NAB 2012 – Autodesk Releases Smoke 2013 – An All-In-One Editing And Finishing Program For $3,495

HDVideoPro by Neil Matsumoto

In recent years, disruptive technology like the RED ONE, the Canon 5D Mark II, and all-in-one NLE suites have made it fairly easy to create a professional looking project. As a result, budgets have shrunk – especially in post – and editors have been asked to perform brand new tasks, including titling, color correction and sometimes even visual effects.

When you think of Autodesk Smoke, you usually think of a very high-end finishing system that costs a bundle (approx. $15,000) and is not accessible for the indie filmmaker. Also, that the program is not very intuitive to work with, especially if you’re not a trained visual effects artist.

But things have changed in our new democratized environment. At NAB 2012, Autodesk announced the new Smoke – an all-in-one editing and effects super app.

In the past year, Autodesk commissioned a survey of film and video professionals, and learned that because of their limited budgets, new complex file management systems, as well as tight deadlines, they were looking for a program that could work seamlessly with the latest high-resolution formats. They were also looking for an all-in-one package to streamline their workflow so they wouldn’t have to send shots and/or sequences to different programs.

Dubbed Smoke 2013, the new Smoke will help editors simplify their workflow, centrally manage their media, work interactively with high-res media throughout their projects and deliver high-end content. Oh, did I mention price? Smoke 2013 will be priced at an astounding $3,495. read more...