Red Giant has done a few things right over the past year since it launched Red Giant Universe, its new subscription-based collection of editing/effects tools for filmmakers. In my opinion, the key to Red Giant Universe’s success (since it’s a subscription service) lies in its ability to add new and interesting tools, and they’ve done just that. In order to produce useful tools, Red Giant has utilized Universe Labs, where users can vote on potential new additions. So far, Red Giant has added a Compound Blur effect, an Exposure Blur Transition, a PixelGlow EZ effect, and a Soft Wipe transition. I think it is really cool that Universe doesn’t just add new tools periodically, but it actually listens to its customers and adds tools that the community members are asking for.

 

 

Other than keeping things fresh, Red Giant made the right choice in creating Universe as a subscription-based service. You can opt in at no charge for access to the basic tools and to vote, or you can choose from the followed paid options: $10/month, $99/year, or a $399 one time payment. The paid options allow access to a premium set of tools, of course. I enjoy using subscription services because they automatically update and I no longer have to worry about spending large amounts on new versions of the software.

 

 

I use Final Cut Pro X, so I can only speak to the Red Giant Universe experience in Final Cut, but Universe is also compatible with Adobe Premiere Pro, Adobe After Effects, Apple Motion, Sony Vegas Pro, Davinci Resolve, and HitFilm 3 Pro. Within Final Cut, the Universe tools are supposed to be much faster because they are GPU-accelerated. I honestly can’t tell too much of a difference on my current iMac, but I do think this is a good design that will allow for quicker plugins as I update my hardware.

 

I counted almost 90 tools, and of course this number will only increase with time. I’m pleased with what I’ve seen so far, and some of my favorites include Turbulence Noise, Streak Blur, Texturize, and OverLight. They are not all mind-blowing plugins, but everything is useful. Some tools might parallel what you’ll see prepackaged in Final Cut Pro X, but you will also find plenty of new tools that are much more creative than the prepackaged options.

 

My suggestion is: go for it. At the very least, you can spend $10 for one month and decide whether or not you like it. That option within the subscription model is, to me, really empowering.