Popular Video Codecs for File Exchange
You can use video compressed with nearly any video codec in Motion. When you work
on a project in Motion, it is best to use high-quality codecs with a minimum of
compression. Highly compressed video files, such as those compressed using the MPEG-4
or Sorenson codec, are likely to be unsuitable for creating high-quality work.
For purposes of media exchange between applications, not all codecs support alpha
channels. Alpha channels define transparency in a clip, and are useful if you’re delivering
an effects shot for use in someone else’s composition. If you are required to export a
composition using a codec with no alpha channel support, you must export the alpha
channel as a separate grayscale media file.
Note: Motion processes color in the RGB color space. Any clips that were captured or
recompressed using a Y
′
C
B
C
R
-aware codec, such as DV, the Apple ProRes family, or
Uncompressed 8-bit 4:2:2, are converted to the RGB color space when used in a Motion
project. Clips exported from Motion using a Y
′
C
B
C
R
codec are converted back into the
Y
′
C
B
C
R
color space.
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Appendix B
Video and File Formats