• Adobe After Effects

  Best AE render settings for FCP HDV timeline?

  Posted by Bob Cole on April 4, 2008 at 2:13 am

  I am editing an HDV timeline (1080i60 footage from a Sony Z1) in Final Cut Pro, and in brief, my question is: What are the best render settings in After Effects for a file that is headed to an HDV timeline in Final Cut?

  I’m mystified, because what I thought would be the “wrong way” (Test #1 below) works better than either of my candidates (#2 and #3 below) for the “right way.” I am encountering strange behavior when importing the files to the HDV FCP timeline.

  The After Effects renders are moves on old photographs — no HDV footage involved.

  Test #1
  From AE: Uncompressed 8-bit 4:2:2 29.97 fps (88.9 mb/sec)
  –> Result in FCP HDV timeline: the AE file needs to be rendered when placed on the FCP timeline, but I can move the file around on the timeline without re-rendering, and it plays smoothly.

  Test #2
  From AE: HDV 1080i60 (3.0 mb/sec) 29.97 fps
  –> Result in FCP HDV timeline: doesn’t need to be rendered when placed on timeline, but whether it is on the timeline or the Viewer, playback is exceedingly jerky.

  Test #3
  From AE: HDV 1080i60 (6.1mb/sec) 60 fps
  in FCP, same result as Test #2.

  I know, I shouldn’t be editing in HDV in Final Cut. Too late to turn back for this particular project.

  Thanks for any insights!

  Bob C

  MacPro 2 x 3GHz dualcore; 10 GB 667MHz
  Kona LHe
  Sony HDV Z1
  Sony HDV M25U
  HD-Connect MI
  Betacam UVW1800
  DVCPro AJ-D650

  Bob Cole replied 18 years, 5 months ago 2 Members · 2 Replies
• 2 Replies

• 

  Steve Roberts

  April 4, 2008 at 4:03 am

  Yeah, #1 sounds good. I might let FCP render it in the sequence, then export it using the sequence settings and re-import into FCP just to have it on hand as an HDV clip. I’d only do this if the clip were long, and to avoid re-rendering in the FCP sequence if you move the clip around, or whatever. But that may not be necessary in your case.

  I’ve heard mixed reviews of AE’s rendering to interframe (temporally) compressed formats such as MPEG-2. Some people have problems, some don’t.

  Anybody else?
• 

  Bob Cole

  April 4, 2008 at 8:12 pm

  Great idea, Steve. I’m doing the #1 plus the Roberts-Render procedure and it works great, although I’d prefer one step of course.

  Next time I hope to have more room on the drives so I can avoid editing HDV.

  Thanks!

  bob C

  MacPro 2 x 3GHz dualcore; 10 GB 667MHz
  Kona LHe
  Sony HDV Z1
  Sony HDV M25U
  HD-Connect MI
  Betacam UVW1800
  DVCPro AJ-D650

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