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Advice on creating render friendly pillar-boxes on multi-layer, 6+ hour sequence? 16:9 video with 4:3 Epiphan layer above.
Hi all. I am regularly in the FCP forums, but I am migrating to PP per a new position, hope you all can help with a question.
I have a multi-day conference shoot that involves two inputs. One is from a camera (1080p from an AF100), and the other is a screen capture from a laptop (through an Epiphan unit). Much of the screen capture is at a 4:3 aspect ratio. There are many areas of the video where the screen capture needs to lay on top of the camera layer, but with a “pillar-box” effect to cover the sides of the 4:3 screen. Is there an easier way to do this than adding a black layer above the camera layer and below the Epiphan layer? Most of these sequences are 6+ hours long, and the render time is huge. I am assuming that the render time will be less if I didn’t have to lay a whole layer of black beneath the Epiphan and could instead just lay down the pillars. (Not sure if this is even true, since the Epiphan covers most of the black…)
Also, since I have to fade into and out of the screen capture layer, having the black bars as part of the layer would be beneficial.
Is this best handled by a matte?
Any help or advice would be great.
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3 Replies
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In the past, I’d just create my 16×9 slide timeline with all the FX and pillars and whatever and export/render it out overnight as ProRes 422 (LT in some instances). Sure it’s an extra step and weight on the computer, but the tradeoff is being able to work much quicker the next day. Then it’s simply a multicam setting using 2 movie streams. Much quicker and easier. Hope this helps
Tim
Apple XRAID, XServe, 2008 2×3 GHz Quad-Core MacPro, Macbook Pro, XSAN, Dell Studio xps PC’s
FCP Studio (7), AVID Media Composer, Adobe Production Premium, Maxon Cinema 4d, AJA Kona 3, Flanders Scientific Monitors, Panasonic HPX250’s, Kessler Crane, Glidecam…..
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[Eric McCarthy] “Also, since I have to fade into and out of the screen capture layer, having the black bars as part of the layer would be beneficial.”
Create a separate 16:9 sequence with the 4:3 screen capture in Track 2 and 16:9 black video (or a title object with a large black rectangle) in Track 1. Treat this sequence as a clip in the main timeline.
[Eric McCarthy] “I am assuming that the render time will be less if I didn’t have to lay a whole layer of black beneath the Epiphan and could instead just lay down the pillars. (Not sure if this is even true, since the Epiphan covers most of the black…)
If this is a concern create the background title object with two black rectangles that cover just the pillar areas instead of one large rectangle.
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Hi all,
Thanks for the good suggestions.
RE: The nested track; it would work under better conditions, but this multi session, sometimes changing rooms, media starts new and Epiphan starts new at diff. times. Both projects (each with eight, multi-hour sequences) had to have the cam/capture TLs synced. Then I had to wade through and cut as needed.:
RE: The matte; I flirted with various secondary layer options, but hate the fade dilema. I am actually having to re-size multi inputs (ipad, various PPT settings and screen resolutions), then cutting above the video tracks, batch adding the transitions, and (gulp) dropping the that on top of the video TLs.
With that, the biggest concern is that on a TL that big, when I drop it down, Premiere Pro CS6 wants to “slip” back and forth on the TL between various (many) markers and cut points. Like I mentioned earlier, I am a convert from FCP, and I have my KB set to FCP7 shorts. I would normally hold down shift to “lock” that track as I drop it. This is not working.
Since I have you (anyone listening), the next step of the project is to burn it all to DVD. I know that PP and Encore play well, but with a project of this size (about 85 hours in 1 – 3 hour chunks that have to be cataloged), what’s the best prep for output at the end of the day? Do I need to resize the sequences in advance, or will Encore address size issues for “spill over” and create/prompt for a new disk creation?
So glad to be a creative cow. Moo.
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