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When do you use FCP vs. AE?
I’ve read various threads on this list but none really answer my question. I’ve been using FCP for several years. I’m now starting to learn After Effects. I know they are two completely diff programs although they can do some of the same things. I’m also taking Motion out of this equation completely as my plan is to learn AE.
What I’m curious about is for some of those same things (ie. keying, animating text, slow motion or time remapping) BUT not limited to those things, when do you find you use one over the other. I know it can even differ based on what you are doing. For example, maybe if you just need to do a very basic, imperfect key, you just stay in FCP. I’m curious also the reason. I’m sure it can deal with ease of use, better quality, faster. Maybe your decision is even affected by your hardware.
I won’t begin to list those things that both programs can do because again, my first AE book hasn’t even arrived yet. So I’m happy to hear of anything people want to share.
Thanks,
Paul
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19 Replies
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They each have different capabilities, I tend to look at motion as AE-lite (I know they work differently) but they accomplish the same basic function. First I dislike key-framing in FCP (dislike is an understatement) and in motion the 3D shadows do not work properly. On the other hand (and this is big) you can go back and forth between motion and FCP without a lot of pain and suffering. Going from FCP to AE is not quite as simple (it involves “Automatic Duck” software at least with CS3) so that forces me to do what I can in motion and FCP but if I need finesse and depth I will move to AE. The bottom line is FCP is a simple compositor, capable but cumbersome, Motion is a good compositor with interesting capabilities and somewhat fun but the software is not mature yet. AE can do anything you want if you know how to work it but not worth the time for simple things that motion does by hitting a button. You don’t need a 5 lb sledge to drive finishing nails.
For my last thought, Limitations force creativity, software is just a tool, I have seen things done in FCP that were mind boggling to do in AE. Skill and vision has a lot more influence on the outcome than a tool set.
I hope this helped,
DrewChaos is the beginning of everything.
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One person’s view, which will be more useful if taken as a piece of the whole answer you’re looking for … the rest of which I’m sure will be provided by the many very knowledgeable pros at the COW …
Whether it’s FCP or any other NLE I work on, I look at my NLE as primarily the online/finishing system even though most NLEs now have the ability to do relatively basic versions of the things a composting/animation/mograph/specialFX program like AE is for.
It’s definitely helpful that NLEs have evolved to this point … especially when the needs of a project are relatively basic or there is a severe time crunch since NLEs are always faster than far more complex tools like AE, in addition to the fact that adding tools to the workflow of a project always adds to the total time.
Even though FCP (and most NLEs these days) are very powerful tools in their own right, I still refer to their capabilities in the areas tools like AE specialize in as “relatively basic” because a specialized tool like AE offers far more control with similar things since those things (composting/animation/mograph/specialFX) are what it was designed to do, unlike an NLE.
This isn’t at all true for everyone, but I practically use my NLE as almost a cuts-only finishing system … I do almost all text, graphics, color correction, keying, etc., etc. in AE and put together final edits, basic transitions, etc., in FCP. One of the many reasons I work this way is that AE obviously offers far better interaction with other programs that are always a big part of my workflow (namely Photoshop & Illustrator).
I hope you find my ramblings somewhat helpful.
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I’m pretty much the same. Except color correction. You’re doing color correction in AE? It’s certainly not the tool for that. It’s RGB not YUV and there’s a lack of scopes and tools.
I find that once you get rolling in AE it’s generally faster than working in FCP even for simple titling and animation. The keyframing, the preconposing, the links to ps and ai all work so well it’s a joy to use. Attempting to use those same tools in FCP are painful and generally broken in their design and function.
But often things have to be down and dirty and Ill do it in FCP. Sometimes I’ll try to do common elements in AE and the parts that change in FCP like texts or color tints.
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The simple difference is one is an editing tool and the other is a compositing tool. Two completely different operations.
[Paul Kondo] “For example, maybe if you just need to do a very basic, imperfect key, you just stay in FCP.”
With or without the many plug-ins available to FCP? Extremely good keys can be pulled from FCP even using the included Chroma Key tool when the subject is lit correctly. If not, there are many plug-ins available for FCP that can give you perfect keys even in subpar lighting conditions.
Really, I use After Effects for animation, heavy compositing (50 to 700 layers of material), some animated text though I also use Motion for that, and special effects.
Walter Biscardi, Jr.
Biscardi Creative Media
HD and SD Production for Broadcast and Independent Productions.STOP STARING AND START GRADING WITH APPLE COLOR Apple Color Training DVD available now!
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I mostly use AE instead of FCP for scaling, motion tracking/stabilization, and time remapping. AE’s scaling is better than FCP’s, but as for time remapping, I think it’s mainly that I’m so used to AE. A quick Easy Ease In and/or Out and then tweak the handles. Motion Stabilize goes crazy sometimes in AE, but again, I know how to use it.
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Bret makes a good point about color correction in AE … I shouldn’t have included it when mentioning things I do in AE versus FCP without proper explanation of why I do some CC in AE.
I too would advise against doing CC with AE in most cases unless you have access to non-standard CC tools in AE like Color Finesse (which includes scopes), Magic Bullet Suite, Tiffen DFX, some other similar plugins, an external NTSC monitor and external scopes.
Although I have to admit it’s also partially because I worked in AE for many years before FCP and just enjoy working in AE more, the main reason I choose to do about 50% of CC in AE is because I often need or want to more closely align the color grading and similar effects on the project’s live video with the elements generated in AE (and/or Photoshop or Illustrator) and/or composite the two together in AE. By the way, I mean 50% of my total projects, not 50% of a single project … I’d never advise doing some CC for a single project in AE and some in FCP … unless you desire chaos.
For me, where I do the CC depends entirely on the specific needs of the project at hand … just kinda glossed over the details of this particular topic in my previous post.
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[Dave Johnson] “I too would advise against doing CC with AE in most cases unless you have access to non-standard CC tools in AE like Color Finesse (which includes scopes), Magic Bullet Suite, Tiffen DFX, some other similar plugins, an external NTSC monitor and external scopes.
“Nothing beats Color in my opinion. Especially since it’s included with the Studio suite
Walter Biscardi, Jr.
Biscardi Creative Media
HD and SD Production for Broadcast and Independent Productions.STOP STARING AND START GRADING WITH APPLE COLOR Apple Color Training DVD available now!
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Thanks all. I never thought of CC but then again, I never have to do that or have the capability to do that.
One of my clients uses FCP as a cuts-only finishing tool where all the other stuff (titling, animation, tracking, etc) is done in AE.
I think what it will come down to for me is doing an A/B type comparison using the same media and seeing where it’s beneficial for me to use one over the other. Although I’ve never given it as much time as I should’ve, I’ve always been tripped up using the time remapping function in FCP. It always gives me some sort of brain lock. Can’t figure out why.
I briefly looked at AE about 4 years ago but it was a bit much for me. Now that I’ve tinkered with it for an hour the other day and watching a Kramer video late last night, it doesn’t look nearly as daunting as it once did for me.
Thanks again for the feedback.
Paul
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I’m sure you’re right, Walter … for me personally, I guess it’s just that I’m getting to be an old dog now and my current circumstance doesn’t allow much time for new tricks so I often have to just stick with what has always worked well for me. I’m sure I’ll venture into Color more someday … probably around version 10 or so. ;~)
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[Paul Kondo] “I never thought of CC but then again, I never have to do that or have the capability to do that.”
Sure you do … just because you haven’t thus far doesn’t mean you shouldn’t or aren’t capable … especially since you have the tools.
[Paul Kondo] “using the time remapping function in FCP”
That’s another of the things I avoid doing in FCP whenever possible since I find it to be clunky and yield relatively poor results.[Paul Kondo] “seeing where it’s beneficial for me to use one over the other”
Exactly … the bottom line is whatever works for you in your circumstance is the right way to go. Just know going into it that AE is definitely not the kind of software one learns overnight. You might consider one of the main reasons this and other AE forums are amongst the most active software forums on the web … because even those of us who have been using it for years realize that it is such an enormously deep and mature program that there are always new things to learn about it. Basically, I’d advise starting out by first focusing on learning to do the things in AE that you find FCP to be insufficient for as they relate directly to your particular needs.
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