions include Deband, which removes banding artifacts from a clip by diffusing pixels across the banded areas while keeping the original edges intact.

Ken Miles, director of business development at Avid Technology, Inc. said, "GenArts has always shown a strong commitment to the Avid user community by providing high quality, innovative software that integrates seamlessly with Avid products. With today's announcement, Avid customers now have several new and improved effects that we are sure to see in more blockbuster films, TV shows and commercials."

"GenArts has seen Sapphire Plug-ins expand the workflow of Avid artists over the past eight years that it's supported the platform," said Katherine Hays, CEO of GenArts, Inc. "Taking our Avid customers' ever-changing needs into account, an important step in our ongoing innovation, we have further enhanced our product offerings to Avid's user base with this new release."

Key new features in Sapphire Plug-ins v3 for Avid:
-- 36 new effects including: TVDamage, Deband, WarpCornerPin,
GradientMulti, Shape, Technicolor2Strip, Technicolor3Strip,
BlurDirectional, ZDefocus, ZBlur, ZGlow, Swish3D, TVChannelChange,
WipePlasma, WipePointalize, WipeWeave, WipeMoire, DissolveLensFlare,
DissolveEdgeRays, DissolveGlint, DissolveGlintRainbow,
DissolveDefocus, DissolveTiles, DissolveDistort, TextureFlux,
TextureLoops, TextureNeurons, TextureTiles, TileScramble, Convolve,
ConvolveComp, ZConvolve, Light3D, TriTone, QuadTone, ShowBadColors
-- New enhancements and options including 15 new LensFlares, Improved
Glares and revamped RackDefocus.
-- Support for Windows Vista and 64bit systems
-- Supports promotion of previous Sapphire versions to v3

For a detailed list of new features visit the GenArts website at http://www.genarts.com/sapphire3-avx-whats-new.html

As with all GenArts products, version 3 offers quick and easy application of high quality, organic effects to Avid sequences, an easy to use interface with on-screen control widgets for efficient workflow, single click application of effects to titles and keys, seamless transition of effects from offline to online Avid systems, compatibility with any resolution setting, multiple options and parameters that can be adjusted and animated to create an unlimited range of unique results, online hyper-linked documentation, and RGBA support for all Avid editing products.

Availability and Pricing

Sapphire Plug-ins version 3 for Avid can be purchased directly from GenArts or through their worldwide channel of Avid Authorized resellers. Pricing for Sapphire 3 is: $1800 for Avid Media Composer Software-only; $2800 for Symphony, Media Composer, NewsCutter or DS Assist; and $4800 for DS or DS/Symphony. Existing version 2 customers qualify for special upgrade pricing of $600, $900 and $1600, respectively. A free trial of the software is available online at www.genarts.com

About Avid Technology, Inc.

Avid is a worldwide leader in tools for film, video, audio and broadcast professionals - as well as for home audio and video enthusiasts. Avid professional and consumer brands include Avid(R), Digidesign(R), M-Audio(R), Pinnacle Systems(R), Sibelius(R) and Sundance Digital(R). The vast majority of primetime television shows, feature films, commercials and chart-topping music hits are made using one or more Avid products. Whether used by seasoned professionals or beginning students, Avid's products and services enable customers to work more efficiently, productively and creatively. For more information about the company's Oscar(R), Grammy(R) and Emmy(R) award-winning products and services, visit www.avid.com.

About GenArts

Founded in 1996 in Cambridge, Mass., GenArts, Inc. is the premier provider of digital visual effects plug-ins for the film, broadcast and video industries. Their product, Sapphire Plug-ins, equips digital artists with a collection of over 200 state-of-the-art image processing and synthesis effects such as: Glows, EdgeRays, LensFlare, Lightning, FilmEffect, Warps and Textures. The effects seamlessly integrate into a number of editing and compositing systems from Adobe, Apple, Avid, Autodesk, Assimilate, Digital Vision, Eyeon, FilmLight, The Foundry, Quantel and SGO.

Sapphire Plug-ins have become the industry standard for high-end visual effects creation by providing unrivaled image quality, a unique organic look, and ease of use. They have been used extensively in an array of television programs, music videos and feature films, including Iron Man, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, The Hulk, Spider-Man 1, 2 and 3, The Chronicles of Narnia, The Lord of the Rings trilogy, Star Wars - Episode I, II and III, Sin City, The Matrix trilogy, X-Men 1, 2 and 3, Titanic, Lost and CSI. Additional GenArts product information can be found at www.genarts.com .

(C)2008 GenArts, Inc. All rights reserved. GenArts and Sapphire Plug-ins are registered trademarks of GenArts, Inc. Avid AVX, Avid DS Assist Station, Digidesign, M-Audio, Media Composer, NewsCutter, Nitris, Pinnacle Systems, Sibelius, Sundance Digital and Symphony are either trademarks or registered trademarks of Avid Technology, Inc. or its subsidiaries in the United States and/or other countries. All other trademarks contained herein are property of their respective owners.

Source: GenArts, Inc.

CONTACT: Corie Pierce of SutherlandGold Group, +1-318-402-3654,
genarts@sutherlandgold.com, or Nicole Panas of GenArts, Inc., +1-617-492-2888,
nicole@genarts.com

Web Site: http://www.avid.com/
http://www.genarts.com/

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