Adobe Dynamic Link to AE from PP Question

[Bill Hunt]

I decided to post here, as the main part of this project is in PP2 currently. I'm looking to use Dynamic Link to save some time.

I’ve got a Project in PP2 right now and am looking for tips on using AE to do couple of steps to it, and also to save having to Export/Render several times. I have the CS2 Production Studio.

I’ve only used AE for simple animations, mainly Titles in Premiere and Menus in Encore. I have only used the Dynamic Link on a few occasions and then for these simple tasks.

I am wondering if Dynamic Link would help me out in this case. I have 14 Sequences/Timelines in PP2. These are made up of 10 sec. still images with X-dissolve Transitions between them all. Their Durations are from ~ 20 mins. to 40 mins. I now have to add Timecode and minor Titles to reference the Sequence numbers, then output to Encore2 for a set of DVD’s. These will be shipped to my client for comments on doing the re-edit, hence the need for the Timecode and Sequence number.

I was planning on Export>Movie to DV-AVIs for each Sequence, so I could add the Timecode Effect and a Title in another Premiere Project, then Export>Movie once again to Import into Encore, add some navigational Menus, to allow the client to easily watch and make notes. This is a lot of Exporting to get what I need.

I wonder if I can use Dynamic Link from PP2 to bring in each Sequence as a linked Composition, add the Title and AE’s Timecode Effect (with color which PP2's Timecode Effect will not do), then “export” via Dynamic Link to an Encore2 Project.

I’ve been pouring over every tutorial I can find on Dynamic Link, and all cover basically the simple stuff I have done to date. None shows the process for linking an entire Sequence to a Composition. Same for all of my reference books on Premiere, Encore and AE. Other than creating a new Comp in AE and doing a Ctrl-a, Ctrl-c (in PP2 per each Timeline), then Ctrl-v (in AE), is there an easier way to do this linking? I think that I am missing something very important here and am about to spend a few days Exporting, when I might not have to. Any thoughts or pointers?

Thanks,

Hunt

[Bill Hunt]

Well, based on the replies from the AE forum, it seems that the Ctrl-a/c/v method is the only one available in CS2. CS4 has obviously integrated Dynamic Link more tightly, between the various programs.

One thing that the use of Dynamic Link allows is the full creation of the Assets between P-Pro Timelines (Sequences), AE Projects/Compositions and Encore Projects, without having to Export/Render. Now, Rendering/Transcoding will take place once these linked Compositions are brought into Encore [Edit: this Rendering needs to be done IN AE, then the Transcoding will take place IN Encore - when I re-read this line, I see I was not clear], but I have done all 14 Sequences in less time than it took to Export one of the longer DV-AVIs. Also, considering that I would have the 14 original DV-AVIs, have to bring these into AE for the Title and Timecode, then Export out as DV-AVI for Encore, I have saved countless days of Exporting and also plenty of HDD real estate.

This is the first time that I have really used Dynamic Link and have to say that it was well worth the Production Studio suite upgrade price. I did in about 4 hours, what would have taken days of Rendering time! My test of the Project in Encore indicates that all will work well there too. Now, I just have to do the whole Project in Encore to see if there are any glitches that the tests did not reveal.

Can't wait to explore the new Dynamic Link in CS4.

Hunt

[Chuck Engels]

Thanks for this detailed report Hunt, I will be looking at this more closely in CS3 myself

[Bill Hunt]

Chuck,

So far it is going smoothly.

The one mistake that I made (not being that versed in AE) is that I created a new Project and Composition for each of these Sequences. This was just OE. I should have done one Project with 14 (actually 15, as I added one lead-in Title Sequence) Compositions. I could then have used AE's Batch Render. Lesson learned and not worth re-doing this time. It just means that I have to load each Project, and Render them separately. Not a biggie and my organizational skills will improve on the next job.

Unfortunately, given the span of three applications that use Dynamic Link, there is not much in the way of info and tutorials out there. Adobe has one tutorial, and Curt Wrigley has another, but neither really covers the full potential and also how best to set things up in each of the applications. Adobe's Help lists the same info for all three appls (just repeated in each program's F1 file), and the manuals all say "See Help." I've poured over all three "Classroom in a Book" versions for these three programs and there is no mention of Dynamic Link. Same for a dozen other volumes on the three. I guess that a user is pretty much on their own to figure it all out. Though I knew PP, and Encore, a lack of working knowledge of AE led me to the above organizational problem. I also found out that I had done a poor job with some "housekeeping" chores in AE, but I'm getting better at it.

When this Project has shipped out for review/comment, I'll explore DL between PP, AE and Encore more. If I can learn some additional info, I'll share it. I'll also make time to sit down with my various AE books and work through all of their exercises, to become more familiar with that program.

I'll keep ya' posted,

Hunt