Boris FX™, known for integrated VFX and workflow solutions for video and film, has signed a definitive agreement to acquire GenArts Inc., developers of premium special effects plug-ins. GenArts’ flagship product, Sapphire™, is at film studios and broadcast facilities around the world. Since 1996, Sapphire effects have been used in at least one of each year’s VFX Oscar-nominated films, and numerous award-winning television shows. Sapphire will continue to be developed and sold in its current form alongside flagship products Boris Continuum Complete™ (BCC) and mocha Pro™, creating a complement to applications from Adobe, Apple, Avid, Autodesk, Blackmagic Design and others.
The acquisition is part of Boris FX founder Boris Yamnitsky’s aggressive growth strategy. Boris FX most recently acquired Imagineer Systems, the UK-based developer of mocha: Academy Award-winning planar tracking tools.
“We are excited to announce this strategic merger and welcome the Sapphire team to the Boris FX/Imagineer group,” said Yamnitsky. “This acquisition makes Boris FX uniquely positioned to serve editors and effects artists with the industry’s leading tools for motion graphics, broadcast design, visual effects, image restoration, motion tracking and finishing — all under one roof. Sapphire’s exceptional suite of creative plug-ins has been used to design many of the last decades’ most memorable film images. Sapphire perfectly complements BCC and mocha as essential tools for professional VFX and we look forward to serving Sapphire’s extremely accomplished users.”
“Equally impressive is the team behind the technology,” continued Yamnitsky. “Key GenArts staff from engineering, sales, marketing and support will join our Boston office to ensure the smoothest transition for customers. Our shared goal is to serve our combined customer base with useful new tools and the highest quality training and technical support.”
The Sapphire team agrees on the value the merger will bring to the industry. “I’m excited about what a combined Boris FX/Imagineer/GenArts company can create,” stated Gary Oberbrunner, chief scientist and VP of engineering at GenArts. “We are impressed with the collaborative integration of mocha technology in the recent BCC 10 release and look forward to exploring similar technology sharing and product improvement opportunities. All of us share a passion for innovation, quality and creativity. Combining resources and knowledge, and working with our amazing customers, will enable us not just to continue the pace of innovation we’ve had separately, but to move even faster, creating entirely new effects, tools and combinations to delight our users.” Oberbrunner will now join the Boris FX senior management team as chief technical officer for the combined group.
Longtime users of Continuum Complete and Sapphire are now sharing positive first impressions of the announcement:
Seth Buncher, Senior Finishing Editor at NYC’s Post Factory, recently completed the color grading and finishing on ESPN’s acclaimed mini-series “O.J.: Made in America.” According to Buncher, “BCC and Sapphire have been part of my finishing tools for over 10 years. I use Sapphire to create unique looks and BCC’s image restoration tools to help salvage and fix problematic footage. Both packages are essential to my finishing workflow on Avid Symphony and DaVinci Resolve, so learning that my favorite plug-in developers are joining forces is exciting news. I look forward to more BCC/Sapphire/mocha developments in the future.”
Yuhei Ogawa, longtime Sapphire user and current editor at Trailer Park in Hollywood, is thrilled at the announcement and all future collaborative possibilities. “Boris, Imagineer and GenArts joining forces is a colossal move for the postproduction industry. Here at Trailer Park, we use all three products on a regular basis and they are a big part of our success. I can’t wait to see what the future holds for this new plug-in powerhouse.”
Attendees visiting the IBC tradeshow in Amsterdam will have the opportunity to meet with teams from both GenArts and Boris FX and preview the latest new products and technology for professional postproduction. Boris FX/Imagineer can be found at Booth 7.K29 and GenArts at Booth 7.J05.
