Preferred image sequence format for AE?

ingvarai wrote on 11/11/2009, 8:49 PM
What is the preferred Image sequence format when rendering out for After Effects? I have used PNG, but are wondering if there are other formats that are better suited.
Do you apply any effects before rendering? Computer RGB to Studio RGB, for example?
And do you render 8 bit or 32 bit? And in case of 32 bit, what settings do you use for this?

Comments

JohnnyRoy wrote on 11/12/2009, 7:34 AM
I use Cineform to go between Vegas and After Effects. If I need an alpha channel coming out of AE I use the Quicktime Animation codec. All of my work is in 8 bits.

~jr
Cheno wrote on 11/12/2009, 7:44 AM
QT Uncompressed into AE and Animation Codec coming out - all 8 bit.

cheno
ingvarai wrote on 11/12/2009, 3:31 PM
Ok, thanks. Actually, I have already decided to use image sequences, so the question is - in case you also do - what format you would use.
And about 8 bit and 16 / 32 bit..
I participated in this thread Cinematic look, do you use Vegas for this?
and got an advice, buy this book: The DV Rebel's Guide
I so did. This has to be about the best technical book I have bought the last decade.
What Stu says, among a thousand advices, - no 8 bit. And it is convincing, the way he explains it.
I will use image sequences for various reasons, I just would like to hear what you prefer, and why, those of you who use them. And what formats possibly support 16 or 32 bit.
Vegas is incredibly slow when rendering anything using 32 bit.. But I have learnt from the book that 100% white not necessarily is 100%.. and started to look at the color corrector and Computer RGB to Studio RGB, trying to understand (235 instead of 255, 16 instead of 0, and so on).
Ingvar
JohnnyRoy wrote on 11/13/2009, 6:24 AM
> Ok, thanks. Actually, I have already decided to use image sequences, so the question is - in case you also do - what format you would use. And about 8 bit and 16 / 32 bit..

OK, when I do use image sequences (and I do use them when working with particleIllusion just not with After Effects), I use PNG because they are 32-bit and retain the alpha channel. I still keep my project at 8 bit (which has nothing to do with alpha channels and more the way that colors are processed in memory).

> What Stu says, among a thousand advices, - no 8 bit. And it is convincing, the way he explains it.

What is his compelling reason? What does he recommend? 10-bit?

If you are doing a lot of color work, it would make sense to use 32-bit processing because colors can be more accurately represented and you won't see any banding or posterization like you can get with 8-bit processing. It would help to also use a 10-bit codec so that this color information can be retained but even with an 8-bit codec you will get more accurate processing of colors and better color rendition in the end.

So I'm not saying that you don't need 32-bit... just that my work doesn't demand that level of color accuracy. If you want the most accurate color representation before you generate your still image sequence, then switch to 32-bit processing mode. This assumes that you have done some video processing in Vegas first (otherwise it will have no affect).

~jr