Blackmagic Fusion Studio 19 review: VFX software goes from strength to strength

Rotoscoping improvements, AI-powered tracking, and better USD support make this a definite step in the right direction.

Blackmagic Fusion Studio 19 screenshot
(Image: © Future, City of Gold Coast)

Our Verdict

Blackmagic Fusion Studio 19 is a solid beta release that improves upon an already impressive VFX and motion design toolset. Nuke from Foundry remains the industry standard for many, but Fusion Studio is chomping at its heels. The inclusion of AI tracking, better rotoscoping, and improved USD support help to strengthen its offering.

For

  • Rotoscoping improvements
  • AI-powered tracking
  • USD support

Against

  • Steep learning curve
  • Stiff competition from Nuke

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Fusion Studio 19 details

Price: $295 / £230
Company:
Blackmagic Design
OS:
Windows 10+, CentOS 7.3+/Rocky Linux 8.6 and macOS 13.0+
Processor: Not specified
Memory: 16 GB RAM. 32GB for improved performance
Graphics card: GPU with at least 4 GB of VRAM which supports Metal, OpenCL 1.2 or CUDA 12.

Blackmagic Fusion Studio is a node-based VFX and compositing tool that is now in version 19 Beta. The software was acquired by Blackmagic Design back in 2014 and now in its tenth year, it is stronger than ever. The core package lets you create amazing effects, put complex shots together, and create incredible motion graphics.

The Verdict
8

out of 10

Blackmagic Fusion Studio 19

Blackmagic Fusion Studio 19 is a solid beta release that improves upon an already impressive VFX and motion design toolset. Nuke from Foundry remains the industry standard for many, but Fusion Studio is chomping at its heels. The inclusion of AI tracking, better rotoscoping, and improved USD support help to strengthen its offering.

Paul Hatton
Writer

Paul is a digital expert. In the 20 years since he graduated with a first-class honours degree in Computer Science, Paul has been actively involved in a variety of different tech and creative industries that make him the go-to guy for reviews, opinion pieces, and featured articles. With a particular love of all things visual, including photography, videography, and 3D visualisation Paul is never far from a camera or other piece of tech that gets his creative juices going. You'll also find his writing in other places, including Creative Bloq, Digital Camera World, and 3D World Magazine. 

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