New Release of Boris FX's Sapphire 2023: Boasts Cutting-Edge Visual Effects
In the realm of visual effects, Boris FX has unveiled its latest offering, Sapphire 2023. This update brings a host of new features and improvements, focusing on creative effects and lighting enhancements.
Key additions include 18 new lens flares, expanding the options for artists to create dynamic lighting looks. The S_UltraGrain effect, a new grain tool, delivers cinematic film grain textures for enhanced visual ambiance. The S_Dust effect allows for the quick addition of cinematic dust and ambiance to CG or live footage, enhancing realism and atmosphere.
The S_PixelMosh effect, a new digital glitch effect, generates unique, stylized distortion and glitch visuals. A standout feature is the S_PrismLens effect, which simulates shooting through a physical prism, producing realistic refraction and chromatic aberration effects without complicated setups.
The S_UltraGrain effect is fast, flexible, and natural for compositing and effects work. It includes 79 presets based on Hollywood's favourite film stocks and modern production cameras. The S_PrismLens effect includes 16 presets and offers three initial styles: single, linear, and circular. Users can modify the lens shape, use built-in Mocha for tracking and isolating effects, and add finishing touches such as glows, lights, and chromatic aberrations.
The S_DissolveUltraGlow transition, Sapphire's most widely-used transition, gets an update with enhanced features. It includes an optical-based glow, highlight and atmospheric noise parameters, and 14 presets. Additionally, Sapphire 2023 includes 100+ curated presets, including 18 photorealistic lens flare presets.
For those interested, Boris FX Sapphire 2023 is available with annual/monthly subscriptions, upgrade & support plans, and permanent licenses. Annual subscription for individual host options costs $495, while monthly subscription costs $62. The permanent license for individual host options costs $1695. The annual subscription for the multi-host option costs $895, and upgrades for the multi-host option (Adobe, Avid, OFX) start at $895. Permanent license for the multi-host option costs $2795.
For more information about Sapphire, contact Jessie Electa Petrov at jessiep@pur socials.com or 617-451-9900.
It's worth noting that while performance and workflow improvements were introduced in the later 2025 updates, they were improvements in the newer version after Sapphire 2023. These include optimized speed, a streamlined user interface, improved tracking and masking tools, and expanded compatibility across host platforms.
In summary, Sapphire 2023’s highlights are the new lighting and stylistic effects (lens flares, grain, dust, prism lens, pixel mosh) that expand artists' creative capabilities within the plugin suite. More general performance and UI enhancements came in the later 2025 updates.
Gadgets like the S_PixelMosh effect and S_PrismLens effectively utilize technology to generate unique visual effects, such as digital glitch and prism refraction effects. The Sapphire 2023 update also features S_UltraGrain, a grain tool, and S_Dust, which add cinematic realism to footage, demonstrating the integration of technology in visual arts.
