Can’t get a smooth credit roll

[Stephanie Hernstadt]

I’ve been combing these forums and felt this was the best thread on which to address my question.

I use AE as needed for simple effects, but am primarily a film and video editor on FCP and AVID. I wanted to help a friend and thought I could overcome FCP’s notorious credit roll jitters by doing it in AE for her, but am running into the same issues as are described here: Looks great but for the random/not so random stutters every 5 or 10 seconds.

I created a text box, and have animated the box to go from below the bottom of the frame slowly up to the top and beyond out of frame (and it happens at about 9 seconds from bottom to top, so the roll isn’t that fast or long). The text looks clean, has no jagged edges, and 2 psd logos follow correctly, the last text in a larger font size lands in center of frame for the end – all look correct. My ONLY complaint is about the playback stutter, which is frustrating to all parties. I see it when playing back my rendered QT movie.

My project is 1920×1080 Apple ProRes 422 (HQ) 29.97fps – one minute end credit roll (bottom to top of frame), outputting with audio (which isn’t necessary for the final output).
I’m running AE v8.0.2 on my 2x3GHz Quad_core Intel Xeon Mac Tower, Mac OS X 10.4.11, 5GB of memory. I ONLY have a computer monitor, no external monitor attached via a video card to view the movie.

Please help! And if you could explain what “expression” is and how to use it if that’s the answer, that’d be GREAT!

[Nandhini Giri]

Hello,

I have the same problem in making credits roll in AE. I think the movie stutters every 5 secs or less. Can anyone give me a solution?

Thanks!
Nandhini

[Jeremiah Hundley]

Quick question, I see everyone here seems to be working in 29.97 seconds? I am working at 24fps, and outputting to be combined with a Full Res 4:2:2 .dpx file. 1920 x 1080 resolution with duration * 6120 frames. The source is one gigantic PSD, as this is for a feature film, which I have broken down. to 3 parts in Photoshop. If all combined they would be 500 mb, broken in to three parts it’s closer to 130mb per panel.

Now, I had someone do them before and it was in Smoke, unfortunately that machine is no longer available. So I have to do them in AE or FCP, but I do not have Boris. I realize that the expresson for jitter has been written here. And on other forums, but very little suggestion has been added for multiple panels on the same time line?

Suggestions. 🙂

Thanks,
Jeduhu

[Jeremiah Hundley]

Hey Guys,

Here is my example.

1920×1080 resolution
set duration to be equal to 6120 frames.
at 24fps.

Applied to 3 separate panels on one timeline.

rate=2,//value in px/sec.
Value*[rate*timestoFrames(time),0]

In a 24fps project at 6120 frames would this be…

24=2//1080/24

1080*[24*1(6120),0]

I KNOW I’m not putting the right equation in with supplied formula correctly. Could you explain the functions given the variables?

Thanks!!!

[Michael Mitchell]

I know this is an old thread but here goes:

I love the above expression, I’m doing a credit roll 1920×1080 29.97 frames/sec. When I employ the expression it works but when I render it I only get a progressive render output. I set it to render upper field first but the render comes out as if I had set it to no fields. I’ve been using AE for many years so understand it.

When there is no expression it renders with fields no problem. it seems like you used to be able to just dial in 180 pix/sec but now can’t seem to find that function.

FutureX

[Reuben Fink]

Hello Kevin,

I know this is an old post so hopefully you’re still around.
I did try your expression:

value – [2*timeToFrames(time),0]

pasting it into the position property but it made the text scroll to the left and not roll up. How do I change the expression for it to roll the credits appropriately?

OSX 10.8.4
Equipment: 2.8 ghz 8 core Intal Mac Pro 3,1 Early 2008, 20 gig of ram
Aps: CS6 Production Premium, FCP Suite, Avid Media Composer

[Matthew Badiali]

The calculations in the square brackets are the values for x, y. Just swap them and you will be changing the y axis.

value – [0,2*timeToFrames(time)]

[Roei Tzoref]

for those who are still struggling with this you can either try the expression Kevin suggested, I can offer to add an inPoint variable so that the text will start from the beginning of the layer, not the comp:
value – [0,2*timeToFrames(time-inPoint)]

or you could use the handy preset Drift Over Time, set the direction to 0 and the speed as an equal multiplier of your frame rate. (for 25fps for example use 50 or 75)

Roei Tzoref
After Effects Artist & Instructor
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