Way back in 2001, Joshua Davies sat down at his computer and put together a tiny program that could generate lightsaber effects. After linking up with fellow UEA graduate Toby Walsh a company was formed, which would eventually become known as FXhome.
The People
Over the years FXhome has grown to include people from all over the world. Through a diverse mixture of skills we are now capable of creating professional software and websites for a fraction of the cost of ordinary companies.
Joshua Davies is still the MD, pushing the company forwards in new directions and always encouraging innovation while simultaneously designing nifty program interfaces. The man has a plan.
Toby Walsh is our web design supremo, responsible for almost single-handedly creating and maintaining FXhome.com. But if you think that's good, wait till you see what he's got coming up next.
Tim Edwards is the engine man, always tinkering away behind-the-scenes to make sure that our software is running smoothly and capable of creating the maximum amount of cool. Simon Jones is the voice of FXhome, creating tutorials, helping people out and letting the world know about what we do by shouting as loudly as possible.
Jack Everitt is the latest addition to the core team, heading up R&D for some seriously exciting future tech. You won't see what he's working on for a while, but it'll definitely be worth the wait.
The Plan
Everyone knows you've always got to have a plan. Part of ours is all about the new generation of filmmakers, who have grown up with DVDs and camcorders and videophones and already know how to make a movie before they've even left school.
It's also about the little guys - the ones with the talent and the vision and the energy, but who get ignored by the industry. This is what digital technology is all about: Empowering filmmakers by providing them with the necessary tools to exercise their imaginations and creativity. FXhome is here to accelerate that process.
The Community
We're not all about products and making money (though we are a little bit). Right from the start we knew that our users would be just as important as our products, so we set up a community FXhome.com where people could learn techniques, help each other out and chat about the latest movies.
It's now grown to over 45,000 registered members and is one of the friendliest places on the web. The FXhome.com Cinema has had over 1.25 million downloads and holds an archive of over 700 movies from all over the world
The hands-off approach never works, so we like to get directly involved. Whether you've got a support question, a suggestion for future improvement or simply want to chat about the weather, you can always find us lurking on the forums or live chat.
The Products
Our current range of software, available for both Mac and PC, is all about special effects. Muzzle flashes, explosions, particle effects, greenscreens, color grading, masking, animation - and, of course, lightsabers.
It's all there and we've packaged them up so that anybody can afford them. Here comes the science:
Lite - Just starting out? Not yet sure if filmmaking's for you? Then give the Lite products a go! Easily affordable and perfect for enhancing your favourite hobby.
Pro - Addicted to movies, but still lacking the big money? Then check out our Pro products for a huge amount of power and amazing results, without breaking the bank.
VisionLab Studio -This is where it's at. If you're going fully professional or are already there (or if you've got generous parents), VisionLab is what you want. Every single feature from the Pro products, combined into a single all-in-one filmmaker's toolkit with a whole bunch of extra effects and a commercial license thrown into the bargain. This baby will revolutionise your movies.
Any of that grab your interest? If so, head over to our website for more info, including a bunch of spiffy video clips. Click here for the fun stuff!
See you soon at FXhome.com.
Who I'd like to meet: Filmmakers: Enthusiast, hobbyist, amateur, indie, semi-pro, pro, veteran, legend - we want to meet you all!
Want a job? We're always on the lookout for talented programmers, GUI designers, website experts and journalists. If you're fresh, energised and willing to push the envelope, drop us a line...
Hey there!! All is going really good out here! How are all you guys doing? Im in LA for the next 2 months so keep me posted on when you guys are going to be over, would be cool to meet up! I can tell you all about Indy then! Laters Ads
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