HitFilm Community Community blog list

News - Show off your HitFilm skills in the Film Riot Monday Challenge!

Tue, 21 May 2013 09:08:00 +0000

News of a HitFilm competition comes our way today via the latest episode of Film Riot, hosted by the inimitable Ryan Connolly. The Monday Challenge is to produce a short visual effects sequence, no longer than 30 seconds, using HitFilm. The winners get full copies of HitFilm 2 Ultimate, so this is particularly good if you're still using the demo.

Even if you're a hardened, battle-ready HitFilm veteran, though, we encourage you to put your creative hats on and get to work - this is a great opportunity to show what can be done in HitFilm.

Good luck, everybody!

Meanwhile, the Kickstarter is over 60% but still has a way to go. If you want to see HitFilm on Mac do check it out:

News - Understanding planar tracking

Fri, 17 May 2013 13:21:00 +0000

This post isn't about Kickstarter! I know, remarkable, isn't it? Instead, it's about mocha HitFilm, the bundled version of mocha that comes free with HitFilm 2 Ultimate and gives you access to the wonders of planar tracking and integrated camera solving.

As with any advanced tech, it can take a little bit of learning. mocha is hugely powerful but you do need to know what you're doing. To help you get up to speed, Axel has turned his inquisitive eye towards this very subject, delivering a vital introduction to the concept of planar training.

In a follow-up we'll be going further into the tracking and camera solving process, until we loop around and get back to compositing the recent Majahr energy ball effect into a shot.

Oh, also - KICKSTART HITFILM FOR MAC!

News - HitFilm for Mac Kickstarter update #2 - Q&A!

Thu, 16 May 2013 09:17:00 +0000

We're back with a new Kickstarter update! In this one we answer a few questions that have come in via Twitter and other channels.

The funding is now at 38% and we're nearly at £10k which is superb news. Let your Mac filmmaker friends know all about it and keep spreading the word!

Once again, because we can't say it enough, THANK YOU to all of our backers.

News - Film Riot reviews HitFilm!

Mon, 13 May 2013 09:05:00 +0000

Over the weekend Film Riot revealed their very positive HitFilm 2 review, particularly praising the software's ease-of-use. Check out the whole review - including a great RPG sketch - in the video above.

Meanwhile the HitFilm for Mac Kickstarter continues onwards. HUGE thanks to everybody who pledged over the weekend: you are all heroes. Keep spreading the word:

News - HitFilm for Mac Kickstarter update #1

Fri, 10 May 2013 20:38:00 +0000

Above you'll find a VFX breakdown of our fun little tease video which was released just before the HitFilm for Mac Kickstarter went live. You can see the full original here:

We've also released the first update for our big Kickstarter project, which you can read by clicking here.

The Kickstarter campaign has got off to a good start but we need your help all the way. If you can pledge then that's obviously fantastic, but if that's not an option then please, please do share the page with friends and colleagues. Here's the URL you should share around:

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/fxhome/hitfilm-for-mac

Or if you want something snappier: http://kck.st/12glkRl

Big thanks to all of our backers so far, including several familiar names from back in the day. Perhaps the most exciting thing about getting HitFilm onto Mac is that it marks the return of key figures from FXhome's past. We can't wait!

News - Kickstart HitFilm for Mac!

Wed, 08 May 2013 16:34:00 +0000

It's time to get HitFilm on Mac. We want it, you want it. Today we've launched our HitFilm for Mac Kickstarter campaign, aimed at getting HitFilm on Mac in 2013. We need your help to make this happen. Let's do it!

Please do share the link as far and wide as you can. Post it on your blog, on Twitter, on Facebook. Here it is: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/fxhome/hitfilm-for-mac

News - A new development

Wed, 08 May 2013 14:33:00 +0000

We've been listening. We have a plan.

More soon.

News - Energy ball effects (part 1)

Fri, 03 May 2013 08:19:00 +0000

Here's a blast from the past. Back in 1986 (or thereabouts), Majahr Pictures created a super cool magical orb effect. At the time, I gleefully declared that I would make a tutorial showing how to do it, which I never quite got round to.

Fast forward to now and Axel 'Axel Wilkinson' Wilkinson has finally put together a tutorial detailing exactly how to recreate Majahr's energy ball. It's easy, fast and produces great results.

This is actually the first part in a mini-series that Axel is now working on. Later instalments will focus on tracking a live action shot and compositing the orb into a moving background.

News - Atmospheric lighting

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 13:49:00 +0000

This week's tutorial is a little less epic than the last one but still contains a good few VFX tips on which to ruminate. This goes hand-in-hand with our atmospheric chaff tutorial from a few weeks ago, which I'll also handily embed just below:

News - Realistic compositing of 3D models

Fri, 19 Apr 2013 08:36:00 +0000

This is a tutorial we've been intending to put together for quite some time now. Fact is, HitFilm 2 is so powerful that it makes planning and scheduling tutorials rather tricky: where do you start? Which features do you do first?

When it comes to the new 3D model features this conundrum is compounded. Up until now we've focused on very dramatic examples: spaceships, helicopters. We decided it was time to get a bit more down to earth and look at a real-world example.

Many of the tips and techniques in this tutorial apply to any kind of compositing, not just 3D model compositing. Matching lighting between multiple layers is often the most crucial aspect of visual effects, whether you're working with CG models, miniatures or stock.

Let us know what you think of the tutorial!