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Analog film


    Analog film, such as a still transparency or common motion-picture film, carries picture information by creating variations in colored dyes on a strip of acetate.

    To apply digital effects to motion-picture film using After Effects, you must first transfer the film to a digital format. You can transfer film in two ways:

    • Use a film scanner to transfer each analog film frame directly to a digital movie frame. This method best preserves the image quality. Using a film scanner is preferable, because you scan the footage directly to the computer as noninterlaced, full-resolution, 24-fps footage; in other words, it is ready to use in After Effects. See Importing Cineon files.
    • Transfer the analog film to analog videotape, and then digitize the videotape. This process is called telecine transfer. It converts 24-fps film footage to 30-fps videotape using 3:2 pulldown. Transferring using the 3:2 pulldown method introduces two issues: you must resolve the different frame rates of videotape and motion-picture film, and you must separate the fields of the interlaced video. After Effects can automatically resolve both of these issues while preserving image quality. See About 3:2 pulldown.

    Note: To use an After Effects movie in an analog motion-picture film, you must transfer the movie back to the analog film medium. This transfer process is generally done at a post-production facility.