Exporting after effects files to Final cut pro

[glenn Thornley]

Hello, I'm trying to export some simple AE quicktime movies for use in the 'Final cut pro' application.I'm using AE CS5.5 on Mac OSX and my colleague is using version 5.1.4 of Final cut pro on Mac OSX. My movies arent rendering very well in FCP (my colleague tells me that there is loss of quality). What format should I render my movies as in  the 'Output Module settings' box? And what 'video Codec' should I select from the 'Format options' box in the 'Output Module settings' box? I'm guessing that getting this correct is the issue...and I cant seem to get the right setting!

Please help! Its driving me mad!

Many thanks in advance.

[Dave_LaRonde]

You could always render a PNG sequence, and let the guy use QT Pro to convert to the codec of his FCP edit timeline.  PNG sequences are lossless If he needs an alpha channel, know that PNG sequences support alpha channels. 

As always, rendering in the correct horizontal & vertical resolution, proper field order (if any), pixel aspect ratio and frame rate are crucial.

Or you could also render a quicktime movie in the codec of his FCP edit timeline.  And tell your parter to avoid the DV codec like the plague.  And please say that nobody's trying to use that God-Awful H.264.

[glenn Thornley]

Thanks David,

thats much appreciated!...I'll give that a go and see if it works.

And thanks for warning me off DV Codec's and H.264....its like another language to me this!!!

Best wishes,

Glenn

[Todd_Kopriva]

When I send a video back to someone using FCP, I use a QuickTime movie with the PNG video codec. Dave's suggestion of using PNG image sequences is also fine, but I find that most folks prefer a self-contained movie.

I do sometimes render and export to an image sequence, but only when I'm using EXRs or when I'm dealing with an especially problematic render job.

[JesseHarris]

Would it be detrimental to export a 422 ProRes mov?  Sorry for butting in on the post...

Jesse

[Todd_Kopriva]

ProRes is lossy, especially ProRes 422. If I'm handing something off between a compositing/VFX application and an NLE, I don't want to introduce quality loss along the way.

[JesseHarris]

Thank you Todd!  So my 422'S that I export from fcp will lose... What should I be exporting from fcp?  Captured footage is from a 5dmkII, I've read this a thousand times here - my apologies.  Should I be transcoding my original h264 footage to Animation codecs for treatment in AE?

Best,

Jesse

[petacopetaquero]

Hello! A consultation, which format to use to export an After Effects video with transparency (Windows PC) for editing in Final Cut (on MAC)?

Thanks Dave!

[Vishesh Arora]

As Todd Suggested, QuickTime movie with the PNG video codec will be a good option.

Make sure you select RGB + ALPHA under Channles section in Output Module Settings to retain transparency information.

[Dave_LaRonde]

Make a quicktime movie in the PNG codec.  Use the AE Render Queue. Do NOT export.  Open the Output Module and be sure to select RGB +Alpha, Millions Of Colors+.  Or Trillions, perhaps.

[glenn Thornley]

Many, many thanks to you all for helping out and offering advice.

I really was at a total loss as to what to do, but that gives me some options and hopefully I'll sort it out!

Best wishes.

Glenn

[bogiesan]

glenn Thornley wrote:

Hello, I'm trying to export some simple AE quicktime movies for use in the 'Final cut pro' application.I'm using AE CS5.5 on Mac OSX and my colleague is using version 5.1.4 of Final cut pro on Mac OSX. My movies arent rendering very well in FCP (my colleague tells me that there is loss of quality). What format should I render my movies as in  the 'Output Module settings' box? And what 'video Codec' should I select from the 'Format options' box in the 'Output Module settings' box? I'm guessing that getting this correct is the issue...and I cant seem to get the right setting!

Please help! Its driving me mad!

Many thanks in advance.

I've got a different opinion about 422. I find even 422LT it is completely adequate and satisfactory for 90% of the work I do with my partner. However, we mostly use ProRes4444 when exchanging movie files, even if we dont' need the alpha, simply because it's a good standard that we can always use whether we're coming out of Motion or After Effects or FCP.

If your movie looks good to you coming out of AE, but your editor says it is not rendering well in FCP, he's probably got something set improperly in FCP for handling the file you've given him or you are giving him an incorrect frame size or frame rate. Your output settings should match his timeline's base codec, almost exactly. But you must consider his need for an aplha chanel, color space, frame rate, scalability and other factors.

[Todd_Kopriva]

I agree with bogiesan about ProRes 4444 being adequate in many cases. It is lossy, but it doesn't lose very much image information.