[Paul Carlin]

Create a small white solid and move it across the screen left to right for 30 frames. Render it out as Upper field first and Lower field first.

This is the easiest, fastest and sure-fire way of knowing which dominance works.

[Paul Carlin]

Are you trying to take a keyable logo, shatter it and key that back ontop of other video inside Premiere?

If so, just render the AVI with an alpha channel.

Your question is too non-specific.

[Paul Carlin]

Yes, if you are using a dual processing PC (not Mac) then you can take advantage of the -m switch. You also need the MP plug-in which gets installed when you install the Application. Read the AE help page titled, “Running After Effects on multiprocessor systems”

I find this useful for sequences as mentioned above, but I also enjoy the fact that I can be rendering something in the background (even QTs and AVIs) and still work on another project in the foreground. On big jobs this helps a lot.

Be aware that if you have two instances of AE rendring something very intense, you may have a hard time regaining control of the system due to the processor time being used up by AE.

[Paul Carlin]

Just crop off the frames using a mask if you don’t want them.

The plug-in effect is called TEXT/NUMBERS.

[Paul Carlin]

Just crop off the frames using a mask if you don’t want them.

The plug-in effect is called TEXT/NUMBERS.

[Paul Carlin]

You can reshoot it and have the people move real, real slow.

If this is a music video type thing, try slowing down the music and have the artist sing/play to the slow track.

[Paul Carlin]

I agree with the hard drive speed diagnosis.

I suggest you get an internal 120 GB 7200 RPM drive for $50. Use this drive for all your footage storage needs. Use the 60 GB for projects and graphics files.

If you want to capture using firewire to a firewire drive, it is best to have two different cards in your computer. You are asking too much of one single firewire bus. Cards go for $30.

And how is it that you got Premiere Pro to run on a G4?

[Paul Carlin]

Sounds like a field dominance issue.

Are you working with interlaced video? What is the source of the video you are using? Do you have an NTSC monitor? How do you capture the video (Firewire, capture card, etc.)?

More questions than answers. Sorry.

[Paul Carlin]

There is no such thing as uncompressed DV or DVCAM, as Vera pointed out.

The Decklink cards are great, work fine (I have one) and are an incredible steal for an uncompressed SDI capture hardware. However, you will need a source deck or converter that can output SDI. This SDI VTR/hardware is far more expensive.

The best use of these sub $300 cards is the broadcast monitor output ability while working in After Effects or Premiere. But then, you need a broadcast monitor that supports SDI input, and once again, it gets very expensive again. Unless you are in a post house, this card is not practical.

If you are shooting DVCAM or DV then I highly suggest you continue using firewire. That will maintain your native signal. While there are advantages to uncompressed SDI in multigenerational compositing, there is minimal improvement, and I don’t see that as practical given your budget. You can achieve the same results by using AE to convert the DV to Uncompressed and work with that.

If you feel like spending some money then I suggest you get the Decklink SP card for $595. This allows you to go component analog in and OUT with XLR audio and RS-422. You may never hook a deck up to this card for capture, but the external monitoring if priceless. With this card you will be able to hook up the component video output to any affordable broadcast monitor for viewing your AE projects and Premiere timelines (render required for DV footage) on a REAL interlaced monitor. This is crucial to any REAL editing or design work.

While you may pay more for the card, you will save thousands on the monitor since you don’t need SDI. Sony has 14″ PVM-14L2 Professional Monitor for $1040 on bhphoto. It even has the important 16:9 aspect ratio switch and of course, component video inputs.

[Paul Carlin]

It is better to import the TIF sequence into Premiere, use it in your timeline and export to DVD.

If you first create a DV Movie from it you will be adding compression artifacts and creating unnecessary files on your hard drive.

If there is some incompatibility issue, then use AE to create an lossless compressed movie and use that in Premiere.