One of the very best sound effects collections I’ve come across is from Digital Juice. Their SoundFX Library Vols. 1 thru 4 are just kick-ass … for motion graphics. There are over 11,500 sound effects on 10 DVDs in just one box for only $124.50. That’s “half price” for this weekend only. Plus you get free shipping.
The good folks over at LostAndTaken.com have released another batch of free textures. There are fourteen high resolution slate textures available for free download. Many of them simply look like cave wall type stuff, but there’s a few really nice subtle textures and a few grungey ones as well. Great for Photoshop and After Effects. Go get ‘em!
If you’re signed up at HollywoodEdge.com then you’ve probably already received an email with a link to 60 NEW free sound effects. These new sounds are in addition to the 99 free sounds you get when you register. You can download almost a gig of ambient atmospheres, mograph whooshes and a few practical effects for a good mix. Overall this collection is great for motion graphics, especially for projects needing a sci-fi / horror feel. If you haven’t registered with the web site yet you may get “the email” inviting you to download this holiday giveaway bunch. If not, well you still have 99 awesome sfx to grab. Hollywood Edge is also have a great sale on some of their titles. 30% off some new titles and 75% off some old favorites.
Digital Juice‘s Compositor’s Toolkit 2 was just announced today. It ships on November 19th. With a list price of $499.95 (and an actual price of probably $249 considering their constant specials) this collection is way beyond a steal. And this time around, if you pre-order your copy you can reap the rewards for just $199.95.
For those who don’t know, the Compositor’s Toolkit 2 is a set of 275 royalty-free clips shot in ultra high resolution 2K (that’s bigger than full HD) shot in slow motion giving you full control of the speed for endless possibilities. And the content and quality are beyond superb. These pre-keyed clips have a dual purpose to serve both the visual effects compositor and the motion graphics artist featuring organic elements in a variety of categories. No computer simulations; this is the real deal. And it’s ‘real’ good!
After watching all the sample clips (yes, i watched pretty much all 275 clips) I saw the potential for this collection is astounding. Well, I didn’t want to keep it to myself so I’m going to go through most of the new categories and tell you where the mograph people will be looking and what’s gonna tickle the visual effects guys and also describe how some of these clips can be repurposed for even more uses.
Stock 20 is “giving away” their entire library of royalty free production music for only $189. That’s 1,629 tracks from over 158 themes. Tracks come in the standard :15, :30, :60 etc. and then some. And it’s good stuff. Some of their airtime credits include ABC, CBS, NBC, WB, VH1 and CNN. This is an insane price for this quality. If you’re an editor then you don’t want to miss this one. Don’t just take my word for hit the play button below and judge for yourself. (You’ll want to use this link. This deal link seems to be a back door to their site as I don’t see it on their front page.)
[soundcloud width="100%" height="64" params="g=wi&player_type=null" url="http://soundcloud.com/stock20/general_demo"]
Hollywood Edge is sitting on some of the best sound effects around. Many of them are constantly being used and have been used in tons of Hollywood movies. Yes, you can buy some of the same sounds used in big budget Hollywood flicks. And they’re giving away 99 of ‘em free of charge. The collection dabs a little into animals, weather, jets, explosions, machines, etc. etc. Many of them are just perfect for motion graphics.
Go to HollywoodEdge.com and start a free account and then you’ll get access to the free sound effects. You’ll have to download each one separately from their player.
Digital Juice has said that volume two of its Compositor’s Tool Kit is already underway. This title provides full HD (I mean full, full, as in bigger than 1920×1080) time lapse footage of water, splashes, smoke, ink splats, flowing cloth and more. I’m sure they have a ton of ideas for what to put into the second volume as their forums are full of suggestions; a bunch from myself included.
Zaxwerks is planning an updated version of their After Effects plugin ProAnimator. Geez, like finally. You’ll be glad to know they plan to restruction the UI to match the look of it’s Final Cut Pro version of the plugin ProAnimator FX. If you currently use ProAnimator to bring 3D titles directly into After Effects with full integration with AE lights and cameras, then you know the interface sucks big D. However, the new look from ProAnimator FX is very nice, very AEish, very C4Dish. No word on when it’s due out.
Aharon Rabinowitz and the folks at All Bets Are Off Productions are getting to release “A huge library of pre-keyed alpha footage – actors filmed on a green screen and then keyed out – so all you have to do is drop it into your projects.”
Andrew Kramer just announced Pro Scores, a collection of layered music for film, trailers, etc. Sounds like it’s good stuff but there’s only the product trailer to go by. The gallery page won’t come online until everyone’s watched the trailer a few times. I don’t see how he expects us to buy it without hearing more than what the trailer has to offer though. I hope it comes online soon.
I’m also wondering where this music came from. I mean, Andrew Kramer is just this guy. Heh. He’s fantastic at After Effects and his other titles are equally fantastic. But music? Did he license it? Anyway, worth a look. Check it out.