Stills

I will be animating many stills today and I have looked over Ken Stones "Basics" article saying to re-size all Tiff files to 720x540 pixels. But I have also read on this board to increase the size of the image to twice the size needed. Does this mean I should create my source image at 1440x1080 - 72 dpi for my motion pans?

The 720x480 or 720x540 number refers to pictures that are just going to exactly fit the screen. No panning, zooming or effects.

If you need fancy effects, then yes, produce the graphics larger than you need to cover the motion.

We produce graphics at double size square pixel (1440x1080), make them look perfect, and then when we resize and export 720X480, the slight softening of the Photoshop resize tool eliminates the sparklies and vibrating pictures.

You can get the same effect with a 0.5 pixel gaussian blur tool, but it's an extra step.

You should be viewing your work on an external television monitor when you start fooling with stills. The Canvas view doesn't always show you everything and you can get some nasty surprises when you export your final show to the client.

Koz

Thank you for your reply Koz.

> We produce graphics at double size square pixel (1440x1080),
> make them look perfect, and then when we resize and export
> 720X480, the slight softening of the Photoshop resize tool
> eliminates the sparklies and vibrating pictures.
>
> You can get the same effect with a 0.5 pixel gaussian blur
> tool, but it's an extra step.
>

Not sure what you mean by "then we resize and export".

At what point are you "resizing down" the image back to 720x480? As I understand it, I am resizing the image to 1440x1080 and then importing it into FCP for motion path.

Also, is there any extra steps I need to take for a 4:3 sequence that is mixing both 4:3 and 16:9 footage?

Thank you again,
Tony

Also, is it best to use a transparent background?

I am confused by the photoshop-prep resizing for animation.

My Tiff files are currently: 3264x2176 and my sequence is 720x480. What are the dimensions for resizing this image for animation?

Resize it down to 1440x960 and then...

what step am I missing?

> My Tiff files are currently: 3264x2176 and my sequence is 720x480. What
> are the dimensions for resizing this image for animation?

Don't use the Resize function yet. That will screw with your proportions. Instead, use the Photoshop Crop tool to reduce the image to 1440x1080. Then Resize to 1440x960, which will squish your image vertically, and that will compensate for the square-pixel/non-square-pixel issue.

I just tried cropping my photo by using the crop toolbar ...I entered in 1440in x 1080in and it froze my system. I restarted and it is again stuck cropping about half way down the "blue bar".

<<.I entered in 1440in x 1080in and it froze my system. >>

Not inches, pixels. You'll have to type in "px" after each dimension, it defaults to "in". Photoshop was trying to make a truly gigantic picture. Make this dimension a Preset and you'll be in business.

Howeer, there's no need to make the shape of your oversized image the exact same shape as the video frame. I use vertically formatted stills and pan vertically, it depends on what you have and what you're after. The point is that you're only going to be able to see 720 px x 540 px at any time in your video frame.

Scott

geez, .psd seems to be doing something, slowly,... but it is taking a huge amount of time and I have about 50 of these pix files. Each .tiff file is 20megs and the same dimensions of 3264x2176. Is there a more efficent way to crop?

Hi Scott, I too am panning vertically, ...so what size do you need to crop your image to and what file size will fcp accomodate? Isn't part of this resizing to have the correct pixel and file size?

...what a doofus, resizing in inches, heh heh... published for all to see too...

Should I still save the resized file as a .tiff? with the [Mac] byte order?

Yes. But remember to preserve your original scans. Save the cropped, modified versions as copies.

Thanks Derek, ....saved all as .tiff copies. Also, these were not scanned images but uploaded from a still camera. ....Just curious,.. how big a file size can FCP accomodate? I will have lots of stills.

Thank you for all your time today---

Tony,

I've never been too strict about my picture dimemensions. You're trying to not waste FCP's resources, but exact precision is not necessary. To double the dimensions of video 720 -> 1440 wide, 480 -> 960 high gives you room to zoom in somewhat and do a little panning left-right or up-down without losing resolution, but there's no need to hit those numbers exactly. On a vertical image I'll make it about 800 pixels wide if I don't intend to zoom in, and let the vertical dimension fall where it may with "constrain proportions" turned on. If I want to zoom in more, I'll make it a little bigger. Keeping a 5 MP image at 2560 x 1920 pixels when you are only going to use it as a static full-frame image is a waste, that's when you want to scale it down closer to the final video dimensions.

FCP has a limit of 4000x4000 pixels for a still image, above which it crashes. I think 5.x opened up this limit, but there's no need to make them anywhere near that big.

TIFFs are the best to use, and like Derek says, hang on to the orginals! You're sure to change your mind at least once.

Google for the "deflickerator" action for Photoshop (free, available several places), it will help reduce the shimmering effect you'll see as you pan over high-res, fine detail stills.

Experiment.

Scott

Thank you Scott, I found and downloaded the deflickerator, how does one use it with photoshop?

It should have the extension ".atn", identifying it as a Photoshop Action. Have Photoshop running and double-click the file you downloaded (unstuff it first if necessary) and it will install itself. Open the Actions tab (Window -> Actions) and you should find Deflickerator there. Finish all of your still image machinations (size, color, etc.) then highlight Deflickerator and press the little triangle "play" button at the bottom of the Actions window. In a few seconds it's finished, then save it. Done. Now import the file into FCP.

You might want to try some Before and After to see the effect. Not every still needs it, mainly the ones with fine detail. You'll know them by the flickering and shimmering you'll see as you pan over them in FCP (judge on an NTSC monitor, not the Canvas).

Scott

Thank you! will give it a go.

Folks, intelligent photo scanning based upon what photo sizes you need to scan in the real world, and what creative needs you have (like zooming, and how close), has nothing whatsoever to do with creating 720 X 480 out of a scan. You cannot even say "that's so it fills the frame"-- what if he's scanning a five inch wide photo at 72 DPI? Nice clear photo... at half size, big black border.

This has been thoroughly covered here, and I mean *thoroughly* right here at the ole club:

www.lafcpug.org/tutorials/basic_scanpro.html

Enjoy!

- Loren
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Loren,

I believe the discussion was about images from a digital still camera, so the starting point in terms of pixels and dpi is fixed from the beginning. Scanning gives you a whole different set of choices and decisions, but the requirements for the final outcome are the same. I almost never scan for the purposes of creating still images myself, but it does bring up the question of where scanning considerations fit into native still image considerations. Can you exxpand?

Scott

Excellent point. The article link covers analog scanning primarily and why it's iportant to "scan smart". It should be updated because the dimensions you encounter from digital cameras can be huge, beyond the current ScanGuide table, which allows for 1"- 14" wide.

The system works for any digital image but needs a slightly different approach to be more convenient to digial camera users. In either event, it's a direct way to attack the problem of creating stills which work for your needs based upon what you have available. In phsyical scanning, producers encounter all kinds of photo sizes, not just the ideal (and SMPTE-based) 8 X 10! The system till now has been geared toward that, with a nod to digital generation.

For camera-generated stills, same questions: what do you require? A full frame wide shot? A zoom in? How close?

Your first stop is Photoshop. If necessary down-size or down-sample to the ideal resolution ( expressed in the ScanGuide as DPI scanrate) to support full frame rendering or whatever enlargement factor you require.

These days even cheap cameras can generate megapixel images. Often they'll come in at something like 15" wide at 144 PPI resolution. In Photoshop, you can down-size to 10" and let it up-sample to 216 ppi. That alone gives you a 3X zoom capability and totally sharp throughout.

By reducing digital image size to 10", you also reduce the load on the CPU and also your rendering time. You make no compromise to image quality. You simply express the image differently, using smaller dimensions, and pack in higher resolution.

So what happens if you take in a 640 X 512 pixel image at 72 ppi resolution, like the low quality from my old Olympus 2500-L? That won't even fit a DV video frame. This I would upsample (ugh)-- I would sooner do it in Photoshop than leave it to FCP. There are some new programs out there which have even better algorithms than PS to enhance low rez photos, check around.

I would change the image size to 720 wide-- let the vertical fall where it wants. I now have at least a wide shot which will look reasonably good. To zoom, I will need to pack in more resolution. On the above example, not much recommended-- you will be inventing pixels, softening the image further and further as you stuff in more resolution; no point to it.

I need to research dimensions and rez coming out of the newest cameras to tweak the guide or offer a difrerent version of the ScanGuide strictly for digital camera generaton. The figure out the simplest workflow. If some of you can supply dimensions (in pixels) coming out of your cameras, pop 'em to me with the camera make and model. The new version will be available here at discount.

- Loren
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Thanks, Loren! We're on the right track. I'd love to see your analysis of optimum digital photo handling.

FYI, my Nikon Coolpix 5700 (5 MP) gives me 2560 x 1920 pixels @ 300 dpi in "Fine" JPEG mode, which is what I use most often. I've had good luck using them in video, but probably not as efficiently as I could.

Scott

Thanks, Scott. Keep thos epopular dimensions coming, folks.

Definitely, you cna downsize that 2560 width to 720 width and uncheck "Resample" in the image size box. You will have resized the photo to 10" video width and (as listed in the ScanGuide) your 300 dpi allows at least a 4X zoom in. You can even shave 12 ppi off that-- resample to 288-- and get the size down further.

Lean and mean, that's what your photos should be. No more than needed.
It really pays off during keyframing and renders.

- Loren
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I also wrote-

[These days even cheap cameras can generate megapixel images. Often they'll come in at something like 15" wide at 144 PPI resolution. In Photoshop, you can down-size to 10" and let it up-sample to 216 ppi. That alone gives you a 3X zoom capability and totally sharp throughout.]

It will, but it's not really "up-sampling"-- more like "cross-sampling," because as you reduce the file dimensions you allow it to take on a tighter resolution. I am unaware of any noticeable image difference.

- Loren

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