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Subject: Re: [AE] Fastest way to render image sequence as mov
From: Tobias Lind <tobias@tobiaslind.com>
In-Reply-To: <list-4635087@media-motion.tv>
Date: Thu, 23 Feb 2012 12:04:03 +0100
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Message-Id: <31CF1FD7-CBFA-4FAB-B419-2A5CA5B4E2EE@tobiaslind.com>
References: <list-4635087@media-motion.tv>
To: "After Effects Mail List" <AE-List@media-motion.tv>

I never compress the movie when rendering in AE.
Always render uncompressed or in prores to use Quicktime Pro (or =
Handbrake) to compress.

First I would render a Quicktime movie from AE without any compression =
at all.
Uncompressed Animation works just fine. Large file but it's pretty fast =
since it's basically just reads the image and writes it.
No compression involved yet.

Then download and install x264 into Quicktime Pro.
http://www003.upp.so-net.ne.jp/mycometg3/

It's much better (quality) and faster than the standard h264.
Also it has many more settings to fiddle with if so inclined.

And again, Handbrake is an option to compress the movie.

Good luck,
tobias


On 23 feb 2012, at 09.35, Chris Zwar wrote:

> Well what an anticlimax!
>=20
> Firstly I discovered that you need CS 5.5 in order to import an image =
sequence into Adobe Media Encoder.  We're on CS 5.0, so no luck there.
>=20
> Then I discovered that whatever Adobe package is on my machine, it =
doesn't include Premiere Pro.  So no luck there.
>=20
> Likewise it doesn't have Final Cut or Compressor, so no luck there.
>=20
> I thought I'd try FFmpegX - the Mac gui front end to ffmpeg, but it =
doesn't support image sequences either.  I didn't have the time today to =
figure out how to use ffmpeg from the command line, so I'll save that =
for a rainy day.
>=20
> Opening up the sequence in Quicktime Pro takes AGES, possibly longer =
than the image sequence runs for anyway, and unless I stand there with a =
stop watch there's no easy way to benchmark Quicktime Pro, as you'd have =
to include the incredibly long time it takes to open the sequence before =
you can begin exporting it.  But in my case of opening a 20 minute =
1920x1080 image sequence, it took about 30 minutes just to open the =
sequence, which is a very long time to wait before you can even begin to =
export it...  I don't know how long it took to actually export, as again =
you'd need a stopwatch to measure it accurately.  But it definitely =
wasn't faster than real-time...
>=20
> Inside AE CS5.0, with multiprocessors on and AE utilising 6 of them, =
the image sequence begins to render very quickly.  Initially AE predicts =
a total rendering time of 30 minutes (for a 20 minute video).  This is =
looking pretty good until about 1/3 of the way through, and then AE =
begins to slow down.  And then it slows down more.  The further through =
the render it gets, the slower it renders.  Eventually it finishes in 62 =
minutes.  But I'd guess that it took about 30 minutes to render the =
first 80%, and another 30 minutes to render the last 20%.  This is on a =
freshly booted 8-core machine with no other apps running, 16GB ram.
>=20
> I said in my original post that converting image sequences to =
quikcktime is not one of AE's strengths.  But I may have been wrong, =
because so far it's the best I've got!
>=20
>=20
> -Chris
>=20
> On 23/02/2012, at 4:23 AM, Phil Spitler wrote:
>=20
>> I will be interested in seeing your results from the ffmpeg test.
>>=20
>> Great tip, thanks Lloyd.
>>=20
>> Phil
>>=20
>>=20
>> Phil Spitler |   Associate Creative Director  |  Bonfire  Labs  |  t =
: 415.394.8200  |  c : 415.571.3139  |  Bonfirelabs.com
>>=20
>> On Feb 22, 2012, at 3:46 AM, Chris Zwar wrote:
>>=20
>>> Thanks all... I have completely overlooked Adobe Media Encoder.  =
I've installed FFmpeg and will benchmark them both this week.
>>> I do normally just use Quicktime Pro and have several encodes =
running simultaneously, however when I have to encode a single 20 minute =
image sequence into a H264 as fast as possible I'd like to know what the =
best solution is.
>>>=20
>>> I'll let you know what I discover...
>>>=20
>>>=20
>>> -Chris
>>>=20
>>> On 22/02/2012, at 11:31 AM, Steve Oakley wrote:
>>>=20
>>>> adobe media encoder... or prem pro as it supports img sequences. =
load as clip, export.
>>>>=20
>>>> s
>>>>=20
>>>> On Feb 21, 2012, at 5:05 PM, Jim Curtis wrote:
>>>>=20
>>>>> You can do multiple simultaneous exports with QT Pro, and max out =
your multi-core pretty quickly. =20
>>>>>=20
>>>>>=20
>>>>> On Feb 21, 2012, at 5:02 PM, Chris Zwar wrote:
>>>>>=20
>>>>>> Hi,
>>>>>>=20
>>>>>> Just looking for some advice as to the fastest way to convert an =
image sequence to a quicktime?  This isn't one of AE's strengths.
>>>>>> Usually I'm happy with Quicktime Pro, but I'm currently working =
on a 20minute video at 1920x1080 and any speed increases will be =
valuable.  Because we have a render farm everything is based on image =
sequences - currently we're using JPGs at max quality.
>>>>>> I'm on a Mac, and usually rendering to h264.
>>>>>>=20
>>>>>> Cheers,
>>>>>>=20
>>>>>> -Chris
>>>>>>=20
>>>>>>=20
>>>>>>=20
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>=20
>=20
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