Which is the best way (without Automatic Duck) regarding picture

quality and render times to move very basic sequences or single

clips from Avid MC 2.8 to AfterFX (CS 3) and then back into the Avid.

Both applications are running on the same machine.

Will I get the best results if I...

1. export a QT Ref out of the Avid
2. then manipulate in AE
3. export as an uncompressed QT and
4. import back into Avid?

The footage is MiniDV, PAL, 4:3, filmed with a Sony DXC

Thanks in advance!

I have been using QT reference files for this, they are very quick to render out of Avid and obviously take little space.  However, I have been having some troubles with AE saying that it can't find a frame from time to time, unfortunately this causes CS4 to crash for me.  I believe I have other problems that I need to track down with AE but I think they are unrelated to the QT Reference issue.  I have not had time to experiment to see if real QT files behave better.  Sorry for the non-answer, but I would say try the QT reference, there are lots of advantages...

If You have filler in the sequence, for exemple You fade to black a cut, then there's a 10 frames gap, and another clip fades from black, AfterEffects will get mad; if You're in such a scenario make a black frame in a paint software and import it in Your project, cut it to the sequence to replace all of the "filler black holes" with this phisycal black and You'll be ok. hth

Hi,

my private opinion with manipulate videos between Avid and AE after couple of years of work is:

export from Avid: same as source, use Avid codec, RGB

import to AE: IMPORTANT - interpret footage, main - and I use upper field first (if use 25i)

after it make what You want and finaly eport to Avid:

I prefer: (if you want upper field, or progresive you must mark it in render settings, field render)

and I use uncompessed avi

import to Avid from AE:

Image properly sized for current format

Odd (Upper Field First)

Computer RGB (0-255)

Thats it. Most important is INTERPRET FOOTAGE in AE.

This settings is for PAL SD interlaced.

NEVER USE QUICKTIME REFERENCE if you want broadcast it, this is quick, but you lose quality.

thank you very much for your replies!

@martin

in which way does the export as an QT ref affect/reduce picture quality?

LKJ JKL:

in which way does the export as an QT ref affect/reduce picture quality?

@ luca

Can you try zoom in quictime reference video in AE and make same with uncompressed same part of video?

Try it.

Martin

Martin, there's a graphics guy at my studio, I'm not that much into AE, and he's never complained about QT ref quality, but to be honest my favourite workflow is to export targa sequences out of Avid as its faster than uncompressed QT and locked, so to speak: the AE operator/artist can't mess with the cuts by mistake, or even worst intentionally; at times trimming the Avid cuts in AE may be required, for tight deadlines with last minute adjustments, and that's when I go for QT ref.

anyone else?

I have the advantage of running the full suite Production Premium CS4 on same system as my MC 3.1.3.2 but on different harddrives. Of course this requires sequences/clips where you can splice in/out with a cut in order to avoid textural changes in the video...be that as it may, here's what I do: When I need to export a clip from MC to AfterFx, I first export the appropriate chunk of the timeline to a QT Movie file, then import to Premiere Pro where "all is Heaven" due to the full access to AfterFx right from the Premiere timeline. When done, I output from Premiere as a QT and simply import back into MC then splice-in to timeline at the appropriate cut point. Probably not the best method but it works for moi! However, the larger question here seems to be this: Why oh WHY...Since AfterFx is so neccessary in MC finishing jobs does Avid not re-tool the MC software to allow direct timeline access to AfterFx? I find duck to be much more enjoyable 'ala orange on my dinner plate, NOT automatic on my computer!! Ya know?

QT ref is no quality loss, why dont you just test it

what i found important is:

always square pix, even if you have a16/9 programme, use 4/3 squarepix to export (you can still interprete as 16/9 nonsquare in AE)

use avid codec if possible or transcode in MC to a non-gop res

render to a higher avid coddec, e.g DV25 from avid render to DV50 avid codec in AE (

render to squarepix AVID codecs

another thing is import of sequences. would be great if avid or AE could figure out the AAF format. But avid needs to sell their own FX app, so I doubt there will be that sort of cooperation between Avid&Adobe

m