Best format for importing slides from InDesign

I have a slideshow presentation that I created with InDesign CS. I am now creating a project in iMovie using video taped footage of this presentation. At certain points, I would like to cut away to the slide which is being discussed. What is the best format/method to do this?
I tried exporting the slides as pdfs, but in addition to the slides being blurry (both on screen and after I burnt the presentation to DVD), I could not control how long the slide remained on screen, nor adjust its dimensions.
I also tried to convert the slides to jpg and tif and gif (even png) files and, no matter what the quality, they were also blurry.
Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks.
eMac Mac OS X (10.3.9)

Hi marmino:
Welcome to discussions!
You could try saving the slides as 640X480 and then as a .pict file.
Sue

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Best file for importing images from Illustrator and Photoshop for small file sizes

Hello Adode consults!
I'm in the process of preparing an inDesign file for a school project -- I've already had a few harrowing experiences sending large files to the printer that are too large to process (and a very grumpy computer, etc). The end result will be a poster around 36 inches by 4 or 5 feet.
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No, you should not save every file as JPG before placing it in INDesign. JPG is only usefull for raster images (like photos) without any transparency in high quality.
When you place images use:
For raster images from Photoshop psd (rgb with color profile)
For raster images from Photoshop with form layers, texts or any vector element use PDF (or PDP) with layers.
For vector graphics from Illustrator use AI files or PDF.
For layouts from other InDesign projects use either the INDD itsself or export a PDF/X4.
But to the printer deliver a PDF according to their standards. E.g. when they need CMYK files export as PDF/X1a with the required output color space and the resolution they want. Produce the pdf via Export (Print).
Don't deliver open INDD. File size should for printing projects not be an issue.

Best format for importing scanned photos into FCP in HDV?

Hi,
I'm importing a lot of scanned photos into FCP, for an HDV project. I will be zooming into these images, panning, and so on.
What is the consensus on the best format to use? I was thinking TIFF but then reading about PNG I am thinking this is perhaps better.
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Right, use a PSD with photos on different layers, Import the one document into FCP, each photo is on a different layer in FCP and you can zoom in as you wish by using key frames, once you set all your photos (Layers) the way you want all the same or different etc... you copy and paste them into the time line. I do this all the time and add transitions or effects. works well even with company logos off of a web site. You can zoom in all you want. dude
from a link you provided
PSD
Increasingly then image editability is becoming important. The obvious way of maintaining maximum information and maximum editability is to stick with the native application-specific format. Of course it was to avoid this go-it-alone anarchy that file format standards had to be developed in the first place, but the situation with bitmap images is quite special. Currently the vast majority of designers are working on their images in Photoshop and then exporting them to TIFF to use in their DTP application. Why not just cut out the middleman and support the industry standard Photoshop’s PSD format directly?
After all the format is well known. The core format PSD 3.0 format is built on a short header specifying the image size and colour channels and then three information sections called the Colour Mode Data Block, Image Resources Block and Layer and Mask Information Block defining features such as duotone settings, channels and paths and layer opacity and blend mode respectively. After that comes the image data. Naturally the PSD format can support all the advanced features we’ve already looked at such as duotones, clipping paths and channels but it also offers one feature that no other file format does. While every other format must be flattened on export, PSD is the only format that supports layers. Any program that supports PSDs directly can then leverage this layer information as Adobe ImageReady and Deneba Canvas show. Currently the DTP support is fairly basic but the possibility of changing image blend modes or editing layer text or tweaking adjustment layers depending on the actual spread in which the image appears is creatively mouthwatering.

Best format for Importing video?

When I create a new event in Imovie and import video it will give me two options, "Large 960x540" (which says it will "reduce image size with little quality loss") or "Full" (which says "selecting full on this computer may result in degraged video playback").
Here is my dilemma.
I would think Full would give me the best image quality when I create a "project" and export it. So I tested it. I imported the same 15 sec clip with both options. The clips were shot from my Iphone 4s. I put both clips in the same "project". So my project is 15 seconds of "Full" video followed by 15 seconds of the same footage in "large" format. I "finalized" the project and then exported it to my desktop. I actually did it two ways, one was at 720p and one was at 1080p.
When I watch the video, it actually looks like the second half of the "project" is slightly crisper/clearer which is the part of the "project" that came from the "Large" import not the "Full" import.
Is that possible or are my eyes playing tricks on me? I am viewing it with QTplayer and utilizing my full screen of my computer which is a 13" MBP. Should the section of the video from the "Large" import look better than the "full" or vice versa?
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QuickTimeKirk,
We posted our responses about the same time.
I agree with what you're saying but he did ask for the best possible quality.
I imagine with all the reencoding between the formats the video isn't going to look that great.
As a side note, given the above scenario I've seen better quality video acquired, when the DVD Players output is connected straight to a mini DV camcorder and imported into iMovie.
That's just my experience when converting video of questionable quality to begin with.
I don't know how important it is to get the best quality but, there is a program called Cinematize that guarantes no loss in quality during the conversion process (never used it though).
Cinematize 2 for Macintosh $60.00
Cinematize 2 Pro for Macintosh $130.00
15 day free trail
http://www.miraizon.com/index.html

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So, I've been playing around with things. I used handbrake to convert the .m2ts into .m4v, and when I unclicked "optimize file", the file stayed at around 32 MB, and the original .m2ts was 27 MB. I also used a VoltaicHD trial to convert (it converted to .mov), and it was 107MB. The quality in iMovie was not too different to my eye, and it looks like the different is 1920x1080 vs 1440x816.
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The best format for import to AE?

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I find the Dynamic Link option to be slow on my system
You can always render inside of PP to get smoother playback during editing.
what other format might you recommend to get that combination of immaculate compression and reasonable size
On the PC, both Lagarith and UT codecs are free and lossless*. Both work inside of PP. As you're using these only for previewing purposes, a codecs status as an "industry standard" is irrelevant.
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Yes, I drag the AI file in.
If after it's in place I need to change I can just right click and chose edit original make the changes and save and the illustration in inDesign will reflect the changes.
On the other hand I can make changes to the original and all iterations of the file will automatically update, say if I used the illustration in several documents.
As an example I had completed a set of documents for a new company, i.e., biz cards, brochures, product labeling, stationery, etc. and in their wisdom they decided to make changes in their logo, which, of course, is on everything. I opened the AI file with the logo made the changes saved and all the documents then reflected the changes. The only caveat to do this seamlessly is to make sure that your file logo size is the same as the original or you might have to tweak placement in the other documents
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Please look at this video, work in progress.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=49_wbdKALQk
The opening, featuring a ribbon of videos, was created in After Effects, using Digieffects Freeform.
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Then I imported them into AfterEffects.
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What is the best format to export video from in Premiere Pro CS5 to import into after effects, or to import into any other editing program, incuding importing right back into Adobe Premiere, if that is eever needed.
AVI?
MOV
MP4
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Thanks

To follow on with Wade's suggestion...
There are lots of ways to get movies and projects and other things back and forth between After Effects and Premiere Pro. This page outlines them:
"Working with Premiere Pro and After Effects"
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MP4 (MPEG-4) is a lossy codec. The quality loss is acceptable for the last stage in the pipeline, but it's not acceptable for an intermediate file.
It seems that you would benefit from reading this and and working your way through this.

Best export format for importing into After Effects or even back into Premiere

Please look at this video, work in progress.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=49_wbdKALQk
The opening, featuring a ribbon of videos, was created in After Effects, using Digieffects Freeform.
The issue is the poor quality of the videos that are featured in the opening -- compared to the high quality of videos from the original Premiere project., which you can see at the end of the clip.
To create the After Effects project, I exported a series of video clips from Premiere to mp4.
Then I imported them into AfterEffects.
The bottom line, and the purpose of this question, is I am thinking that MP4 was not the best choice for the Adobe Premiere export.
What is the best format to export video from in Premiere Pro CS5 to import into after effects, or to import into any other editing program, incuding importing right back into Adobe Premiere, if that is eever needed.
AVI?
MOV
MP4
And any other settings that will result with the highest qualiity videos for importing.
Thanks

Okay, here's where I stand at this point regarding exporting and/or dynamic linking between AfterEffects and Premiere.
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The same thing happens when I do a dynamic link between the two projects. A sluggish response starting with the After Effects dynamic link and affecting the MOV video files that follow.
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I have a very powerful computer built especially for CS5 and premiere --so that should not be an issue -- recently was in the top ten of the benchmark list.
Up to this point my video files have played perfectly layer upon layer with no problems.
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Thanks.
Rowby

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And to be clear, you have to click where it says Chat on the screenshot I posted, above, then it should bring up a page that has an area that looks like what is below, where you click and type into the red box.
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I am importing old VHS and 8mm family videos for my cousin, to both burn them to DVD, and to archive the movies in case he wants to edit them later.
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Thanks for all the advice. And I mean everyone.
Here is my latest dilemma.
Though 15 years old, the original Vhs's play beautifully. Aside from some (expected) glitches in the beginning or end of some of the shots, the video has not degraded appreciably. This is great news, as my cousin wanted to make back ups before degradation begins.
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The Vhs tapes of my cousins daughter are as precious to him as anything he has.
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~V

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