Transparency Puzzle

Jessariah67 wrote on 9/5/2003, 2:27 PM
Okay all, I'm stumped here...

I'm working on a DVD right now that has 15 interviews in it. I've put together a lower-third for their names that looks like this (wmv).

What I would like is to be able to render each of these so that I can just "throw them on top" of these people where I want to, rather than having to add a three-track composit for a 5-second effect.

I put it together by parenting a transparent PSD file with white in the lower corner and putting the grapes in a child track, so the grapes show through. Then I put the green stripe & name (again on a transparent BG) above them. If I move these three tracks over a fourth track, I get the desired effect, which is this. Problem is, when I just render out the lower third by itself, everything that is transparent becomes black and it covers everything below.

Is it possible to render this out and maintain the transparency? I really don't want to do it on a "blue screen" and key it out, as that isn't as clean. Have I missed something?

Thanks.

Comments

Jsnkc wrote on 9/5/2003, 2:43 PM
I believe that would be the only way to do it is to key it out since video doesn't really have a "transparent layer". Anyone can feel free to correct me if I'm wrong. Maybe some creative cropping might work if the lower 3rd was completely square.
Chienworks wrote on 9/5/2003, 5:30 PM
You could render as uncompressed with alpha channel or as .MOV with transparency. Just about all other compressed formats don't offer transparency.

I just did a project very similar to this, but i rendered the name graphics to DV .avi and then used Pan/Crop when placing them on top of the main video track. Seemed pretty fast and easy.
Jessariah67 wrote on 9/5/2003, 6:10 PM
Kelly,

Once again, you're the man. Uncompressed DV works just like I hoped...just had to go into clip properties in the media pool and activate the alpha channel. You just saved me a few hours, thanks.

BTW -- I used one of the transitions from your RCHV disc in teh project. Worked great!

K
Chienworks wrote on 9/5/2003, 6:59 PM
Ooooh kewl! Do we get to see it? ;)