4 Replies Latest reply: Oct 30, 2010 11:16 AM by Christopher Duncan RSS

    CS4: Using Keylight from After Effects?

    Christopher Duncan Community Member

      I'd swear I read somewhere how to do this but I can't seem to dredge it up.

       

      It's my understanding that the Keylight chroma key effect in After Effects is superior to the ones in Premiere. I think there's a way to rig Premiere so that it recognizes the compatible effects that have been installed with AE, which would allow me to do my green screen replacement natively instead of having to render the keyed out footage from AE and then import it into the Premiere project. Does anyone know how to accomplish this?

       

      Also, more a matter of idle curiosity than anything else, but AE ships with Keylight version 1.2. Are there any later versions of this effect, and if so, how would I download it?

       

      Thanks!

        • 1. Re: CS4: Using Keylight from After Effects?
          Todd_Kopriva Adobe Employee

          >  I think there's a way to rig Premiere so that it recognizes the compatible effects that have been installed with AE, which would allow me to do my green screen replacement natively instead of having to render the keyed out footage from AE and then import it into the Premiere project. Does anyone know how to accomplish this?

           

           

           

          This only works for the effects that are written specifically for compatibility or (sometimes through luck) use features of the plug-in API that are common to both Premiere Pro and After Effects.

           

          I haven't ever tried to use Keylight in Premiere Pro, but I doubt that it would work. Notice that the manufacturer (The Foundry) doesn't even list Premiere Pro as a supported client, which they probably would do if it worked, so they could sell some more copies. (See this page.)

          • 2. Re: CS4: Using Keylight from After Effects?
            Christopher Duncan Community Member

            Thanks, man. Must have been hallucinating that day (not that hard to imagine, really).

             

            So when you're doing keying operations, do you try to use what's in Premiere or do you find it's worth it to do it in AE and then import? I've used both tools a bit, but not extensively enough to fully grasp the strengths and weaknesses of each one.

            • 3. Re: CS4: Using Keylight from After Effects?
              Todd_Kopriva Adobe Employee
              > So when you're doing keying operations, do you try to use what's in Premiere or do you find it's worth it to do it in AE and then import?

               

              I do all keying in After Effects. Premiere Pro has some compositing features, but After Effects is a compositor. Big difference.

               

              Consider, for example, that almost all keying jobs require some rotoscoping and spill suppression.

              • 4. Re: CS4: Using Keylight from After Effects?
                Christopher Duncan Community Member

                Yeah, I figured AE was where it's at for this sort of thing, but it's always nice to hear it from the pros.