Magic Bullet Suite for Mac: A Review of Features, Benefits, and Pricing
Magic Bullet Suite for Mac: A Complete Guide
If you are looking for a way to make your footage look great, right on your editing timeline, you might want to check out Magic Bullet Suite for Mac. This is a set of plugins or addons for video editing software that offer color correction, finishing, and film looks. It was developed by a digital film production and post house in LA in 1999. It has seven tools that simulate lens filters and film stocks, balance out shots with color adjustments, and add effects like halation and optical diffusion. It also supports a new color management system called OpenColorIO - ACES. It can be used with Adobe Premiere Pro, Adobe After Effects, and Apple Final Cut Pro X.
Magic Bullet Suite For Mac
In this article, we will show you how to install, use, update, troubleshoot, and buy Magic Bullet Suite for Mac. We will also answer some frequently asked questions about this product. By the end of this article, you will have a clear idea of what Magic Bullet Suite for Mac can do for you and your videos.
How to install Magic Bullet Suite for Mac
To install Magic Bullet Suite for Mac, you need to download and use the Maxon App. This is a tool that allows you to install, use, or try all of Maxon's products. Here are the steps to follow:
Go to Maxon's website and click on Downloads.
Download the Maxon App for your operating system Run the Maxon App and sign in with your Maxon account. If you don't have one, you can create one for free.
Click on the Products tab and find Magic Bullet Suite. You can either buy it, start a free trial, or use it if you already have a license or subscription.
Click on the Install button and wait for the installation to complete.
Restart your video editing software and look for the Magic Bullet Suite plugins in the effects panel.
Congratulations, you have successfully installed Magic Bullet Suite for Mac. Now you can start using it to enhance your videos.
How to use Magic Bullet Suite for Mac
Magic Bullet Suite for Mac has seven tools that you can use to improve your footage. Each tool has its own interface and features that you can access from your video editing software. Here is a brief overview of each tool and how to use it:
Magic Bullet Looks
Magic Bullet Looks is the most popular tool in the suite. It allows you to apply and customize presets that give your footage a specific look or mood. You can choose from over 200 presets that are organized into categories such as cinematic, stylized, vintage, and more. You can also create your own presets using the Looks Designer, a powerful tool that lets you adjust color, contrast, lighting, lens effects, and more. You can also work with OpenColorIO - ACES, a new color management system that ensures consistent and accurate colors across different applications and devices.
To use Magic Bullet Looks, follow these steps:
Drag and drop the Magic Bullet Looks effect onto your clip in the timeline.
Click on the Edit button in the effect controls panel to open the Looks interface.
Browse through the presets and click on the ones you like to preview them on your clip. You can also use the search bar or the filters to find specific presets.
Once you find a preset you like, click on the Apply button to apply it to your clip.
If you want to customize the preset, click on the Tools button to open the Looks Designer. Here you can add, remove, or adjust different tools that affect your clip's color, contrast, lighting, lens effects, and more. You can also save your custom preset for future use.
If you want to work with OpenColorIO - ACES, click on the Settings button and choose the color space and gamma curve that match your project settings. You can also enable or disable GPU acceleration and motion blur.
When you are done, click on the OK button to close the Looks interface and return to your video editing software.
You have now applied and customized a preset using Magic Bullet Looks. You can repeat these steps for any other clips you want to enhance with this tool.
Magic Bullet Colorista
Magic Bullet Colorista is a professional-grade color correction tool that lets you balance out your shots with powerful controls. You can use it to adjust exposure, contrast, white balance, saturation, hue, and more. You can also use it to isolate specific areas of your image with masks and keys. It has four main features: the three-way color corrector, the keyer, the HSL wheels, and the skin overlay.
To use Magic Bullet Colorista, follow these steps:
Drag and drop the Magic Bullet Colorista effect onto your clip in the timeline.
Click on the Basic tab in the effect controls panel to access the three-way color corrector. Here you can adjust the shadows, midtones, and highlights of your clip with sliders or color wheels. You can also adjust the exposure, contrast, white balance, saturation, hue offset, and pop.
If you want to isolate a specific area of your image for color correction, click on the Key tab to access the keyer. Here you can use an eyedropper tool to select a color range or a mask tool to draw a shape around your area of interest. You can also adjust the softness, choke, and invert options of your key or mask.
If you want to fine-tune specific colors in your image, click on the HSL tab to access the HSL wheels. Here you can adjust the hue, saturation, and lightness of six color ranges: reds, yellows, greens, cyans, blues, and magentas.
If you want to improve skin tones in your image, click on the Skin tab to access the skin overlay. Here you can use an eyedropper tool to select a skin tone or a slider to adjust its hue range. You can also enable or disable a skin overlay that shows you the skin tone range and a vector scope that shows you the skin tone line. You can also adjust the skin smoothness, color correction, and shine removal options.
You have now used Magic Bullet Colorista to color correct your clip. You can repeat these steps for any other clips you want to balance out with this tool.
Magic Bullet Mojo
Magic Bullet Mojo is a simple but powerful tool that lets you create cinematic color grades with a single slider. It adds contrast, tint, and warmth to your footage, giving it a Hollywood-style look. It also has options to adjust the skin tones, shadows, highlights, and midtones of your clip.
To use Magic Bullet Mojo, follow these steps:
Drag and drop the Magic Bullet Mojo effect onto your clip in the timeline.
Click on the Mojo tab in the effect controls panel to access the main slider. Here you can adjust the amount of Mojo applied to your clip, from 0% to 100%. You can also use the presets button to choose from different styles of Mojo, such as blockbuster, indie, or documentary.
If you want to fine-tune the Mojo effect, click on the Modify tab to access the other options. Here you can adjust the tint, warmth, punch, bleach, fade, and vignette of your clip. You can also use the skin slider to protect or enhance the skin tones in your clip.
If you want to adjust the shadows, highlights, and midtones of your clip separately, click on the Balance tab to access the three-way color corrector. Here you can use sliders or color wheels to change the hue, saturation, and brightness of each tonal range.
You have now used Magic Bullet Mojo to create a cinematic color grade for your clip. You can repeat these steps for any other clips you want to stylize with this tool.
Magic Bullet Cosmo
Magic Bullet Cosmo is a beauty tool that lets you smooth skin, remove blemishes, and enhance eyes in your footage. It uses face detection technology to automatically identify and track faces in your clip. It also has options to adjust the skin color, softness, detail, and shine.
To use Magic Bullet Cosmo, follow these steps:
Drag and drop the Magic Bullet Cosmo effect onto your clip in the timeline.
Click on the Skin tab in the effect controls panel to access the main slider. Here you can adjust the amount of skin smoothing applied to your clip, from 0% to 100%. You can also use the presets button to choose from different levels of smoothing, such as light, medium, or heavy.
If you want to fine-tune the skin smoothing effect, click on the Modify tab to access the other options. Here you can adjust the skin color, softness, detail, and shine of your clip. You can also use the eye enhancer slider to brighten and sharpen the eyes in your clip.
If you want to manually select or deselect faces for skin smoothing, click on the Face Selection tab to access the face detection tool. Here you can use buttons or keyboard shortcuts to add or remove faces from the effect. You can also use a mask tool to draw a shape around a face if it is not detected automatically.
You have now used Magic Bullet Cosmo to smooth skin and enhance eyes in your clip. You can repeat these steps for any other clips that feature faces that you want to beautify with this tool.
Magic Bullet Renoiser
Magic Bullet Renoiser is a film grain tool that lets you add film grain, sharpen details, and reduce noise in your footage. It uses authentic film grain scans from real film stocks to give your footage a natural and organic look. It also has options to adjust the amount, size, color, and motion of the grain.
To use Magic Bullet Renoiser, follow these steps:
Drag and drop the Magic Bullet Renoiser effect onto your clip in the timeline.
Click on the Grain tab in the effect controls panel to access the main slider. Here you can adjust the amount of film grain applied to your clip, from 0% to 100%. You can also use the presets button to choose from different types of film grain, such as 8mm, 16mm, 35mm, or custom.
If you want to fine-tune the film grain effect, click on the Modify tab to access the other options. Here you can adjust the size, color, and motion of the grain. You can also use the sharpen slider to enhance the details in your clip.
If you want to reduce noise in your clip, click on the Denoise tab to access the noise reduction tool. Here you can adjust the amount and radius of noise reduction applied to your clip. You can also use the preview button to see the before and after effects of noise reduction.
You have now used Magic Bullet Renoiser to add film grain, sharpen details, and reduce noise in your clip. You can repeat these steps for any other clips that you want to give a filmic look with this tool.
Magic Bullet Film
Magic Bullet Film is a film emulation tool that lets you emulate the look of real film stocks, add film damage effects, and control grain and vignette in your footage. It has over 20 presets that are based on popular film stocks such as Kodak, Fuji, Agfa, and Polaroid. It also has options to adjust the film print, film negative, film damage, grain amount, and vignette amount of your clip.
To use Magic Bullet Film, follow these steps:
Drag and drop the Magic Bullet Film effect onto your clip in the timeline.
Click on the Film tab in the effect controls panel to access the main slider. Here you can adjust the amount of film emulation applied to your clip, from 0% to 100%. You can also use the presets button to choose from different film stocks, such as Kodak Gold 200 or Fuji Velvia 100.
If you want to fine-tune the film emulation effect, click on the Modify tab to access the other options. Here you can adjust the film print, film negative, film damage, grain amount, and vignette amount of your clip. You can also use the color temperature slider to change the warmth or coolness of your clip.
You have now used Magic Bullet Film to emulate the look of real film stocks in your clip. You can repeat these steps for any other clips that you want to give a vintage or nostalgic look with this tool.
Magic Bullet Halation and Optical Diffusion
Magic Bullet Halation and Optical Diffusion are two new tools that were added in Magic Bullet Suite 15. They let you simulate lens filters and film stocks that add halation and diffusion effects to your footage. Halation is a phenomenon where bright areas of an image bleed into darker areas, creating a glow or halo effect. Diffusion is a technique where a filter is placed in front of a lens to soften or blur an image, creating a dreamy or romantic effect.
To use Magic Bullet Halation and Optical Diffusion, follow these steps:
Drag and drop the Magic Bullet Halation effect onto your clip in the timeline.
Click on the Halation tab in the effect controls panel to access the main slider. Here you can adjust the amount of halation applied to your clip, from 0% to 100%. You can also use the presets button to choose from different types of halation, such as film, digital, or custom.
If you want to fine-tune the halation effect, click on the Modify tab to access the other options. Here you can adjust the intensity, blur, threshold, and color of the halation. You can also use the mask tool to apply the halation to a specific area of your clip.
Drag and drop the Magic Bullet Optical Diffusion effect onto your clip in the timeline.
Click on the Diffusion tab in the effect controls panel to access the main slider. Here you can adjust the amount of diffusion applied to your clip, from 0% to 100%. You can also use the presets button to choose from different types of diffusion, such as soft, medium, or hard.
If you want to fine-tune the diffusion effect, click on the Modify tab to access the other options. Here you can adjust the intensity, blur, and color of the diffusion. You can also use the mask tool to apply the diffusion to a specific area of your clip.
You have now used Magic Bullet Halation and Optical Diffusion to simulate lens filters and film stocks in your clip. You can repeat these steps for any other clips that you want to give a glowy or dreamy look with these tools.
How to integrate Magic Bullet Suite for Mac with other software
Magic Bullet Suite for Mac is compatible with three popular video editing software: Adobe Premiere Pro, Adobe After Effects, and Apple Final Cut Pro X. You can use Magic Bullet Suite for Mac as plugins or addons for these software and access them from their effects panels. Here is how to integrate Magic Bullet Suite for Mac with each software:
Adobe Premiere Pro
To use Magic Bullet Suite for Mac with Adobe Premiere Pro, follow these steps:
Open Adobe Premiere Pro and create or open a project.
Import your footage into the project panel and drag it onto the timeline.
Go to the effects panel and look for the Magic Bullet Suite folder. Here you will find all seven tools of Magic Bullet Suite for Mac.
Drag and drop any tool you want to use onto your clip in the timeline. You can also apply multiple tools to the same clip by stacking them in the effect controls panel.
Adjust the settings of each tool in the effect controls panel or by clicking on the Edit button to open their interfaces.
Preview and export your video as usual.
Adobe After Effects
To use Magic Bullet Suite for Mac with Adobe After Effects, follow these steps:
Open Adobe After Effects and create or open a project.
Import your footage into the project panel and drag it onto a composition.
Go to the effects and presets panel and look for the Magic Bullet Suite folder. Here you will find all seven tools of Magic Bullet Suite for Mac.
Drag and drop any tool you want to use onto your layer in the composition. You can also apply multiple tools to the same layer by stacking them in the effect controls panel.
Adjust the settings of each tool in the effect controls panel or by clicking on the Edit button to open their interfaces.
Preview and export your video as usual.
Apple Final Cut Pro X
To use Magic Bullet Suite for Mac with Apple Final Cut Pro X, follow these steps:
Open Apple Final Cut Pro X and create or open a project.
Import your footage into the event browser and drag it onto the timeline.
Go to the effects browser and look for the Magic Bullet Suite category. Here you will find all seven tools of Magic Bullet Suite for Mac.
Drag and drop any tool you want to use onto your clip in the timeline. You can also apply multiple tools to the same clip by stacking them in the inspector panel.
Adjust the settings of each tool in the inspector panel or by clicking on the Edit button to open their interfaces.
Preview and export your video as usual.
You have now integrated Magic Bullet Suite for Mac with your video editing software. You can use it to enhance your videos with color correction, finishing, and film looks.
How to update Magic Bullet Suite for Mac
To update Magic Bullet Suite for Mac, you need to use the Maxon App. This is a tool that allows you to install, use, or try all of Maxon's products. It also notifies you when there are new updates available for your products. Here are the steps to follow:
Run the Maxon App and sign in with your Maxon account.
Click on the Updates tab and look for Magic Bullet Suite. If there is a new update available, you will see a blue dot next to it.
Click on the Update button and wait for the update to download and install.
Restart your video editing software and enjoy the new features and improvements of Magic Bullet Suite for Mac.
You have now updated Magic Bullet Suite for Mac to the latest version. You can check the release notes to see what has changed in each update.
How to troubleshoot Magic Bullet Suite for Mac
Sometimes, you might encounter some issues or errors with Magic Bullet Suite for Mac, such as crashes, performance issues, or compatibility issues. Here are some tips on how to troubleshoot Magic Bullet Suite for Mac:
Make sure you have the latest version of Magic Bullet Suite for Mac installed. You can use the Maxon App to check for updates and install them.
Make sure you have the latest version of your video editing software installed. You can check their websites or app stores for updates and install them.
Make sure you have the latest version of your operating system installed. You can check the system preferences or settings for updates and install them.
Make sure you have enough disk space, memory, and CPU power available for your video editing software and Magic Bullet Suite for Mac. You can check the system monitor or activity monitor for these resources and free up some space or close some programs if needed.
Make sure you have a compatible graphics card and driver installed. You can check the system information or device manager for these details and update them if needed.
If you are using OpenColorIO - ACES, make sure you have the correct color space and gamma curve settings in your project settings and in Magic Bullet Looks. You can also try disabling GPU acceleration or motion blur if they cause problems.
If you are using multiple tools from Magic Bullet Suite for Mac on the same clip, make sure they are in the correct order in the effect controls panel or inspector panel. You can also try disabling some tools or lowering