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The Wisdom Of The Proxy… please elucidate?
In studying Post-Render actions, I am reading about the “proxy”.
I know that a “proxy” is a placeholder for something else, right?
The AE Helpfiles say:
Set Proxy Sets the rendered file as a proxy for the specified item. Drag the pick whip to the item in the Project panel item to specify it.
Okay, I understand how to do that… but I can’t understand why– and in what circumstances– one would wish to do that… Especially inasmuch as sometimes the rendered file can weigh three times as much in filesize than the original imported media..?
Help me understand?
Thanks, DAVE
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5 Replies
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Let’s say you have a really complicated comp that uses 5 HD layers in 1080. You don’t want to wait half an hour for each frame to be rendered just when you’re checking out position or movement. What you really want, is a quick way of getting the jist of it without all that overhead.
Enter the proxy… You create proxies of your HD clips in lower resolution (i.e. SD) in a simpler codec and suddenly your performance improves because you’re not rendering in full final resolution. You can even use lower res than SD if it doesn’t matter that much and make things go nice and swift.
Then when you’ve tweaked your animation and settings to your satisfaction, turn the proxies off and go back to the original full res clips, start your full res render, and go out to the cafe to calm the shakes while your masterpiece percolates. 😉
Brian
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Hi Dave,
Brian gave you a short but excellent explanation here. I just wanted to add that I have an old but still relevant in depth tutorial on proxies. Just click on my mugshot to find it.
Salut,
SergeInvigorator/Proanimator Training: https://library.creativecow.net/articles/hamad_serge/invig_training.php
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Thanks, Brian and Serge for your most helpful responses. On vous remercie bien!
Now one more noob question: Am I right in thinking that a bunch of filters and keyframes could be applied to the low-quality proxy…. And then later on the high-quality footage could be brought in in its stead, and the filter settings and filter keyframes would “do their thing” in exactly the same places? Nothing “lost in translation” ?
Dave
Hello all. I’m a 3D artists and digital musician in Central Texas. I hope to get to know you all here!
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And then later on the high-quality footage could be brought in in its stead, and the filter settings and filter keyframes would “do their thing” in exactly the same places? Nothing “lost in translation” ?
Not necessarily. Many effects rely totally on the rez of the layer to which they are applied. If you are positioning effects points on a layer that is 640×480 and then replace it with a layer that is 1080, the pixel locations are going to be inexact.
My favorite and simplest use of proxies is still images saved out as frames from the timeline with only specific layers active. I also do a lot of prerendering of layers I know will never change such as chromakey foregrounds.
bogiesan
This is my standard sigfile so do not take it personally: “For crying out loud, read the freakin’ manual.”
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You’re probably getting the gist of it by now, but I thought this quick tutorial on the subject might help cement your understanding..
https://www.videocopilot.net/tutorials.html?id=51
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