What is APPLE ANIMATION codec?

Question

What is APPLE ANIMATION codec?

Why would an Avid editor produce an APPLE ANIMATION Quicktime rendering to deliver a standard def clip? What is APPLE ANIMATION and why is it not recognized as an importable clip? (My solution was to re-code to NTSC DV Anamorphic with Compressor).

MacPro Octo, MatroxOX2 MAX, MacBook Pro C2D 2G, iMac, iPad, iPhone 4 & 3GS, Mac OS X (10.6.4), Final Cut Pro Studio 7.0.2, AG-HVX200

Posted on Mar 7, 2011 6:55 PM

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Answer 1

Best reply

Zak Ray

Level 4

3,469 points

Mar 7, 2011 8:44 PM in response to David Ahrendts

Animation is a high-quality (though not very efficient) codec, usually used when one needs to carry an alpha channel (ProRes 4444 is often used now in it's place).

Not sure why it isn't recognized, but I'd transcode to ProRes or something rather than something really lossy (and likely with different pixel aspect ratio, resolution, etc) like DV.

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Answer 2

Mar 7, 2011 10:07 PM in response to David Ahrendts

Animation is lossless - it's like uncompressed - but it has alpha (transparency) as well. The Avid editor probably selected it because they knew you'd be able to make it what you need it to be without generation loss.

If you don't need the alpha data transcode to ProRes422 and be on your way. If you do need the alpha data and you have Final Cut Studio 3 transcode it to ProRes4444, if you have FCS2 or earlier leave it as Animation and be prepared to do some rendering.

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Answer 3

Mar 8, 2011 8:38 AM in response to David Ahrendts

What is APPLE ANIMATION and why is it not recognized as an importable clip? < </div>

Google or Wiki would have answered the first part of the question except it's not really Apple's Animation codec. Well, literally, that's true; practically it's just Animation and has been a least common denominator for sneaker-netting lossless movies between applications or workstations.

why it's not just dropping into your timeline is probably a user error on your Avid guy's part or it was delivered to you on an improperly formatted drive. IF you successfully opened it and converted it, it should have dropped right into FCP.

bogiesan

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