Why?

We were recently contracted to create 136 separate animations for a customer. While this may seem a daunting task, we spent some time thinking about how to speed up production and output to get all the animations done on time. Say hello to network rendering. While this is nothing new, if you still have some extra computers lying around your home or office, you can greatly increase your rendering and output speed by putting their collective power to work.

This post is related to After Effects CS5 and 5.5 on a PC. The first thing to note while using multi-system rendering is that each computer can only work on 1 frame at a time. This means you will need to output your videos as image sequences – be it JPEG, PNG, TIFF, TGA or whatever format you desire. Luckily in our case, the client requested image sequences so we did not have to re-create self-contained video files as a post-render action.

What you will need:

• Multiple Desktops with After Effects installed
• All plugins used in your comp must be installed on all computers
• Basic knowledge of outputting files from After Effects
• Basic knowledge of using shared network folders
• A fast network drive accessible by all computers
• Preferably a Gigabit (1000mbps) internal network connection
• Plenty of file storage space
• A breakdown of your file structure on paper and a highlighter
• A pot of coffee and a little patience

Assuming you are outputting a series of separate videos as we did, you will need to pay close attention to your file structure. When outputting 136 separate animations, consisting of 10 second animations at 24 frames per second, we had to manage 32610 individual files that were being output by several computers simultaneously. I can’t stress the importance of good file structure and naming conventions enough.

• TIP:
  We create every file with a date in the file name, and a version number. Try to never use the word “Final” or “ThisIsTheLastOneForSure”. You will clutter yourself with thousands of final files that are nowhere near final. A good example would be “Maverick_LogoAnimation_PngSEQ_Nov03_2011_01.png”. We also try to stay away from spaces in file names as we often upload our files online and a space becomes a “%20″ which is just confusing for everyone. Keep it clear.

A tool we use on a regular bases for our video work is what we call our “basefolder”. This is a small application that creates a file structure that we use for every project. You can download it HERE and use it as you please! This will set you up with a good system to keep all of your assets and project files neat and organized.

Setting up the project:

To get this time saving process going, it is required to create a common drive letter among computers on the network. The easiest way to do this is to map a network drive on each computer using the same drive letter. Choose a computer on the network that you want all the output files to be stored on. Create a folder and name it something cohesive such as “RenderOutput”. Now right click that puppy and share it on the network/workgroup. Now on each computer, open any “My Computer” window and click the menu Tools->Map Network Drive.

When the Map Network Drive box appears, choose a drive letter from the drop-down that is not being used by any computer for example, “U:”. Now click browse and navigate to the folder you shared earlier. Click “Finish”.

Make sure the drive letters used on each computer are the same. You can check by opening “My Computer” and in Windows 7, you should see a new network drive called “U: Render Output”. Create a new folder in here relative to your project for example “Project_01″.

Now we dive back into After Effects. Don’t worry, the coffee is still warm. To keep this tutorial simple, we will assume you are rendering out a single video as a PNG sequence. Start with the main computer you did your After Effects work on. Open your composition and add it to the render que (ctrl+shift+/). Under the comp you just added in the render que, you will have 3 yellow texts. Start by selecting the yellow text beside “Render Settings:”.

Set up your output settings as you usually would here but the main difference is the check box for “Skip existing files (allows multi-machine rendering)”. This will allow each computer to check for the rendered frame, and if it exists, skip it and proceed to render the next one. Click OK.

Under “Output Module:” select any of the formats under the “Format” drop-down described above – in our case “PNG Sequence”. Click OK.

Now we need to select where the render will go. Click the yellow text beside “Output To:” and navigate to U:\RenderOutput\Project_01\. Give your file a clear name but leave the “[#####].png” as this value will be replaced with the numbering sequence. Click Save. Now save your Project.

The final step is critical. Inside After Effects, click “File->Collect Files”. When the Collect Files dialogue appears, click the drop-down and select “All”. Now click “Collect…”. Now in the browser dialogue that just appeared, navigate to your U:\RenderOutput\ directory and click “Save”.

The work is done! All you have to do now is go on each computer, open the project file that the “collect files” process created in your U:\RenderOutput\*projectName*\ directory, and hit “Render” in the render Que. You will now see each computer start to crunch out individual frames of your video or animation.

• TIP:
  For those of you outputting multiple sequences, try to pre-render any segments of your comp that don’t change between videos as proxies. Then in your “Render Settings” in the render que, when the dialogue opens, choose “Use All Proxies” and this will use your pre-rendered elements rather than re-rendering these every time. This is especially useful for multiple videos where only some assets change for example, new text being overlayed on the same background. Pre-Compose the background elements and render a Proxy for that comp.

Your render time will decrease proportionally to the number of computers working on the video. When all the computers are finished working, your U:\RenderOutput\Project_01\ directory will be full of all the PNG’s for each frame of your video. Now you can go back into After Effects for a final output. Import your PNG’s as a PNG Sequence, Ensure your composition frame rate is set correctly. Right click your newly imported sequence and choose “Interpret Footage->Main” and type in your composition’s correct framerate and click ok. Then output that final composition for distribution! It really is a piece of cake and you can reuse this structure you created for all your projects that would benefit from a network render.

When is this not useful?

Network rendering will give you no benefit when rendering a video that already outputs real-time. Since After Effects does not output self-contained or multiplexed videos through a network render, all you can do is create image sequences, then recombine them afterwards as a video file for distribution. If After Effects is already outputting real-time or close to it, you may as well just render your final delivery format from the get go and save the time of re-outputting from an image sequence.

When is this beneficial?

Network rendering is a huge time saver when rendering processor intensive animations. Any time your PC takes longer than 5 seconds per frame to render; it will be worth the time to quickly setup a network render for that composition.

We hope you find this useful and that you will be blazing through previously painstaking render times. Check back soon and we will be working on other tutorials to help share our experiences with our industry.

Cake House Desserts

What They Wanted:

Cake House Desserts wanted a website that listed their foods in a simple way, where customers can browse the products, custom  creations and eventually contact Cake House Desserts to place an order.

What We Delivered:

After meeting with the owner and getting a feel for her personality and tastes, we developed a beautiful website that truly reflected her fun, positive attitude. The colours and design portray warmth and quality, and the photography and navigation options are both elegant and functional.

The feedback on the website has been wonderful, clients can easily get a feeling for the quality of the products, and the owner has a website that truly reflects the brand.

View Project

Stratovate Group

What they wanted

Stratovate Group is a team of thinkers and strategists. They are a new edge strategy business that looks towards creative to elevate brands. Specializing in marketing, strategy and brand management, Stratovate came to Maverick to get a creative way to tell their story that was visual, engaging and memorable.

What we created

Though meetings with Stratovate, we noticed that the passion that they had for their business could not be duplicated. We took a personal approach and uses the business owners as the voice of their company. Rather than hiring voiceover talent or actors, we brought the Stratovate team into the studio and filmed the plate that would be our base for animation. We then took the team’s hand drawings, scanned them and meticulously animated each feature to become a dynamic, live action and CG video. The video really delivers passion and tells the story that is the very “fabric” of Stratovate. The team was very happy with the result and we will continue working with them into the future.

Client

Firebox

What They Asked For:

Firebox was launching their new line of touch screen displays. Along with a new website they were working on, they needed a slick video piece to hold it all together and add stickiness to the site.

What We Delivered:

We created a fully 3D promo that educates customers on the features and benefits of the new Firebox displays. Using specific lighting, editing and music selection, we created a powerful progressive piece that really captures the mood and essence of Firebox. A cool, trendy new brand that brings the digital world within fingers reach of the computer users worldwide.

Client:

Dj Spoonz

What They Wanted:

A cool logo animation that can be used to brand and introduce all videos released by Dj Spoonz.

What We Delivered:

After reviewing inspiration provided by Spoonz and working through our creative process, we determined that to match Spoonz’ fluidity and soulful style, we needed a classy but creative way to introduce his brand. We thought an MTV style intro would allow us to mash soul with energy and created this interesting build up to a logo reveal. It took Josh about 20 takes to hit the spoon at the right angle to make it fly up in the manner desired. No spoons were harmed during the making of this film.

Client:

David Versis & Vandals Media Group

What They Wanted:

David Versis (http://www.davidversis.com/) is a Toronto musician and rapper, looking for another strong visual to promote his upcoming mixtape “Hate To Say It.” Versis and his team have worked with Maverick in the past (brand identity and web presence) and requested a video that would generate a fun feeling and a sense of excitement for the upcoming release.

What We Delivered:

After listening to the track dozens of times on replay, the overall feeling of “good times” is felt. We discussed at length with the Vandals at the local Starbucks what would allow listeners of the desired demographic to really connect with the track and the piece. We decided that a party theme would be easily understood – But in true Maverick nature, we had to add our creative twist. We formed a black hole and allowed ourselves to cut between two separate moments in time. They party day, and the day after. You can see Dave having a great time with his friends during the party, and laughing at their inability to be conscious the next day. The end of the video needed a small tease to the mix tape which was delivered in vignette style. The team is very happy with the video and those who watch it enjoy it time and time again.

The concept

The concept when we walked outside to shoot this test, was to see if we could lip sync in normal speed, then half way through, seamlessly cut to slow motion.

The result

How did this happen?? We planned to shoot a slow motion test, and we got carried away. Clearly. The saying of the day was “why stop there?”. It was a day of brainstorming and mouse clicks that resulted in this really cool motion graphics piece. Many elements were used here including stock footage, particle systems, motion tracking, music, changing frame rates, colour grading and more. We imagine cool ideas but rarely get the opportunity to execute them on client projects. We invested in ourselves and took the time to create this and show people that we are capable of so much more than your average corporate piece. Want more? Stay tuned. This is only the beginning. P.S. Josh could survive in the music industry.. no?

We have been talking about this for a long time. We want to be able to show our ideas without the need for a client to invest in a thought. Maverick is interested in creating crazy cool work, so we are continually doing tests, pushing our boundaries and expanding our skill sets. Maverick Labs is the place to house our nonsense. Check back often – big or small, our labs will be the place to go to see next big thing.

Client

CityBang

What They Asked For:

CityBang contacted Maverick to develop a simple logo that would be easily recognizable in the sea of event promoters. Their only visual requirement was that the logo include a CN tower for the “t” in “City.”

What We Delivered:

We attacked the project using the best known tools in the business, pencils and the flip side of our monthly bills (we could have used the front, but those red stamps get in the way). After a few iterations, a solid direction was established, and we continued to build the piece. We knew the logo should look modern and trendy, but also timeless to ensure that it would be future proof. Collaboration is a tool Maverick is built on, and with the team’s input, we delivered a beautiful logo that the folks at Citybang were ecstatic with.

Teach-My

What they wanted

Teach My is the brand behind the baby/toddler/child education systems created to help babies, toddlers and children develop their basic skills. Teach-My approached Maverick, inquiring if our team could put together some web videos to promote and really explain their products. They wanted us to portray the company as is, owned by a mother who truly believes in her product.

What we created

Maverick took the videos to another level, and really broke down the features, advantages and benefits of the Teach-My products and brand. We made sure that the owner, Christy Cook, was actually in the promotional video, and that the audience got a feel not only for the product, but for Christy and what she is really about.