Best HD for After Effects?
by Tom Westgate
on
Jun 9, 2008 at 2:28:19 pm
We're finally (finally!) going HD and I am tasked with getting a camera. But which one would be best for getting footage into After Effects?
I'm focusing on the smaller units, it's between the Canon XH-A1 and the Sony HDR-FX1 HDV. Both shoot onto miniDV tape in either SD or HD.
Now, I just borrowed a friends consumer HD camera for some testing, and ran into problems. It wrote MTS files to its internal hard drive (which AE doesn't like), which I had to convert to MP4 (which AE doesn't like), which I finally had to convert to MOVs (yeah, AE likes those!).
So, can anyone familiar with these camera speak as to their workflow? Is it as simple as digitizing miniDV footage from a camcorder? Now I just plug in the camera and Windows will capture as a Microsoft DV AVI file that works easily in AE and Premiere. Will either of these cameras be that simple? Or what is the process for capturing HDV footage for use in AE (and Premiere)?
Re: Best HD for After Effects? by Dave LaRonde on Jun 9, 2008 at 3:23:29 pm
If you plan on using HDV for effects work -- especially for chroma keying -- forget it. It stinks. For effects work, I don't consider HDV to be HD.
[Tom Westgate]"Now I just plug in the camera and Windows will capture as a Microsoft DV AVI file that works easily in AE and Premiere."
Okay, I guess if you're happy with the key you get from DV, then you'd be happy with the key you'd get from HDV. But get used to capturing HDV, then converting it to something that AE can work with. You'll do it a lot.
Can you sidestep that conversion step? Yeah: you need an editing application plus a GOOD capture card like an Aja Kona, or one of the other fine, pricier offerings from Aja. Don't cheap out.
Dave LaRonde
Sr. Promotion Producer
KCRG-TV (ABC) Cedar Rapids, IA
Re: Best HD for After Effects? by Dave LaRonde on Jun 9, 2008 at 3:43:25 pm
[Tom Westgate]"Any other camera recommendations in that form factor, then?"
Nope. Just 'cause Sony makes HDV handicams suitable for taking pictures at your niece's dance recital doesn't make HDV suitable for every kind of application. Welcome to HD.
For starters, I'd look at the Panasonic HVX 200. Of course, this information's about nine months old, and Panasonic probably has a better comparable camera by now. But that's the price range you should be looking at. Plus capture hardware and an editing application to run the capture hardware.
If you're on a Windows box, know that while capturing images from the HVX 200 is a chip shot with Apple Final Cut Pro and a good Aja card, it might be a bit tougher for you. I'm uncertain of the actual process 'cause I'm a Mac guy.
Dave LaRonde
Sr. Promotion Producer
KCRG-TV (ABC) Cedar Rapids, IA
Re: Best HD for After Effects? by Shawn Miller on Jun 9, 2008 at 5:17:47 pm
"I'm uncertain of the actual process 'cause I'm a Mac guy."
You don't have to do much on the Windows side since AE and Premiere Pro CS3 support Panasonic's P2 format. You just copy the MXF files to your hard drive and import them into your project/comp/timeline like any othe file. No transcoding or intermediate files required.
Re: Best HD for After Effects? by david bogie on Jun 9, 2008 at 3:35:30 pm
I'd send you out to the vast Internet to explore the entire spectrum of conflicting and mutually exclusive flavors of HD. There are about 40 different formats. Only you can decide which camera will suit your needs for acquisition, features, flexibility, and cost.The "best HD for After Effects" is not necessarily a viable acquisition format and you probably are not really going to be taking your raw camera footage directly into AE. If you your workflow is direct from camera to AE, you want as little compression at the source as possible so that pretty much leaves out all HDV systems.
bogiesan
This is my standard sigfile so do not take it personally: "For crying out loud, read the freakin' manual."
Re: Best HD for After Effects? by Kevin Camp on Jun 9, 2008 at 3:37:18 pm
the panasonic p2 comcorders are nice, particularly for workflow, and their hvx is pretty affordable (of course i don't know your budget). they shoot to p2 cards or a hard drive (like the firestore), and those files can be imported directly into ae or premiere. they use the dvcprohd codec which has a data rate of around 5 times that of hdv and a greater color space (4:2:2) which would be better for keying than hdv.
if you are shopping around for cameras, you might look at the panasonic p2 camcorders. there is a step up from the hvx that allows for changeable lenses and i think has a larger ccd, if you have the budget for that.
Re: Best HD for After Effects? by Warren Morningstar on Jun 9, 2008 at 4:06:17 pm
If cost is an issue (isn't it always), you might consider a camera like the Canon HV20 for your green screen work, along with a Black Magic Intensity capture card. The HV20 will output an uncompressed HD signal through the HDMI port (live video only - once it's laid onto tape, it's gone through the HDV conpression), and the Black Magic card accepts an HDMI input. If you also bought something like the XH-A1 for your field work, you could also use the HV20 as your capture deck, saving some wear and tear on the more expensive camera.
I have run the HDMI output of an HV20 into a good monitor, and the image is gorgeous. I intend to try pulling a key off of the HV20 live output, but haven't yet had the opportunity to lug my editting computer (with the capture card) down to the studio.
Re: Best HD for After Effects? by Chris Wright on Jun 9, 2008 at 9:40:51 pm
The Canon HV20, if captured to dv tape, will lose chroma that will blur and bleed, flickering ugly into the interlaced lines, making reverse 3:2 pulldown irrecoverable.You will have to be always capturing HDMI with a long, long cable to a computer capture black magic card. That method is very clean and pretty but, it's up to you to have an unmovable recording platform or not.
