Brendan Coots
Forum Replies Created
-
You could run a key (keylight) with a fairly heavy feather on the resulting edges. You can use this rough key as an alpha matte for an adjustment layer which contains your background levels adjustment.
Brendan Coots
Splitvision Digital
http://www.splitvisiondigital.com -
AVI is not “lossless.” AVI is just a container like Quicktime. All it does is store your video/audio, and present it to players that recognize the AVI format. Within the AVI file, your video is compressed with a particular codec that the AVI format supports, such as Divx or Uncompressed. It is the codec you decide to use within the AVI file that determines the quality, and you probably are using a really crappy codec instead of uncompressed.
If you aren’t using the render queue (that is, if you are using the File>Export option) you need to start using the render queue (Composition>Add To Render Queue). Beyond that, you need to explore the various codec and quality settings once you select AVI as your output container format, and you will find what you need. If you don’t know enough about codecs to decide which is the best option for your needs, search Google for something like “AVI codec options” until you find what you need.
Brendan Coots
Splitvision Digital
http://www.splitvisiondigital.com -
Obviously your machine suffered some negative effects from your system restore. You should start by checking if Quicktime and Windows Media Player are working properly. Even if they are, you may try completely uninstalling and then reinstalling them to be sure. If that doesn’t solve the problem, try reinstalling After Effects.
Outside of that, you may be looking at some serious registry issues or other system-level problems that require a full reinstall of your OS.
Brendan Coots
Splitvision Digital
http://www.splitvisiondigital.com -
You will probably need to mask out the starfield so that the ship is not covered by it (which will require an animated mask if your ship is moving). Another option would be to key out the black background on the starship layer and put it above the starfield layer, but I’m sure your ship has black on it which would also key out and ruin the effect. Unfortunately, your options are limited.
Brendan Coots
Splitvision Digital
http://www.splitvisiondigital.com -
Macs and PCs both bring benefits and weaknesses, hence the endless Mac/PC flame war that rages on.
For me, the bottom line is this:
1. Macs use much higher quality components (RAM etc.) than most if not all of the PC builders like Dell.
2. Macs hold their value much better than PCs. Go to eBay and compare prices on a 2-year old mac (versus it’s own original retail price) versus a 2-year old Dell. The difference is stunning, and makes Macs a better investment.
3. All modern Macs are 64-bit, which means right out of the box you can add (and actually benefit from) as much RAM as you like. On the PC side, this requires a 64-bit version of Windows which has more limited software, hardware and driver support.
4. While it is fiercely debated, Macs are more reliable and less prone to viruses, random glitches, silly error messages etc. My studio used to be all PCs, but several years ago we switched to all Macs. I have seen the difference, and it’s real. Macs aren’t perfect by a long shot (what computer is?), but they are a LOT better than PCs with Windows when it comes to stability.
As you can probably guess, I favor Macs. For graphics workstations, I currently have 5 Mac Pros in my studio, all with 8GB RAM (6GB of which is third party RAM from Other World Computing to keep costs down), stock video card (not important in AE work), Blackmagic Decklink cards for connecting to broadcast monitors and that’s about it. They are fast, reliable, easily networked, quiet and well supported via AppleCare.
Brendan Coots
Splitvision Digital
http://www.splitvisiondigital.com -
Regardless of which blur type you use, tick off the “repeat edge pixels” option.
As a side note, for general purpose use Fast Blur is the way to go. It is the exact same underlying code as Gaussian Blur, but with a substantial performance boost.
Brendan Coots
Splitvision Digital
http://www.splitvisiondigital.com -
You can’t bend layers in After Effects. Everything within AE is strictly flat.
You can try Trapcode Horizon which will simulate the effect, but is still just camera trickery (very advanced trickery at that).
Brendan Coots
Splitvision Digital
http://www.splitvisiondigital.com -
I think the general thrust here is that A: Apple biz sales knows little about custom video systems (I agree with this sentiment overall) and that editors should spend their time editing, not soldering and building systems. Again, totally agree on that point, who wants to pay editing rates to get a stick of RAM installed?
My point wasn’t that editors MUST know how to build a computer from scratch to be good editors, But I do think good editors must know how a computer works, its components, and how they all come together for her benefit. I just don’t TRUST anyone who relies on computers for their livelihood yet don’t understand the basic components that make up their tool of trade. It shows an inherent laziness that perhaps reveals something beyond the issue at hand.
Brendan Coots
Splitvision Digital
http://www.splitvisiondigital.com -
These points all make sense on some level, but:
1. Editors edit, not build systems/can’t find the on/off switch
I am of the opinion that any editor who doesn’t know what components go into an editing system, or can’t reliably turn on their own machine shouldn’t be in the industry. I don’t have half the experience that many here do, but from my observations half of an editor’s job (or any digital artist) is managing the tools that go into their work. If the external monitor isn’t getting a signal for some reason, does the editor poke around and get it going or do you halt production and wait for your VAR to come around and troubleshoot? Serious painters must know every detail about the brushes they pick, why they were selected and how to keep them in good shape.2. VARs offer support and act as a middle man to the manufacturer.
Great, provided they can do a better job/have more access than AppleCare can offer. Let’s remember these editing systems are Mac Pros with FCP pre-installed, speakers and monitors. The only things that COULD go wrong would be fully supported by Apple in those first 90 days even without AppleCare.3. If you’re comfortable customizing computers (like a custom car) then go ahead
Buying a mac with FCP preinstalled, two apple monitors and a pair of speakers isn’t exactly a “custom build.” All of these components can be ordered directly from Apple in one go, and an Apple business rep can give you all the info you need by phone before ordering if you aren’t sure about compatibility, etc.To each his own I say. I’m not trying to shoot down anyone else’s point of view. I just think that learning how to set these systems up and troubleshoot issues internally could save the business a lot of money, and is therefore worth the minimal time investment. Any issues beyond basic troubleshooting would likely require sending the machine back to Apple for repair, regardless of where you bought it.
Brendan Coots
Splitvision Digital
http://www.splitvisiondigital.com -
Linux/Windows systems eliminate some of your better options, like DVCPRO HD or ProRes 422. If you have the drive space and system beef, a lossless format like Quicktime Animation would be a good bet, although the files will be way larger than necessary. I suppose a good middle-ground option would be Windows Media 9, which supports HD and, provided you set it up correctly, can look very nice. Just make sure to test for the ideal bitrate setting, which might be around 8-12Mbps.
I’m sure you realize this, but any option aside from a lossless codec (like Animation) will degrade your footage to some degree. Given that it’s starting life as h.264, it’s already a bit hobbled.
Brendan Coots
Splitvision Digital
http://www.splitvisiondigital.com