I’m going to tell you a story of how I break myself out of the Adobe ecosystem, into the other side: free open source software. It’s gonna be hell of a ride, so buckle up.

Disclaimer: This entry is not sponsored by any entity. Opinions are my own.

I've been hooked on Photoshop since elementary school, where I spent hours editing pictures, creating humorous images, and retouching family portraits. The splash screen of Photoshop 7.0, my first introduction to the software, still brings back nostalgic memories.

As I grew older, I began experimenting with video editing using Windows Movie Maker. Although it was a basic tool, it allowed me to explore the world of motion graphics and storytelling. In 2010, I discovered Adobe After Effects and Premiere Pro, which opened up new possibilities for me. I was impressed by how these programs could work together seamlessly, allowing me to focus on the creative aspects of video production.

My first real freelance gig, which I landed in 2012 while still in high school, was a government video project that put my newfound skills to the test. With my trusty 2012 MacBook Pro, I used the Adobe Premiere Pro, Adobe After Effects, and Adobe Photoshop stack to deliver the project from start to finish. The dynamic link feature, which allowed me to jump between processes effortlessly, was a revelation. Looking back, I realize that this was the moment when I, like many others, fell deeply into the Adobe ecosystem.

We become so accustomed to Adobe's tools because they are familiar and comfortable.

While I remained comfortably entrenched in the Adobe video editing ecosystem for over 10 years, you might have found yourself in a similar situation with Photoshop and Illustrator instead. We become so accustomed to Adobe's tools because they are familiar and comfortable.

As I ventured into 3D motion graphic design, I soon realized that my trusty software stack couldn't keep up. Element 3D, a reliable After Effects plugin, had served me well during college and freelance projects, but I had hit a creative wall. I needed more advanced tools to take my work to the next level. So, I dove into Cinema 4D and began learning 3D motion design. This added another tool to my arsenal: Adobe After Effects, Cinema 4D, Photoshop, and Premiere Pro. While Adobe software still dominated my stack, this new combination worked beautifully.

While I continued to rely on the Adobe stack for professional work, I made it a point to stay informed about alternative options. I had dabbled in DaVinci Resolve and Blender, but never fully committed to using them for production. That was until my trusted Adobe tools began to "betray" me one by one.

It started with After Effects updates that somehow made the software worse. Then, Cinema 4D began crashing as my scenes grew more complex. To add insult to injury, C4D crashed during a livestream, corrupting my project file without a backup. Premiere Pro, too, failed to meet my needs for newer color science and 4K editing – it just didn’t cut it anymore (pun intended). The tech stack that I had known for years to be reliable, easy to use, and widely supported by creative teams was no longer dependable. As my frustration grew, DaVinci Resolve and Blender became increasingly appealing.

The crazy thing about computer programs is that you can’t really own them unless you build them yourself. Since not everyone can build their own software, companies like Adobe, Autodesk, and Maxon offer their products for "purchase." However, what does it really mean to purchase software? Even when you buy a perpetual license, you don't truly own the software. Instead, you're buying the right to use it at a price, for as long as the company allows. This is tricky because our brains are wired to think of tools as tangible objects, like chisels or paintbrushes, that we can own, modify, or destroy as we see fit. But computer programs are different. They're intangible, and their ownership is more complicated than we often realize.

Based on this reality, you might be wondering:

1. What does open source even mean?

2. If they're free, how can they be good?

In brief, open source means that the underlying computer code used to create the software is made publicly available. This allows anyone to inspect the code, learn from it, and even build their own version of the software or customize its functionality. It's essential to note that open source doesn't always mean free, and vice versa. Just because a software is free doesn't necessarily mean it's open source.

A good example is Blender, an open-source 3D content creation suite. Its source code is publicly available, allowing you to build your own version of Blender if you wish. However, you can simply download and use the pre-built version without needing to touch the code. Blender is both free and open source.

Another example is DaVinci Resolve, a post-production suite that combines all the necessary pipeline to deliver motion pictures. The free version is available with minimal limitations that won't bother most users. It's not open source, but it's free to use, even commercially. However, if you need to work with resolutions beyond 4K or require advanced post-processing features, you'll need to upgrade to the paid Studio version, which is available as a perpetual license with included updates.

We've come a long way since the days of large company domination over computer software. Software engineering has made tremendous progress, and the internet has enabled global collaboration across geographical, language, and time boundaries. The value of a computer program can vary greatly from person to person. One notable example is Blender, a free open-source project maintained by the non-profit Blender Foundation, which receives sponsorships from individuals and companies like NVIDIA, AMD, Meta, and even Adobe. This collaborative model has made Blender a powerful tool for creators around the world.

…software engineering requires labor, and labor comes at a cost.

In reality, many free software projects now have access to similar or even greater resources than their paid counterparts, a significant shift from 20 years ago when companies like Adobe dominated the landscape. This shift is possible because free open-source projects have demonstrated that, with the right environment, users can access software at no cost and still financially support the project voluntarily. The key factor remains that software engineering requires labor, and labor comes at a cost – but this model has shown that it can be sustainable and beneficial for both developers and users.

Phew, that was a whole lot of yappin’ about open source. Now back to my case.

After being let down by Adobe software, I decided to transition to DaVinci Resolve, Blender, and Figma. Figma, a cloud-based interface design tool, can also serve as a suitable replacement for Adobe Illustrator in certain cases. Since I mainly used Photoshop to prepare graphical assets for After Effects, Figma worked out well for me. I know some people prefer the Illustrator + After Effects stack, but due to my familiarity with Photoshop, I'd grown accustomed to using it for these tasks. In the end, I found a suitable replacement for my After Effects, Photoshop, Premiere Pro workflow in DaVinci Resolve, Blender, and Figma.

But, izzy, wouldn't you face issues when trying to work with other teams if they don't run the same software as you do?

Not necessarily. If you think of each software as a tool with its own end product, independent of any other software in your pipeline (or other teams'), you'll start to see a pattern where there's always an intermediate file format to help you move your process from one program to another. For example, in my case, I can create vector shapes in Figma, export them as SVG files, and then load them into Blender to work on the motion design. From Blender, I can export the rendered frames as a PNG sequence and import them into DaVinci Resolve as a sequence, treating them like video footage. I can then add visual effects or color grading as a final touch. DaVinci Resolve can export the final deliverable format in, say, Apple ProRes or MP4 for web use.

Got another team working on graphics with Adobe Illustrator? No problem - just ask them for SVG or PNG files, and you can use them in Blender. Got another team supplying 3D models and animations in Autodesk Maya? No worries - ask them for an FBX format with the animation included, and load it into Blender or DaVinci Resolve. The list goes on. Once you figure out the bridges that connect different processes, you can build your own software stack and break free from ecosystem lock-in, unlike with Adobe.

I must admit, even within an all-Adobe software stack, using intermediate formats to bridge the process is often more stable and faster - albeit at the cost of storage space. The key is to find the best software stack you can, and then figure out how to make them work together seamlessly.

This approach has given me options in my creative process. I'm no longer tied to a single software if I don't want to be. While there's a learning curve with new software, most of the time, the skills you've gained in one software are transferable to another similar one. I believe this is a crucial insight that many people stuck in the Adobe ecosystem for too long are missing out on.

In conclusion, I urge you to take the leap and build your own software stack, crafting a workflow that's truly yours. Ditch the comforts of a walled garden like Adobe, and dare yourself to venture into a brave new world of possibilities. You might be surprised to find that the "dark side" - freedom from ecosystem lock-in - is indeed a brighter place to be.

izzy an artist and a digital native working on a wide range of projects from independent productions to brand collaborations. Some of izzy's notable works have been associated with Bring Me The Horizon, YOASOBI, Hindia, Lauren Tsai, Netflix, and Yellow Claw, among others.