fcp versus avid (again)

I currently work on fcp but a new feauture job suggests that I switch to Avid as the job entails a lot of green screen. Also the unity system will ease the project? I love fcp though and don't like the idea of switching. Anybody with suggestions?

For green screen there are multiple tools like Primatte available for FCP. The on board Avid keyer is far superior to anything FCP has natively, but the primate is sweet.

Somebody likes Unity? That's the first I've heard of that.

That's just a SAN. Any SAN makes productivity better so multiple folks can share the same media.

Walter Biscardi, Jr.
Biscardi Creative Media
biscardicreative.com

I'd want to see the greenscreen footage first before making the call. Especially for feature work, if it's not perfect or close to perfect, neither Avid nor FCP are going to get you there. Next step up would be AfterEffects with Keylight where you can at least create and animate masks as need be. Next step up from AE would be Shake or Nuke.

The other big question of course is what are they shooting on, what format exactly is the footage you have to key?

I love UNITY. It's more than just a SAN.

Because AVID MC has the UNITY hooks inside the software it's a easy to get a number of editors working on the same project. Very little handholding, bin locks, easy access to new footage. It's good. And bloody expensive.

But this is a feature gig? Will your greenscreen be the online/final version? or just an offline pre-vis? What resolution? If you're not doing the final compositing stage you would have to know how that is going to work to see if it's worth cutting on something that you're not familiar with or whether they will have to re-do all your work on the online.

ak
Sleeplings, AWAKE!

Keylight in AE seconded.

- Loren

Today's FCP 7 keytip:
Nudge a Canvas layer by SUBpixels
with Command-Option with Arrow keys !

Your Final Cut Studio KeyGuide? Power Pack.
Now available at KeyGuide Central.
www.neotrondesign.com

Not much point, IMO. If you need to do good green screen work, you need more than just a good keyer. You need efficient masking and tracking tools. Keylight in the offline is just going to slow down the offline. And not many people want offline editors doing keying or roto work. It's just not the speciality. You can do your rough cut in FCP full on with rough keys and comps then send it over to AE for keying.

Moving from FCP to AE:
[strypesinpost.com]



www.strypesinpost.com

Good point. Keying out the green is only step 1. You will need to select and time the shots to be be keyed and do a rough in the offline. But, the much bigger part of the job is the composite. A number of tools and techniques will come into play such as tracking, color grading, lightwrapping, all manner of vfx etc. Unless the composite is very basic locked-off camera shots, well beyond the scope of Avid or FCP.

So before making a decision on what app to use for the keying, you need to see the greenscreen footage as well as the background elements beforehand to make an evaluation.

FCP works for us.

Here is a nice tutorial of how to key in fcp [www.cg4tv.com]

Although personally I like Adobe AfterEffects, just because I started video editing in it.

That tutorial is for Motion, not FCP. I have keyed in FCP before, and it's certainly possible if your lighting is good and the talent has no hair (or shiny surfaces instead of hair) or other flowy, gossamer things, but it's not the best solution by a long shot.

Since this thread is about keying . . . do any of you guys or girls know where one may be able to download some green-screen footage for free, to practice keying with?

Regards,
Bluey

Out of the box Fcp and Motion are very poor when it comes to color key

best bang for the buck : dvMatte Blast from dvgarage an oustanding plug for the price

Yep...Primatte = sweet. Keylight in AE = sweeter (IMHO). Each key is different. Each combination of tools used for each key can be different as well. It's a real art form to pull a clean key from a tough background.

When life gives you dilemmas...make dilemmanade.

that tutorial above is excellent