I am busy finishing a feature docudrama (using MC 2019.11), and am going to have the titles done by a graphic designer in After Effects. Could anyone suggest a solid workflow? I know that it's a little tricky with alpha channels, etc, so I'm thinking of just having the graphic designer send me the AE project, and then I can export what I need. What formats are best? ProRes 4444 with alpha? DNxHR HQ RGB? Animation? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
In the post 32-bit quicktime world, ProRes 4444 seems to be the best solution. You can also go with a .png image sequence, but it takes longer.
Not having luck with that in MC 2020.6 and Catalina...can you share some import/link settings that work?
Thanks for the advice. Any thoughts on finishing in After Effects as opposed to Avid, ie. exporting a final cut for broadcast etc. from After Effects? Has anyone had any experience with this?
Depends what you need to deliver. In theory its possible unless you need a DPP AS-11 for UK broadcast.
But if its just a flat file then as long as you can output that codec and the required wrapper then you should be good.
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smrpix: In the post 32-bit quicktime world, ProRes 4444 seems to be the best solution. You can also go with a .png image sequence, but it takes longer.
So, after playing around a bit, I seem to have found something that works ok. I tried exporting ProRes 4444 from AE, and linking in MC, but playback performance was terrible – around 2 frames per second, no matter what I set my playback quality at. (I'm just layering titles over one ProRes 422 HQ track.) I tried the same with the Animation codec – this performed a bit better, but I still couldn't achieve realtime playback. Finally I tried importing the Animation file into MC using DNxHR 444, and this played back perfectly, even at full quality. The only drawback is that the resulting imported file is 2.3GB, as opposed to the original 60MB file!
what if you AMA link the ProRes 4444 and then transcode to say DNxHR SQ or HQ
Or import to those resolutions.
That works too, but file sizes are still pretty big. Avid creates a separate 1:1 file for the Alpha channel, so that's the same size no matter what codec you use. At least that's how it appears to me!
The basic question should be: what is more important to you? Smaller file sizes or faster import/transcode?
Animation codec within MOV makes small file sizes depending on the content This will result in longer import/transocde times beacause you have to get in playable codec in some way. This way should be fine if you have to transfer them all via internet, for example.
DNxHD HQ with alpha (dont use DNxHD HQX with alpha, it has a bug) results in bigger files, but import them same as source into Avid without color space changing iat resulting in Fast import and is 4-5 faster then Animation codec. This is because while importing you arent trancoding but only rewrapping into MXF because it´s Avid native. Same for ProRes 444 with alpha. This way should be fine if size doesnt matter but you have to import tons of grafics. You will love the increased import time. Dont forget to render within After Effects in the right color space for your (REC709 if you are TV and HD, for example)
Cheers
pixel
What is editing? It´s the process of transforming a collection of badly focussed or horribly framed shots containing reversed screen directions, flare and dirt into a smooth visual statement of the script... ... for which the director takes the credit!
Great- thanks for the advice. Just a question- DNxHR HQ is 8-bit. Isn't 10 bits much better for graphics? I guess then using ProRes 4444 would be better, if DNxHR HQX is buggy?
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