[Mike Zimbard]

If re-rendering isn’t an option could you possibly drop your final comp into a new 23.976 comp and apply Andrew Kramer’s framer rate converter to go from 23.976 to 25? Maybe just render a small portion as a test to see if it still gives you the duplicate frames you’re seeing with the speed adjustment. Have you upgraded your version of after effects recently or changed something else in your OS?

[Mike Zimbard]

What you’re seeing in QT or the OS is absolutely correct as this is the way a straight alpha is displayed outside of a compositing application. For a great explanation of straight vs. premultiplied alphas take a look at this podcast from Aharon Rabinowitz. It should be able to answer all of your questions:

https://library.creativecow.net/articles/rabinowitz_aharon/straight_vs_premult.php

[Mike Zimbard]

Great. Will give it a try. Thanks so much!

[Mike Zimbard]

Jeremy – thanks for the info. Please explain if I’ve got this. I would make my easy setup 720P Varicam DVCpro HD 59.94 and log and capture as normal. Then when all of my clips were captured, I would run each clip through the frame rate converter plug-in (is this still available on Panasonic’s website?) to convert to 23.98. I would then load the converted clips into Final Cut and edit on a 23.98 DVCPro HD timeline. This would give me the overcranked look, but allow me to capture without having to post-roll all of my shots to allow for the difference frame-rate? Thanks so much.

[Mike Zimbard]

Check out ToonIt! from digital anarchy. Results will vary depending on the footage, but it can definitely give you some great painted looks.

https://digitalanarchy.com/section/section_ae.html#pr6

[Mike Zimbard]

Pierre thank you so much for your thorough responses. We definitely have a lot to consider and if we can up the quantity of camera and shrink the distance between them, I will definitely recommend that to the production company. As always budget is an issue and it falls on the post house to work miracles.

[Mike Zimbard]

Pierre thank you so much for your thorough responses. We definitely have a lot to consider and if we can up the quantity of camera and shrink the distance between them, I will definitely recommend that to the production company. As always budget is an issue and it falls on the post house to work miracles.

[Mike Zimbard]

Thanks Pierre-
Sorry about not specifying the host software….This will be in AE. Also, it will not be a motion morph. It will be morphing between the same still frame captured from 6 cameras. One of the scenes involves a dancer who will leap up into the air. The action will come still then the cameras will sweep around to front as the dancer stays still in mid air and then come back live when the move ends.

I could probably convince the art director to place the cameras closer together if you feel it will help us with the potential crossover problems you are talking about. Knowing this info, do you think re-flex is up to the task to create a fluid morph that feels continuous? My main concern is that it will feel choppy from position to position. Can you offer any advice how we might be best to attack this or should I do my setups the way I normally would when doing an A-B morph and just overlap them over the six shots?

[Mike Zimbard]

Thanks Pierre-
Sorry about not specifying the host software….This will be in AE. Also, it will not be a motion morph. It will be morphing between the same still frame captured from 6 cameras. One of the scenes involves a dancer who will leap up into the air. The action will come still then the cameras will sweep around to front as the dancer stays still in mid air and then come back live when the move ends.

I could probably convince the art director to place the cameras closer together if you feel it will help us with the potential crossover problems you are talking about. Knowing this info, do you think re-flex is up to the task to create a fluid morph that feels continuous? My main concern is that it will feel choppy from position to position. Can you offer any advice how we might be best to attack this or should I do my setups the way I normally would when doing an A-B morph and just overlap them over the six shots?

[Mike Zimbard]

I was once given footage shot on red because the agency art director insisted the talent wear a blue and green checkered shirt (what a great idea!) Keylight gave us very clean keys of the actors body, but the face and arms obviously had their issues so we roto’ed those portions. Unfortunately you’re never going to pull a clean key of skin shot against red for the reasons mentioned above, so if re-shooting is not an option I’d prepare to do some roto work. Good luck.