Hey gang,

I'm using After Effects 7. I set the comp up with the new HDV preset. I'm making camera moves on old historic still photos of high rez scans. When I render the file out, I use Upper Field first and the HDV 1080i setting within AE's render queue. When I then import this Quicktime movie into FCP 5.04, it shows a warning that it's not a file optimized for use in FCP. (?) It plays OK but has some weird flash frames once in a while. Those frames are NOT in the movie file from AE. Sometimes it plays fine. It is 1440x1080 in size.

I suspect the problem is too high a bit rate. FCP says the file is around 17-21 MB/s....HDV camera stuff is 3.2MBs. Any idea how, in AE to make a file that is closer to 3.2 MB/s? In the render queue is a setting for HDV 1080i but also has a check box that says "Constrain to ____KB/sec" I've tried the setting in there that would make it 3.2 MB per sec. (3.2 MB x 1024Kb = 3276KB/sec).

How are other people getting this to work from AE7 to FCP 5?

My only suggestion (never having used HDV in AE) is to try setting "bottom field first" instead of top.

My only suggestion (never having used HDV in AE) is to try setting "bottom field first" instead of top.
That's not the problem. Upper field is correct.

Then I then import this Quicktime movie into FCP 5.04, it shows a warning that it's not a file optimized for use in FCP.
This is a standard message FCP5 gives you with files it didn't digitize itself. Don't sweat it. I see it everytime I import an AE rendered quicktime, no matter what the format.

I suspect the problem is too high a bit rate. FCP says the file is around 17-21 MB/s....HDV camera stuff is 3.2MBs. Any idea how, in AE to make a file that is closer to 3.2 MB/s? In the render queue is a setting for HDV 1080i but also has a check box that says "Constrain to ____KB/sec" I've tried the setting in there that would make it 3.2 MB per sec. (3.2 MB x 1024Kb = 3276KB/sec).
Your problem with the green flashes does probably have something to do with the bitrate. I would render uncompressed if I were you and then throw it in your sequence and let FCP5 convert it to native HDV.

Thanks Tim.

The sequences don't show a green or orange colored line above the sequence. The only problem is these weird flash frames once in a while (usually in different spots each time).
The flashes appear to be frames from other shots in the FCP timeline. Weird. I'll try and see if they are still there when I render out the sequence. Makes it hard to show a client or someone the timeline though before making the final render with these weird flashes.

Ah, the joys of dealing with new formats/technology!

I always render from AE uncompressed or with the ANIMATION codec, and then let FCP handle the transcoding to the format of choice. This always seems to work well for me, and it speeds up the workflow because AE doesn't have to do any encoding work.

Can FCP play the AE file if it's rendered in the Animation codec? I know it won't be in full quality but if you have the RT set to dynamic can you see it that way? At least enough to make edit decisions?

If so this may be a good workflow for me, because I want to have the still frame camera moves be of very high quality, but I need to see them in FCP to make edit adjustments.

Thanks again Tim.