Boris FX has taken over Academy Award-winning companies Silhouette and Digital Film Tools.
In a significant move that strengthens its position in the visual effects (VFX) and post-production industries, Boris FX has announced the acquisition of SilhouetteFX (SFX) and Digital Film Tools (DFT). The merger brings together three influential companies known for their innovative tools used on some of Hollywood's biggest blockbusters.
SilhouetteFX, renowned for its advanced rotoscoping and non-destructive paint tools, will continue to be developed and sold under the Boris FX brand. The acquisition also includes DFT, an offshoot of a Los Angeles-based motion picture visual effects facility, which offers standalone applications and professional plugin collections for photographers, filmmakers, editors, and colorists.
The Mocha planar tracking option currently licensed by Silhouette, a favourite among its paint and roto artists, will also continue to be developed under the Boris FX brand. This popular tool, which is used daily by Digital Paint Lead at Weta Digital, Eddie Soria, for any paint shot due to its hand-paint capabilities, automated paint strokes, and smart integration with other apps, is expected to see further enhancements under Boris FX.
Silhouette's full-fledged GPU-accelerated node-based compositing application, featuring over one hundred VFX nodes and integrated Boris FX Mocha planar tracking, will also be part of the Boris FX portfolio. The software, which has been used by top feature film artists on record-breaking box office hits such as Avatar (2009), The Hobbit (2012), Wonder Woman (2017), Avengers: End Game (2019), and Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw (2019), is scheduled to ship in October 2019.
Marco Paolini, Paul Miller, and Peter Moyer, founders of Silhouette, will continue in their leadership roles and collaborate with the Mocha product development team under Boris FX. The merger marks the third acquisition by Boris FX in recent years, following Imagineer Systems (2014) and GenArts (2016).
Jessie Electa Petrov, Director of Marketing for Boris FX, can be contacted for media inquiries at jessiep@pur socials.com or 617-451-9900.
While historically, silhouette animation has been used in various classic films, such as Lotte Reiniger's works like "Cinderella" (1922) and "The Adventures of Prince Achmed" (1926), these are not directly related to SilhouetteFX's technology. For specific contributions of SilhouetteFX to films, one would need to consult the company's own publications or industry reports that detail their involvement in film projects.
With this acquisition, Boris FX reinforces its commitment to agile development, promising annual releases, annual support, and subscription options for its expanded suite of VFX and post-production tools. DFT plugins, which support Adobe Photoshop, Lightroom, After Effects, and Premiere Pro; Apple Final Cut Pro X and Motion; Avid Media Composer; and OFX hosts, including Foundry Nuke and Blackmagic DaVinci Resolve, will also be available as part of the Boris FX offerings.
The merger is expected to bring about exciting developments in the world of VFX and post-production, as Boris FX continues to push the boundaries of what is possible in filmmaking and visual storytelling.
The acquisition by Boris FX of SilhouetteFX and Digital Film Tools will expand their portfolio, now including advanced investing opportunities in the technology-driven business sector of visual effects and post-production. The acquired software, known for its advanced rotoscoping tools and integrated Mocha planar tracking, is expected to see enhancements, revolutionizing investing in this creative business of finance and technology.
