Boston, MA -- ZERO VFX has launched its first new software plug-in for the post production marketplace as a result of its newly formed software division, Code Zero Software. The new plug-in, Compression Preview, enables After Effects artists to preview sequences prior to rendering, check for unwanted artifacts, banding and color shifts and make tweaks and changes to the compression parameters to ensure the best possible end product. Providing these powerful capabilities saves artists valuable time and resources by ensuring the look and quality of their work before final rendering and publishing.

ZERO VFX has teamed up with Boston-based Noise Industries and Ephere to help market, sell and support Compression Preview. With its deep connections and expertise in the VFX software industry, the combined team is well-positioned to provide comprehensive sales and marketing support for After Effects artists worldwide.

Compression Preview is available immediately and is priced at $49.00 USD.

“We worked on a web pre-roll spot where our actor was over a white cyc -- we were of course working and delivering at full res, which meant we couldn't see what the piece looked like once it got compressed all the way down for distribution,” said ZERO VFX lead commercial compositor Jaime Fortuno-Lavin, who has been using Compression Preview on client work. “Once it was compressed, a strange lighting aberration showed up. We were able to fix it and re-deliver super-fast, but still, it was from this experience that we realized there were no good tools out there to help. Now there is!”

“The team at ZERO VFX is in a unique position; we exist at the confluence of creativity and technology and can leverage a very active visual-effects pipeline creating work for feature films, broadcast and web advertising to develop relevant, viable and attractive new software. We’re constantly innovating based on the post production work we do for our clients which include major feature films such as The Equalizer and literally hundreds of commercial projects each years,” said Brian Drewes, co-founder of ZERO VFX and Code Zero Software. “Compression Preview is a perfect example of technology that was born from a very real pain point that our artists experience every day, and translates into a valuable solution for the marketplace.”

ZERO VFX and Code Zero co-founders Brian Drewes and Sean Devereaux have deep experience in planning, developing and selling software in this market. Their first effort, ZYNC Render, was acquired by Google in 2014. Compression Preview is their second effort, and the team has several more projects in the pipeline.

As every postproduction artist knows, it is difficult to accurately gauge how sequences will hold up through the compression and online distribution process. Quite often, unwanted elements are discovered only after the project is delivered. Compression Preview allows artists to ensure the best looking end product possible by offering the ability to compress a frame range directly from within the After Effects timeline. Artists can tweak the parameters to combat unwanted artifacts, banding and color shifts with ease.

Key main features of Compression Preview include the ability to:

View and Remove Artifacts

Reduce Banding

Counter Color Shifts

Mitigate compression problems in real-time

Estimate final file size in After Effects

Offer presets for popular video distribution, including Youtube and Vimeo

Compression Preview System Requirements:

After Effects (CS5.5 / 6 / CC / CC 2014)

Windows (7 / Vista / XP / 8) or Mac (OSX 10.9 or 10.10)

Source: ZERO VFX