Method for removing flicker using After Effects and camera raw import

Started by imagemachine, November 06, 2016, 03:52:22 PM

Previous topic - Next topic

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

imagemachine

If anyone is still struggling with flicker caused by ACR values not staying constant in After Effects, as this is far and away the highest image quality with a huge array of grading adjustment and correction possibilities, here is the fix. Import your raw stream into Lightroom. Apply your adjustments making sure all are selected (control a) and click 'sync settings'. The crucial step is then, in library, select 'save metadata to files'. This will burn the settings into every DNG or into the sidecar metadata files for each CR2 which AFter Effects will have to read, making sure not to change any settings when importing the modified and 'pregraded' raw stream into After Effects. Each raw will have identical raw settings eliminating the flicker induced by the variations introduced into AE by ACR reading only from the first raw metadata in the stream.

PaulHarwood856

Hey imagemachine,

     Very interesting! Personally I take the dngs via MLVFS and apply Cinelog-C in Adobe Camera Raw to give a flat look. I then transcode the dngs into ProRes 4444 XQ clips in After Effects through the Smart Import 2 script. Then I can edit the ProRes clips in a Premiere Pro timeline set to ProRes as the Renderer in Sequence settings. These is easier on CPU. I am able to even replace the clips with After Effects Compositions for further editing in a high color depth. I add Saturations, then apply curves. I use noise reduction and sometimes sharpening depending on the lens. I also add grain. When replacing a dng sequence with an After Effects composition, After Effects only reads the first dng. This is also the reason I transcode. It's better to have a flat image baked in versus colors graded in Adobe Camera Raw, with less flexibility to color grade later if need be. Hope this helps!

- Paul Harwood

dmilligan

@imagemachine,

Sorry, that's actually not the problem and your solution is not going to help anything. The issue with ACR is that even with identical settings, two slightly different images can produce different results since ACR is "image adaptive" and was not meant for video.

This issue has been discussed at length in numerous threads here, just search.

Here's a definitive answer direct from Adobe:

https://feedback.photoshop.com/photoshop_family/topics/camera_raw_flickering_and_raw_video_magic_lantern?rfm=1

You can follow that advice or maybe also try this script (for Bridge or Lr):
http://www.magiclantern.fm/forum/index.php?topic=8850.msg83394#msg83394