Hey Mike,
These are all excellent points, and I agree with you completely about the upsides and downsides of the Avid effect engine. Certain aspects of the software are waaayyyy overdue for an upgrade in flexibility. As to your color issue, it seems to me that you're on MC because of what you're describing. The Symphony source segment effect allows me more flexibility. I stack and matte with that all the time, and I don't have to step in at all. But then, that just raises another point of pain, which is that Symphony exists at all, and that it offers so little differentiation from MC apart from its elderly color tools. However, those are tools I find hard to do without, so for now, Avid has its user base over a barrel.
Shirley
-----Original Message-----
From: Michael Towe <L2mail@m2digitalpost.com>
To: Avid-L2 <Avid-L2@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Sat, May 5, 2012 9:32 am
Subject: Re: [Avid-L2] Effect ordering question
Hey Shirley,
Fair enough, but let me first preface by saying I have been cutting pretty
exclusively in FCP for the past 2 years so if this is something that's be fixed
please excuse my ignorance.
Effects ordering as it effects alpha handling: This is something that has always
driven me crazy with Avid's effects engine. The keying example I just went
through is one of them. Although Terry's suggestion of applying the color
correction first worked, it's still a work around at best. If I want to further
refine the CC i have to step in to the timeline and I can no longer see how my
corrected footage looks in the composite without stepping back out. Step in and
adjust, step out to see composite, rinse and repeat until you're happy. I would
rather be able to apply the key then apply a color correct and adjust, without
it effecting the background.
Another example would be the use of an Animatte effect. Let's say I want to
animatte an object and then move it. Logic dictates that what I would do is
animate the object that I want keyed out, then apply an effect to move that
object. However when doing it this way the background layer gets picked up and
moves with the composite. Of course we all know that reversing the order and
applying the move first and then the annimate is the solution. But this is not
only is non intuitive, it makes for twice the work. I have to move the image
then the matte. I would rather see it work the logical way and allow a matte cut
and then a move. I remember when I first stumbled on to this issue back in the
late 90's early 2000's right after animatte was introduced. I mentioned it to an
Avid rep here in San Diego at the 3Point Digital Office (Some of you LA folks
will remember them) and the rep insisted that I was crazy and you could do it
the way I initially wanted to. Off to the demo room we went to watch him
discover the same thing I did.
The other thing about the effects engine that drives me nuts is that there is no
way to add a soft edged drop shadow to anything. If I want to do a over the
shoulder graphic and add a soft drop I have to go to Borris or AE. Really? in
2012 there is no soft drop? I would love to see this added to the effects engine
and make it a simple drop shadow effect that can be applied to anything. Video,
graphics, text etc…
Now in all fairness there are things I love about Avid's effects engine. For
example advanced keyframes. The level of adjustment over keyframes is amazing
and something I really have missed. Also the ability to copy and paste
keyframes. I was flabbergasted the first time I realized I could not do that in
FCP. The interframe effects ie. Animatte, and Paint. I can't tell you how many
times the clone tool would have saved me oodles of time in the last couple
years.
Basically I want it all and I want it now damn it!!! :-). Of course I have been
in the business long enough to know that's not going to happen. All in all I am
liking being back in the Avid interface. Much of what I thought I had forgotten
in bubbling back up to the top which is always a cool. Right now I am just glad
I kept my AvidL subscription active over the last couple years ;-)
Mike
M2 Digital Post Inc.
San Diego, CA
On May 4, 2012, at 10:31 PM, Shirley Gutierrez wrote:
> Hey Mike,
>
> How would you want it updated in this instance? I've had the same problem with
things key type effects instructions being applied to lower layers, but in
general, Avid seems to do a better job of giving me nesting (i.e. restricting)
options when it comes to this stuff than does FCP. Can you give us an idea of
how this could work better for you? Forward thinking design ideas are always
welcome!
>
> Shirley
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Michael Towe <L2mail@m2digitalpost.com>
> To: Avid-L2 <Avid-L2@yahoogroups.com>
> Sent: Fri, May 4, 2012 9:04 pm
> Subject: Re: [Avid-L2] Effect ordering question
>
> Thanks Terry! That worked. So it looks like the effect ordering, and how it
> effects lower layers, is still as it always was. Wish Avid would have updated
> that. Things like this, or not being able to apply say an animatte, and then a
> resize to move the whole enchilada (and not take the background with it) just
> need to be updated. However for just straight cutting I see Avid is just a
fast
> as it's always been. It feels like old time to be back in the interface, and
in
> a good way.
>
> Thans again,
>
> Mike
>
> M2 Digital Post Inc.
> San Diego, CA.
>
> On May 4, 2012, at 8:40 PM, Terence Curren wrote:
>
> >
> > Step inside the spectra matte and apply the color correction to the actual
> shot you are keying. Hopefully it doesn't mess up your key. (One of the things
I
> miss about Ultimatte was the ability to color correct after the matte)
> >
> > --- In Avid-L2@yahoogroups.com, Michael Towe <L2mail@...> wrote:
> > >
> > > Hey L'ers,
> > >
> > > Back in the Avid seat again as I am adding Avid back into the shop and I
> have an effects ordering question. Back in the Meredian/Adrinaline days I
never
> found a way round this but thought maybe something might have changed while I
> was away. Basically I want to apply and effect and only have it effect the
layer
> it is on, not the layers below. Here's an example�
> > >
> > > I have a background on V1 and a green screen shot on V2. I am using
Spectra
> Matte to key it out (Boy did I ever miss Spectra Matte) But now that I have
the
> key pulled I want to add a color correction to the keyed shot on V2. When I do
> the the correction applies through the stack to V1 as well. Is there any way
to
> isolate that correction to just V2 and not have it pass to the background on
V1?
> > >
> > > Thanks in advance,
> > >
> > > Mike
> > >
> > > M2 Digital Post Inc.
> > > San Diego, CA.
> > >
> >
> >
>
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>
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>
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