4k footage, 1080p Avid project, After Effect workflow recommendations?

[dmehalik]

Hi.  So I'm about to start a project with a tight turnaround.  The shoot will be tabletop footage shot 4k (4096x2160) but deliverables are 1080p and smaller.  The production company is transcoding the footage to Avid DNxHD 115 MXF files.  They have shot 4k to allow for flexibility with framing of the product.  Every single shot in the spot will require compositing of elements and time remapping.  I will be creating rough composites in the Avid, then myself an AE artist will be pointing back to the source footage to re-composite in AE.

I want to figure the smartest/cleanest/most efficient way to do this.  In the past, when only a shot or two required this, I'd export quicktimes of each video layer element with TC burn-in so I could easily locate the frame in the source footage (and a composited "work picture as well".  But then, I still have the problem of locating the source file, bringing it in to AE, resizing & repo-ing until it matches... then the added headache of re-creating the time re-map.

Is there a better way!?  If I have the Davinci Resolve project that the production company used, and I export an AAF (linked only)  would it recognize the original camera files in Resolve?  Any other ideas?

Thank you!

[Rick Gerard]

I would not transcode with timecode burn-in and then replace footage. I would work with the original footage in AE. If you need to pre-edit it's easier to go from Premiere Pro to AE than it is with Avid. If all you need in and out points then you can just copy them from your Avid edit and just trim the footage in AE, do the composite, and then render the final shot. The trick for working in AE efficiently is to learn to work without constant ram previews and set the Composition Panel resolution to Auto and do your pencil tests (test animations) at a Magnification ratio of 50% or less. A pencil test is where you check the timing of an animation. All that transcoding and timecode stuff is pretty useless because AE can read the source timecode and use that in the comp and when scrubbing through the footage.

[dmehalik]

Hi, and thanks again for your time.  I'm not saying that I would transcode with burn-in (I only export a reference with Avid generated burn-in so they can easily see timecodes in AE.)  What I think you are suggesting is pretty much how I generally work... was just hoping there might be a more efficient way since every shot in this job requires round-tripping.  After 18 years of working in Avid, I'm taking a Premiere class in a few weeks... hopefully that will help for the next job.

[cbialk]

Have you tried using "pro import" in AE to import an aaf from avid? I work this way all the time. Avid editors will output an AAF, packaged with linked media, and then the GFX team will import the that AAF into AE. It comes in as a timeline with all shots sequenced as intended, using the transcoded media from Avid. You can then swap out footage with high res and rebuild the comps as needed.

As handy as this workflow is, it's not 100% perfect, so it's a good idea to have a reference video to A/B against the timeline and triple check time-warps and other random idiosyncrasies.

Also, an other hint: Pro Import is based on a legacy plugin called Automatic Duck. It has its own set of idiosyncrasies that developed over time. Make sure that you manually point the plugin exactly to the new exported footage folder each time you import a new AAF. It doesn't seem to be able to find the footage automatically as well as it used to.

[dmehalik]

This is very helpful!... and I totally understand if my Avid project is 1080p as well as the original source footage...I guess where I get confused is...

So the media in the avid is HD/mxf... when "pointing back" to the original 4kfootage, I would imagine requires that I AMA link the original footage in the Avid, match it to what I've done in the edit... but not sure how to export an AAF with linked media.  I tried doing a test and I get error messages.

Does this makes sense?  Am I missing something?

Thanks for your time!

[cbialk]

You don't necessarily need an AMA link to the footage. Avid's internal media will work just as well with this workflow. Personally, I wouldn't bother messing with the raw footage in Avid, but would swap it out in AE where you will have better control over everything. I would even consider an offline/online workflow: do some rough comps in AE with the original AAF media (transcoded DNXHD mxfs that come with the AAF) Then swap out high res 4k media at a later date when you are "finishing" the project. DNXHD 115 is pretty good image quality. We always transcode at DNXHD 36 and still work this way.

When exporting the AAF, did you click on “consolidate media”, set a handle length for footage, and tell it to keep the media in a separate folder (not embedded)?

[Kevin-Monahan]

D Mehalik,

Are you clear of this issue? Did CBialk help you? Let us know.

Thanks,
Kevin