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Problem with DVCPRO HD chroma
Hi all:
We were trying to make a chroma using FCP’s built-in keyer (the “chroma keyer” filter); I know the quality isn’t the best, but it’s quick and our manager said it was “good enough” for our project. Even through the final result will be SD, the footage was shot in DVCPRO HD at my request (to get better color resolution than DV), in 720p25 (we’re in PAL-land). Note: we’re still using FCP 5.0.4, so to get 720p25 support we had to install Imagine Products’ passthrough codec.
Now, the problem: we apply the chroma keyer to the 720p25 footage, do all the proper adjustments to the settings and all looks good… until the moment we render the effect, when some parts of the blue screen that were already keyed out start to appear again (in other words, the key works 100% when previewing, but after rendering, it leaves parts of the blue screen unkeyed). We didn’t know what caused the problem and, in the end, resorted to the quick-and-dirty solution of exporting the clips to DV, reimporting them and applying the chroma keyer. So much for shooting in HD…
Anyone knows what could be the cause? My experience is that working with 720p25 and the passthrough codec creates all sort of problems when it comes to effects, but this is the first time I’ve seen something like this. Has anyone seen a similar problem when working with other DVCPRO HD variants? (1080i, 720p60, whatever).
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3 Replies
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I find FCPs keyers really lacking. For DVCPRO HD I used both After Effects and Shake, using the KEYLIGHT plugin. Worked VERY well.
There is also http://www.dvgarage.com…they have a keyer that works inside FCP that does well.
Shane
Littlefrog Post
http://www.lfhd.net -
I agree with you, and if it was up to me I’d be doing it in AE, but the editor I’m helping with this thing just wants a quick-and-dirty matte, which is good enough for his (and my) manager. Apparently, their deadlines are so tight that they don’t even have time to export each sequence to AE and put each shot into a separate layer (well… I’m writing this as if that was easy, but it can add up to a lot of work, and no, we don’t have Automatic Duck). We also tried using “send to” Motion and doing the mattes in Primatte, which would be much easier when it comes to workflow from FCP, but my colleague wasn’t convinced with the results.
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[PaulJBis] “Apparently, their deadlines are so tight that they don’t even have time to export each sequence to AE and put each shot into a separate layer”
But they do have time to re-do it several times in FCP? I’ve always found it faster to send an element to a program that’s specialized for what I want it to do. I don’t use AE or Shake to edit, and I don’t expect FCP to to any serious keying.
That said, check out the keyers from DV Garage. I’m fond of Conduit, but it has a bit of a learning curve and it’s not a straight forward workflow to use it.
Arnie
Now in post: Peristroika, a film by Slava Tsukerman
https://www.arniepix.com/blog
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