Shake Compositing Software: A History of Visual Effects Innovation
In the world of high-end visual effects (VFX), few tools have left as significant a mark as Shake. From its origins as a specialized command-line tool to its tenure as the industry standard for feature films, Shake redefined how artists combined multiple image elements into a single, seamless cinematic shot.
The Origins of Nothing Real
The story of Shake began in 1996 when Arnaud Hervas and Allen Edwards founded a company called Nothing Real. Their first major contribution to the industry arrived in early 1997 with the release of Shake 1.0. At its inception, the software was a command-line tool designed specifically for image processing within high-end visual effects facilities.
As the vision for the software expanded, the development team grew. In the summer of 1997, senior developer Emmanuel Mogenet joined the research and development (R&D) team to help rewrite the software into Shake 2.0, which introduced a full user interface. By the fall of 1997, the team expanded further to include Dan Candela (R&D), Louis Cetorelli (head of support), and Peter Warner (designer and expert user). Ron Brinkmann joined shortly after in early 1998 as a product manager. Notably, this core group of developers and designers were all original employees of Sony Imageworks.
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Rise to Industry Dominance
Shake 2.0 made its public debut as an alpha demo at the 1998 NAB conference, showcasing a minimal set of nodes, a node view, and a player. A more comprehensive beta version followed at the 1998 SIGGRAPH conference. By early 1999, Version 2 was officially released for Windows NT and IRIX operating systems.
The software was positioned as a premium tool, with licenses costing $9,900 USD, while render-only licenses were available for $3,900. Despite the high cost, Shake's power and flexibility allowed it to rapidly become the standard compositing software for feature film production over the following years.
The Apple Era and Platform Shifts
A major turning point occurred in 2002 when Apple Computer acquired Nothing Real. Shortly after the acquisition, version 2.5 was released, bringing compatibility to Mac OS X. Apple used aggressive pricing and incentives to migrate studios to the Mac platform; the Mac version was priced at $4,950, and users on other operating systems were offered a doubling of their licenses for free if they migrated to Mac OS X.
In 2003, Shake 3 was announced. This version introduced Qmaster (software used to manage render farms) and discontinued support for Microsoft Windows. It also allowed for unlimited network render clients at no additional cost. By 2004, the release of Shake 3.5 saw prices drop to $2,999 for Mac OS X and $4,999 for Linux and IRIX.
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The Final Major Iterations
April 2005 saw the announcement of Shake 4, which introduced several advanced technical capabilities:
- 3D multi-plane compositing for complex depth layering.
- 32-bit Keylight and Primatte keying for high-precision background removal.
- Optical flow image processing, enabling advanced time-remapping and image stabilization.
- Integration with Final Cut Pro 5 and an expanded SDK (Software Development Kit) and scripting language.
Shake 4 marked the end of support for the IRIX platform. In 2006, Apple released Shake 4.1 as a Universal Binary version, rebranding it as a companion for Final Cut Studio. This move drastically reduced the price for Mac OS X users to $499, though the Linux price remained unchanged.
The End of an Era
Despite its success, Apple announced the end of support for Shake in 2006. While rumors circulated about a next-generation application codenamed "Phenomenon," no such successor was released under that name. To provide a safety net for professional studios, Apple offered maintenance program subscribers the option to license the Shake source code for $50,000.
The final update, version 4.1.1, was released in 2008. This update was specifically designed to ensure compatibility with revised Apple 16-bit QuickTime codecs that had changed their Endianness (the order in which bytes are arranged into larger numerical values).
Shake was officially declared end-of-life three years prior to its final removal from the Apple online store and website on July 30, 2009. Today, the original Shake website redirects to Apple's Final Cut Pro X page.
Key Facts
- Founded: 1996 by Arnaud Hervas and Allen Edwards under the company Nothing Real.
- Industry Status: Became the standard compositing software for feature films in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
- Acquisition: Acquired by Apple Computer in 2002.
- Peak Pricing: Originally cost $9,900 per license for Version 2.
- Final Version: Version 4.1.1, released in 2008.
- Key Technical Milestone: Introduced Qmaster for network rendering in Version 3.
| Version | Release Year | Key Changes / Features | Primary Platforms |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.0 | 1997 | Command-line image processing | High-end VFX facilities |
| 2.0 | 1999 | Full User Interface, Node view | Windows NT, IRIX |
| 3.0 | 2003 | Qmaster, unlimited network render clients | Mac OS X, Linux, IRIX |
| 4.0 | 2005 | 3D multi-plane, Optical flow, FCP 5 integration | Mac OS X, Linux |
| 4.1 | 2006 | Universal Binary, Final Cut Studio companion | Mac OS X, Linux |
Frequently Asked Questions
Who originally developed Shake?
Shake was founded in 1996 by Arnaud Hervas and Allen Edwards through their company, Nothing Real, with a core development team consisting of former Sony Imageworks employees.
When did Apple acquire the software?
Apple Computer acquired Nothing Real in 2002, subsequently integrating Shake into its professional media toolset and eventually bundling it with Final Cut Studio.
What was Qmaster?
Introduced with Shake 3, Qmaster was software designed to manage network rendering, allowing studios to distribute rendering tasks across multiple client machines.
Why was version 4.1.1 released?
The final version was released in 2008 to maintain compatibility with Apple's 16-bit QuickTime codecs, which had undergone a change in byte order (Endianness).
What happened to Shake after 2009?
Apple removed Shake from its website and online store on July 30, 2009, and the software's web presence was redirected to the Final Cut Pro X website.