[Andrew Wardlaw]

Nevermind, I figured it out. I had opened the quicktime in, er, quicktime and had shrunk it so I could see the whole thing in my monitor. Apparently the shrunk setting stuck.

-Andy

[Andrew Wardlaw]

My thoughts…

If you’re erroring out when trying to render to the meridian codec, it’s probably because your comp needs to be 720×486. It’ll choke on anything else.

My other thought is maybe the Avid is setup to “draft” mode. In Avid, ont he lower left of your timeline, is icon that is sometimes yellow, sometimes green, and sometimes split. If that’s yellow or yellow/green, that’ll lower the resolution of the final comp.

What does it look like when you open up the quicktime in quicktime?

-Andy

[Andrew Wardlaw]

A trackmatte, maybe?

[Andrew Wardlaw]

Render order, as I understand it (someone please correct me)…

If everything’s 2d, it starts at the bottom and moves up.

If it’s all 3d, it renders the layer that’s furthest from the camera and then moves forward. (This means that it still renders a layer even if it’s completely obscured by another layer. Trimming in/out points can speed up your render.)

If you have a mix of 2d and 3d, it will treat the 3d layers in blocks. So if you have a comp like:

3d layer 4
3d layer 3
-2d layer
3d layer 2
3d layer 1

It will first render layers 1&2 in standard 3d fashion (furthest to closest). Then it will render the 2d layer, and composite it over 1&2. Finally, it will render layers 3&4 in standard 3d fashion, and composite that over everything else.

Confused? I think Andrew Kramer did a tutorial about this, it’s “How to make a 3d reflection” or something.

Andy

[Andrew Wardlaw]

I believe the 100a can do anamorphic, actually.

Andy

[Andrew Wardlaw]

I’m guessing, here, but I’d try this:

-Make your comp 24p.
-When you render, in the output modul add a 3:2 pulldown. Try using the first option for the cadence. You should have a framerate of 29.97/30.
-Import it into the Avid.
-Also render a 24p file for the final conform.

I know it sounds weird, but when Avid digitizes a tape into 24p, it’s actually using 29.97 media, so maybe that’s how it wants the file, too.

Andy

[Andrew Wardlaw]

Thanks for the reply.

The only setting I’ve messed with on the precomp are Position and Orientation. No 2d in the precomp, and in the final comp, everything’s a 3d layer, except for one layer on the top. Deleting that layer doesn’t change anything.

Andy

[Andrew Wardlaw]

I’ll often apply the track to a null object, and then parent the adjustment layer to that null. Any tweeks in animation I do to the adjustment layer (like if the track shifts a little off, etc.), so any camera shake, etc., still gets incorporated into the track. It all makes it easier if I need to change out the blur (i.e., client says “Use a black bar instead of a mosiac effect).

For people crossing in the foreground, I’ve used track mattes. The biggest advantage to this is that you can reposition the blur w/o having to adjust the mask you used to cut out the blur.

Andy

[Andrew Wardlaw]

Good tip. Thank you.

Andy

P.S. I’m running 6.5, which doesn’t seem to have the blur as an animator, but I think I can make the track-matte work.

[Andrew Wardlaw]

I definitely plan on calling the company with the usual “I just finished a gig, and I’m available” calls, and I’ll get the editor on the phone and see how he’s doing. At least keep it friendly.

A follow-up question, this one’s probably a bit more basic:

First time around, the company didn’t negotiate with me. It was one of those rare moments where they not only paid asking price, but they increased their order at that price.

Now competition’s in the air. I’d definitely be willing to negotiate with them, if the need came up. But I don’t want to volunteer away my rate. But I don’t want them thinking of me as the over-priced guy. But they wouldn’t cut me any breaks.

Suggestions?

Andrew

P.S. Don’t worry, I’m not pinning all the hopes of my career on these guys, just gotta learn this stuff some time…