Video editing packages all do basically the same thing; they allow you to take raw footage from a camera, cut out the bits you don’t want, rearrange the bits that are left into a story, add graphics for illustrative purposes, or as titles, credits or lower 3rds, include some audio as music, effects or dialogue and then output the result. This is these days usually as a file in a form that can be played back on anything from a DVD player to a smartphone to a cinema projector.
Despite their functional similarity though, the way different packages do this makes them very personal. One editor may love DaVinci Resolve and detest Adobe Premiere Pro for example. Another may like the relatively simplistic workflow of Vegas Pro, but an EDIUS user may turn their nose up at the same. Or a Final Cut User will champion their package of choice and think Hitfilm absolutely sucks.
And then you have Corel Video Studio, Pinnacle Studio, Filmora and Cyberlink Power Director, plus a large number of lesser used packages that are still quite competent, nonetheless.
One thing they mostly all have in common though is their compatibility with major plugins. I say mostly, as whilst the majority of the major packages mentioned have support from the big plugin manufacturers, the smaller ones do not share that luxury. Its usually a trade-off between functionality and price.
What is A Plugin?
So, what exactly is a plugin, which ones do I need and how do I get them?
A plugin is a specialist add-on program that interacts directly and usually inside the host program. The developer of the plugin has designed it to perform a specific type of job that either the host cannot do, or will augment the functionality the host has.
For example, most video editing packages allow at least basic text functionality for titles and credits, but and plugin such as Red Giant’s Universe Title Motion allow far more manipulation of text along with shapes and dynamic animations than Vegas Pro’s Text and Titles function does.
The beauty is that Red Giant Universe integrates directly into Vegas Pro (or Premiere Pro, DaVinci Resolve, Final Cut etc) so that it becomes part of that program’s menu system. This means you don’t have to leave the main program, start another to create the text, exit that, go back to the original, import what you have created and so on.
It’s totally seamless.
Adobe, AVID and OFX
There is a minor catch though; the version of, in this case, Universe, that works with Adobe Premiere Pro will not work with Vegas Pro or DaVinci Resolve etc. You see, each developer of the main programs has conformed to a set of parameters and created what is called an API. The plugin developer has access to this API and this is what allows them to interact directly with the main program.
As a company, Adobe has its own specific API which is why you need to get the Adobe version of any plugin. In contrast, companies that make Vegas Pro, DaVinci Resolve and EDIUS have followed a different convention called OFX. AVID, like Adobe, has its own API so if you are an AVID user you need to make sure you get an AVID compatible version of whatever plugin you buy.
Where To Get Plugins
In the past, many plugins were developed by independent developers, however over the years, many saw the advantages of getting together with a major publisher and this has made it easier to find plugins for specific purposes.
The two biggies I have dealt with over the years are BorisFX and Red Giant. Red Giant itself recently got together with 3D creating and animation developer Maxon further broadening its scope.
My favourite plugin in terms of its flexibility is Red Giant’s Universe. This has a multitude of sub-systems covering all sort of functions including the aforementioned Title Motion, but also covers transitions, special effects, various generators and more, making it very flexible and affordable.
There are versions of Universe for all the major video editing programs too with heaps of tutorials available meaning you’ll get rapidly up to speed.
As well as BorisFX and Maxon, you can also get specialist video plugins from NewBlue, ProDAD and Twixtor among many others.
Of course, plugins are not restricted to video; there are many, many audio plugins too to fix up – or “sweeten” is the technical term – dodgy audio such as getting rid of hum, pops and clicks, increasing levels and so on. Additionally, there are a plethora of effects from making booming bell noises to talking like a Dalek.
Trials
Just about all plugin developers have a sample or trial version you can play with. Usually, for visual effects, these trials will leave a watermark across the imagery and the audio will allow to create the effects (or fix) and play it back but not actually save it.
These give you an opportunity to try a whole range of plugins and see just which ones suit your needs and workflow.