Rejoice, Mac users, for the world's most advanced integrated 2D and 3D compositing and motion graphics software can now be yours.

Blackmagic's compositing software has been used on over 1,000 major Hollywood blockbusters, including Thor and The Hunger Games, and now you can use it at home. It has a ton of great features, but the best part: it's completely free.


Instead of timeline workflows, Black Magic has opted for a node-based platform. The small icons represent effects, filters, and other processing tools which can then be connected to build up larger and more complex visual effects. These nodes are organized on the screen in a tree—similar to a flow chart—that allows you to break down and visualize your scenes. It's much faster than timeline-based tools or non-linear editing systems because you don't need to hunt through stacks on stacks of confusing layers.

Node-treeimage

The free version of Fusion 8 includes:

  • A massive toolset featuring paint, rotoscope, tilting and animation
  • Multiple keyers including Primatte an amazing 3D particle system
  • Advanced keyframing
  • GPU acceleration
  • Support for importing and rendering 3D models and scenes from other applications

Stereoscopic_tools"Avatar" image courtesy of Prime Focus World

If you scroll through the more in-depth list of features on Blackmagic's website and find that the free version just won't cut it, you can always opt for their Studio Version for $995.