Nothing Real

Nothing Real L.L.C. was a visual-effects software company founded in October 1996 by Allen Edwards and Arnaud Hervas. Based in Venice Beach, California, the company developed high-end digital-effects tools for feature films, broadcast production, and interactive gaming. Its principal product was Shake, a node-based compositing and image-processing application designed for demanding visual-effects facilities. The founders brought experience from both software research and production use. Edwards and Hervas had met in 1990 while working in the research and development department of Thomson Digital Images in Paris, a company associated with the Explore 3D-software system. In 1993, they became early employees of Sony Pictures Imageworks in Los Angeles. They later worked at an early incarnation of Weta in New Zealand on Peter Jackson's film The Frighteners. These roles exposed them to the gap between the needs of visual-effects artists and the capabilities of available production software. Nothing Real was established to build a fast, high-quality compositing system specifically for feature-film visual-effects work. Shake 1.0 appeared in early 1997 as a command-line image-processing tool aimed at high-end visual-effects facilities. The product was subsequently rewritten and expanded into a graphical system. Emmanuel Mogenet joined the research and development effort as a senior developer in 1997, followed by Dan Candela, Louis Cetorelli, Peter Warner, and Ron Brinkmann in various development, support, design, product-management, and expert-user roles. The team included several people with backgrounds at Sony Pictures Imageworks, helping connect the product to the practical requirements of large production environments. Shake 2.0 was previewed at the 1998 NAB conference as an early alpha demonstration and shown in a more complete beta form at SIGGRAPH later that year. Version 2 was released in early 1999 for Windows NT and IRIX. Its high-end positioning was reflected in its pricing: a standard license cost approximately US$9,900, while a render-only license cost approximately US$3,900. By 2000, the software was also available for Linux and continued to be sold with annual maintenance fees. Shake became widely used in the feature-film visual-effects industry and was described as a standard compositing tool for that market. Apple acquired Nothing Real in February 2002 for its Shake technology. Following the acquisition, Apple changed Shake's platform and commercial positioning, releasing it for Mac OS X and reducing the price. Apple later lowered the price further, releasing Shake 4.1 in 2006 for US$499 without an annual maintenance fee. Although the acquisition gave Apple a prominent professional visual-effects application, Apple ultimately discontinued Shake on July 30, 2009. Nothing Real therefore no longer operated as an independent company, but its principal product remains an important part of the history of high-end digital compositing software.

Nothing Real was founded in October 1996 in California by Allen Edwards and Arnaud Hervas. The two founders had met in 1990 in the research and development organization of Thomson Digital Images in Paris, where they gained experience with 3D-software development. In 1993, both became early employees at Sony Pictures Imageworks in Los Angeles. They later worked at an early Weta operation in New Zealand on The Frighteners, directed by Peter Jackson. Their combined experience as software developers and visual-effects practitioners informed the creation of a company focused on the specialized needs of high-end film compositing. The company's first major product was Shake. Shake 1.0 was released in early 1997 as a command-line image-processing tool for visual-effects facilities. During 1997 and 1998, Nothing Real expanded its technical and product team. Emmanuel Mogenet joined as a senior research-and-development developer in the summer of 1997, while Dan Candela, Louis Cetorelli, and Peter Warner joined later that year in development, support, design, and expert-user roles. Ron Brinkmann initially worked as a consultant and joined the company as product manager in spring 1998. Shake 2.0 represented a major transition from the early command-line tool to a fuller graphical compositing environment. An alpha version was demonstrated at the 1998 NAB conference, and a more complete beta was shown at SIGGRAPH in the same year. The commercial release arrived in early 1999 for Windows NT and IRIX. Shake was positioned at the premium end of the market, with a standard license priced at approximately US$9,900 and a lower-priced render-only license. By 2000, versions were available for Linux, IRIX, and Windows NT, with the standard license accompanied by an annual maintenance fee. The software gained a strong position in feature-film visual effects and became widely used by professional compositing facilities. Nothing Real's business model centered on supplying specialized, high-performance production software rather than mass-market creative applications. The company's industry focus included feature films, broadcast work, and interactive gaming. In February 2002, Apple acquired Nothing Real. The transaction brought Shake into Apple's professional software portfolio. Apple released Shake for Mac OS X and reduced the price, later making additional pricing changes. In 2006, Apple released Shake 4.1 for US$499 without an annual maintenance fee, a major departure from the product's earlier premium pricing. Apple discontinued Shake on July 30, 2009. Nothing Real is consequently treated as a defunct independent company, while Shake's development and commercial history under Apple form the final chapter of the brand.

• 2009

  Shake is discontinued

  [1]Nothing Realen.wikipedia.org

  Apple ends Shake sales and development on July 30.

• 2006

  Shake 4.1 is released at a lower price

  [1]Nothing Realen.wikipedia.org

  Apple releases Shake 4.1 for US$499 without an annual maintenance fee.

• 2002

  Apple acquires Nothing Real

  [1]Nothing Realen.wikipedia.org

  Apple purchases the company for its Shake visual-effects software.

• 2000

  Shake expands platform availability

  [1]Nothing Realen.wikipedia.org

  Shake is available for Linux, IRIX, and Windows NT and continues to use standard and render-only licensing options.

• 1999

  Shake 2 is commercially released

  [1]Nothing Realen.wikipedia.org

  Shake 2 launches for Windows NT and IRIX with premium licensing aimed at professional production facilities.

• 1998

  Shake 2.0 is previewed

  [1]Nothing Realen.wikipedia.org

  Early demonstrations of Shake 2.0 are presented at NAB and SIGGRAPH as the product gains a graphical user interface and node-based workflow.

• 1997

  Shake 1.0 is released

  [1]Nothing Realen.wikipedia.org

  The first version of Shake appears as a command-line image-processing tool for high-end visual-effects facilities.

• 1996

  Nothing Real is founded

  [1]Nothing Realen.wikipedia.org

  Allen Edwards and Arnaud Hervas establish Nothing Real in October to develop professional digital-effects software.

Professional, high-end compositing and image-processing software for feature-film visual-effects facilities, broadcast production, and related interactive-media work.

• Digital compositing and image-processing software · 1997

  Shake

  Shake was Nothing Real's flagship professional application for high-end digital compositing and image processing. It began as a command-line tool in 1997 and evolved into a graphical, node-based system for combining, manipulating, and processing visual-effects elements. The software was designed for feature-film visual-effects facilities and was also used in broadcast and interactive-media contexts. Shake 2 supported Windows NT and IRIX, with later availability for Linux. Apple continued the product after acquiring Nothing Real, released it for Mac OS X, changed its pricing, and discontinued it in 2009.

• 2009

  Apple discontinues ShakeStrategy

  Background

  Apple had maintained Shake after acquiring Nothing Real and had released a Mac OS X version and a lower-priced edition.

  Action taken

  Apple discontinued Shake on July 30, 2009.

  Aftermath

  Shake was no longer actively sold or developed, ending the commercial life of Nothing Real's principal product.

  Source

• 2006

  Apple substantially lowers Shake pricingPrice change

  Background

  Shake had historically been positioned as premium software with licenses costing several thousand dollars and recurring maintenance fees.

  Action taken

  Apple released Shake 4.1 for US$499 and removed the annual maintenance fee.

  Aftermath

  The pricing change made the software far less expensive than its earlier professional licensing model, although Apple discontinued Shake three years later.

  Shake 4.1 list price. Approximately US$9,900 for the standard license, plus an annual maintenance fee → US$499 with no annual maintenance fee (2000 to 2006)

  Source

• 2002

  Apple acquires Nothing Real for ShakeM&A

  Background

  Nothing Real had developed Shake into a widely used professional compositing application for film and other visual-effects work.

  Action taken

  Apple purchased Nothing Real in February 2002 and incorporated the Shake technology into its professional software portfolio.

  Aftermath

  Apple released Shake for Mac OS X and changed its pricing and sales approach. Nothing Real ceased to operate as an independent brand.

  Source

1. 1Nothing Realen.wikipedia.org