The CEO of Mettle, which has created a suite of cinematic 360 post production software for After Effects and Premiere, announced at NAB that his team was working with Facebook to develop one of the industry’s first depth-based VFX software tools for Adobe After Effects and Premiere Pro, optimized for six degrees of freedomThe ability to move left-right, up-down, and forward-backward (in addition to being able to rotate around the x, y, and … More within a 360 space.
If that sounds complicated, it is. But Chris’s team is aiming to make it a bit easier.
Essentially, these tools aim to offer 360 viewers the ability to move up/down, left/right and forward/backwards with pitch, yaw and rollTerm meaning “record,” dating back to a time when physical film was rolled on an axle past the gate of a camera. within 360 environments. The first release in Mettle’s series of depth-based visual effects tools will help content creators manage depth of field, depth-based maskingBlocking a portion of the image. and other depth VFX in After Effects.
Chris said Mettle was actually ready to deploy five products at NAB, but decided instead to focus exclusively on depth.
“We’ve been showing our DoF tools [at the show] and people are losing their minds,” he said. “And it’s a simple one-step solution.”
Mettle’s tools aim to make the switch from traditional post-production workflows and apply them to 360 in such a way that feels natural for long-time After Effects and Premiere Pro users.
“I can takeIndividual instance of a shot; a take = each time the camera is started and stopped. a decade or more of experience right into 360 very easily,” he said. “An editor will walk in and within seconds say, ‘That looks exactly like the transition I’ve been using for years,’ or, ‘Wait I can comp? I can green screenA subject shot against a background of a particular shade of green so the background can be removed and replaced in post… More? Wow I’m used to that. It’s all good.’”
“We’re taking away anything that feels foreign to the storyteller and letting them work the way they’ve always worked.”
What Chris personally most appreciates about the Facebook announcement is a deeper commitment to the medium.
“Content creators are saying depth is something you can’t walk in and do partially. You need to commit to this. It will takeIndividual instance of a shot; a take = each time the camera is started and stopped. time,” he added. And they are, one tool at a time.
“Where I’d love to see it go is I want to see depth of field resolved in real time, so I’m looking at you and you’re fully sharp and Mariana is not quite in focus, and then I look at her and oh my gosh,” Chris said. “It’s an iteration of foveated rendering based on eye tracking.”
Chris also briefly mentioned tools to assist with audio in 360 experiences, another key facet of immersion-but more on that later.
All of Mettle’s tools are available online to try or purchase. Visit Mettle’s website for more information.
