[Shawn Miller]

Thanks for sharing this, Michael! I’ve recently started using the Surface Pro 7, and I’ve been missing the functionality of keyboard shortcuts while in tablet mode. This combination looks extremely useful!

Shawn

[Shawn Miller]

Personally, I would pick up a Blackmagic 4k or used 6k. The Panasonic and Sony cameras in this price range are fantastic, but their respective capture formats aren’t as robust or easy to edit as Blackmagic raw and Prores.

Shawn

[Shawn Miller]

I caught this one late!

I’m finding that Resolve keeps getting more useful and usable as time goes on. I used to use it just for de-bayering raw video files from my Blackmagic cameras – but over time, it’s become my go-to tool for color correction, grading and, a ‘feeder application’ for Fusion. I don’t see Resolve as a replacement for the work I currently do in the Adobe suite, but it wouldn’t surprise me if I ended up spending as much (or more) time in Resolve as I do in Adobe land (in the future). The new tracking and masking tools in Resolve have kept me out of After Effects a few times recently – I can see that happening more often. If I didn’t need to exchange project files with other Adobe users and I didn’t rely so much on AE, a complete switch-over would be more feasible.

Shawn

[Shawn Miller]

[Walter Soyka] “[Shawn Miller] “Do you have a favorite among those programs for live event graphics?”

Notch for media server integration, Smode for Ae/C4D familiarity, and Ventuz for data-driven/procedural/broadcast graphics.”

That’s good to know, thank you. I get asked about live event graphics from time to time, but I have next to zero knowledge about these things, so it’s nice to have a starting point for general research. Next time, I’ll just tell them to contact you. ☺

[Walter Soyka] “I think that Unreal is eventually going to eat up most of the real-time market, though. There’s just so much cash behind it, why try to compete as a renderer?”

You’re probably right. For large scale scenes, layout, and real-time raytracing, Katana, Clarisse and others may need to watch their backs! ☺

Shawn

[Shawn Miller]

[Robin S. Kurz] “[Shawn Miller] “Sure, if you’re lucky enough to not to have to be compatible with others, then you can pretty much use whatever you want. Not all of us are that lucky.”

So are people saying that they’re actually exchanging native project files with clients and not just the rendered clip? ? Because I have maybe seen that needed a few times on larger scale in-house productions, but never once did I need to myself in my decade+ as an AE user nor seen others do it”

Yes, that’s exactly what I’m saying. In 20+ years of doing this kind of work, I’ve exchanged AE project files with others for a number of different reason; an agency designs a motion graphics package for a campaign and another part of the business wants to use those assets for another project that I’m working on, I design a motion graphics package for an event and a vendor wants to use it for a number of videos they are producing for the company, someone from a different part of the company wants their design team (yes, we have multiple) to use some title cards that I designed for a another group, or vice versa, etc.

[Robin S. Kurz] “[Shawn Miller] “If you’re doing the kind of heavy-duty mograph work that requires a powerful workstation, you’ll probably need something equally powerful for complex Motion or Fusion projects. Multi-layered 16-bit .exr files with deep effects stacks and animations on top will bog down any software application on any platform… ”

Aside from the fact that that isn’t even anywhere close to Motion’s target audience or intended use-case, I’d guess you’ve never actually used Motion or seen it in action? If “Multi-layered 16-bit .exr files with deep effects stacks and animations” is someone’s bread and butter (which I’ll venture to guess it isn’t for anyone here?) and they’re looking at MOTION to do it… erm… not very clever. It’s about being able to do the vast majority of things editors need in the context of editing (but also much more of course, if needed), and that with features such as not needing to render, or making changes as it plays back, and again, it’s brilliant integration with FCP. A level of integration that AE/Premiere can only dream of.”

I think you’re missing my point… it’s not about what Motion can’t do, it’s that big beefy projects require big beefy workstations regardless of application or platform. The suggestion from Winston was that, when users are freed from having to use powerful machines at work, then that will free them to try different software at home on less powerful hardware… my point (again) is that the need for capable hardware doesn’t change with location.

Shawn

[Shawn Miller]

[Walter Soyka] “Workflow isn’t everything; it’s the only thing. Ae is slow, but it’s so flexible. It doesn’t matter that it’s not state-of-the-art because it can do so much for us.”

Yup, totally understand! As a general-purpose problem solving and image processing tool, AE is unique and hard to replace – especially if your feeder applications are from Adobe or Maxon.

[Walter Soyka] “But as far as real-time graphics go, Motion isn’t exactly state-of-the-art either. Why use Motion when I can have Notch, Smode, Unreal, or Ventuz?”

That makes a lot of sense. Do you have a favorite among those programs for live event graphics?

Shawn

[Shawn Miller]

[Winston A. Cely] “I think this may be a moment in time where “it’s the industry standard” may not have as tight a grip as it used to. If we’re going to have to continue to social distance from each other, maybe the individual post-guru will be more open to using something they had not in the past.”

Sure, if you’re lucky enough to not to have to be compatible with others, then you can pretty much use whatever you want. Not all of us are that lucky. ☺

[Winston A. Cely] “…without the use of machines that post-/graphics- houses have, we users may be more open to trying something that isn’t “industry standard.””

If you’re doing the kind of heavy-duty mograph work that requires a powerful workstation, you’ll probably need something equally powerful for complex Motion or Fusion projects. Multi-layered 16-bit .exr files with deep effects stacks and animations on top will bog down any software application on any platform… sooner or later, every program hits the wall and has to resort to a proxy workflow. ☺

[Winston A. Cely] “Not to mention, Apple Silicon may be about to blow our socks off with Motion 6… Hehehe”

Well, I would surely like to see that… and I’m not even a Mac user ! ☺

Shawn

[Shawn Miller]

[Walter Soyka] “Ae’s MOGRTs have grown up a lot and cover most of my titling needs, but there is still no equivalent to Motion footage dropzones or effects. I miss them sometimes, but it’s been a couple years since I’ve even opened Motion.”

So, what would inspire you to pick Motion up again? Does it need a complete overhaul in your opinion, or is it just missing a few very important features/capabilities?

[Walter Soyka] “I have still not personally seen a Fusion motion graphic in the wild. Has anyone else?”

To be honest, I haven’t seen anyone use anything but AE in my daily work. I’ve edited, templatized, and created AE projects for a wide variety of people and uses – but I have yet to work with an agency, coworker, contractor, or vendor hand-off or ask for a Fusion or Motion project. The last time I worked with a non-AE motion graphics artist was maybe 18 years ago – where the post house I contracted with had an Inferno suite. ☺

Shawn

[Shawn Miller]

[Simon Ubsdell] “Don’t you start!

Otherwise, I might have to make a reappearance …”

LOL – that seems more like an enticement than a deterrent. ☺ It might be fun to hear what others think the state of the industry is considering current tools, technology, and processes.

Shawn

[Shawn Miller]

[Lorenzo M. Vidali] “I work for a government contracting company and we do a lot of work that has to be accessible, hence using flat colors and vector-based 2D animations with snappy motion, etc.

I use Motion exclusively for our work and I’m running circles around people using AE for the same types of projects.

No dis to AE, but with so many features piled on, it is just plain clunky compared to Motion for this type of work.

Also, government agencies tend to make decisions by committee, and we get a lot of very inconvenient and poorly timed change requests. Motion makes dealing with that fairly easy provided you set up your projects correctly.

In addition I can accomplish fairly complex projects on an aging MacBook, which would grind to a halt if I was using AE.”

Wow, this thread is a blast from the past! Thanks for reviving one of my favorite discussions on The Cow.

Four years later, I wonder what the state of the Motion user base is; is it still small but loyal, is it growing in popularity with FCPX, is it stagnating, is it shrinking? As a Motion user, do you feel like Apple is continuing to innovate the application and pushing it in the right direction?

Shawn