Eric Mccarthy
Forum Replies Created
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Yeah, I am running into this issue now too. It just started since we converted to OS 10.9 (Mavericks) as far as I can tell.
In my case, I have tried dragging the >MXF files into the Project window, and I have tried accessing them through Media Browser, but both times I have a weird result: The clips will play back in the source monitor with audio, but when I drag them into the timeline, there are no audio tracks. Even if I set In and Out points in the Source window and try to grab the “drag audio only” button, same results; no audio.
This is driving me nuts. I am having to convert everything to ProRes before I can even start an edit!!!
We don’t use P2 all the time, but I am pretty sure that this issue didn’t happen after the upgrade to CC but after the upgrade to Mavericks.
Any help is appreciated. Also, is anyone else experiencing this, or is the ghost in my machine just acting up again.Eric McCarthy
Motion Designer, Editor, Camera Operator
Pyramide Productions
Redmond, Wa -
Funny stuff! Thanks for digging that out – I haven’t seen that in years! I forgot how funny it is. And thanks to the other two suggestions. My producer insists that there was another term that was used, however, I am starting to think it might have been company specific slang, since we have thrown a bunch of other terms at her and so far no one has jogged her memory. It is turning into a bit of a studio joke.
If anyone else can think of a term, please post it!Eric McCarthy
Motion Designer, Editor, Camera Operator
Pyramide Productions
Redmond, Wa -
I know it is not exactly the answer that you are looking for, but we use either Epiphan or Matrox hardware solutions for screen captures. The resolution and frame rate are far superior to any software based solution that I have seen.
Not sure about the Epiphan model # – but it is the gold one. I included a link to the Matrox box below.
https://www.coremicro.com/video-capture-cards-interfaces/matrox-mxo2-mini-desktop.html
Good luck.
Eric McCarthy
Motion Designer, Editor, Camera Operator
Pyramide Productions
Redmond, Wa -
Hi Tom,
Thanks for the reply, our producer says that was not the term she remembers (she is even older in the biz). She was in the video dept. at B of A and insists there was an industry specific term for the “enviromentals” that would get sent out with a written press release.
Of course, this was back in the day of 3/4″ tape, so it may have faded from the collective lexicon since then.
By the way, what is the meaning of your signature “E=MC2+/-2db”? I only ask because when I work as an independent contractor, I use the name Emc2 Productions (a play on my name).
Thanks again,
EricEric McCarthy
Motion Designer, Editor, Camera Operator
Pyramide Productions
Redmond, Wa -
Basically, the X-Spline is used to denote the area that you want tracked, the surface tool is the area you intend to replace/effect. The two do NOT have to be the same. In one recent job, I had to replace a green screen monitor which was constantly being crossed or hidden from view by other elements in the scene. There was no time in which the entire monitor was viewable, and most of the time only about 33% was viewable. However, there WAS a desktop computer box that was ALWAYS in view. It was on a perpendicular plane to the monitor, but stayed in relation to the monitor during the camera movement. I used the X-Spline tool to track the desktop case, and after I had a good track on that, I created a planar surface for the monitor in the one instance that I could see all four corners. Sure enough, Mocha was able to keep my plane (for the monitor) by using the tracking data from the desktop box.
After exporting the corner pin data for the surface, applying it to a lower layer in AE and keying out the green, I had an image that was convincingly stuck on (under) the monitor, even as people crossed, etc.I guess this is a long way to say that the X-Spline deals with the tracking data, and the Surface tool deals with the area you want to effect.
Lots of great resources here:
https://www.imagineersystems.com/videos?tagFilter=%25tutorial&sortBy=NewestI am by no means a master, and I am only starting to harness Mocha, but I can already tell it is way better for this type of work than AE’s motion tracker.
Good luck!
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Dave’s Stock Answer #2:
When you’re out on a shoot, and you say, “we’ll fix this in post” without knowing PRECISELY HOW you’re going to fix it in post, don’t shoot it! You’ll only end up shooting it over again.
More gems of wisdom from Dave LaRonde – If I am ever in Cedar Rapids I am going to find you and buy you a drink (or a coffee).
We recently shot a whole room of green screen monitors, and crossing actors – camera on a CineSlider – with the “idea” of using Mocha to planar track each screen, and key in the video that was supposed to be playing…
Well, after crossing elements and lighting variances wound up shooting that idea in the foot, it was a week of old fashion rotoscope/motion masks to get the effect.
Ah… hind sight is 20/20 in production.Cheers,
Eric -
At first it was a misunderstanding of the screen shot data – then I saw it was Dave (who has provided lots of help over the years) and I knew it was a “funny”.
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Doh!
I figured it out myself… In case anyone else is wondering, I was working with a clip that I had stabilized in AE using the Warp Stabilizer. When I activated “Track in Motion AE” I assumed that the same clip (stabilized version was going to “Dynamic Link” to the Mocha Project. This was NOT the case. Mocha grabbed the original clip, this was why the two were off. Once I exported my stabilized clip ad a ProRes, then brought it back into AE, then to Mocha AE, everything was purr-fect!
Thanks anyway Creative Herd.
Eric -
Thanks guys,
I am always ping-pong-ing back and forth between projects, so I have to use the AME to keep Premiere open for work. Sometimes, if I am also doing AE work I will set the AME up on a separate machine (accessing the timelines from our RAID), but I am usually more concerned with the processor hit to the current program working than to the encoding process in the BG… Still good info to be aware of.
-Eric
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I used the Crop Tool on the PSD file before exporting a .png, then replaced the .png in the Premiere timeline, and viola! It worked. Not sure why… but I will take it!
I encoded using AME and it still did okay, just out of curiosity, why did you recommend against AME? I use this all the time…
You can see a more detailed discussion of this issue (border around .pngs) on this thread at Adobe Communities.
https://forums.adobe.com/message/5456455#5456455