Should I Get Ultra 2 While I Can?
by stevies
on
Apr 19, 2007 at 5:38:50 am
Hey everybody, I have a question. We currently have Visual Communicator 1 and were seriously thinking about getting Ultra 2 because it "sounds" like that can do so much more than VC. Can it do a lot more? Is it worth it?
Secondly, should I get it now while it's still a standalone? I don't think I want to pay thousands of dollars for it when Adobe stops selling the standalone. What would be the pluses and minuses of getting it now or waiting?
Re: Should I Get Ultra 2 While I Can? by Bluestupa on Apr 19, 2007 at 1:49:02 pm
Well, like u said it's probally a bargain right now, but heck if i can get a decent key most of the time. beware the martketing hype, it won't key anything (that u could use in real life). Yhere are cheaper keyers out there, but ultra seems to have the most function (not a plugin, much more). okay, back to trying to get a decent key...I noticed that using a green edge blur in PPRO seems to fake fix things a bit...
Re: Should I Get Ultra 2 While I Can? by Paris MkVI on Apr 21, 2007 at 2:36:12 am
Perhaps it is a matter of perception, but I have had great success with Ultra. I am comping much nicer looking shots than I was before I had it. I have tried keying using the same lighting and green BG sweep using the built-in Avid chromakey, as well as the Boris FX keyer. Ultra has given me MUCH better results.
I am working primarily with DVCPro and miniDV, so I need all the help I can get. Ultra has, for me, made the difference between being able to chromakey and just giving up on it.
Jon
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Lack of preparation or organization on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part.
Re: Should I Get Ultra 2 While I Can? by Bluestupa on Apr 22, 2007 at 12:10:36 pm
Interesting Jon, I just threw in the towel on Ultra. I had a set for a music video we just did that was constructed just for keying and some FX, after the shoot I could not get a good key even on objects well lit and without shadows. I almost gave up and reshot the entire sequence and then I tried BCC Chroma Key from the newer Boris Red4 from inside Premiere Pro and that saved the day. It's not very straight forward (matte chokers and cleaners and blurs) but it worked as I thought Ultra would. I had spent a week researching and asking for help on the web with no luck. I thought it might be the lighting or the footage itself, but as it turned out it must be ultra settings. I had followed all the tutorials to a T, but I noticed the following:
* If there are any imperfections in the background, Ultra gets confused running thru a clip
* Clips using the same reference plate required different adjustments.
* Strange behaviors with 16:9 footage...sometimes key points were inserted at the cursor, sometimes not.
And then all the other strange things that happen in ultra, but nothing worth mentioning:)
My conclusion is that Boris is much more forgiving of circumstances albiet a bear to work with (slow renders in PPro, crazy interface, etc. but worked for a tricky set (lots of action). The few things I really admire about Boris are the the input/output/panning/zooming/color options, but all of that can be done in your NLE. Looking forward to the Adobe Incarnation!
BS
