Using VFX Assets in 60fps (After Effects + Premiere Pro)
So you’ve embarked on a video editing project at 60fps? Here’s a little thing you might want to know!
For those who need an introduction, the “fps” refers to how quickly a video will switch between individual pictures to create the illusion of a movement, which begins at roughly 15 frames per second.
So why would you want to create a 60fps project if most video formats are at a standard 24-30fps? For one simple reason: it’s satisfyingly silky smooth.
Other than it’s an impressive visual effect, it can also help out for a variety of purposes. For example, gameplay videos are often recorded at 60fps since the games strive for immersion, and so this smooth playback helps gives the game a more natural look.
Another case is for motion graphics, where a clean art style compliments the fluid framerate. This is common in infographics, such as a personal favourite from the YouTube channel Kurzgesagt.
So what do you need to do to your ProductionCrate workflow to make the assets you download fit into your scene? As you may know, most of our FootageCrate elements are 30fps, so here is what we suggest to make it work.
Introducing a much-loved technique, time interpolation! This handy tool is the computer taking a guess at what is happening between two images. From the guess, it then creates an image which is what it predicts the image to look like halfway between the first and the second image. This means you can convert a 30fps asset into 60fps, as the software will create the 30 extra frames out of thin air. We need to apply the interpolation to the 30fps asset to convert it to 60fps.
Most mid-tier editing software supports this. Here’s how you’ll find them:
After Effects
– Right-click on the ProductionCrate asset, go through Effects -> Time -> Time Warp.
– Set the speed to 50%, and make sure your project is in 60fps.
Premiere Pro
– Right-click on your ProductionCrate asset, and select “Speed/Duration”.
– Adjust the speed parameter to 50%.
– Choose Optical Flow as the Time Interpolation method.
Congratulations, your video is now as smooth as butter!
If you’re interested in levelling up your compositing skills, you might also be interested in our recent rotoscoping course!
