NAB 2014 – Adobe After Effects CC Update

Adobe announced updates to a number of it’s CC range of applications just prior to NAB.  I will cover the new features below, some of which are definitely welcome, but for a new release it feels like a minor upgrade rather than a major one.The main new features are:

• Key Cleaner – basically cleans up a noisy matte from keylight or what-have-you (plugs any small speckle-holes caused by noise)
• Advanced Spill Suppression – as the name suggests, a bit more fine tuning over dealing with blue or green spill than the traditional AE spill suppression (also has the option of using the spill suppressor from the ultrakeyer that is built into Premiere).
• Masking options for each effect – allows specifying of a mask on that layer to be used just to constrain an effect to that masked area (i.e. a grade effect to just a small area), …this is a welcome update and will allow less precomping or using masked adjustment layers.
• ProEXR Importer updated
• Import of sony RAW files
• scripting access to render and output settings
• Curves effect overhaul (curves are smoother and you can finally manipulate individual R,G,B curves on the one graph, rather than have to go to the menu to select which you wish)
• Mercury Transmit – allows viewing of full screen preview out to a video monitor (reminds me of the old media100 plug-in when i first started with AE, so handy seeing your RAM preview on a video monitor)
• Ability to bring in and use Typekit fonts
• Import masks from Premiere Pro
• Export Digital Cinema Package (DCP) files via media encoder

I won’t natter any more than I have since others on the net explain the new features better. So below are a couple of links to more info from those sources.

First up John Dickinson from Motionworks.net has a good video that shows off the new key cleaner, advanced despill, curves tool, and the masking options per effect. Well worth a look (click the logo below to go there).

Next is Steve Forde from Adobe giving a rundown of the new features.

Lastly, long term Adobe experts, Chris and Trish Meyer, give the lowdown on the new features in this article for Pro Video Coalition.