[Tye Zaharia]

I’ll hunt down some expressions or scripts that could help, thanks. I do think the merged cylinder/page turn effect may result in what I want. I’m considering something that either ends up being actual 3D, or possible 2D within a 3D space.

Thanks for the suggestions.

[Tye Zaharia]

With certain elements I might use Maya, provided I feel it’s the direction I want, but the overall outcome seems like it would mostly require Ae to achieve, since the focus blends a combination of motion graphics, rather than 3D specifically.

As I mentioned this applies a similar approach to creating a photo mosaic, but with video, and the resulting object is going to either end up as 2d or 3d element depending on what I think will look better.

[Tye Zaharia]

The format is based off of what you want your end result to be, and how you may or may not continue working with the file once it is rendered.

Some formats will result in similar outcomes. You can use AVI or MP4 for most renders which should be fine, depending on the rest of your render settings. Likewise you can use Quicktime if you are working with a Mac, or prefer using the QT software.

In the Render Settings, you also have Format Options, which based off the format you choose, gives you other settings to work with.

If you use Quicktime, you will see some Format Options which are fairly useful, such as codecs that will provide a better look and feel.
I would suggest you try three separate formats to render with and play with the settings. Honestly most of the time, I will have multiple files rendered that I work from, so I can compare and see which works better for me.

Also, if your video is slow or choppy, you may need to check your framerate in the actual compositions. After Effects for beginners takes a lot of testing to become familiar with. As Roei mentioned, you may want to start with some decent Ae beginner tutorials to get your feet wet. Good luck.

[Tye Zaharia]

I’m not sure if you are still looking for any assistance with this or similar issues but I’ve found Matte Choker in Ae to be incredibly useful and efficient with getting rid of my white trackers on a blue screen.