[David Johnson]

You are correct …

Compressing any media file (to FLV or anything other than a lossles codec) involves discarding some of the data (with video files, the image). So, converting/recompressing that data to another format cannot regain the discarded data/image. At best, you can use controls in editing or compression software to slightly improve specific issues like gamma/brightness, but the only way to get better quality is from the original files (or less compressed files).

[David Johnson]

I’m sure someone can give a more detailed answer and correct me if I’m wrong, but for now … my understanding is that AE estimates remaining render time based on the currently rendering frame(s), which is why the etimates can be pretty inaccurate … it’s basically assuming that every frame thereafter is the same as the current and will, therefore, take an equal amount of time to render.

So, as you’ve observed, if the current frame has tons of effetcs, masks, motion blur, etc., rendering slows down considerably and remaining time goes way up, but when it gets to relatively simple frames, rendering speeds up considerably and remaining time drops.

[David Johnson]

AE is something you really have to put some hours into to get good at, but don’t forget to balance with related skills beyond software proficiency …

Simon’s advice on that point is so good it’s worth repeating …
“Do self-initiated projects that mimic real world projects: i.e. set goals, communicate a message, deliver (to yourself) on deadline, etc.”

[David Johnson]

The way Craig pointed to loops unrendered comps … you also mentioned imported footage … you can loop imported footage that way or in the interpret footage window … down at the bottom, there’s a box to type in the number of times you want footage to loop … that way, it’s looped to that extent anywhere you use it in the project without needing to re-apply that expression each time.

[David Johnson]

Simon is spot on in saying “Just make the most awesome stuff you possibly can, and no one will care whether you got paid”.

Depending on the details, you might even be ok to include some tutorial stuff … if you used tutorials the way they’re intended – to learn a particular technique, expand on it and apply it to other situations/material to make something of your own, you have every right to use what you’ve made.

However, in both scenarios, you definitely shouldn’t mislead people. If you use a company’s logo to mock up some TV spots as practice, while you may not want to put a disclaimer in bold red letters on your reel’s open screen, you might want to somehow make clear the company didn’t contract you to make TV spots.

Similarly, people evaluating your work may have seen the same tutorials … several times over the years I’ve received reels with nothing but unaltered tutorial regurgitations and you can guess not only where those got filed, but also the reaction to those same individuals when they came back several years later.

[David Johnson]

Done. Thank you, Todd.

Perhaps if this thread gets as long as the ones with people asking why AE doesn’t come to their house and wash their car for them, more people will see it and, thus, take the surveys. lol

Cheers

[David Johnson]

Todd you contribute so much to the AE community in so many ways … plus you said pretty please … so I always offer feedback when I can, but I’m still usin CS3 on all my machines since my employer won’t upgrade until CS5 … am I right that you need people with CS4?

[David Johnson]

Depending on how close up and prominent it has to be, you can pull off some effects like that with AE’s native Turbulent Displace, CC Page Turn and maybe another distort filter that suits your taste.

If you have Zaxwerks 3D Flag, using it in combo with fewer and/or slight use of the above can make the effect pretty realistic. Here is an example: https://reels.creativecow.net/film/money-float

If you want full-screen static shot realism, that requires a 3D app.

My two cents is that playing around til you get it (if there’s time), is the best way to learn how to do some things in AE (though not all by any means) … it makes you more able to come up with ways to do things when there is less than no time.

[David Johnson]

Among the best (and most expensive) are Sorenson Squeeze, Grass Valley ProCoder and Autodesk Cleaner. Xilisoft makes some cheap converters that are ok, but I’ve found their software slightly buggy although it does work. There’s a good free one out ther, but I don’t recall the name right now so I’m sure someone else will chime in. If you do have the money to spend, I’d still suggest one of those first three since you generally get what you pay for with free stuff, although the one I’m trying to remember is pretty good.

By the way, I’m sure you know this, but just in case … although you can convert mp4, etc. to an uncompressed codec, doing so doesnt regain the original uncompressed quality. And, AVI is fine to work with in AE, but it isn’t really the “best” … that would be QuickTime.

[David Johnson]

Thanks very much, Dave.

Yes, I think of PNGs for stills and image sequences, but I’ll have to give it a try for video.