Archive notice: This article was originally published on June 9, 2017. Links and embedded videos are preserved as part of the historical record.
Until now, Baselight was reserved for the high-end finishing market and was hardly used in the independent or educational sectors. With the release of the new student license, FilmLight wants to change this situation. To prevent professional work from being produced with the free version, FilmLight has built in several restrictions.
Student License Restrictions
There are no watermarks in the content, but it is only possible to render a maximum of H.264, not ProRes 4444 or similar master-quality formats. Complete Baselight scenes also cannot be imported. The student version uses a different database structure from the full version of Baselight, so there is no interoperability. Further restrictions are: no BLG export or update of the AAF workflow.
System Requirements
At least 1 GB VRAM is required; 2 GB is recommended. A minimum of 8 GB RAM is required, with 16 GB optimal. Baselight runs on Mac OS 10.9 to 10.12 and works only with the smaller Slate Control Surface, not with large Blackboards.
To obtain one of the licenses, you have to tell FilmLight everything you need; you may then receive one of the limited licenses, which have an expiration date (90 days). This distinguishes FilmLight’s approach from that of other manufacturers, where an education license is issued simply upon proof of a student ID.
Get a License
Here, on the FilmLight website, you can fill out the form if you are interested in the Baselight student version and register for a license.
