[Tudor “ted” jelescu]

I had the same issue one time- I can’t say that I figured it out, but here’s what I did that worked for me:
I rendered an uncompressed interlaced output (1920x1080i 29.97fps and then I compressed using Adobe Media Encoder to my final format which was 1280x720p 29.97 flv.

Tudor “Ted” Jelescu
Senior VFX Artist

[Tudor “ted” jelescu]

720 x 480 is the NTSC DV format with .91 pixel aspect ratio. Thus the frame aspect ratio is 3:2, but with a .91 par.
720 x 540 is NTSC with square pixel aspect ratio, and thus 4:3.
There is also- to confuse you some more- a D1 NTSC standard, which has 486 instead of 480…
The pixel aspect ratio comes into play if you are displaying your video on a tv screen that has pixels that are not square but rectangular. Basically you squeeze the image from the 540 square pixels from your computer image to be correctly displayed by the 480 rectangular pixels on your tv screen.
You just need to make sure that AE interprets your clips correctly. If you have NTSC DV footage you work with, make sure that your Comp in AE is setup for that standard. For correct preview use the toggle par button to see the image displayed at 720×540 (CS5 will say 720×536 for NTSC square pixels… don’t worry). When you render, just make sure your output is the size/par NTSC DV. Do this and you should be fine- if something is not right in your final output just check the interpretation for your clips, comp settings and render settings.
Hope it helps.

Tudor “Ted” Jelescu
Senior VFX Artist

[Tudor “ted” jelescu]

Like the posters before mentioned you will need to storyboard, break into shots and design each shot and each transition.
Here’s a list of plugins you may choose to use:
3d Stroke- for cables/wires
Particular for 3d signals that leave a trace behind (like the iPod commercial light streaks)
Zaxwerks serpentine- could also be used for 3d cables
Card Dance- use for data that floats in a computer space
Zaxwerks invigorator – 3d shapes and text that can be textured – for various parts in your circuit.
Some techniques you can use:
2.5D compositing – tutorials here on the Cow
3D displacement:
https://library.creativecow.net/jelescu_tudor/3D-from-2D-image_AE/1
Here’s a tutorial that may give you some inspiration as far as transitioning from one area to the next:
https://www.videocopilot.net/tutorials/submerged/
Hope that helps

Tudor “Ted” Jelescu
Senior VFX Artist

[Tudor “ted” jelescu]

do you have the latest CS4 upgrade from Adobe?

Tudor “Ted” Jelescu
Senior VFX Artist

[Tudor “ted” jelescu]

Learning Mocha took me 5 minutes- it’s really easy and straightforward for basic stuff. Definitely worth a try- it will save you lots of time.

Tudor “Ted” Jelescu
Senior VFX Artist

[Tudor “ted” jelescu]

you can try tracking with Mocha- track a plane using points around the flare (buildings, windows…) – links masks to that track info, round ones over the flares with feathered edge to poke holes through the image- then comp over a the same image and shift a few pixels to eliminate the flare.

Tudor “Ted” Jelescu
Senior VFX Artist

[Tudor “ted” jelescu]

If you do not have extensive camera moves in a 3d space (that is if you even have a 3d comp) you are on the right track with the idea of a shape and glow. Using the shape or even image of a florescent tube with a glow in a 32bit comp with a intensity/radius animation to give the flicker is a good way to go.

Tudor “Ted” Jelescu
Senior VFX Artist

[Tudor “ted” jelescu]

You can try to use also the techniques in this tutorial:

https://library.creativecow.net/jelescu_tudor/3D-from-2D-image_AE/1

A mixture of 2.5D and 3d displacement

Tudor “Ted” Jelescu
Senior VFX Artist

[Tudor “ted” jelescu]

Also, if you have CS5, RotoBrush is perfect for providing a quick mask for the character in the foreground so that you can put the flash behind. The rest is timing- experiment a lot.

Tudor “Ted” Jelescu
Senior VFX Artist

[Tudor “ted” jelescu]

If you can’t pay Walter, then you still need a hardware solution that can display one video file across three HD monitors or play three HD files in sync on three HD monitors. I would look into hiring a company that can provide the playback while you can do the project and render it out for playback. Either as one big file or as three separate HD files.
If you can though, get Walter or someone like him- this way you can get some training and learn a few tricks as well.

Tudor “Ted” Jelescu
Senior VFX Artist