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′CBCR-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′CBCR codec are converted back into the Y′CBCR color space.
The Apple ProRes family of codecs provides a variety of versatile, adjustable compression formats to serve nearly any post-production workflow. There are five different Apple ProRes codecs: from Apple ProRes 4444, which includes an alpha channel, to Apple ProRes 422 (Proxy), an offline format used by Final Cut Server for proxy movies.
Apple ProRes 4444 is the default export codec for Motion. It’s ideal for the exchange of motion graphics media because it is virtually lossless, and includes alpha channel support to preserve transparency for later compositing. Apple ProRes 4444 is the only Apple ProRes codec that supports alpha channels.
These resolution-independent codecs are appropriate for all standard- and high-definition Y′CBCR video formats. Video stored using these codecs undergoes no data compression, but some color resampling may occur depending on the source video format. Because compression usually results in video artifacts, using no compression guarantees the highest level of quality, so this codec is often used for video mastering when the absolute highest quality is required. This also results in large file sizes.
Note: Uncompressed 8-bit and 10-bit 4:2:2 movies do not support alpha channels.
A high-definition video format used to capture video digitally from FireWire-enabled DVCPRO HD compatible decks. (Not to be confused with DVCPRO 25 or DVCPRO 50, which are both standard-definition formats.) This format supports a number of frame sizes and frame rates, including a 24p format that offers variable speed via a variable frame rate technology. DVCPRO HD uses 4:2:2 color sampling for high color fidelity, and has a fixed data rate of 12.5 MB/sec.
Note: DVCPRO HD movies do not support alpha channels.
A standard-definition codec used to capture video digitally from FireWire-enabled DVCPRO 50-compatible camcorders and decks. Although it’s similar to the DV codec because DVCPRO 50 is imported as YUV encoded video, it produces considerably higher quality video because it uses less compression. (DVCPRO 50 uses a 3:3:1 compression ratio, versus DV’s 5:1 compression ratio.) DVCPRO 50 also uses 4:2:2 color sampling for high color fidelity, as opposed to DV’s 4:1:1 color sample rate. DVCPRO 50 has a fixed data rate of 7 MB/sec.
Note: DVCPRO 50 movies do not support alpha channels.