Adobe After Effects Questions

[HoosierGuy]

In the editing and color correcting books I read and also online, I read a lot about Adobe After Effects. It sounds like this is one of the main standard tools used in editing.

I've never used anything by Adobe, not even Photo Elements. Is After Effects a stand alone program or must I have their film editing program first? Also, how hard is it to learn this program?

I know some of the things this program can do but can a newbie find it useful or are there cheaper programs out there that basically do the same thing?

I have Sony Vegas Studio. One of the many things I'm interested in is doing some compositing (I think that is the right word), creating my own animated 3-D text and putting into lower thirds from Digital Juice, for example.

If I shoot video with my minidv camera how easy is it to open up in After Effects? Can I open it up in AVI format and export in AVI format?

Do you need a lot of PC power to run After Effects like you do other editing programs?

[lowellriggsiam]

The new version of After Effects, CS5, requires a 64bit OS. It's a great vfx program. It has quite a learning curve, but once you figure it out the possibilities are pratically endless. 3D texts are have to be simulated using an extruder, or an export from a program such as photoshop or adobe illustrator, some however use the shatter effect to do this. Import/export is straight forward.

[Cornucopia]

CS v5.5 is 64bit only, but I'm not sure about 5.0, earlier had 32bit versions.

AE is NOT a good program for a newbie to use casually. Thing is, you asked about a "cheaper" app, but the whole paradigm of working in a compositing app doesn't lend itself to cheap or easy fixes. You might find something that calls itself a compositing or VFX app, but it would probably be just a few canned options. Even quick consumer-oriented apps like BluffTitler are more complicated than that (that's a good app BTW). That's like looking for a cheap and easy version of Maya. Sure, Blender is FOSS, but is it easy? I don't think anybody would agree with that!
AE could be called an editor, but I would never use it for that. It can be done, but it isn't optimized to do that the way a true NLE is. Using AE to create a documentary or feature film or TV program on tight schedule would be about the same kind of nightmare that it would if I were editing via Virtualdub.
In the old days, the answer would be: "If you have to ask what it's best used for and how to use it, you're not ready to use it."

AE isn't the TOP of the compositing world (that might be Nuke or something else node-based), but it IS the entry into the TRUE Broadcast/Hollywood pro community of compositing.

AVI IN - OK. AVI OUT - OK. Of course, depending upon if you have the right codecs installed.
You DON'T have any built-in feature for capping straight from the camera. It has to be imported as a file.

If you want to learn, I'd say: Start using Photoshop (not Elements, the REAL thing!). Learn about channels, masks, layers, groups/folders, filters modes & transfer options (boolean operations). Once you're down pat with those and understand how to do it with single, still images, then you might want to take up AE and learn about the timeline, proxies, attribute switches, curves and all the rendering options...
Then, you'll be able to START working on AE. Then you should learn about Rotoscoping.

@lowellriggsiam, you're 3D text info is faulty. v5.5 has a large range of text features 2D & 3D and it takes 3D input from a variety of 3D applications as well as being able to generate it within the app.

Scott

[lowellriggsiam]

I guess after the upgrade from CS5 to CS5.5 I hadn't explored the upgrades.

[HoosierGuy]

Can you use photoshop to work on video? Can Adobe Elements create fancy text to put in video? What I really want is to start learning to create text with special effect to put in my future videos. I just need to find a program to learn and get started. I did find on this board talk about this site - http://www.presentation-3d.com/. I did download the Aurora 3D Text & Logo Maker a few days ago and have been playing with that. Would Easy 3D Title and Banner Animation Maker be better for video work? I guess I'll download it and try it out too.

[HoosierGuy]

Wow, I looked up BluffTitler, that looks like a cool program too. I'm probably going to buy one of these programs, something for under $100.00 I want something that I can learn but more importantly grow and do more. BluffTitler Pro is around $67.00

[budwzr]

Wow, I looked up BluffTitler, that looks like a cool program too. I'm probably going to buy one of these programs, something for under $100.00 I want something that I can learn but more importantly grow and do more. BluffTitler Pro is around $67.00

The 3D Text and logo maker ($39) is pretty robust http://youtu.be/m_En_2M7Kv0?hd=1 . The thing is, like "Corn" said, you've got to get some knowledge under the skullcap about the fundamentals.

Don't drink the koolaid in those flashy videos and think you can buy in that easy.

[budwzr]

I have Sony Vegas Studio. One of the many things I'm interested in is doing some compositing (I think that is the right word), creating my own animated 3-D text and putting into lower thirds from Digital Juice, for example.

AFA compositing goes, Vegas Pro is excellent, but you have to get your bling-bling somewhere else and bring it in. Why pay a grand for 3D animation when $39 will do?

Even Vegas Movie Studio can do most compositing. Certainly it can do lower thirds stuff easily, that's simple.

If you break down AE's features, you basically get 4 or 5 $39 programs rolled into one GUI.

Check out FXHome too ($149), it's AE but a lot cheaper. http://fxhome.com/effectslab-pro .With the money you save, you can buy more filming gear instead of software.

[poisondeathray]

I have Sony Vegas Studio

The one thing that the Studio version of Vegas is missing is scopes like waveform monitor, histogram, vectorscope . It's hard to do proper "legal" color correction without those. In the other thread, you said you wanted to get into Political ads - it's difficult to make broadcast legal content without the monitoring scopes

Can you use photoshop to work on video?

Photoshop extended can open up some types of video, but it's not the right tool for the job. You won't be able to do animation very easily and things are done frame by frame

[budwzr]

I have Sony Vegas Studio. One of the many things I'm interested in is doing some compositing (I think that is the right word), creating my own animated 3-D text and putting into lower thirds from Digital Juice, for example.

Digital Juice is crap. Watch the latest shows on TV like the Royal wedding or Dance W/Stars, and you'll see what's HOT now.

[HoosierGuy]

I have Sony Vegas Studio. One of the many things I'm interested in is doing some compositing (I think that is the right word), creating my own animated 3-D text and putting into lower thirds from Digital Juice, for example.

Digital Juice is crap. Watch the latest shows on TV like the Royal wedding or Dance W/Stars, and you'll see what's HOT now.

Well I'm not at the point of making all that stuff myself. I need to buy it. Who sells the graphics/etc... used on Dance W/Stars?

I'm currently reading a great color correcting book. I think it's brand new out ont he market and this book is 500 pages long. It goes into detail but is really good for a
newbie like me. It's great. The title is - Color Correction Handbook by Alexis Van Hurkman. It does mention many programs but it's basically color program neutral. It's killing me I don't have the programs to mess around with my color like he's doing in the book. Plus I'm shooting on a Sony HandyCam, what is that 4:1:0? The book describes the problem you get when trying to correct and key video shot with low end cameras. But yes, I want scopes and waveform monitors and programs to key
things and alter the color, contrast, lows, mids, highs, etc...

I'm really enjoying this color correcting book. Are color correctors in big demand in the video industry? I know people want to be actors/directors and then people wanting to be editors (like me) but what about color correctors? If video editing is a niche job isn't color correcting even a smaller niche? Would a few classes at a good university in color correcting get me quickly hired by someone?

[budwzr]

Would a few classes at a good university in color correcting get me quickly hired by someone?

Nah, you have to be the owner's nephew.

[budwzr]

Well I'm not at the point of making all that stuff myself. I need to buy it. Who sells the graphics/etc... used on Dance W/Stars?

That's a guy in a booth in an office building on Melrose. He takes a live feed and does it on the fly. He makes up the animations between shows.

Not very glamorous. No chicks flocking around. No glory in it.

[Cornucopia]

Well, between THIS and 30Rock & The Office. I just got my fill of Comedy for the day!



Scott

[budwzr]

Whew! I think I drank too much coffee yesterday, sorry about that

Anyway, "Hoose" ,what you need to do is, when you look at a graphic, try to deconstruct it mentally, down to its basic elements, and you will find a lot of PNG's.

The PNG file format is the compositor's dream format because it allows for transparency. You can "greenscreen" perfectly, without a greenscreen.

PNG is something you really need to look at.

[HoosierGuy]

Whew! I think I drank too much coffee yesterday, sorry about that

Anyway, "Hoose" ,what you need to do is, when you look at a graphic, try to deconstruct it mentally, down to its basic elements, and you will find a lot of PNG's.

The PNG file format is the compositor's dream format because it allows for transparency. You can "greenscreen" perfectly, without a greenscreen.

PNG is something you really need to look at.

I've been doing that. I can't watch TV now without looking at the lower thirds and such and saying - Hey, I can do that! Well, I can do that if I had their graphics, but all things being equal, I think I can pretty much match what I see.

I want to learn a text creating program. I guess I will have to buy one of those text program and start learning. I want to make sure I create text that looks good on TV. I had one program that I played with for a few hours and then burned it to DVD and my text did not look sharp at all. I need to learn the secrets to creating sharp looking texts for TV.

My Digital Juice software is suppose to arrive today so I will play around with that this weekend. I ordered their "fire/flames" kit.

[HoosierGuy]

Playing with my first Digital Juice DVD effects - http://youtu.be/I-e-EY12U6U

[budwzr]

Playing with my first Digital Juice DVD effects - http://youtu.be/I-e-EY12U6U

You PAID for that? I told you DJ is crap. You better check in here with us before you buy anything else.

[HoosierGuy]

Playing with my first Digital Juice DVD effects - http://youtu.be/I-e-EY12U6U

You PAID for that? I told you DJ is crap. You better check in here with us before you buy anything else.

So what company is good to get lower thirds and background from? I would be nice to find a company that offers them at a lower price. After I ordered my one DVD I received emails with deals - four sets for $100.00

[budwzr]

You can find that stuff free online. Just look around. Go around to the various vendors and get their free samples, go to Wiki see what's free. Check YT. You can even find stuff on webpages and DL it right off the page.

The Aurora 3D Animator software has flames and other particles. Something like that is worth buying, because you'll always use it for one thing or another.

You better get used to making your own stuff otherwise this is a never ending giant money pit.


Budwzr's
Latest Video:http://youtu.be/LcvoNhGIn0U?hd=1

[HoosierGuy]

I talked with a professor who teaches at the local university. He told me to start shooting lots of video and make it look like TV news video. I've not shot much video yet so I used this video I shot a few months ago, just one scene with some lower thirds added. Small clip and very simple.


http://youtu.be/FcFlTXIEf9w

[poisondeathray]

I talked with a professor who teaches at the local university. He told me to start shooting lots of video and make it look like TV news video. I've not shot much video yet so I used this video I shot a few months ago, just one scene with some lower thirds added. Small clip and very simple.


http://youtu.be/FcFlTXIEf9w

Look more closely at the "TV13 Live" logo. There is a ring of grey around it. It looks like your alpha channel wasn't clean, or you used a drop shadow on your text. If you pan over a white background it will be more noticible. If drop shadow was intentional, then it should be more clear, less diffuse

The blue background for the time is uneven, and 1 edge is too small

This is youtube, but as a general rule, you want thicker fonts, and to avoid thin lines to minimize problems with interlaced flicker on displays and broadcasts. There are a ton of rules for fonts, kerning , typesetting etc... you can do a search for more information

Pay attention to Title Safe and Action Safe areas for formatting (use google), or your graphics might be cut off by TV overscan. Your overlays are too close to the edges. Since you're using vegas, have a look at the vegas manual to see how to use title safe & action safe grid overlays

[budwzr]

That's not too bad for a first try. After all, you did admit to being a student.

On the other hand, this hideous monstrosity was offered by one of our advanced After Effects users, along with a tutorial on how to do it:

http://youtu.be/tAvX9CvkkOg

So I'd say you're starting off pretty good there, Hoose.

[HoosierGuy]

That's not too bad for a first try. After all, you did admit to being a student.

On the other hand, this hideous monstrosity was offered by one of our advanced After Effects users, along with a tutorial on how to do it:

http://youtu.be/tAvX9CvkkOg

So I'd say you're starting off pretty good there, Hoose.

I thought it was not bad myself. I sent my video link to my sister and she thought it was a real news cast. She was waiting for the bridge to fall in!

[budwzr]

I was wondering, how can you "loot" a bridge?

Anyway, what you need to do is pep up your channel 13 logo. Make it 3D and animate it.

[HoosierGuy]

I tried fixing the small blue bar behind the time. Strange - when I render it to mpeg2 for DVD burning it is fine. But when I render it to WMV it causes the little blue bar to become uneven with regards to the time.

I'm working on two things now - font and bar placement (where to place them far enough from the edge of the TV) and now Font Size. I've not experimented with font sizes yet so I need to find a good guide to fonts and TV.


http://youtu.be/NSh_qjom060