SilhouetteFX began as a rotoscoping tool for the visual effects industry. SilhouetteFX has been expanded to include capabilities facilitating paint, warping and morphing, 2D to 3D conversion and alternative matting methods.
Version 1 was demonstrated at the January 2005 Motion Graphics LA (MGLA) meeting.
Versions 1 and 2 were broken into separate rotoscoping and paint products. Version 3 (released May 2008) and beyond combined all core features (roto and paint) into a single product. With the release of Version 3 in May 2008, SilhouetteFX gained a stereoscopic workflow plus keying and compositing capabilities.
As a paint package, SilhouetteFX can be used for wire, rig, dust and blemish removal. Advanced cloning features were added in Version 4. A hybrid vector / raster paint system was added in Version 5.
Beginning in Version 4, SilhouetteFX could be used to convert 2D motion pictures to 3D.
The mocha planar tracking system was licensed from Imagineer Systems and integrated into Version 5.
Version 5 added a high speed advanced shape driven warping and morphing system. Company partner, Perry Kivolowitz, is the co-inventor of shape driven warping and morphing and is a recipient of a 1996 Scientific and Technical Achievement from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
SilhouetteFX is named for the art form associated with Étienne de Silhouette (July 8, 1709 – 1767). The fundamental output of a rotoscoping program is a matte which when viewed appears as a silhouette of an object to be treated in isolation of the remainder of an image. The image density of the matte determines how a compositing operation effect will be applied. Image pixels corresponding to brighter pixels in the matte will be treated differently than image pixels corresponding to darker pixels in the matte.
The developer, SilhouetteFX LLC, was formed as a partnership between principals from Digital Film Tools and Profound Effects, Inc.. Partners include Perry Kivolowitz, Paul Miller, Peter Moyer and Marco Paolini.
30 Days of Night (2007): Weta
"47 Ronin" (2013): Framestore
"A Monster Calls" (2016): MPC Film
Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter (2012): Weta
"After Party" (2017): BOT VFX
"Age of Adaline" (2015): BOT VFX
"Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Road Chip" (2015): Weta
American Sniper (2014): MPC Film
Avatar (2009): Framestore
"Avengers: Age of Ultron" (2015): Framestore
"Batman vs Superman: Dawn of Justice" (2016): MPC Film, Weta
Bedtime Stories (2008): Tippett Studio
"Ben Hur" (2016): BOT VFX
Beverly Hills Chihuahua (2008): Tippett Studio
Bridge to Terabithia (2007): Weta
Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore (2010): Tippett Studio
Clash of the Titans (2010): Framestore
Cloverfield (2008): Tippett Studio
Coraline (2009): Laika
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (2014): Weta
District 9 (2009): Weta
"Dracula Untold" (2014): Framestore
Drag Me to Hell (2009): Tippett Studio
"Edge of Tomorrow" (2014): Framestore, MPC Film
Enchanted (2007): Tippett Studio
Eragon (2006): Weta
"Everest" (2015): Framestore
"Ex Machina" (2015): Double Negative
"Fantastic Beasts" (2016): MPC Film
"Fantastic Four" (2015): Weta, BOT VFX
Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (2007): Weta
"Furious Seven" (2015): Weta
Immortals (2011): Tippett Studio
"Independence Day: Resurgence" (2016): MPC Film, BOT VFX
Interstellar (2014): Double Negative
Into The Woods (2014): MPC Film
Jack the Giant Killer (2013): Image Engine
Jersey Boys (2014): MPC Film
John Carter (2012): Double Negative
"Jupiter Ascending" (2015): Double Negative
"Jurassic World" (2015)
"Ghostbusters" (2016): MPC Film
"Gods of Egypt" (2016): BOT VFX
Godzilla (2014): Double Negative
"Godzilla" (2016): MPC Film
"Gravity" (2013): Framestore
"Guardians of the Galaxy" (2014): Framestore
Gulliver's Travels (2010): Weta
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 (2010): Rising Sun Pictures, Framestore
"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2" (2011): Framestore, Rising Sun Pictures, Tippett Studio
"Hateful Eight" (2015): BOT VFX
"Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2" (2015): BOT VFX
Jumper (2008): Weta
"Jupiter Ascending" (2015): Framestore
King Kong (2005): Weta
Knight and Day (2010): Weta
"Magnificent 7" (2016): BOT VFX
Maleficent (2014): MPC Film
Man of Steel (2013): Weta
"Maze Runner: Scorch Trials" (2015): Weta
Mirror Mirror (2012): Tippett Studio
"Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children" (2016): BOT VFX
"Mission Impossible-Rogue Nation" (2015): Double Negative
Nanny McPhee Returns (2010): Framestore
Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb (2014): MPC Film
"Now You See Me 2" (2016): Framestore
"Paddington" (2014): Framestore, Double Negative
"Pan" (2015): Framestore
Percy Jackson: Sea Monsters (2013): Weta
"Pete's Dragon" (2016): Weta, BOT VFX
Piranha (2010): Tippett Studio
"Pixels" (2015): BOT VFX
"Point Break" (2015): BOT VFX
Predators (2010): Weta
Priest (2011): Tippett Studio
Prometheus (2012): Weta
R.I.P.D. (2013)
Red 2 (2013): MPC Film
Red Cliff (2008): Tippett Studio
Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011): Weta
"Robocop" (2014): Framestore
Rush (2013): Double Negative
Salt (2010): Framestore
Season of the Witch (2011): Tippett Studio
"Sherlock Holmes: Game of Shadows" (2013): Framestore
Skyfall (2012): Double Negative
"Straight Outta Compton" (2015): BOT VFX
"Suicide Squad" (2016): MPC Film
"Sully" (2016): MPC Film
"Tarzan" (2016): MPC Film, Framestore
Ted (2012): Tippett Studio
"Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows" (2016): BOT VFX
"Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" (2014)
"Terminator Genisys" (2015): Double Negative, MPC Film
"The 5th Wave" (2016): BOT VFX
The A-Team (2010): Weta
The Adventures of Tintin (2011): Weta
The Avengers (2012): Weta
"The BFG" (2016): Weta
"The Boss" (2016): BOT VFX
The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian (2008): Weta
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (20111: MPC Film
The Counselor (2013): MPC Film
The Dark Knight (2008): Double Negative
The Day the Earth Stood Still (2008): Weta
"The Dinner" (2017): BOT VFX
"The Finest Hours" (2016): MPC Film
The Golden Compass (2007): Tippett Studio, Framestore
"The Gunman" (2015): Double Negative
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012): Weta
"The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies" (2014): Weta
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (2013): Weta
The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (2013): Double Negative / Weta
"The Jungle Book" (2016): Weta
"The Lake" (2017): BOT VFX
The Lone Ranger (2013): MPC Film
The Lovely Bones (2009): Weta
"The Martian" (2015): BOT VFX, Framestore
The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (2013): MPC Film
The Smurfs (2011): Tippett Studio
The Spiderwick Chronicles (2008): Tippett Studio
The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1 (2011): Tippett Studio
The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 2 (2012): Tippett Studio
The Twilight Saga: Eclipse (2010): Tippett Studio
The Twilight Saga: New Moon (2009): Tippett Studio
The Water Horse: Legend of the Deep (2007): Weta
The Wolverine (2013): Weta
The World's End (2013): Double Negative
Titanic 3D (2012): StereoD
Total Recall (2012): Double Negative
"Victor Frankenstein" (2015): MPC Film
"War Horse" (2011): Framestore
Where the Wild Things Are (2009): Framestore
World War Z (2013): MPC Film
X-Men: The Last Stand (2006): Weta
"X-Men: Apocalypse" (2016): MPC Film
X-Men: First Class (2011): Weta
"Zoolander 2" (2016): MPC Film
