HDV workflow from PP into AE
 

I'm editing HDV 24f from a XH-A1 in PP CS3.
I'm done with my edit and I'd like to import the final footage into AE, but I don't know the best way to accomplish this. How would you export this footage from PP? (Settings?)

After playing in AE, I'd need to export back into PP, how would you export that? (Settings?)

Basically, I'm asking what is your workflow with HDV from PP to AE and back to PP again.

Thanks!

You don't indicate why you're bouncing the footage between the two apps and that can effect the best way to do it. You can import a PP timeline into AE with Dynamic Link, but you have to be careful. AE doesn't understand all of PP's filters and transitions so unexpected results can occur. You could also start working with the footage in AE to do what you want then use DL to get it into PP for cutting.

I'll take footage out of PP by rendering the clip out to an intermediate, lossless codec and import it into an AE project for doing one-off manipulation, then either import the AE comp back into PP via DL, or render back out of AE to that intermediate codec and import the rendered clip back into PP. I'll do the later when AE needs to do some heavy lifting and I'm not sure if PP can handle the extra load through Dynamic Link, which is often.

My point is there are many ways to get this done and others may have better ways than the ones I've listed. For me, I read all the suggested options and tried many of them and finally settled on the workflows that work for me.

I do a rough edit in PP then I need to export to AE to do some motion tracking etc, then simply need to export again into PP for final polish.

Pretty simple, I just would like to know the best export settings in both programs to ensure highest quality.

I'm also noticing that Dynamic Link really bogs down things. I'm thinking this is CS3's fault as my system is pretty beefy. Does DL slow things down for you?

Yes, but I think it's the way AE works. Remember that AE has to render everything and when you drop an AE comp into a PP timeline that comp is still subject to AE's rules since that's where the video is coming from.

I use AE a lot for sports graphics (think ESPN, Speed, etc) and it's compositing the graphics using the comp's alpha channel over video that really slows things down. The complex animation in the comp doesn't help things much either.

It might be simpler for you to export the timeline in QT with the Animation codec for tweaking in AE, then drag it back into PP. You might also want to look into CS4. I think it does DL both ways, which might be more helpful to you.