FrameFree Technologies has launched FrameFree Studio, the first digital imaging software that allows for the creation of compelling movies from still photographs without a steep learning curve or compromising quality at any bandwidth. FrameFree Studio is available in four different versions: FrameFree Studio HD, FrameFree Studio SD, FrameFree Studio Pro and FrameFree Studio Express, all of which are available now from the companys website.
Among FrameFrees first customers is Academy Award-winning visual effects director John Gaeta (THE MATRIX trilogy), who is utilizing the software on a new anime-inspired live-action project titled HOMELAND that runs 35 minutes, takes place in Tokyo and will be presented in a series of installments, according to THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER.
"FrameFree Studio provides realtime results, user interaction, diverse imaging and high-definition quality, which is a very rare combination in the digital imaging industry," said Gaeta. "With FrameFree Studio, we are experimenting in ways we could never have done before."
Built on the world's most advanced pixel-matching and interpolation engine, FrameFree Studio starts with two digital still images of any resolution, and through analysis, interpolation and morphing, automatically provides interactivity and smooth motion between them. The result is a completely new medium and style of visual expression. The motion imagery generation is fast, easy-to-learn, and virtually automatic. FrameFree Studio eliminates the need for lengthy pixel-by-pixel; frame-by-frame edits, and leaves digital content producers exponentially more time to orchestrate their creative vision.
Additionally, artists who use FrameFree Studio will also have access to the FrameFree United Networks (FUN). FUN is a global content delivery system that aggregates original digital content for efficient, worldwide distribution. For businesses, FUN allows artists and publishers complete control over delivery, tracking and syndication of their work by providing a secure, global, 19,000 edge server network for quick and easy access to any computer, anywhere in the world.
FrameFree Studio is the first digital imaging technology to employ a method of simultaneously examining both global and local features of an image to determine the ideal match, resulting in a smooth representation of motion images, perfect morphs, precisely stretched and deformed images and true frame rate interactivity. The matching is accomplished at the pixel level, overcoming the need to represent motion as a set of discrete frames and allowing the interpolation to retain extremely high fidelity and believability by making the visual experience much closer to the real world, where there are no frames. The software provides high resolution, scalable input tools for photos, sketches, scans and 3D images, and is appropriate for still, Web and movie projects. FrameFree Studio also allows for output to all industry standard formats.
"FrameFree Studio is a true technical breakthrough, added FrameFree president Thomas Randolph. Not only does it offer exceptional and spectacular results that are totally unique in the market and unachievable until today, but through FrameFree United Networks, artists now have a new avenue to be better compensated for their amazing content. And the beauty of it is, the technology is remarkably easy-to-learn. Anyone can use it."
FrameFree Studio HD and FrameFree Studio SD are designed for TV, film and Web streaming content producers who want to create dazzling and unique motion graphics from still images with shorter production times and a fraction of the cost normally associated with high definition and standard definition media production. FrameFree Studio HD offers AVI, BMP and TIFF with alpha channel output at resolutions up to 4096x4096, and 10 layers, while FrameFree Studio SD offers identical frame-by-frame output protocols up to standard definition NTSC and PAL broadcast resolutions, and up to 10 layers.
Motion graphics can be created in HD, SD, QuickTime, Windows Media, MPEG 2, MPEG 4, Real, DivX and other video formats, including output to AVI or sequential BMP and TIFF files. The FrameFree Studio multi-layer, text-authoring tool includes text rendering and stereo audio support for all major codecs (MP3, WAV, AIFF and AU) and image formats (JPG, PNG, BMP and TIFF with alpha channel).
FrameFree Pro and FrameFree Express are designed for Web producers who want to create high-resolution motion imagery at extremely low costs, with short production times, unprecedented interactivity, and minimum bandwidth. Both Pro and Express offer motion imagery that is fully resolution independent and frame rate independent. Each provides automated intelligent streaming of content for everything from the highest resolution Internet productions to the smallest, new mobile screens. With output to a FrameFree Media file, Web projects have razor sharp quality, with resolutions up to 640x480, and reaching up to 1280x960 pixels when using auto-zoom. And, in remarkably small file sizes, files played through the Web Player need only the first few keyframes, plus a small interpolation file, and the audio track to begin display and playback of your files, a significantly smaller data payload relative to other frame-based video or animation files.
FrameFree Studio Pro allows artists to work with up to four image layers, while FrameFree Studio Express is ideal for content creators who only need one or two authoring layers to realize their vision. Both products take advantage of industry standards in audio (MP3, WAV, AIFF and AU) and image handling (JPG, PNG, BMP and TIFF with alpha channel) and add their own text-rendering, multi-layer workspace, allowing content creators to maximize their creative capabilities. Using FrameFree Web Player, artists can enhance websites with eye-catching, interactive motion graphics that escape from traditional aspect ratio and performance constraints.
The introductory subscription price for FrameFree Studio Express is $30 per month. FrameFree Pro is $50 per month. Each subscription provides unlimited authoring potential. For every file destined for worldwide distribution, there is a FUN certification fee of up to $30. And a monthly metered fee of .25 per MB for secure serving and tracking of files. The FUN publishing platform is a reliable guarantor for the protection of all commercial rights for work.
FrameFree SD and HD are now available exclusively on a site license basis, but they will be made available soon on a weekly subscription basis on FrameFree United Networks. Contact FrameFree directly to determine your motion imagery requirements most effectively.
A free 14-day Trial Version of FrameFree Express software is available for immediate download from www.framefree.com.
Founded in 2004 and based in San Francisco, FrameFree Technologies Inc. is a joint venture between U.K.-based FrameFree International Ltd. and Japan-based Monolith Co, Ltd. (www.monolith-prime.co.jp). The company develops and distributes a family of products that provides easy and efficient authoring and compression of motion imagery and enables the delivery of hi-res digital movies across multiple networks and platforms at a fraction of the traditional bandwidth and costs.
Bill Desowitz, former editor of VFXWorld, is currently the Crafts Editor of IndieWire.
