What It Does
Superpose 2 removes moving objects from image sequences captured with a static camera. It analyzes each pixel statistically to calculate the background value, producing clean plates without the ghosting shadows typical of frame-averaging techniques. This makes it particularly effective for high-volume scenarios like removing snow, rain, or crowds from footage.
The plugin works best as a first cleaning step when creating clean plates for compositing work. Instead of manually painting out unwanted elements across multiple frames, Superpose automates the process by identifying which pixels belong to the background and which are transient.
Key Features
Statistical pixel analysis. Rather than simply averaging frames together, Superpose examines each pixel across the sequence and determines the probability of its background value. This approach prevents the semi-transparent ghosting you’d get from blending techniques.
Optimized for volume. The tool shines when dealing with many moving objects. A few people walking through a shot might be quick to rotoscope manually, but hundreds of raindrops or snowflakes across dozens of frames become practical with Superpose.
Static camera requirement. The plugin assumes your camera position doesn’t change. If your footage includes camera movement, you’ll need to stabilize it first or use other techniques.
Who It’s For
Compositors and VFX artists working with location footage often need clean plates for background replacement or object insertion. Superpose handles the tedious pixel work when you’re shooting on a tripod or with a locked-off camera.
It’s particularly useful for commercial work where weather conditions (rain, snow) or crowds are unavoidable during the shoot but need to be removed in post.
Pricing
Superpose 2 costs $60 for a single-user license. Floating server licenses and render-only licenses are available at different price points.
This is a free upgrade for existing Superpose 1 owners. Full licenses upgrade at no cost, while floating license owners receive a $99 discount (applied automatically in the cart when logged in with the original purchase account).
The trial version includes a free companion plugin called Color Match Analyzer, which remains functional after the trial period ends.
Note: Intel-based Macs are no longer supported in version 2.3+. If you need Intel compatibility, you can request version 2.2, which works with older After Effects versions.