Strange shimmerings...

I'm making a motion graphic video from still photographs, using keyframes to create zooms, pans and tilts. I get this shimmering thing in the highlights, seems like moire patterns, that I can't get rid of. I'm doing this in FC express, but I don't think this is part of the problem. Ever seen this problem, or found a solution? Please email me.

Try applying a one pixel vertical motion blur in Photoshop to the image and see if that helps.

All the best,

Tom

Or .2 guassian blur in FCP. The problem is with thin lines, especially those with high contrast.

Thanks for both your suggestions. Yes, I think the problem is too sharp an image, with high contrast water ripples, from photoshop. In an enlarged 200% view I can see the black-white edges flashing on-off as FC tries to interpolate pixels in response to the motion. Rounding errors? I eliminated my usm in Ps, and then tried 1 and 2 pixel vertical motion blurs, and then a .9 Gaussian blur in ps. They improved the situation, but it still persists. I wish someone would jump in and say:"I had this exact problem, and here is how I totally fixed it!" Dream on... Others have suggested changing my codec. More tests to do. Thanks. Chris

Many, many people have "had the exact same problem", it's well known. How are you viewing it? I have found that shimmers that look really bad in the canvas on my computer monitor look a whole lot better, even perfect sometimes, on a real broadcast monitor or a TV. What are the pixel dimensions of your images? Too much resolution at this point makes the problem worse; try scaling them down to only the pixels you need to fill your output resolution. There is also a "Deflickerator" action for Photoshop that can help, although it is basically the blur settings already suggested.

Scott

The imported ps files are sized 1080, to to fit close to 1:1 on a 768x1024 projector at their maximum zoom enlargement, and they appear on screen about the same as on the canvas. We are exploring some other rendering settings, and a different codec.

Adobeevangelists.com has disbanded, and I can't find the Deflickerator action. Anyone have it?

While the flickering in a broadcast may look the same as in my situation, I suspect the mechanism is different.

I have it here, download the link "Photoshop Deflickerator action." If I remember correctly, double-clicking the file after you have downloaded it will automatically install it in PS.

Scott

The link is to computer-speak text of the action. I don't know how to utilize this.

How clicking on the link reacts depends on which browser you are using. Don't just click on that link, right-click (or control click) and choose Download Link Target or similar. That will download a file called Deflickerator.atn to wherever your downloads go. Double click that file to install it.

And, as Scott said, are you watching on a broadcast monitor? Or even just a TV would help if not. Things have been rendered for output to TV by putting them in the timeline often look suddenly worse on the computer monitor.

Well, the Deflickerator didn't help at all. Maybe I'll add a gaussian blur to it. The screen I referred to above is a 20ft auditorium projection screen.

But are you watching it on that screen, or on your computer right now when you see the flicker?

I'd have to say if that 20' screen is what you're tailoring your production for, it doesn't really matter what it looks like on a broadcast screen, except to have a clearer sense of what your tweaks are doing. Others have suggested the Flicker filter for this, I've never tried it. Keep cranking up the blur, ugly as that sounds, until the flashing goes away.

Scott

Perhaps there's something happening with the intensity of the whites. Drop in a Color Corrector filter and lower the highlights (or maybe try Broadcast Safe filter), and see if it helps. I've had weird things in highlights before, and I remember this helping. You may also play around with how the stills are saved, in terms of their color space or 'embedded' color profile. Are these PNGs? TIFs? Targas? Just some thoughts...