comp settings questions

[Brian Charles]

[Ashley Davis] “What composition settings should I be using for a video that will eventually be put on to DVD and shown in Hong Kong on a 42” plasma?

The video’s really important! so don’t want to make any mistakes on this part. Assume it can’t be changed after you start..
“

SD or Bluray? Is your source footage is SD or HD? Is it PAL or NTSC? If you’ll be using a PAL SD widescreen standard (HK is PAL) then use a PAL widescreen preset that matches your source.

If you’re creating all graphics and animations in After Effects use a preset that matches your output intent.

Find out what you’re delivering to and work backwards.

[Roland R. kahlenberg]

You always work backwards from the playback device – DVD-Video disc or data disc or something else? In cases where no one really knows – ask for a short clip of what’s already playing back on that same device. Then take a look under the hood to find your file format, CODECs and bitrate settings.

HTH
RoRK

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[Walter Soyka]

I agree with Brian and Roland — the display and playback systems will drive your workflow. Don’t assume anything, and get as many specifics from your client or their AV vendor as possible.

I’ll also add one other thought: I never work in widescreen standard definition anymore. If it’s going to be a 16:9 screen, I work in an HD resolution. If the playback is standard definition, then I downconvert at the end. This way, if the playback changes to HD or if the project needs to be repurposed later, I’m already prepared.

Walter Soyka
Principal & Designer at Keen Live
Motion Graphics, Widescreen Events, Presentation Design, and Consulting
RenderBreak Blog – What I’m thinking when my workstation’s thinking
Creative Cow Forum Host: Live & Stage Events

[Brian Charles]

Excellent advice Walter. Stay flexible and work in HD then if necessary down convert.

[Ashley Davis]

So what preset would it be for working in HD, would this be in widescreen as well?

So it’ll be in PAL since it’s in HK and to make things simpler, Ill do it in SD. Imagine a 42” would be widescreen so 16:9 is right?

The sources I used were a Nikon D90 for Photo’s and some video’s and a Canon Legria HF200 handheld HD for video footage.

With this info, can someone give me the right preset to use? I don’t trust my own decisions.

[Walter Soyka]

[Ashley Davis] “So it’ll be in PAL since it’s in HK and to make things simpler, Ill do it in SD. Imagine a 42” would be widescreen so 16:9 is right? … With this info, can someone give me the right preset to use? I don’t trust my own decisions.”

Ashley, the point we were all trying to make is this: don’t ask strangers on the Internet for your delivery specs. The great thing about standards is that there are so many to choose from!

You need to find this out from the people you are delivering to. In your first post, you mentioned DVD — did your clients specifically ask for this, or is this an assumption? If they haven’t specified, you need to get clear with them on what are they expecting to receive from you. A DVD disc? A Blu-ray disc? A digital file?

In all cases, it will mostly likely be 16:9, but you should confirm. What frame rate? For Hong Kong, it will probably be 25fps, but wouldn’t you feel better if you confirmed it?

In the case of Blu-ray, you could be working with a 1280×720 or 1920×1080 frame size.

In the case of a digital file, you should confirm frame size, frame rate, container, and audio and video codecs, data rates, bit depth & sample rate, etc.

[Ashley Davis] “The sources I used were a Nikon D90 for Photo’s and some video’s and a Canon Legria HF200 handheld HD for video footage. “

For the video elements, what frame sizes and frame rates will you be dealing with?

I’ll reiterate my point above: if you work in HD, you’ll be better-protected against changes or additional client requests. If they are flexible on their delivery specs, HD will look a lot better with this content than SD.

Walter Soyka
Principal & Designer at Keen Live
Motion Graphics, Widescreen Events, Presentation Design, and Consulting
RenderBreak Blog – What I’m thinking when my workstation’s thinking
Creative Cow Forum Host: Live & Stage Events

[Ashley Davis]

The problem is I have to ask strangers because I don’t anything about the comp settings. I’ve asked for some more info from the TV and DVD supplier but I expect they don’t have all the information on it that AE requires. I’ve only just started out in AE and truly don’t understand the comp settings, can you please just give me a preset that would work best with the info I have,

[Walter Soyka]

If you’re working on a widescreen PAL DVD and want to work in standard definition, you can use either the “PAL D1/DV Widescreen” or the “PAL D1/DV Widescreen Square Pixel” presets.

Personally, though, I would work in the “HDTV 1080 25” setting and scale down for the DVD.

I think the thing that everyone in this thread was looking for before giving you specific advise was confirmation that you are expected to deliver a widescreen PAL DVD.

Walter Soyka
Principal & Designer at Keen Live
Motion Graphics, Widescreen Events, Presentation Design, and Consulting
RenderBreak Blog – What I’m thinking when my workstation’s thinking
Creative Cow Forum Host: Live & Stage Events

[Ashley Davis]

Thank you Walter. I tried using both earlier and the D1/DV Widescreen didn’t seem like a wide-screen to me but what do I know.. the PAL D1/DV Widescreen Square Pixel seemed to look about the right dimensions but I will certainly contact the TV supplier and see if they can confirm that this will work correctly so thanks a lot. I will make sure to read up on all this after this project has done, I’m just on a very right schedule right now.

I have also emailed the company I’m doing this for to see whether they want a blueray or standard DVD but I expect it will be the SD as resolution isn’t much of an issue on this video. If I use the HD preset you mentioned, is it simple to alter afterwards to go back to D1/DV widescreen square pixel? Looked less of a wide-screen on here.

I will confirm that it is widescreen and PAL and if this is correct, I will go ahead and use the D1/DV prest you mentioned if you agreee?

Thanks a lot for your help!

[Ashley Davis]

it’s not a paying customer, its a family friend and they’re helping me out as I am out of work but thank you