[Ron Berntson]

Since this is the first major project of this type I’ve done, I’m experiencing Stock Problem #1 to which your Stock Answer #1 is the correct response. I should also note that Stock Good Production Habits #1 would have been useful at the time I was acquiring the footage (monitoring all three cameras with real external monitors, having the right number and kind of lights, etc.). They would have eliminated a lot of the visual massaging necessary in AE – however, these habits all cost way more than my budget.

Given the above, I take it that my best strategy from the start would have been png image sequences and the judicious use of proxies?

Thanks
Ron

[Ron Berntson]

Thanks for your response. I had found the troubleshooting (https://generalspecialist.com/2007/02/troubleshooting-after-effects-7.asp) suggested in this thread. The very first suggestion – importing the project, seem to have improved the stability / failing that I was experiencing. However, it has taken 8.5 hours to do 8 minutes of the 19 minute composition! Aside from going out and buying 8 GB of RAM ($CDN300) in order to make full use of my quad core processor, are there any obvious ways to speed up the render?

Ron