First impressions are the most important.
Let’s face it, when you are creating your video masterpiece, in most cases, one of the first things that a viewer sees is your title. It creates that all important first impression. Overall likes and dislikes can be born in that instant. Titles must be current, fresh, exciting, compelling in their own right. And most of all they must compliment your video. They set the tone, the atmosphere and the style of your production.
With a career spanning 50 years and 60 some films, Saul Bass, said, “making a main-title was like making a poster, you’re condensing the event into this one concept, this one metaphor, ·a back-story that needs to be told or a character that needs to be introduced.”
In creating the newest version of Titler Pro 4, New Blue FX has condensed a slew of new features, 24 of them to be exact. For the past few weeks I have been having a blast checking out these features first hand.
Let’s review what those changes are and how they affect your workflow.
But first, let’s talk price.
NewBlueFX is offering three variations to choose from with a two tiered system. If you already own Titler Pro 3, you get a pretty good discount.
- Titler Pro 4 – $299 with Upgrade from Titler Pro 3 – $99
- Titler Pro Elite – $399 with Upgrade from Titler Pro 3 – $148 – The Elite Version packages in GraphPax Lower 3rds and Classic Styles Collection
- Titler Pro 4 Ultimate – $499 with Upgrade from Titler Pro 3 – $198 – Ultimate gives you the whole ball of wax, as they say. GraphPax Lower 3rds, Classic Styles Collection, OnAir Lower Thirds Collection, Prime Time Styles, Reflections Styles Collections and After Effects Support.
The 24 new Features are as follows.
- Caching
- PSD Import
- OpenFX
- New Interface Skin Options
- Quick Edit Library and Template Adding
- New Effects, Transitions & Animations
- Preview and Render Quality Options
- Guidelines and Rulers
- Redesigned Marking Grid
- Snapping to Grid or Guideline
- Text Layout Modes
- Vertical Align
- Timeline Snapping to Frames
- Timeline Trim Modes
- Object Locking
- Grouping
- Keyboard Shortcuts
- Bounding Box Object Masking
- Save Presets to Library
- RGB Mode in Color Picker
- Intel HD Support
- Additive Blend Mode
- Adjust Color and Gradient Variables in Quick Edit
- Video Texture Trimmer
- Quick Edit
- Stand alone app option
- Full background video playback
- Export/Import of project packages
- Normal-map-textured materials
- Object multi-select
- Elastic timeline
- Stereoscopic 3D output
- Video and still file export with alpha
- Layer blending modes
- Multi-revolution counts on keyframes
- Depth-of-field lens control
- Full project template section in library
- EPS file import
- Custom 3D bevels
- Keyframed lighting
- 3D impact wide angle
- Video textures
- Complex shapes
- True motion blur
- Multiple light sources
- Shape and Text Extrusion
- Style Presets
- Native Controls
- Add effects to style layers
- 2D and 3D vector text layers
- Full Customization
- Resolution Independent
- Drag-n-drop animations
- Manual keyframing of effects
- 100% GPU Accelerated Plugins
- XYZ rotation in 3D space
- Simple shapes
- Animation Presets
That is certainly a substantial list. If I try to go over these point by point I will have a book rather than an article. Instead, I will go through the workflow for the most commonly used features.
Unquestionably one of the most important new attributes is the Quick Edit Title Manager.
For those under the gun to produce quality creative graphic titles in next to no time, this feature may well be the clincher. NewBlueFX says you can create a title in 30 seconds. Can that possibly be true?
This was the first item brought to the test.
Result, yes, it can be done for the most basic title.
In reality, the selection process for these titles takes longer than that. I am not the fastest typist and my best time was 46 seconds. But it is fast and the layout is smooth and very coherent. Most assuredly, this is the quickest workflow that I have seen in some time.
But though blazingly fast title creation is here, that’s not all that you get. In fact, Titler Pro 4 really shines when you slow down and explore the immense group of creation features.
If you have the Ultimate package you certainly don’t want to hurry through it. With it you get the same 40 base design templates as the Elite package but instead of 12 lower thirds, you get a whopping 36 lower thirds. In addition, the Ultimate package offers 80 styles from the Classics and Reflections collections compared to 40 with the Elite group.
The Ultimate package is undoubtedly the best value for your buck. These templates will cover most of your needs. But the real power of Titler Pro 4 comes with the versatility and speed. Adding in your own layered .psd or .eps graphics and animations from Photoshop and Illustrator makes this software a real powerhouse. Coupled with OpenFX support the future for expanded effects looks very secure.
The virtual camera in Titler Pro 4 enables you to adjust depth of field, create wide angle effects, add blurs and even create true 3D titling. It even has output settings for stereoscopic 3D.
Pick a type style from one of nine style packs, Basic, Cinematic, Classics Collection, Fun, Hilcrest Collection, Midtown Collection, Muirlands Collection, Reflections Collection or the Soledad Collection. Then customize it to your personal tastes by changing the font, the 3D or 2D face and the 3D Outline. Next adjust or change the color, texture or gradient of the font. Extrusion, opacity layer depth & width, the bevel, shininess, all fully adjustable.
Add blended effects and specialized lighting including position, number and directions and color of lights. And let’s not forget that all of this is keyframeable .
On top of all of that they are even more options if you own some of NewBlueFX other product lines, Elements, Essentials, Stylizers, Filters and Transitions.
You can get dizzy while choosing the options with NewBlueFX Titler Pro 4.
My naïve intention was to go through all the collections and make a basic title with each one combining, them all into a video. It wasn’t long after I started the endeavor that I realized I might have to do dedicate the next year in order to complete the task.
Instead what I’ve done is take my favorite titles that I created and combine them into a short video. This is only a small sampling of what can be done with the software.
To sum it all up, NewBlueFX Titler Pro 4 will appeal to those who want a quick title with flash and style but without the complex hassles that can come with it. But it will also find a nice home with experienced pro’s who realize that this is an enormously creative titling tool for their arsenal.