after effects

We all love free stuff, and with the way the economy is right now there’s not a lot of extra money going around. That doesn’t mean we can’t have new toys to play with! I’ve put together a big list of free plugins for After Effects, Final Cut Pro, and Cinema 4D.

Free After Effects Plugins

Minning

Normality 3, Atlas, Generator

http://www.3dcg.net/software/normality/

Normality is a powerful plug-in that allows motion graphics artists to light 3D objects and scenes directly within the familiar Adobe After Effects environment through the use of normal passes and advanced relighting techniques.

http://www.3dcg.net/software/atlas/

Atlas is a part of the pfstmo tone mapping operators to the Adobe After Effects plug-in format.

http://www.3dcg.net/software/generator/

Generator is a simple and free plug-in for Adobe After Effects which can be used to create normal maps from alpha mattes, such as text and shape layers.

Red Giant Software

http://www.redgiantsoftware.com/products/free/

Free plugins from Red Giant including Knoll 3D Flare (Beta) 1.0, Knoll Unmult, Magic Bullet Colorista Free, Magic Bullet LUT Buddy, and Magic Bullet Quick Looks Free

Noise Industries

http://www.noiseindustries.com/fxfactory/free/

Free plugins from Noise Industries for After Effects, Final Cut Pro, and Motion. Plugins include Manifesto, Pan and Zoom, Star Titler, Barcode, CoverFlux, Freebie Pack, and PHYX Freebies. To run these plugins you need to install FX Factory (http://www.noiseindustries.com/fxfactory/download), also free.

Omino Suite

http://omino.com/store/

Download the omino suite for After Effects CS5 and later. The installer includes omino kaleidoscope, omino python, and others. You may use this for commercial and noncommerical works. The installer also includes examples and documentation.

AE Flame

http://www.andrewdavidson.com/aeflame/download.html

AE Flame is an Adobe After Effects plugin that allows you to create and animate cosmic recursive flame fractals.

Videocopilot

http://www.videocopilot.net/presets/

A host of free AE presets including Magic Tracking, Sure Target, Reflection, 3D Falloff and a lot more.

AlphaPlugins Fir Tree

http://www.alphaplugins.com/products/products.php?menu=get_prod_id&prod_id=9

AlphaPlugins FirTree is additional module for Adobe After Effects. This plug-in allows you to create animated fir tree branches. You can use these elements to decorate your Merry Christmas and Happy New Years videos.

Frischluft Field Fixer and HSL Selection

http://www.frischluft.com/free/index.php

Field Fixer allows the user to correct field problems manually by selecting upper and lower field for the current frame. HSL Selection Is a standalone version of the selection method found in Flair and Lenscare.

Philipp Spoeth

Sinedots II

http://www.philipp-spoeth.de/aftereffects/sinedots2.php

Shear

http://www.philipp-spoeth.de/aftereffects/shear.php

Retrodots

http://www.philipp-spoeth.de/aftereffects/retrodots.php

CoreMelt

http://www.coremelt.com/download.html

The CoreMelt FREE pack has 33 completely free plugins from all their products & VeeYou V2.

Automatic Duck

http://www.automaticduck.com/products/download/index.html

With Pro Import AE for Adobe After Effects, your digital desktop has never been more powerful or complete. Translating a sequence from an Avid® or Final Cut Pro 7 editing system, or a project from Apple’s Motion takes just seconds, importing all your media and clips in one step. Effects are translated and recreated for you and your timeline becomes a composition in After Effects, ready for you to take your vision to the next level.

Free Final Cut Pro Plugins

Connor Productions

http://www.connerpro.com/free-fcpx-templates/

Free Final Cut Pro X templates including Seal, Diamond, Wisp, Puff, Lights, Film Dust, and more.

Noise Industries

http://www.noiseindustries.com/fxfactory/free/

Too Much Too Soon

http://www.mattias.nu/plugins/

Large selection of free plugins including Warp Sharp, Flash Frame, Slow Motion, and a whole lot more.

Nattress

http://www.nattress.com/Free/freeFCP.htm

9 free plugins including G Reverse, G Earthquake, G Speed, and more

Lyric

http://www.lyric.com/fcp-plugins/index.htm#shadow

Lyric’s free Shadow-Highlight plugin filter provides functionality similar to the Highlight/Shadow function in Photoshop CS, revealing detail in under or overexposed footage by lifting shadows or reducing highlights.

CoreMelt

http://www.coremelt.com/download.html

The CoreMelt FREE pack has 33 completely free plugins from all their products & VeeYou V2.

CHV

http://www.chv-plugins.com/silkandfog.html

CHV Silk and Fog provides you with 5 effects: Silk, Fog, Shadows, Borders, and Flatten.

River Rock Studios

http://www.riverrockstudios.com/riverrock/pages/FCP.html

Free Jitterbug, Chromatic Glow, and Day for Night plugins

Digital Heaven

http://www.digital-heaven.co.uk/freeware

Free plugins for Final Cut versions 4 through X, including DH Fade, DH Field Trans, DH Grid, and more.

Automatic Duck

http://www.automaticduck.com/products/download/index.html

Patrick Sheffield’s Plugins

http://pistolerapost.com/pluginz/index.html

7 Free plugins including Two Strip Technicolor, Three Strip Technicolor, Three Strip Extreme, Richer, Convolve Toy, Captain’s Blowout Fixer, and Luma Toy.

Luca’s Plugins

http://www.videonline.co.uk/MainMenu.htm

13 Free plugins including Vignette, Image Adjust, Light Streaks, Shaky Bump, and more.

Film Impact

http://www.filmimpact.net/index.php/download/

7 Free plugins including Impact Stretch, Impact Roll, Impact Flash, Impact Blur to Color, Impact Push, and Impact Wipe

alex4d

http://alex4d.wordpress.com/finalcut/

Large amount of plugins including Inside-Outside Matte, Improved Crop, Pond Ripple Transition, and more.