[Stephen Smith]

Yes you can blur out the background in Motion and create masks around the two people in the front. If they don’t move a lot it will be easier.

Stephen Smith
Utah Video Productions

Check out my Motion Training DVD

Check out my Motion Tutorials

[Stephen Smith]

[Mark]

Sure you can use Animation – just send to Compressor and use any codec at all.

Last time I did a test doing a Send To Compressor it took twice as long compared to just going straight out of Motion. To make things worse, FCP7 send to Compressor depending on the project could take hours longer. Why would Apple give a user less option then they had before? Is this to sell more copies of compressor?

Stephen Smith
Utah Video Productions

Check out my Motion Training DVD

Check out my Motion Tutorials

[Stephen Smith]

I find Apple Motion no longer supporting the Animation codec to be troubling. I thought Animation was created by Apple?

Please correct me if I’m wrong, I’m not a comprestionist, FLV is a compressed codec. Animation is uncompressed(if there was such a thing). If that is true you would never want to send a FLV file with an Alpha channel to a flash guy for the purpose of them placing it in their web site. The Flash person brings a video into Flash with an Alpha channel and adds a background, buttons and etc. It becomes part of the web site. (It is not like YouTube where you have as self contained movie, other wise you would not want an Alpha channel) When they are done they compress their Flash project for the web, thus the video file gets compressed twice. If I give them a FLV file I feel I’m giving them a video that is not the best quality.

Besides, in my case Animation has been a requirement for some projects. I can’t tell them Apple says the Animation codec stinks so let me send you something else.

Stephen Smith
Utah Video Productions

Check out my Motion Training DVD

Check out my Motion Tutorials

[Stephen Smith]

ProRess 4444 will do an Alpha channel, but that is an Apple codec. The PC guys I’ve sent it to who have Quicktime said they can’t work with it.

Stephen Smith
Utah Video Productions

Check out my Motion Training DVD

Check out my Motion Tutorials

[Stephen Smith]

Joseph,
Great point.

Stephen Smith
Utah Video Productions

Check out my Motion Training DVD

Check out my Motion Tutorials

[Stephen Smith]

One more thing from the tough hombre. 🙂

I think people are cheating themselves if they feel that this copyrighted song is the only song that will work for their project. I would like to bring up an example where budget restraints created a better solution. Doug Liman did not have the budget he wanted for Mr. and Mrs. Smith. The neighborhood scene where Mr. Smith trips on the fence and accidentally almost shoots his wife is a great one and added a lot to the movie. It was originally supposed to be this big budget car chase scene that the studio would not pay for. Instead we ended up with this very simple scene that brought so much more to the movie. Limitations can help you find better solutions. Alright, the stiff is jumping off of his soap box.

Stephen Smith
Utah Video Productions

Check out my Motion Training DVD

Check out my Motion Tutorials

[Stephen Smith]

Noah, Depending on the music, (if it is U2 or some mega band) I personally focus on the fact that they most likely didn’t purchase the music, those stole it. Do I want to hire that type of person that might steal other things?

Stephen Smith
Utah Video Productions

Check out my Motion Training DVD

Check out my Motion Tutorials

[Stephen Smith]

I find copyrighted music distracting. I was sent a demo reel with some music from a Hollywood movie. I spent the time thinking about the movie and not the demo. They didn’t get the job.

Stephen Smith
Utah Video Productions

Check out my Motion Training DVD

Check out my Motion Tutorials

[Stephen Smith]

I always make the first clip 100% scale, then do a hard cut to the next clip and make it 130% scale. Then on the next hard cut make it 100% scale again. It looks like you have a Camera A and Camera B when you do that. Best of luck.

Stephen Smith
Utah Video Productions

Check out my Motion Training DVD

Check out my Motion Tutorials

[Stephen Smith]

Sounds good.

Stephen Smith
Utah Video Productions

Check out my Motion Training DVD

Check out my Motion Tutorials