Understanding the Goal
You're likely trying to:
1. Crop the video: Remove unwanted parts of the frame (e.g., black bars, distracting elements).
2. Upscale the cropped video: Increase the resolution to maintain quality, especially if the cropping has significantly reduced the original resolution.
3. Maintain quality: Use a high-quality upscaling algorithm like the one provided by BCC UpRez.
Steps
1. Import and Create Composition:
* Import your video footage into After Effects (File > Import > File).
* Drag the footage onto the "Create a New Composition" icon at the bottom of the Project panel. This will create a comp that matches the footage's dimensions and frame rate.
2. Pre-compose (Optional but Recommended):
* Why? This separates the cropping and upscaling into distinct steps, making it easier to adjust and manage. It also prevents BCC UpRez from being applied *before* the crop.
* Select the video layer in the timeline.
* Go to Layer > Pre-compose...
* In the Pre-compose dialog:
* Give the pre-comp a descriptive name (e.g., "Video_Cropped_Precomp").
* Choose "Move all attributes into the new composition".
* Click OK.
3. Apply the Crop:
* Method 1: Crop Effect (Simple):
* Select the pre-comp layer in the timeline.
* Go to Effect > Distort > Crop.
* Adjust the "Left," "Top," "Right," and "Bottom" values to crop the image as desired.
* Method 2: Using Mask (More Control):
* Select the pre-comp layer in the timeline.
* Choose a shape tool from the toolbar (Rectangle Tool, Ellipse Tool, etc.).
* Draw a shape directly on the Composition panel where you want the *visible* area to be. *Important*: Make sure the layer is selected *before* drawing the shape. This will create a mask.
* Adjust the mask shape and position as needed. Use the Selection Tool (V) to move and resize it.
* You can feather the mask (Mask Feather in the Layer panel) for softer edges.
* For more complex shapes, use the Pen Tool (G) to draw a custom mask.
4. Apply BCC UpRez:
* Select the pre-comp layer in the timeline (or the original video layer if you skipped pre-composing).
* Go to Effect > BCC FX Browser.
* Locate BCC UpRez in the filter list (it's usually under the "Image Restoration" category, but use the search bar if needed).
* Double-click on BCC UpRez to apply it to the layer.
5. Adjust BCC UpRez Settings:
* In the Effect Controls panel (Window > Effect Controls), you'll see the BCC UpRez parameters. Here's a breakdown of important settings:
* Output Width/Height: Set this to the desired output resolution (e.g., 1920x1080 for HD). This is the resolution of the final, upscaled video. If you're targeting a specific resolution, enter those values here.
* Scale Method: Choose the upscaling algorithm. Experiment to find the best look:
* Bilinear: The simplest (and fastest) but often the least sharp.
* Bicubic: A good balance of speed and quality.
* Lanczos: A more complex algorithm that generally produces sharper results, but can be slower.
* Other Specialized Algorithms (e.g., "Replicating" for pixel art): BCC offers several proprietary algorithms, some designed for specific types of footage. Read the BCC documentation for details. The choice depends on your source material. Start with Lanczos and then experiment.
* Sharpen Amount: Adjust the sharpening level. Be careful not to over-sharpen, which can create artifacts. A small amount can help bring out detail.
* Chroma Smoothing: Reduces color artifacts that can appear during upscaling.
* Noise Reduction: BCC UpRez has built-in noise reduction. Use it carefully, as excessive noise reduction can soften the image too much.
6. Adjust Composition Settings (If Necessary):
* After upscaling, you might need to adjust the composition's dimensions to match the BCC UpRez's output.
* Select the main composition in the Project panel.
* Go to Composition > Composition Settings...
* Set the "Width" and "Height" to match the "Output Width" and "Output Height" you specified in BCC UpRez. If you used the Pre-comp method, you should also set the pre-comp width and height.
Important Considerations and Tips
* Source Footage Quality: The better the quality of your original footage, the better the upscaled result will be. Upscaling cannot magically create detail that wasn't there in the first place.
* Experiment with Scaling Methods: The "best" scaling method depends on the content of your video. Experiment with different algorithms to see what looks best. "Lanczos" is usually a good starting point.
* Avoid Excessive Cropping: Cropping too much will reduce the amount of detail in your video, making upscaling less effective. Try to minimize the amount you crop.
* Test Render: Before rendering the entire video, do a short test render (a few seconds) to check the quality of the upscaling. This will save you time if you need to adjust the settings.
* Bit Depth: Work in a higher bit depth (16-bit or 32-bit) to avoid banding artifacts during upscaling. You can set the bit depth in the Project Settings (File > Project Settings).
* Anti-Aliasing: Check that anti-aliasing is enabled for your layers to smooth out edges. This is usually enabled by default.
* Render Settings: When rendering, choose a high-quality codec (e.g., ProRes, DNxHR) with a sufficient bit rate to preserve the detail from the upscaling. Avoid highly compressed codecs like H.264 if you want the best quality.
* BCC Documentation: Refer to the official BCC documentation for detailed information about all the parameters and features of BCC UpRez.
Example Workflow (Summary)
1. Import footage into After Effects and create a composition.
2. Pre-compose the footage (Layer > Pre-compose).
3. Apply Crop effect or create a mask to crop the pre-comp.
4. Apply BCC UpRez to the pre-comp.
5. Adjust BCC UpRez settings (Output Width/Height, Scale Method, Sharpen Amount, etc.).
6. Adjust the composition settings if needed to match the BCC UpRez output.
7. Test render a small section.
8. Render the final video.
By following these steps and considering the tips above, you can effectively crop and upscale your video in After Effects using BCC UpRez while maintaining a good level of quality. Remember to experiment with the settings to find what works best for your specific footage.