sooo I totally feel u... I was actually pretty disappointed with some of the cheaper AI tools cuz they honestly looked so glitchy for client work. But anyway, here is what I recommend after trial and error:

- [[PRODUCT:DaVinci Resolve Studio 19]] is highkey the gold standard now for that Magic Mask and AI noise reduction. It's like $295 but worth it for the speed.
- [[PRODUCT:Topaz Video AI 5]] is basically the only thing I trust for upscaling and stabilization without it looking fake. It's around $199 but kinda slow tbh.
- [[PRODUCT:Boris FX Continuum 2024]] has some crazy good AI plugins for specialized tasks like Mocha Pro tracking.

Hope that helps! gl with the projects!

Respectfully, I'd consider another option before sinking a ton of money into those high-end standalone subscriptions. I saw this earlier and wanted to chime in because honestly, I've had a different experience with those "pro" tools. Unfortunately, they weren't as good as expected for the price, and I even had issues with plugins crashing my timeline mid-render, which is a total nightmare when you're on a client deadline.

Basically, you gotta look at the market and the ROI. For high-quality results without the massive price tag, I'd suggest checking out Magix VEGAS Pro 22. It's often around $199 for a perpetual license and their AI Smart Mask is actually pretty stable. Also, if you need noise reduction that doesn't cost a fortune, Waves Clarity Vx is literally magic for voice isolation and usually goes for about $30-40 on sale. High-end tools are cool, but these budget-friendly alternatives get you 95% of the way there for way less. gl! 👍

TL;DR: Check out [[PRODUCT:Colourlab AI 3]] for grading and [[PRODUCT:Izotope RX 11 Standard]] for noise, but honestly, be careful with AI plugins because they can sometimes break your project file if you aren't cautious.

Soo I saw this earlier and wanted to chime in because I've been doing this for a long time. In my experience, even though I'm still learning some of these newer AI workflows, I tend to be pretty conservative with my client projects. You really dont want a plugin crashing your timeline right before a deadline, right?

I've tried many tools, and for automated color grading that actually looks high-end, [[PRODUCT:Colourlab AI 3]] is basically the only one I trust. It matches shots based on a reference image without that weird flickering you get from cheaper apps. For the noise reduction side, since you mentioned needing a polished look, [[PRODUCT:Izotope RX 11 Standard]] is a lifesaver. It’s technically for audio, but their spectral repair and noise removal is industry standard for a reason.

Basically, I suggest sticking to tools that have a "trial" mode first. I'm lowkey a beginner with some of the more advanced AI stuff, but I've learned the hard way that "automated" can sometimes mean "out of control." If you're doing high-end work, maybe just use AI for the first 80% and manually finish the rest? It saves time but keeps things from looking glitchy. Hope that helps! 👍

Sooo basically, before jumping into AI, ur gonna wanna make sure ur project won't crash since some plugins are super unstable. i think safety is huge for client work. Check out Magnus Rex Gaze for a more stable tracking alternative or maybe Descript for quick rough cuts. honestly, i'm pretty happy with these cuz they feel less glitchy than others. i guess just always backup ur project first tho!! peace

Curious about one thing: are you mostly looking for tools that live inside your NLE as plugins, or are you open to shifting your workflow to standalone apps? I've been doing this for 15 years and honestly, the "all-in-one" AI tools can be super hit or miss. For high-end client stuff, I've found that specialized tools like [[PRODUCT:Runway Gen-3 Alpha]] for rotoscoping or [[PRODUCT:Neat Video Pro 5]] for noise reduction usually deliver much cleaner results than the built-in stuff, but they definitely add an extra step to the process, right? Let me know your preference and I can give you some technical insights on what actually holds up under scrutiny!

Subbing for updates

Basically, I'm pretty new to all this, but honestly, I’ve been super cautious about adding heavy plugins that might break my project. For me, long-term reliability is everything. I’ve seen people recommend some really pricey standalone subscriptions, but I'm not sure if that's the best move if you just want something that works every time without the headache. I actually disagree that you need those complex, expensive suites. Sometimes the integrated stuff is safer? Here is what I’ve been using that feels pretty stable: • Adobe After Effects Roto Brush 3.0 — Since it's native, I don't worry about it crashing my system as much as some third-party AI masking tools. It's gotten way better.
• FireCut — This is a plugin for Premiere that automates the boring jump cuts and silence removal. It feels really stable and it’s pretty affordable.
• LALAL.AI — I use this for cleaning up audio stems. It’s web-based, so it doesn't mess with my NLE performance at all. Basically, I just want to make sure my project is still there when I wake up the next morning, you know? Does anyone else prioritize stability over fancy features?

Can confirm

Tbh, reading all this about plugins and compatibility reminds me of this absolute nightmare I had last year on a big project. I was so hyped to try out some new automated tools to speed things up because the client was being super pushy. My cousin, who is a total tech wiz, came over to help me set up this perfect optimized workstation. We spent like three days straight just troubleshooting why the OS wasnt talking to the new hardware drivers correctly. Every time wed hit render, the whole room would basically dim because the power draw was so crazy... and then the system would just hard lock. Honestly, we spent way more time looking at error logs and drinking cold coffee than actually editing. By the time we actually got the machine stable, the deadline had already passed and I ended up just finishing the whole thing on my old laptop using legacy methods. Still gives me a headache just thinking about that whole ordeal...

Exactly what I was thinking