QuickTime movies as overlays with STUDIO

[Matt Drabick]

I have a customer who wants to purchase the STUDIO . . . they have a library of animated QuickTime overlays created with Apple Motion that they want to use with the STUDIO . . . I tried two sample clips they sent me . . . the clips plays okay in the VCRs but they don't key . . . the black background doesn't disappear. . . according to NewTek they haven't found a QuickTime format that works properly with the STUDIO . . . has anyone found an animated QuickTime format that works in overlay mode with the STUDIO?

Failing that, is there a converstion tool or software program that will convert animated QuickTime overlays into a file the STUDIO will work with?

For those creating their own animated overlays for the STUDIO . . . how are you doing this? What with software? How are you saving the files? After Effects? LightWave?

Matt Drabick,
DigiTek Systems
Raleigh, NC
919-790-5488

[SBowie]

Matt, last time I checked the Quicktime "Animation" codec (which is just slightly compressed, near lossless) retained the alpha. They should realize though that for any of the QT codecs that have an alpha channel option, they have to select the "24 Million colors +" color depth in the codec settings.

[Matt Drabick]

Thanks for the info . . . I played the same clips back on my VT[5] system . . . basically the same problem . . . I could see faintly through the black to the underlying video but it was still unacceptable.

Has anyone created a QuickTime animation with alpha that will play back on the STUDIO as an overlay? If so, could they send me a one-second clip to test with?

Matt Drabick,
DigiTek Systems

[SBowie]

I just tested all the 32 bit Quicktime codecs I could find, Matt. The two that worked (on both Studio and VT[5], in the Overlay and DSK respectively) were Anim and PNG.

(I'm assuming you realize that SE-VT does not respect the alpha when used in the DSK. You have to use the DDR for overlay with Alpha in VT[5].)

[Matt Drabick]

Steve, many thanks!

Matt Drabick,
DigiTek Systems

[SBowie]

No problem, Matt. :)