I used to work almost exclusively in layer-based compositing systems. After Effects was one of those programs that I used, while Hitfilm by FXHOME was a personal favorite. As I continued to learn more about compositing and polishing shots, it became apparent that I needed to up my game. I decided to learn node-based compositing. The main reason was because I had heard that node-based systems were more commonly used by professionals. Fusion was a piece of software that was recommended to me, and since that point, I have used it on almost every project I work on. Nuke, another node-based program, is pretty much the only other similar software to make an appearance during the last few projects. You might now be asking yourselves: ”What’s so great about Fusion?”. I’m glad you asked.
Fusion by Blackmagic Design (who also provide Davinci Resolve) is one of the most powerful free programs for VFX compositing. Fusion is a piece of software that can be accessed either as a standalone program or as a tab in the popular video editing program, Davinci Resolve. It is to Davinci Resolve what After Effects is to Premiere Pro.
The reason that I believe that it is one of the best programs to use for VFX is that it comes packed with all the features you need to create professional-looking shots. Below I have listed 3 of my favorite attributes.
Fusion is Free
Fusion is free. This is a statement that may not mean a lot to some of you. In the world of VFX, something being free isn’t necessarily that important, but for a young Sam Collett who didn’t want to break the bank buying expensive software. The downside to this frugal living is that there is a reason that most free VFX programs are free. There are a few exceptions to this principle, but in general, you get what you pay for.
Fusion is one of the few exceptions to this. Fusion has both a free and a paid version, but the idea is that Fusion Studio (paid) is for studios. In case it is not already clear, I am not a studio. The latest versions of Fusion are accessible for free with pretty much all features you could ever need as an individual, as a part of Davinci Resolve, which is free to use, even for commercial use.
If you go back quite a few versions you can even get the standalone version of the program, still with everything you need. If you want the latest version in standalone you will need to pay for Fusion Studio.
All this complicated license talk is just a complicated way of me saying that unless you have a big VFX studio, you will be able to use Fusion for free on any project, even commercial ones. I have never had any issues relating to only using the free version.
Fusion is Fast
The fact that Fusion is fast is something that doesn’t make a major difference until you start working with more and more elements that need to be merged together. Once it makes a difference, the difference can be huge. Working with massive layer-based composites in After Effects on solid hardware has led to freezing, laggy playback and even occasional crashes.
Fusion has never had the same issues for me. Maybe the program just really likes me, or more likely, Fusion is build with professionals in mind, professionals who need to make massive node trees that look like this:
If you don’t believe me, let’s take a look at some of the projects that have had their VFX compositing done in Fusion:
- Star Wars – The Phantom Menace
- I, Robot
- The Martian
- Titanic
- Captain America – The Winter Soldier
- Avengers – Age of Ultron
- Gravity
These projects likely had .comp files that would give me a headache, but it is quite possible that they wouldn’t melt my computer.
This means that the performance should be absolutely fine for any project you’re working on.
Fusion is Feature-Packed
This is the part that you’ve probably been waiting for, and for good reason. The features that a program offers play a major role in the decision we make regarding whether or not we are going to use it. Let me list some of these amazing features.
- The Ability to Import a Variety of Videos/Image Sequences
- A Solid 3D Workspace (Packed with Amazing Features)
- Advanced 2D/3D Tracking Features
- Advanced Chroma Keying and Background Replacement Tools
- Animation Features
- Rotoscoping Tools
- Text Tools
- Many Nodes for Stylization and Footage Matching
These are just a few of the amazing features that Fusion has to offer. Once you are finished with your shot, you can render it out as a high quality image sequence or use it directly in the Davinci editing timeline.
If you want to get started with some VFX compositing or just upgrade your current process, Fusion may just be the tool for you. Once I started using it, I have found that for many different projects, it is the best option to make the highest quality possible as fast and efficiently as possible.
If you are interested in checking it out, you can check out their website here.
