Putting animations into Premiere

[vipertongn]

I have created an animation with maya, I then put it into after effects to render it to avi. However, when I put it into premiere pro, I have no idea how to put two videos one covers the other. So how do i place the animation in the video when the black background of the rendered animation blocks the video? Also, the animation either doesn't shows up in the video or it covers it

[thecoalman]

Not familiar with Maya or Premiere but you have to render the video using alpha channel, a search through the help files of both applications will lead you in the right direction.

[vipertongn]

Maya automatically puts the animation into alpha channel, or so I was told.

[racer-x]

Why use After Effects?

If you rendered your animation into an image sequence, you can import the image sequence into Premiere. If your animation has an Alpha Channel, then the image sequence should be 32bit TGA's. When you import that sequence, Premiere should detect the Alpha Channel and show the video tack below.

[guns1inger]

You should do your compositing in after effects. If you render out of Maya into .tga stills with an alpha channel, after effects will recognise and use it. However once you render to an avi out of after effects you lose the alpha channel. Do your overlaying/compositing in after effects, then bring the finished clip into Premiere for editing. That is the correct workflow.

[vipertongn]

So you recommend rendering it into tga? I only just figured out putting it into iff and then turning it into avi. if i do it for tga will it render the whole animation into one file?

[edDV]

What is your final goal for this project? Is it 720x480 DVD? If so your background should match the project spec that will be used for Premiere.

You need to decide before import whether you are making a progressive DVD @ 23.976fps or an interlaced DVD at 29.97fps. What frame rate did you render the anaimation?

This should all be thought out up front to avoid the dreaded start over trap.

[racer-x]

Actually, you can render it out of After Effects and keep the Alpha Channel. It's been a long time since I've used AE, but I have rendered out AVI's with Alpha Channels intact. You can use Uncompressed RGB32 or Lagarith RGB32. I've done it both ways a long time ago, so I can't remember the settings, but there in there.

Read the manual, that's what its for.

[vipertongn]

Well, I can only create a batch of images and used after effects to put the frames together. Other than that I don't know how to use maya to render the stuff. If anyone is willing to im with me and help me out that would be good.

[guns1inger]

You need to find a good 3d forum that specialises in Maya. Try 3dBuzz.com. Join up (free) and you can download their video training courses for Maya and learn how to use it. Or jump in the forums where there are Maya users with all the answers you need.

[vipertongn]

Wow thanks guns1inger, this is really helpful

[pijetro]

vipertongn:

I think the problem lies with the fact, that you're not exporting Alpha channels, and importing them into Premiere Pro..
So what you're seeing is flattened out images of the outputted .AVI from After Effects...

You need to import the Alpha channel information into Premiere...Look for "Millions of colors +"

Good luck!!!

[vipertongn]

YES! that was the information i needed, thanks a bunch!

[turk690]

to vipertongn, what you want is easy on Premiere. Just like in Photoshop, the video track numbers will determine which video will be on top and cover the other. For example, Video 2 will obscure Video 1. Let's say you put your animashun with the black background in Video 2, which naturally covers up and obscures anything in Video 1. You then go to Video Effects>Keying, then drag Chroma Key to your animashun video. In the Effects Controls, expand Chroma Key & select with the eyedropper tool what color you want 'keyed' out (black, in this case). Tweak the other parameters (similarity, blend, etc.) until you see exactly what you want. Note that in this discussion, I never mentioned anything about Alpha, although it's the underlying principle of this step because I find that Premiere more or less sees a majority color (black, white, pure chroma green (for those weather reports), etc.) in the clip where Chroma Key effect was dragged onto, automatically assumes this is the color you want taken out and does it without you even having to eyedropper tool it. Only fine-tuning is needed.
You will then note that any good ole *.avi with a pure hue background (preferably with a color not present in that animation or whatever you want to remain) works well with Premiere on this. For example, I use *.avi produced from Ulead 3D cool all the time, or from the free Wax. I have used After Effects elsewhere, which automates much of this, but since I don't have it, Premiere's Chroma Key effect is my only current ally.