[Steve Roberts]

Vector Paint effect?

[Steve Roberts]

Try rendering just the alpha (set in the output module) of the keyed movie in AE. If you can’t render that to the ProRes codec, then render to Animation (alpha only). Open that in Quicktime and export to ProRes.

Then use that grayscale alpha movie as a track matte for your original footage in FCP.

However, if you’ve done spill suppression in Keylight (affected the talent), then you should also render the RGB to the Animation codec. That means make two Output Modules: one for RGB and one for Alpha, both to the Animation codec.

[Steve Roberts]

Do you get a Quicktime movie?
If so, what is the codec according to Get Info on the file?
If not, what do you get?

Where do you see “APCS”?
How do you get this information?
In which app are you viewing this file and see “apcs”?

Regarding the Duck, I haven’t used it in a long time, but if I recall, it’s only one-way: FCP to AE.
And I think you can only roundtrip Apple to Apple, Adobe to Adobe.

[Steve Roberts]

You know … it sounds like this: if you’re going to film, do twos at 24fps. If you’re going to video, do twos at 30fps. I think I’ve heard that before. Unless you have a budget issue … but there may be headaches.

So I agree with David.

[Steve Roberts]

Not sure if I understand you but … AE doesn’t automatically render footage in its original codec. The Render Queue includes Output Modules which render to certain default codecs or codecs of your choice.

If you’re doing a only few of these, you can click on the name of the default Output Module (usually “lossless”) and change the codec to ProRes 422 under “format options”. If you’re doing a bunch, make a custom Output Module from the drop-down menu next to the words “Output Module”. For more info, check the manual.

[Steve Roberts]

That should work. Clever!

In the “next time you shoot this” sweepstakes, consider a greenscreen on a rolling frame, moving directly opposite the camera. This way you’d only have to roto out the feet and lower legs.

It does commit you to losing the background, though. The client can’t change his mind if he decides he actually likes the background. 🙂

[Steve Roberts]

Saying that MOV is better than AVI is like saying that Mercedes is better than Audi. Which Mercedes? Which Audi? Or something like that.

1. I don’t know why your setup gives you better AVIs rather than MOVs. This would be a Pinnacle question because Pinnacle is choosing how it makes the MOVs and AVIs.

2. If the YouTube version is better, than I’d say that the playback method of the original file is suspect.

Anyway, I think you should ask in a Pinnacle forum how to get the best quality video out of your camera, since you expect to process it later and don’t want Pinnacle to degrade the video.

[Steve Roberts]

In which codec are you working?

[Steve Roberts]

You could mess with Colorama or rotoscope as in this tutorial.

Colorama makes sure that a specific shade of gray always becomes a specific color. Rotoscoping ensures that a specific area (say, a hat) becomes a specific color, but it’s a tedious process. Colorama might work with your footage ….

[Steve Roberts]

Always, always make a new camera.
Never use custom view except for checking layout.

Make a new camera, move it into place, make the BG layer 2D, then get back to us.

“Diapers”? You mean “disappears”, right? Cute. 🙂 We should use that from now on.