So you want to use After Effects with your Avid.
Well done, you're about to embark on one of the most exciting synergistic
experiences since Jager-Nyquil night in college.
With these two programs working for you, there ain't nothing,
nothing you can't do. Its a fun feeling of power and
awe to know that its all there, if only you knew enough,
if only you were a good enough designer,
if only you could figure out the rules for rendering from After Effects to Avid.
well, things won't work. Its nice to have things be cut and dry some times.
Always render your comps at 720x486 (2 fields).
If you choose to work at 720x540 (and I understand, believe me), that's cool, just remember to actually render 720x486. It just means adding a step.
When you're all done with your 720x540 square pixel comp, create a 720x486 D1 pixel comp, same duration and frame rate, and drop your 720x540 comp into it. It doesn't exactly fit, so press Command-Option-F (Mac)/Control-Alt-F (Windows). This is called Stretch-to-Fit. It scales your 720x540 comp to fit inside the 720x486 comp you just created. Now render this 720x486 comp.
Always send your comps at 720x576 (2 fields).
You may wish to work at 768x576 square pixels, which is cool because you see your work in a 4:3 box on your computer screen, but the file you import into your Avid must be 720x576. Its easy to do this, easier than for NTSC.
In your output module of your 768x576 render, check the stretch box and tell your output to stretch to 720x576. That's it!
This ONLY works this way for PAL!
Always create and render your comps at 29.97fps
This always sounds wierd to new users. They think video is 30. No, NTSC runs at 29.97. Oh, and this has nothing to do with drop or non-drop timecode.
After a while you'll accept it and get used to it.
Frame rate is 25fps.
What else would it be, right? What the hell is drop-frame anyway?
Field Rendering
Do you have to field render? No.
Should you field render? Maybe.If you're on ABVB, your media is handled Upper Field First. This means if you're separating footage or field rendering, this is what you choose.
If you're using Meridien or DV, you're Lower Field first. This is what you choose if you're separating footage or field rendering.
Field Rendering
Do you have to field render? No.
Should you field render? Maybe.Whether you're on ABVB or Meridien, your media is handled Upper Field First. This means if you're separating footage or field rendering, this is what you choose.
If you're in DV, you should render Lower Field First
Rendering with alpha channels
Need a matte key refresher?So you actually want to composite back in Avid. That's cool, just a few tricks to keep in mind.
In your output module, set the channels to RGB+. This is relatively obvious, but it gets missed quite often.
Just below that setting, set your color to Straight (Unmatted). This will create really hideous looking color channels, but trust your matte, remember all that ugliness will be removed with your matte key.
If you're on a system that features Batch Importing, I see no real downside to rendering a 32-bit alpha embedded QuickTime movie. If this means you, use the Avid Codec appropriate to your system and go to town.
If you're back on ABVB, you don't get Batch Importing, so I do not recommend you do the 32-bit movie thing. Its not worth your time. Instead output two separate movies for your RGB and alpha channels. Its easy:
Set up your render as usual, set your channels to RGB, and your color to Straight (Unmatted). AE presents some text warning you this isn't recommended unless you're creating an alpha channel. Don't worry, you'll get to it.
Now, select your comp in the Render Queue and from the Composition menu choose Add Output Module. Another output module appears. Set it up so its output channels menu is set to Alpha. Name your movies and render. This renders once, saves twice. Saves more than twice, actually, because it saves you time and aggravation.
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