After Effects or Boris
 

I'm curious what other Vegas owners use for effects. I've used AE in the past but looking at maybe getting Boris Red&Blue since Boris can be integrated with Vegas where AE does not. I'm wondering if that will help the work flow more not having to create in other applications and then importing in. I can do a lot with Boris still inside Vegas but just curious if anyone else is using it and how they like it?

Hi Ben,

A few years back I tried out Boris inside Vegas (I can't remember whether it was a demo or a full version on a client's system). Personally, I didn't really get to grips with it, but I think that was because I didn't give it the time needed to properly learn the basics. I got the impression that the integration was merely being able to open Boris from within the Vegas interface and then you're in a whole different app. That's not my idea of integration. Keep in mind I'm going back a few years so apologies if I am doing the Boris products a disservice.

Then I was given a full version of Creative Suite CS (legally, folks! A client bought it for me so I didn't have to keep travelling to their office - and charging them for it - to use PhotoShop).

I experimented with AE and then worked through a Total Training course to learn it in a more structured way. I'm certainly no expert, but I know enough to get a reasonable amount of use from it. However, my compositing and animation needs are not very heavy and I find that I can achieve more and more staying within Vegas these days - particularly with some of the third party filters like those from NewBlueFX, ProDad, Pixelan etc.

One of the things that I use AE for rather than Vegas is employing virtual cameras, for example to cruise and bank over a screenshot or image. It's doable in Vegas using 3d, but nowhere near as easy or intuitive. AE also allows you to set things like depth of focus which allows for some lovely effects. The other area that I might prefer AE for is for title sequences, where AE offers greater text tools.

In terms of getting material between the two apps, in my case it only comes from AE into Vegas, never (or very rarely) the other way around. So, I render the segment and simply import it into Vegas. I know there are other ways but this works fine for me and I have it down to a fine art (albeit a bit Luddite, perhaps!). Occasionally I may make some timing mistakes but nine times out of ten they can be corrected by speeding up or slowing down the clip in Vegas.

So for me, it's AE over Boris. But then again, it's Vegas over, say, Premier, simply because that's what I got used to. And it's SoundForge over Audition; Sonar over Cubase; Windows over Mac; gin over vodka, etc etc.

I'd be interested if someone could point me to a decent tutorial (or explain here) that shows how Boris integrates with Vegas - maybe I'm missing something.

Thanks Ian. I've been using AE some just as you do. I don't have heavy usage and can get most done within Vegas but am trying to use more and more effects options as it is to complicate my editing, ha. And you are right about Boris, it basically lets you open in Vegas but has it's own application. But like adding Boris for a transition is easier done than after effects where you have to open, render, then import. I was a Premiere user back with version 6 and had Boris then and I liked it ok, I got some good use out of the transitions. Then I went to just Premiere and the other adobe products as that previous system was not mine. I switched over to Vegas about a year ago and love it. Vegas seems to open up more options for more freedom and ease. I also have been a long time user of Lightwave 3D for titling and some effects, creating models, logos, etc.

I just started thinking with Boris Red&Blue it seemed might be a little easier to do titling and effects with 2D&3D etc., but haven't really seen it yet. I need to try and play with the demos more. I was just curious what other people thought. It's not that I'm against Adobe now, but after being within the adobe world and then discovering Vegas, I don't want to keep a closed mind that there could be something out there that can do as good or better job that would work easier for me.

And thanks to this forum I have been exposed to more of the third party type programs, that are cheaper and give you options, such as Pixelan, Wondertouch, NewBlue, etc. with a shorter learning curve but do some pretty cool things. I do appreciate your opinion as I try and figure out what path I want to take.

For the record, I tend to pick JD over vodka, but I still like my shots of vodka from time to time. It helps make editing less complicated, because you don't give a darn at that point.

Ha! Then you'll be interested to know that my two sons are called Jack and Daniel. As a result, the people at the JD distillery were so impressed they made me a Tennessee Squire. I get a letter from Lynchburg every now and then with a black and white photo of about 6 inches of local land they 'presented' to me as a reward for my loyalty to the brand. Fact is, I just liked the names and rarely drink JD!

Interesting to read about Boris. I may just give the demo another whirl and see how I get on.

Cheers!

Ian . . .