AJ Koch
Video Editor Base2 Studios
Denver, CO
Favorite Gear: Apple Shake
List: $2,399 to $4,422
Why I love It: The thing I love most about Shake is that there are hundreds of ways to get your desired effect. It’s a node-based system, so every node works in conjunction with the others and there’s a myriad of ways to get things done.
"Shake is a highly advanced compositing system that allows you to do 3D and 2D animations, video compositing, film touch-up and scratch removal. I’m blown away by how powerful it is and how affordable it is as well.
Shake is surprisingly fast, depending on the system you’re using. It’s very intuitive and your controls are easily accessed- they’re always right in front of you. I just started working with it about two months ago and I’m already doing things I never thought I could do. It’s very easy to learn, which surprised me. For example, I had to composite a piece of video onto a small monitor that someone was carrying in his hands. The shot was moving, so I had to have Shake track the corners of the monitor. Then, with that information, it was easy to place my video onto it. Keying out green screen is also a snap. It takes a matter of minutes to do a very nice key. The node-based tree structure takes some getting used to, but in the end, it makes perfect sense and is very instinctive. I’m really impressed with what it can do. With this product, and the plug-ins we have for it, I can literally do anything I want. "