Joe's Filters for Final Cut Pro

Joe's Filters were created to make Final Cut Pro faster and easier to work with. The set of 24 plugins includes faster versions of Final Cut Pro effects, tools to help simplify the timeline and reduce the number of tracks needed for simple effects, plus many more image processing tools requested by Final Cut Pro users.

I wrote Joe's Filters with FXScript, the effects language built into Final Cut Pro. This means the plugins work natively in RGB or YUV, and take advantage of all the QuickTime and multiprocessor acceleration Final Cut Pro offers. Joe's Filters

Joe's Filters 3 is a free upgrade for registered users. Here's what's new.

Buying Joe's Filters

Purchasing is handled through Kagi Shareware. An unlock key will be sent to you via e-mail upon registering, usually within two hours of credit card confirmation. I can also accept PayPal upon request, but it might take me a few days.

At this time there is no physical product. If you absolutely need a CD, contact me and we will work something out.

User Feedback

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Joe's Filters 3 is a free upgrade for registered users

Let me say that again: Registered users of Joe's Filters get free upgrades to version 3.

If you are a registered user of Joe's Filters and did not receive an upgrade notice, please contact me with a proof of purchase. An e-mail announcement was sent to the registered e-mail address of every registered user user of Joe's Filters.

Because of the way Final Cut Pro attaches filters, the paid version of the filters can not simply replace the trial versions. I wish there was some way around this, but as far as I can tell, there isn't. If you think replacing one iteration of filters is a pain in the butt, imagine how annoying it was for me to test them.

Speed and the Trial Version

The trial version will watermark the end of clips more than 3 seconds long. Because of the way Final Cut Pro calculates duration, watermarks may appear in the viewer even though they do not appear in the timeline. This can happen even after rendering.

The paid versions of Joe's Filters are faster than the trial versions. I know what you're probably thinking, because I thought the same thing after writing that, "yeah, right." The reason is the watermark. Final Cut Pro's text drawing routines are not very fast, and require significantly more time to render when the watermark is visible. If you'd like to test this for yourself because you think I'm full of it, try the following:

Steps to show how much extra render time is required by

1. Place a four second clip in the timeline.
2. Add any of the trial filters.
3. Duplicate the filtered clip in the timeline.
4. Use the razor blade tool to cut one of the clips into two 2-second clips.
5. Render the four second clip and note the time.
6. Render both two-second clips at the same time and note how much faster the rendering was.

On faster computers, the delay will be less apparent.

Version History

August 9, 2001 - Initial Public Release (1.0)

February 19, 2002 - Version 3.0 released

Version Compatibility

Joe's Filters have been tested with Final Cut Pro versions 1.2.5, 2.0.2 and 3.0. Versions of Final Cut Pro before 1.2.5 are not supported though many of the filters will work.

About the name Joe's Filters

The name started out as a nickname for the set, and it stuck. It's meant to be tongue in cheek, drawing on classic "Eat at Joe's" diners and the like. DV.com completely missed the point.

About Joe's Filters' Input Controls

Wherever possible I have tried to have the controls use raw values instead of percents, arbitrary ranges or interpreted names. Often with software, simplification is obfuscation; simplified controls and "Magic boxes" prevent a deeper understanding of the imaging process.

About me

Several of my current and past biographies are online.

My short film All Day Ice Cream, edited with Premiere and Final Cut Pro, was included in ReelNY on New York City's PBS station. It was also screened at the New York International Independent Film Festival (Los Angeles and New York) and the New Orleans Film Festival as part of Cinema 16.

I have been playing around with computer scripting languages for six or seven years. I started with AppleScript because I wanted some art-related projects to manipulate the whole computer, rather than just run on it. Those projects led me to JavaScript, and over time I also picked up some AfterEffects Motion Math and Flash ActionScripting. I have no formal training as a programmer, and I am not a math whiz. Most all of the hard-core stuff in Final Cut Pro's included filters initially flew way over my head. But persistence and curiosity eventually produced an understanding of most all of it. Anyone can do this stuff but most creative people sell themselves short for some reason. Learning FXScript and making these filters has been every bit as creatively rewarding as making movies.