Still images into a project

Hello.
I am working on an SD NTSC-Anamorphic project and want to bring some still images into the project. The images were shot with a Canon 350D (Rebel XT) in Raw format and currently are in TIFF format as converted by Aperture. When I import the images I am finding a noticable degredation in quality when comparing the images in "Preview" to the Viewer to the Canvas. Once the images are in the timeline and I look at them on the canvas they look alot fuzzier.
Should I be using a different file format? Is there a setting I've overlooked somewhere?
Thanks for any and all suggestions...

Hi,
I have read the comments above and all are valid but they do not look to me to answer your core question.
I had been asking the same question on forums for a long time and had similar responses and finally fixed the issue by purchasing a Photoshop book called WOW.
One of the earlier comments really hits the nail on the head but does not seem to offer the fix (I'm not trying to be critical here because all information does help).
First of all you need to reduce the size of the file for video - this is, in my experience best done in Photoshop not FCP (Photoshop WOW book comes with DVD and automatic actions to do this).
I call this the 'resize' step and put all my photos through this stage first (it does help to have an action for landscape and one for portrait to ensure that they are kept separate for the next step).
Then you need to 'rescale' the image to the size of your project in FCP (I assume that you are using widescreen as I do). To do this you need to create a blank document in widescreen format and then drop or drag your resized photo into the widescreen format and it will take on the same format as the blank widescreen document. Get rid of any layers and save the document in TIFF or JPEG it is up to you - you can keep the layers if you want to but you need to be aware of the issues of layers being imported into FCP.
I felt like I had found my fountain of youth when I sorted this out properly (the stress was definitely make me age).
Some comments suggest that the latest FCP does a better job of compressing the photos than the older versions but I wouldn't know as I use FCP 4.5HD and this may be so. However, it is commonly accepted, I believe, that formating the photo in photoshop is the better option.
It fixed all my headaches at least because I wanted the flexibility of FCP with photos just as you do.
Good luck and no intention to dislocate any noses out there, the willingness of people helping to provide assistance out there is fantastic.
Lee

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Hi
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Everyone wants the highest quality that they can obtain when doing their videos. It’s natural to want the best. Well, when dealing with still images, bigger is not necessarily better, for two reasons. First, overly large still images can really tax a system and second, one is limited to the frame size of the video, so these have to be resized somewhere - this resizing can be in the NLE (Non Linear Editor) program, or in an image processing program like PS (Photoshop), which does a better job anyway. Doing this in PS, or PSE, will result in better resized images, and they are easier for the NLE to work with. Quality is as high as your Project’s Preset will allow, and you are more efficient, with fewer crashes, slowdowns and hangs. It is a win-win situation.
Here is my normal workflow when dealing with still images. This workflow is for NTSC 4:3 720x480 with a PAR (Pixel Aspect Ratio) of 0.9. If your Project’s Presets are different, use those specs to resize to.
Since I shoot my still images in RAW, I Copy my files from the CF card to my system and catalog these images by location, subject and date (if necessary). I’ll do a quick conversion and Save_As Adobe DNG for backup. I then process these RAW images in PS with the ARC (Adobe Raw Converter), correcting them and then doing a Save_As PSD into a sub-folder. All of this is in my still photo library.
Normally, I will edit these PSD’s to find the images that I wish to use in a Video Project, and will Copy the selected images to another folder. You’ll see that I work with a lot of Copies, so my original files are always untouched and stored elsewhere. This guards against anything happening to them.
At this point, I’ll decide how I wish to use these selected images in my Video Project. Let’s just say that they are all horizontal images, and are still full-size from my camera. As stated, my Video Projects are DV-NTSC 4:3 720x480 PAR 0.9. [Remember, your Video Project may vary, so you will need to plug in the dimensions for YOUR Video Project in that case.] I also will have done my Cropping on each image individually, to get them to 4:3 Aspect Ratio. I do this my eye and by hand, rather than via an Action, because I want full aesthetic control.
In PS, I have a set of Actions for Video. An Action is like a Script, but less powerful and less involved in the writing. As I have already done all of my image enhancements and additional processing before I did my Copy to the selected folder, I only have to worry about my Action resizing these selected images for use in my Video Project. My Action here is to resize to 720x480 with a PAR of 0.9, and I normally use the Action that does this with a particular resizing algorithm, Bicubic-Smoother (though I also use Bicubic-Sharper on occasion).
For the next step, I go to my folder structure (remember, this folder contains copies of my selected still images in PSD format), and create a new sub-folder "[Project Name]_720x480." Back in PS, I choose File>Automate>Batch. Here I set my Source Folder, my Destination folder and the Action to perform. In my case, it’ll be the Destination Folder, that I just created, [Project Name]_720x480, and my Action will be my NTSC 4:3 720x480 Smooth. I check to have the Open command by-passed, because I do not need to see this take place on my monitor. When I hit OK, PS grabs all files in my Source Folder, runs the commands of my Action and does a Save_As for all files into my Destination Folder. I can process hundreds of large images down to a great 720x480 PAR 0.9 via Bicubic-Smoother interpolation, in moments. Now, I’m ready to go. Last, I Copy my Destination Folder to my Video Project’s folder hierarchy (usually on another HDD), and then Import these processed stills into my NLE.
What if I need to pan on one, or more of these images, while they are zoomed out completely? I don’t have enough pixels in my horizontal dimension to do this. I am just filling the frame with my still. Well, if I find that there are such images, I go back to my folder with the full sized images in my still images library, and select the ones that need to be larger. I run another Action on these, but it’s one that resizes to something larger than 720x480, say 1000x750. Now, I have another Destination Folder with the name [File Name]_1000x750. I’ll Copy this over to my Video Project, and Import these into the NLE. Here, I can go to Project Panel and remove the 720x480 versions if I so choose, but since a Premiere Project file (.PRPROJ or .PREL) is only an XML database, I may just leave them. It does not contain any media files, just links to where they are on the system and to what operations are performed on them.
By doing my resizing in PS, rather than in Premiere, I have accomplished two things:
1.) I have better quality resized images, using the algorithms in PS, plus have a choice of several interpolation methods to work with.
2.) I have lessened the processing load on my NLE and on my system, while doing the editing
I get higher quality and lower resource overhead - hence my reference to "win-win."
Now, back to my aesthetic control. I do not do any automatic zooming or panning. If one allows the NLE to do this, then they will want to probably process all of their images to 1000x750 (remember, this is for an NTSC 4:3 Project, so you will need to calculate what YOUR Project will require).
The two programs that I use are Photoshop and Premiere Pro, but Photoshop Elements can do the same things, though the exact commands might be different. Premiere Elements will handle the resized still images, just like Premiere Pro and the only difference will be the terminology used when one wishes to Import the still images.
I also keep all of my images in .PSD (the native format of PS), and do not convert to JPEG, or other. If one’s camera shoots only JPEG, I suggest writing the Action to do the Save_As to .PSD, as another JPEG compression will cost one quality. Yes, the JPEG’s will be smaller, but remember we are looking for the ultimate quality, so larger file sizes are just part of that equation.
One does not have to deal with all of the Copies, as I do. However, this allows me to go back to the originals, or to the processed full-sized .PSD’s at any step along the way. There is only one thing worse than not being able to go back to an intermediate version with full Layers and Adjustment Layers, plus any Alpha Channels, and that is finding out that you’ve lost your original RAW and DNG backups! That’s why I do a lot of Save_As and also work from Copies all along the way.
Hunt

Your workflow looks good. I do similar, but use PS, in lieu of LightRoom. I also do DNG's for my archives.
Provided that one chooses a JPEG compression algorithm setting that does not do too much compression, I doubt that anyone, but the most very critical, could tell the difference in Video. Most of my tests on PSD vs JPEG have been for print. There, one can more easily detect the differences. Video "hides" some of that.
To date, I have not had a Project where the Asset size differences between equally sized PSD's vs JPEG's caused any slowdown, or problem. There could be a resources savings with the smaller JPEG files, but there is a tiny bit of overhead dealing with the JPEG compression. I have never tested this, so can only guess that the smaller Asset size of the JPEG would trump that overhead - just a guess on my part.
For me, keeping the images in PSD does save a tiny bit of work in my Action (basically one less operation to perform), but I doubt that one could measure that time difference, even over the automation of hundreds of images. Besides, it's only one additional line in the Action. My feelings on JPEG vs PSD is firmly based in my print experience, and I am probably being too critical with images going to video. When I move up to HD and BD authoring, I need to apply a very critical eye, to see if I can tell the differences on an HD TV. So long as one does not apply too much JPEG compression, the differences should be very slight, at the worst, and maybe not even noticed, at best.
I do minimize the impact of many files on my Project by sizing to what I need. If I will not be doing any pans on zoomed-out images, I size to my Project. For pans on zoomed-out images, I calculate just what I will need for those pans, and might end up with several groups of sizes, to accommodate each. Still, the vast majority will be sized to exactly what I need for the Project - very few extra pixels.
In my case, and yours too, I have my RAW, my DNG, my working Layered PSD's, and then my sized output. I always keep all working PSD's, as I might change my mind, or my client might change theirs, and I do not want to have to go back and redo work, if I still have those working files. I also do as little destructive editing, as I can, using Dupe Layers, and Adjustment Layers, whenever possible. If I can, I never Flatten, or Merge Layers, so I can make any/all changes at any time, and only have to do the resizing via the same Actions. That is basically a "one-button" solution, once I have made the changes required.
Good luck,
Hunt

Still Images into video.

I want to turn images into a video. I have Adobe Premiere Elements 10 and Photoshop Elements 10, can I do it with them? Thank you.

Curt
Please re-read and consider the Time Lapse Basics blog post details in the context of you creating many many separate still images of your object moving say from left to right (A to B to C to D). Often "hundreds of pictures" are used depending on the scope of the project - your object moving in time.
Each of those still images (representing A, B, C, and D) gets taken (in the A, B, C, D sequence) into a Premiere Elements where you decrease the duration of each still image (from 5 seconds to say 1 second) to get the object's motion effect of moving from A to D.
What format is your comic strip in now? Drawings on a piece of paper? If these are drawings on paper, then you will should take pictures of each of the drawings A, B, C, and D. It is those pictures (jpg, still images) that get taken in sequence into the video editor like Premiere Elements where you decrease the duration of each to achieve the animated effect.
Photoshop Elements Editor, check out the FIle Menu/Save for Web feature where you can create an animated gif. But, here again, if what you have now are drawings, then you will need to find a way to make photographs of them.
There are numerous ways described online for making your comic strip drawings into and animation (video).
Please review them with a Google search to get an overview of what is out there.
After that, we can go over step by step what next based on your starting material and Premiere Elements.
Thanks.
ATR

Have any of you used "stills" inserted into your project? Are there copy right requirements?

Thank you for any help in advance.

Tom,
Thank you for your reply. What I am asking is if it is out on the internet, like a news image, do I need to get permission? If so, have you ever done that? Also, sorry for all the questions, what format should the still be in to insert best into the project timeline?
Thank you again,
Melissa

Turning still images into a video-help please!

Hello, I have Adobe Premiere Elements 10 editing system, and I am currently working a summer project. One of the things I would like to do is create a video from still images, but I am having a problem, because the images I chose and increased their time line look too choppy, but I want a more flow-ey look. What should the speed or duration be for each picture? Are there other effects that can assist the making of my still picture video? Also, I am up for any other suggestions others have on making a smooth, still image video. Thanks!

Neweditor16
I was not sure of my schedule for later this evening so I am going to post a sample scenario, assuming that you have Premiere Elements 10 on Windows 7 64 bit.
1. Place your 10 each at 3680 x 2760 4:3 pixels photos in sequence order in a desktop folder. Do not bother to resize them beforehand ONLY if your Windows 7 is 64 bit and not 32 bit and your installed RAM exceeds 4 GB.
2. Open Premiere Elements 10 and set the project preset for
NTSC
DSLR
1080p
DSLR 1080p30 @ 29.97
3. Go to Edit Menu/Preferences/General and remove the check mark next to the option "Default Scale to Frame Size".
4. Next, use Get Media/Files and Folder to bring your desktop folder into the Organize/Media area. From there drag the whole unopened folder to the start of Timeline Video Track 1. When you do, your 10 photos will be on the Timeline in the order that you placed them in the folder.
5. Click on Photo 1 to select it. Then go to Properties Palette/Motion Panel expanded and the Scale property. Set the Scale at 52.6%.
6. Go back to the Timeline and click on Photo 1 to select it. Go to Edit Menu, select Copy. Then select the other 9 photos (all at one time), right
click anywhere in the selection, and select and click on Paste Attributes.
7. To give a Timelapse effect to your 10 photos, you are going to decrease the duration of each photo. You do not want to be dealing in seconds, rather frames (1 to 5 frames which is 0.033 to 0.165 seconds in a 30 frames per second set up).
a. first we look at the effect with the photo duration of 5 frames...select all 10 photos all at one time....right click anywhere in the selection and select Timeline Stretch. In the Time Stretch dialog change duration from 00;00;05;00 (5 seconds) to 00;00;00;05 (5 frames equivalent to 0.165 seconds)...note the Timelapse effect that is achieved after you render the Timeline content by pressing the Enter key to get the best possible preview of the Timeline content played back in the Edit area monitor.
b. If you are not satisfied with "a", the repeat, but this time change the duration of all to 00;00;00;03 (3 frames equivalent to 0.150 seconds)...note the Timelapse
effect that is achieved after you render the Timeline by pressing the Enter key to get the best possible preview.
c. If you are not satisfied with "b", then repeat, but this time change to the lower possible set 00;00;00;01 (1 frame equivalent to 0.033 seconds)..note the Timelapse effect achieved after you render the Timeline by pressing the Enter key ot get the best possible preview.
See what that looks like. At this time, I would not bother with transitions. More than one transition placement at a time can be done by selecting all the photos and using Timeline Menu/Apply Default Transition. But, with such short duration photos, I would need to think about changing the transition default duration.
And, I see no point in pans and zooms with the short duration that are used.
These are some basic ideas about Timelapse in Premiere Elements.
ATR Premiere Elements Troubleshooting: PE: Time Lapse Video Basics
ATR Premiere Elements Troubleshooting: PE: Numbered Stills in Time Lapse and Other Animations
Notes: To select more than one clip at a time, you can hold down the Shift key and click each photo. Or, you can use the mouse cursor tip to draw a rectangle around the photos to select them.
Please let us know if any of this needs clarification.
Thank you.
ATR

Can you merge two still images into one in premiere elements?

I am working on a slide show for a memorial service and would like to have one still image showing and then have the next one come in without replacing the former- somehow merge the two. Is that possible?

Depending on what you mean by "merge," you can use PiP (Picture in Picture) to have the second image come in and occupy part of the screen with the original image. There are many ways to display PiP, from say a small image located in the screen to having it occupy one half of the screen.
Does that sound like what you are hoping to do?
Besides the rather simple PiP, one can also use Track Matte Keying to bring up the second image and to soften edges, drop it into an image of, say a TV set, or a window.
The possibilities are endless, or nearly so.
Let us know if PiP works for you, or if you need a more intricate merging of the images.
Good luck,
Hunt

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Hi,
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thank you for the reply
However, I have uploaded thousands of photos from iphoto to imovie in the last two years, all various megapixels. This is a new occurrence, clarity is blurred or not sharp when uploaded photos are viewed in the Photos screen in iMovie and then applied to the timeline. Once in the timeline, the resolution of the photo is not nearly as sharp. Hope this makes sense.....

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I CAN add an image that has already been imported into the project... I tried doing that then using Image Properties to bring in the newly created image... same result... freezes the app. My project is only about 50MB in size... and I probably only have 2 or 3 dozen images in it so far.
I am hoping you are not going to say uninstall and re-install because I don't have the disc with me today... working from home.
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Bad color in still images in a project directly opened in Sg CC from Pr CC

I'm working on a project in Pr CC mixing videos footages and still images both from the same DSLR (Nikon D800e).
In Pr no problem (still image in the source monitor, video in the program monitor):
When I send this project directly to Sg CC by the new "Direct link", I find that in Sg
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The email I received was strictly regarding my post being deleted. I have not heard anything in reference to the RAW 2.0 problem.
Here is a comparison of the same image. One exported from Aperture and the other opened in ACR and saved as a JPG.
http://www.uberfoto.com/images/misc/temp/colorclipAP-ACR.jpg
http://www.uberfoto.com/images/misc/temp/colorclip_AP-ACRzoom.jpg
Another thing I noticed is that Aperture preview generator does not clip the color data like the raw converter does. Previews created after image adjustments retain their color in the shadows while the full composite view displays in monochrome. This is an image I took in the studio where the PW died and the flash didn't pop so it was very dark. The original image was nearly all black with no discernible details until I pulled the exposure back up. The ACR conversion looks nearly identical (discarding small differences in brand interpretation) to the "Preview" in AP2.0.
http://www.uberfoto.com/images/misc/temp/colorclipraw.jpg
http://www.uberfoto.com/images/misc/temp/colorclippreview.jpg

Still images into a project

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