@Walter Biscardi: Yes, Autodesk Smoke 2013 Changes Everything

"I expect to transition a lot of our compositing / green screen work over to Smoke especially as third party filter developers start making their products available for the tool."

I can assure you that the Smoke has all the compositing and green screen tools you could possibly need. The Master keyer is recognized as one of the best chroma keyers on the market (and it is just one of the numerous keyers available). Remember, you are using the same compositing tools a Flame artist has.

While sparks are available from third-party vendors such as Sapphire, you don't heavily rely on them like you do with other applications (i.e. After Effects). You already have glows, lens flares, keying, 3D text, etc... inside a true 3D workspace. If you think After Effects is a true 3D workspace, you are in for a big shock.

Despite the less daunting interface, you will still need to have your sharpest people learn these new tools. The learning curve is still there. However, as I've been preaching for the last 15 years, Smoke is the best finishing tool on the market.

- Paul