[David Johnson]

[David Johnson]

Glad you got it sorted … don’t understand the odd and even you’re talking about though …. are you talking about field order? If so, yeah, mixing different field order footage is a sure way to create problems.

[David Johnson]

The way you describe the issue sounds strange, but some things to check …

Do you have the Preferences set to only play a few seconds of audio?

Do you have the loop button on in the playback controls?

Are you using the spacebar to “play”? If so, RAM preview instead.

Are you using mp3 files? If so, transcode them to wav or aif.

[David Johnson]

Not sure I understand what you’re saying happened or what you’re trying to accomplish (can’t think of any reason to scale down a comp after building it), but reducing the screen size of a comp doesn’t affect the image quality of the layers in the comp … perhaps you also changed the aspect ratio and the footage is being distorted, thus, making it look fuzzy … or perhaps you have some setting wrong.

[David Johnson]

Adjustment layers always have to be above the layers they are to affect and it’s also important to know that adjustment layers always affect every layer below them.

That said, it actually doesn’t sound like you need an adjustment layer … just make another shape layer in the shape you want for the “hole” and set it as a track matte for the other solid.

See here for details:
https://help.adobe.com/en_US/aftereffects/cs/using/WS3878526689cb91655866c1103906c6dea-7cf9a.html

[David Johnson]

Hunter,

First, I don’t scoff and laugh at anything … the devil is always in the details and I couldn’t possibly know enough about the situation to make that kind of judgment from a couple forum posts.

I know several people who swear by them, but I’m not very fluent in the DSLR line and was thinking more in terms of traditional video production since you mentioned documentary and side projects. In other words, I certainly wouldn’t recommend a Red or other high-end cam for the types of needs you’ve now given more detail on, but was originally thinking along the lines of what I call handycams … the relatively small (but larger than DSLR) HDV and similar type cams that typically run in the $2k-$6k range. It’s also now more clear that things like lens controllers, etc. aren’t at all necessary.

[Hunter Hempen] “portable-mountable cam (name for that?) to stick in the cab”
Most footage shot in those situations is from some type of POV cam (Point of View). I’m not recommending against DSLR, but for the needs you described, you might also look at the GoPro line:
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/search?Ntt=GoPro&N=0&InitialSearch=yes
I haven’t used them, but know several people who shoot amazing footage with them and love them for shooting high-quality footage in tight quarters … and they’re very cheap.

About mics, I tend to like Azden wireless mics and Sony wired mics, but as with any gear, all manufacturers make both good and not-as-good models of everything so its’ not really about brand … you generally get what you pay for. They’re more expensive than the ones you pointed to, but the Sony 88B and Azden 330LT or 310LT are among my preferences. On the one hand, it seems that shooting on the road like you described would make most sense with wireless. On the other hand, truck cabs, truck stops, etc., may have high incidence of wireless interference so I’d find a way to test for that if I were you (borrow or rent the wireless you plan to buy for a day or two?). Also note that shotguns tend to pick up a lot of ambient sound and noise and it seems trucks, highways, truck stops, etc. would be very noisy places.

I hope that helps … I know I’ve only given you things to consider, rather than definitive recommendations, but my opinion is that’s usually all one can do without full knowledge of the details of the situation. So, I tend to just offer thoughts on factors the person may not have considered, but probably should.

[David Johnson]

Hey Hunter.
I’m on my way out so can’t offer a complete answer, but can mention a couple general things to consider …

The first is that the appropriate gear depends mostly on specific needs and preferences (not just general types of projects). So, remember that everything else I say is in very general terms …

[Hunter Hempen] “new equipment … last for the next ‘few’ years”
Both hardware manufacturers and software developers are ever increasingly making this harder to do. Twenty years ago, one could buy a top-notch camera/lens combo that would still be top-notch 10+ years later (with proper treatment), but that’s nearly impossible today … a good HD cam is great today, but who knows if everything that’s not 3D (or the next big thing) will be considered obsolete a few years from now? So, I understand exactly what you mean and it does make sense to some degree, but also be careful with breaking the bank to over-buy thinking that you’ll be set for years to come. The best example of my point is computer hardware … I use to buy only the highest end computers to make them last for years … that use to work perfectly, but now I’ve changed to looking at most every computer as pretty much disposable … to be completely replaced in a few years, rather than the old method of upgrading.

[Hunter Hempen] “two or one camera?”
Unless buying used, which is a whole other discussion, it’s unlikely $5k will get two cams worth having once everything else needed is factored in. Part of what I mean is, in addition to all the things you listed, remember the many things that have to be factored into camera price – case, tripod, batteries, charger, etc. … and, depending on needs, perhaps more expensive things like additional lenses, lens controllers, etc. Even without the latter, cam accessories alone can easily add up to thousands even for the smaller “pro-sumer” cams.

[Hunter Hempen] “two different types of mics? more? less?”
It’s always wise to have two mics (whether both in use or one as back up), but there are a number of factors to consider in whether they should be the same and the factors are very dependent on needs. Two of the same has the important advantage of consistent sound when used together so that alone is often the only deciding factor. Wired or wireless is generally the next question and is also very dependent on needs. Wireless are obviously most flexible, but also consider whether you ever shoot in situations where there’s either high probability for wireless interference or where there’s no room at all for that risk even if it’s low probability (live TV, other critical shoots with zero chance for re-shoot, etc.). Wired are less risky and problematic, but can be limiting depending on the types of shoots you do. You could always buy two of whichever best suits the majority of your needs and rent the other as needed.

Well, I have to run since the wife is giving me the evil eye now. I hope my two pence helps … I did say my comments wouldn’t be complete … I didn’t say they’d be short. ;~)

[David Johnson]

Not sure I understand your point … the background is black because you rendered it with a black background … for example, in AE, if you change the comp’s background color to grey and render, it will be grey when you open it in QT.

[David Johnson]

Go to the Interpret Footage dialogue box and put the number of times you want the footage to loop in the loop box. No worries … my research has shown that if you stare at an AE project long enough you will forget your children’s names too.

[David Johnson]

From building AE projects that big many times, I found that …

Region of Interest is your friend.

The Shy button is your friend.

Pre-comping is your friend.

Pre-rendering is your friend.

A low-rez comp viewer is your friend.

Skipping several frames on RAM Previews is your friend.

Open-GL is not your friend.

Saving often and keeping multiple copies of your project file is your bestest friend in the whole wide world.