Mazin's Last Minute Adobe Premiere exporting guide

[Mazin]

Using Premiere? Need to get your animation in the right format? It's the same every year: You will get trapped by QuickTime.

1. Get your animation ready for export according to Autodesk's instructions for slate, audio, etc.
2. When you go to Export Movie, go into the export settings (on the save file dialog) and make sure you have:
   • General: File Type is QuickTime, other options should be default
   • Video: Compressor is "DV/DVCPRO - NTSC" and the frame size is 720x480, fps is 29.97, pixel aspect ratio (did you remember this when you animated?) is 0.9. Under the Compressor's "Configure..." choose Scan Mode Progressive and 4:3 aspect ratio.
   • Keyframe and Rendering: Fields should be "No Fields (Progressive Scan)"
   • Audio: Uncompressed 48kHz 15-bit sound
3. When you go to play back your shiny new MOV is QT, you might be astonished to notice how terribly crappy it looks. Fear not. QT is in low-quality mode for some reason. Set QuickTime to high quality: In QuickTime Player, Edit > Preferences > Player Preferences > Use high quality video setting when available.

Have fun and good luck with your animation!

[BuddyB309]

wow eric, you've really been helpfull. Althought I didn't see alot of "HELP!! WE'VE JUST STARTED USING MAX TWO DAYS AGO AND HOW DO I EXPORT!!" questions this year.

[Mazin]

Yeah, I noticed that too, and I can't help but wonder if there are simply fewer teams doing animations this year. Or people are getting better at file formats. Or ChiefDelphi is losing its touch.

[MasterRobot]

but are quicktime movies and .mov the same?
or is there something that makes them different?

[Mazin]

Originally Posted by MasterRobot

but are quicktime movies and .mov the same?
or is there something that makes them different?

.MOV is the official extension for QuickTime movies.

[Morgan Gillespie]

If someone wishes, I can post up a guide on how to do this for those who lack adobe premier or another capable program, to run your finished video straight out of 3DSM stock, meeting all the required guidelines. This allows teams to use any commonly available, although highly less capable video editing program.
{Windows Movie Maker... usually}

[Edit : A tad late now, I understand. It is a lot nicer to not have to run EVERYTHING through video post.]

[lilwupster]

I actually really like video post (makes putting all those frames together nice and easy). Ever since I learned how to use it I do, even though I have other video editing programs.

[BuddyB309]

Originally Posted by lilwupster

I actually really like video post (makes putting all those frames together nice and easy). Ever since I learned how to use it I do, even though I have other video editing programs.

but video post, you have no control over sound. sound plays a BIG part in animation.

[lilwupster]

You do have control over sound in video post if you can use the curve editor correctly.

[BuddyB309]

Originally Posted by lilwupster

You do have control over sound in video post if you can use the curve editor correctly.

ooo. Thats really tough with video post though. You only have one channel for sound. sound its supposed to be layered. Sound effects, Ambient, Music, and Dialog.

[Magiciandude]

Originally Posted by BuddyB309

ooo. Thats really tough with video post though. You only have one channel for sound. sound its supposed to be layered. Sound effects, Ambient, Music, and Dialog.

Remember though...you can create your whole audio track in a separate program like audacity(free)...even if that isn't the preferred way to do it...