[Majorasshole]

try the liquify filter and a large soft edge brush. A wacom helps

[Majorasshole]

In traditional animation Onion skinning is a technique where you can see several frames ahead and behind your current frame at the same time to check on the difference in frames ahead and behind while you draw the current frame. It was acheived by stacking the drawings on a pegboard on a light table. It was common when you actually had to draw each frame by hand on a piece of paper on a light table/animation disk.

I think what James wants to be able to do is see translucent frames ahead and behind the current frame as a reference tool so that you have a greater feel for where the relevant motion to the junk matte takes place on screen.

my suggestion: add a few temporary layers while you make the junk matte and then delete them when youre done. You could lay a whole bunch of layers at low transparency and offset by a frame to the left, or maybe someone can suggest a plugin that does an ‘echo’ or trails effect.

[Majorasshole]

If you create actual vectors for the stroke in illustrator then it will have a vector for the inside and outside edges of the stroke as well as a center fill area.

Open the ai file and choose from the top menu OBJECT/PATH/OUTLINE STROKE to create vectors of your objects. If they are text then you will have to right click them and choose outline path first to change them from text to actual editable vectors.

[Majorasshole]

Sometimes Labels or Producers want to you match style with whatevers trendy. Right now motion graphics are the latest trend. Most labels just chase trends until the next one comes by. For every original video or even tv ad 100 clones will follow.

[Majorasshole]

your vendor needs newer software.

[Majorasshole]

FCP uses YUV color space and AE uses RGB color space.
So you are trying to view YUV footage in RGB.
Convert it to RGB before bringing into AE, and then re-convert to YUV when you need to bring it back to FCP

[Majorasshole]

there is also this version

https://www.ayatoweb.com/ae_tips_e/ae08_e.html

[Majorasshole]

photoshop has a built in satin textureizer.
its in with all the other fill layer effects

[Majorasshole]

Jet engine, slowing down and then an steel/anvil sound for the impact.
you can also mix in a sythy orchestral sound that lowers in pitch like the THX sound for effect.
Also lots of chorus. reverb on the steel clank/boom at the end

Think “A Current Affair” intro logo

[Majorasshole]

Done in Flash, if youre not an animator and have a knowledge of timing then it will probably look more stiff.
It might be too layer intensive to do in AE