I  want to begin testing the longevity of burnt Blu-ray disks. I intend keeping a 20GB Blu-ray built by Encore as my reference (but I am not sure what file-type that reference should be), then burn several different copies, put them in different locations inside and outside (in full sun, in shade, under fluorescents, and in cupboards), and then compare them every week or so against the reference on my computer. My idea is to drag both the original file, and the Blu-ray folder from each disk, into the software, let it run, and ask it to tell me where the differences are. At the start of the testing there should be no differences. Gradually, over several weeks, those differences should increase as the disk is degraded. This leads to three questions: Q1: If I build to a Blu-ray folder and save that folder on my computer, will that folder be identical to the same Blu-ray burnt to a disk? Q2: Or should I Build to a Blu-ray image, archive that image, and at a later date compare that image to the Blu-ray folder on a disk? Q3: Any suggestions as to suitable comparison software? ... View more

I think I've worked myself into a corner here. I have some old 8mm films. I opened them in AE, did some adjustments to each one, and imported them whole into Premiere. Then I razored the films into numerous small clips in Premiere and applied various corrections to each razored clip. However, one correction I want to apply is Hue/Saturation, similar to what I do in PS. I want to desaturate just the reds. Premiere does not have such a tool, but I've just found out that AE does. So I clicked on one of the razored clips inside Premiere (which came from an AE comp via Dynamic Link) with the idea of editing it in AE using Hue/Saturation. I selected Replace with AE Composition – and nothing happens. It appears I can't replace an AE clip with a new AE clip. Fair enough. So I tried importing the entire Premiere sequence into AE using Dynamic Link and editing that way. No, AE won't allow me to convert the asset to a composition because the asset came from an AE comp that was dynamic linked to Premiere – if that is the correct terminology. So, is there any way I can use AE's Hue/Saturation effect, inside Premiere, on a short razored clip on a Premiere timeline, a razored clip that originally came from a film that was edited in AE? ... View more

This question is really for Premiere Pro, but I've posted over there, and no luck so far. I may end up having to use Photoshop, because it appears that Premiere does not have the ability to alter colour the way that Hue/Saturation does. I thought that if I can find out how Hue/Saturation works, I may be able to find a workaround in Premiere. How does Hue/Saturation desaturate? What does it actually do to the RGB numbers? Say I'm desaturating only the reds, what range of reds does it work on, and what does it do to them? Background I'm running CS6 and I'm trying to deal with 8mm colour footage from the 1940s. The reds are very strong and can't really be dealt with via Premiere's RGB curves, the usual way I deal with colour problems. In Photoshop, I'd do this: • apply a Hue/Saturation adjustment layer; • select the red channel (from the available options of RGBCMY); and • desaturate the reds by 10-30% Works well on a still from the film in Photoshop, but I can't find any colour effect inside Premiere that allows me to desaturate just the reds. So I thought I should find out exactly how Hue/Saturation works, and go from there. ... View more

I'm running CS6 and I'm trying to deal with 8mm colour footage from the 1940s. The reds are very strong and can't really be dealt with via RGB curves, the usual way I deal with colour problems. If I was in Photoshop, I'd do this: • apply a Hue/Saturation adjustment layer; • select the red channel (from the available options of RGBCMY); and • desaturate the reds by 10-30% Works well on a still from the film in Photoshop, but I can't find any colour effect inside Premiere that allows me to desaturate just the reds. Is there a Premiere analogue of Photoshop's Hue/Saturation? [title edited by mod] ... View more

Maybe I'm using the wrong approach, but I have been unable to easily implement what I think should be a simple effect. Imagine this: You're looking out a window to two possible scenes: Image A and Image B The window is 1920 x 1080. The window is a Magic Window and it has two sections. Section A only shows you the relevant parts of Image A; similarly for Section B. Think of Section A as a circle somewhere on the window, and Section B as everything outside the circle. Think of the two sections as little viewers onto their respective images. Both Image A and Image B are larger than 1920 x 1080, and are subject to scaling, rotation, and positioning. So, you look through this window and you see that Image A is moving inside its little 'viewer', and the same for Image B. The 'viewers' (the sections) are static, but the images inside them are moving. Travelling Matte I've tried the Travelling Matte effect (Matte on top, Image A in the middle, Image B as background). If the matte came into Premiere at the same size as it is in Photoshop – and if I could keep it still – away I'd go. However, because the images are larger than 1920 x 1080, Premiere scales the matte (consisting of Section A and Section B). I expect my matte to be of a certain size and in a certain position, and it is not. And it is quite difficult to get the matte to be where I designed it to be – Section A (say a circle), exactly in the centre of the screen and of a certain size. It can be done, but it is difficult. Problem 1: the matte is not static. It can't be kept still while the image is in motion. Problem 2: the matte is scaled, and therefore repositioned by Premiere. Thus my wanting a Static, Unscaled, Travelling Matte effect. Nesting So I tried a different approach to get my Magic Window effect, a combination of masking and nesting. Yep, I can get it to work, However, if I want to change the timing it is very difficult, because the Playhead in the Nest, does not align with the Playhead in the Timeline. To work out the exact place you want to be (when going from the Timeline into the Nest to make timing edits), you have to calculate times for each and every keyframe. Every time you edit! Magic Window Effect So, in Premiere, is there an approach that will allow me to: • see certain sections of two images • the sections are static and of fixed size within a 1920 x 1080 mask/matte • both images are larger than 1920 x 1080 • both can independently move And timing changes should be easy. ... View more

For several years I've been muddling my way through alpha channels in Photoshop for use in Premiere. Today's the day I try and sort them out. I'm converting slide shows to Blu-ray format using Premiere, so I have a lot of stills edited in PS. Those stills often have several saved selections, as well as various layer masks. Occasionally I want to use those selections and layers masks in Premiere as mattes, but I suspect there's a serious limitation. Just to make sure I'm on the right track: Q1. When I save a selection in a PS file, that becomes an alpha channel, doesn't it? Q2. If I apply a layer mask to a PS layer, that also becomes an alpha channel, doesn't it? Q3. If I then save that file in PSD format and import into Premiere, does Premiere recognise that there are several alpha channels? Q4. If it does, how do I select the one I want? Q5. If it does not know that there are multiple alpha channels, which one does it recognise? The top one? The bottom one? Q6. I've never used this feature – but I've noticed that if I create a new Alpha channel in PS using the New Channel option, the default name for the new channel is Alpha 1. If I rename the alpha channel I want to use as a matte to Alpha 1, is that the alpha channel Premiere will recognise by default? Thanks in advance for any help. ... View more