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P2 into AE and back to FCP?
Hi,
I have some more dumb questions… sorry. I’ve actually gotten some excellent answers so far, about Pixel Aspect Ratios, etc – which relate to this question. They helped my understanding a lot but the answers were mostly about NTSC (not PAL) and a lower resolution than I’m working with.
Thanks kindly to those that responded. Hopefully, I won’t annoy you too much with the following workflow questions.
I recently shot a music video on the Panasonic HVX202E (PAL) camera which I’m editing now, in Final Cut Pro HD. Most of the footage was captured at 1920 x 1080i (PAL) and much of it takes place in front of a green screen which I want to key out and add effects/animations to in After Effects.
When I open a clip in AE, it detects these settings:
1440 x 1080i (1.33) Separating (Upper)
25 fps, Millions of Colors
DVCPRO HD 1080i50, 48 KHz / 16 bit / MonoI ‘sort of get’ that 1920 x 1080i isn’t really what it says it is, with this camera – something about 1440 x 1080i with ‘fatter pixels’. Ok… I sort of get that (thanks Dave LaRonde).
Anyway, I put the footage in a Composition and, without the Pixel Aspect Correction ticked the footage looks vertically squished. I can live with that – if I keep the same settings it’s going to unsquish when I put it back into Final Cut right? I think.
Now, say, I want to bring in some animation. In my square pixel animation program (Poser) I’m unsure what settings to make my animation. As far as I know, I don’t have any presets (like Photoshop) so what size do I make it? To fit in accurately with my 1920 (1440) x 1080i PAL footage in AE?
This is what’s really screwing up my brain (good excuse). Do I make it bigger and then squish it in AE to the source footage size, so when it unsquishes in FCP it should match up… or is that wrong?
If it’s right… how do I do that again? And what size should I make the square pixel animation/artwork, in the first place?
Lastly, is there a way to see the source footage as unsquished but still composite square pixel animation/artwork with total accuracy?
Maybe I’m just thinking about this stuff too much (or just not enough) but is there someone that would give me a simple step by step workflow: for bringing in this PAL 1080i footage into AE, compositing square pixel artwork with it, and exporting it back to FCP, and having it all match up?
That would be SOOOO helpful.
Thanks to anyone that can help… and sorry again. I’ll get this stuff eventually.
Cheers for now,
ALEX
PS- The footage looks really, really good (lots of stunts, wire-work and flying super-heroes, villains, etc). You’ll be helping a worthy cause, honest.
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2 Replies
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Is the Comp your using in AE the preset for the footage type? (1440 x 1080i with ‘fatter pixels’)
This plus making sure your output settings match the footage should make the footage keep its shape.Artwork should be made at the “real” resolution (1920 x 1080) if its square pixels and then when you put it into you comp in AE fit the footage to the Comp (cmd-Shift-F on a mac I think). This will appear to squeeze it.
To work in AE and see everything in the right shape use the Pixel Aspect Correction button.
TonyTony
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Hey guys,
Much appreciated.
Will check out the DV Matte Pro software though my initial tests with Keylight have come out really well. Shockingly well actually. But I shouldn’t speak too soon – there’s lots of footage to go through.
Thanks kindly for your help,
ALEX
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