Adobe AFTER EFFECTS CS3 PROFESSIONAL User Manual page 33

Planning for playback from film, videotape, and DVD
If you're creating a movie for film, consider both the frame aspect ratio of your composition and the frame rate of
your source footage. For footage that was transferred from film to video using the 3:2 pulldown telecine method, you
must remove 3:2 pulldown before adding effects. See "Remove 3:2 or 24Pa pulldown from video" on page 81.
For film and video, try to match import and composition settings with settings in the output module used to render
a movie. In some cases, you may want to conform footage to a frame rate different than the frame rate of the source
footage. For example, you may want to conform 25 fps PAL to 24 fps for film. See "Converting movies" on page 623.
If your final output will be videotape, set up your composition to match the requirements of your capture card; or, if
you use an IEEE 1394 (FireWire) port, choose the appropriate DV preset in the Composition Settings dialog box and
in the export settings of the output module Render Queue panel.
See also
"Work with composition settings" on page 114
"Work with output module settings" on page 594
Planning for playback on computer monitors and mobile devices
When you create a movie for playback on a personal computer—whether downloaded from the web or played from
a CD-ROM—specify composition settings, render settings, and output module settings that keep file size low.
Consider that a movie with a high data rate may not play well from an older CD-ROM drive that cannot read data
from the disc fast enough. Similarly, a large movie may take a long time to download over a dial-up network
connection.
For more information about compression, see the Compression Primer (English only) on the Adobe website at
www.adobe.com/go/learn_dv_compressionprimer.
When rendering your final movie, choose a file type and encoder appropriate for the final media. The corresponding
decoder must be available on the system used by your intended audience; otherwise they will not be able to play the
movie. Common codecs (encoders/decoders) include Flash® Video, Sorenson, MPEG-4 video, and codecs installed
with media players such as Flash® Player, RealPlayer, Windows Media Player, and QuickTime Player.
Mobile devices
Many of the considerations for creating movies for playback on mobile devices, such as mobile phones and the Apple
iPod, are similar to those for creating movies for playback on personal computers—but the limitations are even more
extreme. Because the amount of storage (disk space) and processor power are less for mobile phones than for
personal computers, file size and data rate for movies need to be even more tightly controlled.
Use these tips when shooting content for mobile devices:
• Tight shots are better. It's hard to see a face on a tiny screen unless it's shot in relative close-up.
• Light your subjects well, and keep them separated from the background; the colors and values between
background and subject should not be too similar.
• Avoid excessive zooming and rolling, which hinder temporal compression schemes.
Use the following tips when working with After Effects:
• Use a lower frame rate (15-22 fps) for mobile devices.
• Use motion-stabilization tools and noise-reduction or blur effects before rendering to final output, to aid the
compressor in reducing file size.
AFTER EFFECTS CS3 27
User Guide