The future of video effects - we talk to Boris Yamnitsky, founder of Boris Effects

RedShark by David Shapton

Everyone knows about Boris Effects. And, if you're old enough, you'll remember that in the mid to late 90s, it was suddenly possible to create amazing effects and transitions on the slow and clunky NLEs of the time - that looked like they cost a million dollars to produce

And as we'll find out - that's because of Boris Yamnitsky's mathematical background and his attention to detail.

So, how was he able to create effects that were better than those created by expensive, dedicated hardware? And what does he think will happen in the future?

We spoke by email to Boris recently, about how Boris FX started, what it's doing now, and how he sees the distant future (which, by the way, is about five years from now!).

David Shapton: What's your technical background? Didn't you work for Media 100 at one point?

Boris Yamnitsky: I'm a mathematician and a computer scientist by training. Earlier work included studies in complexity of computation and linear programming. I got my first taste of video editing and visual effects at Media 100, working on version 1 release in the early nineties. I came back to the NLE software market in 1995 with a software package of my own - BorisFX - the first software-based DVE solution for the emerging NLEs: Adobe Premiere and Media 100. The product won Best Of Show at MacWorld 1995 in Boston.

What drove you to start Boris FX? What was the question that Boris FX was the answer to?

I saw an opportunity to create a cost-effective solution for the young and vibrant non-linear editing market. Traditionally, the DVEs (Digital Video Effects) such as 3D moves and page peels were done on rather expensive hardware boxes. read more...