[Switchcase]

Because the stroke needs to go onto a layer that’s getting shattered. What I’m doing is animating the end point of a stroked circle to match a rotating particle emitter so it looks like a hole is being cut into the layer from behind, and then blowing the whole thing up with shatter.

I guess that I could just move layers into a new comp, generate the stroke on its own layer like you said, add the glow, and then place that comp into the main comp and shatter it there. Does that sound like the best option?

[Switchcase]

“Why does everyone still use 720×480?”

Because they have to make sure that their work is compatible with the lowest common denominator. There are a lot of people around the world with crappy TVs that are only going to display the old standards. Nobody wants to have Wal-Mart send back 100,000 copies of a movie because Goober and Gomer can’t get it to play on their good old Zenith.