Best codec from nikon d810 .mov to pc after effects then premier.

[vaesion]

I am recording 30 fps in a nikon d810 at 1080p in .mov format.  I am working on a PC with 2017 Adobe software.  My work flow is to import my footage into after effects and apply all color correction special effects film look etc then send to media encoder to render over night. Next I import into premier to chop everything up and blend.  Exporting with match sequence mp4 is not giving me good results.  I tried avi and it destroys my contrast.  What is the best codec to use in media encoder to get my files the highest HD into premier.

I know this question is redundant but all the answers seems to be vague since no ones gives the details as to what all they are working with.

Im hoping for a spot on answer.

Thank you so much

Bryan

[email removed by moderator]

[vaesion]

Also when I bounce straight out of after effects with its best lossless standard settings it looks great but Im trying to do it with media encoder so several can process all night.

[R Neil Haugen]

I'm probably at a loss to understand your wish as I can't quite figure out the reasoning behind your workflow. It seems so ... backwards. With an extra export step involved. Ah well, to each their own.

I'll answer for a proper DI codec standpoint ... a digital intermediary codec. And no, any H.264 mp4 or QuickTime mov file is NOT an appropriate candidate for this as they are way too compressed.

In order for my tastes would be Cineform YUV 10-bit, DNxHD (HQX or RGB 444) , or ProRes ... the last of course only if you're on a Mac, as the jealous folks at Apple don't play well with others. I know others around here who have more experience with say Uncompressed AVI or a DPX frame-sequence export. The latter is of course rather a large folder of images.

I'm still boggled at doing complex AfterEffects color/Fx work on every frame of every shot ... then exporting that to a new file ... then cutting that, then exporting to another file for final.

Ah well ... hope changing to a better codec can get you what you need our of AME.

Neil

[vaesion]

Thank you so much Neil! Please forgive my ignorance because Im new to all this.   My goal is to not have my time line bogged down with effects.  Im doing music videos.  Every clip may have cosmo II for skin smoothing. mojo for film look. lumetri color correction and maybe an effect to make all lights have a star look.  I can run that in premier live by rendering each clip but what a head ache when wanting to rearrange clips or change a fade.  My logic was when I know I want a certain effect through out the whole video to render it permanently so my play back would flow better in premiere.   The reason I used after effects is because I could get a smooth play back of that many effects stacked after the preview render.  I really loved being able to let all that processing happen over night and then come in and just chop it all together and never have a red line on premieres timeline.  Im not trained so please brother if there's an easier way Please tell me lol:)

[excited_Genie16B8]

I agree with Neil it's kind of a backwards work flow, but...to make it work best, I also recommend the GoPro Cineform codec for the intermediaries.

And if you want a film look, shoot at 24 fps, not 30.

[R Neil Haugen · Accepted solution]

For that, I can understand some of the effects being done in AE.

From my experience, this sort of project comes in with a lot of clips, maybe different cameras or not, but often with different lighting & scene setups. It's typical to do the basic cutting together of the sequence as the first job ... when you've got your cuts & transitions & fades & such right to the beat. Then is when one starts working the AfterEffects and colorist things. You're only working the media you're actually using ... and pretty much all clips are where they're going to stay.

Any effects you add, do so in Adjustment layers above the media tracks as often as you can. Then you can turn them on/off as you need both for viewing ... (on) ... and for playback and checking of other effects ... (off). Give your tracks colors that mean something ... say media is the standard magenta, AE comps are blue, that sort of thing. Makes it easier to sort out what you've got going on ... when & where.

Any Looks you're going to apply to the whole project are especially best done in adjustment layers up above everything. Well ... normally above everything. Occasionally there's even stuff that gets added and it's easier to just go up top with another track.

There are times I'll essentially grade first ... but that's only when I've got a clip or two that will be the entire project, and I might as well grade them each before cutting them up ... using a Master Clip effect.

Jim shoots The Traditional 23.976, I shoot 29.97 ... music vids can be all over the place I know ... especially if the camera people start consuming what the band & performers & roadies are consuming ... sheesh ...

Neil

[vaesion]

You are a blessing Neil.   Thank you so much for taking the time out of your day to to help someone in need.  Peace my brother!

[R Neil Haugen]

Just happy to help! We've all got work to get done ...

Neil

[excited_Genie16B8]

Jim shoots The Traditional 23.976

Actually shooting 24 fps exact with the new BMPCC.

[R Neil Haugen]

Happy to sit corrected!

Enjoying it?

[excited_Genie16B8]

Loving it.  Just shot an outdoor wedding with lots of sun and shade.  My GH4 would have crapped it's pants trying to record that kind of dynamic range.

[R Neil Haugen]

Awesome ...

Neil

[toootone]

I have a Nikon D810

https://forums.adobe.com/people/R+Neil+Haugen  wrote

I'll answer for a proper DI codec standpoint ... a digital intermediary codec. And no, any H.264 mp4 or QuickTime mov file is NOT an appropriate candidate for this as they are way too compressed.

In order for my tastes would be Cineform YUV 10-bit, DNxHD (HQX or RGB 444) , or ProRes ... the last of course only if you're on a Mac, as the jealous folks at Apple don't play well with others. I know others around here who have more experience with say Uncompressed AVI or a DPX frame-sequence export. The latter is of course rather a large folder of images.

The D810 internal codec is AVC-Intra 4:2:0 at ~ 20 Mbps.  These would be the source files vaesion would be working with.  (Max color from HDMI out on Nikon D810 is 4:2:2)  I'm curious, is it still advisable to upconvert so much for an Intermediary codec?  Do you get better results with color grading/compositing/effects?

[R Neil Haugen]

The improvement you can get in using a T-code of Cineform, DNxHD/R or ProRes (later Mac only for creating them) is simply less work on the CPU for playback. You don't get any increased image quality. Realistically, you would normally get this playback performance boost from using the Cineform proxy preset on ingestion.

Now ... if you're going to be exporting in Cineform or DNxHD/R (or in ProRes on a Mac) ... then t-coding prior to importing can make some sense if you're setting the t-codes for the same as your output settings for export, and use "smart previews for rendor/export".

Neil