NUKE Software

Hey Harmy, I've used nuke only to solve some individual problems that AE couldn't handle. (i.e. removing some unwanted flourescent tube flicker in an interview background) I found the program a bit wieldy to use. It's node based, which isn't that hard to get used to if you aren't already (I wasn't) But on some modules that have multiple inputs/outputs its a bit confusing trying to figure out what has to be connected to where. There is a fair amount of documentation by way of youtube videos that go over the whole program starting with interface and workflow etc. Also, similarly to After effects in which you can use expressions, Nuke's plugin modules or nodes or whatever you would like to call them are mostly written in Python I believe, so if you have any knowledge in python it might be helpful. 

I would recommend checking it out and seeing if it makes sense for you. I've seen some of the stuff that has come out of it enough to know that it is a very powerful program. That being said, it might be a little too much for what you need, I've pretty much stuck with AE after messing around with Nuke a bit. That's not to say that I wouldn't like to learn more nuke.

The foundry's Nuke tutorial playlist can be found here:http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL46AC3F3C94F3E187&feature=plcp

Is there any particular reason you're looking to jump off of the AE boat?

I can't offer any input on Nuke, but best of luck on getting the new job!

Good luck with the job! I looked at their reel and it looks like they do some pretty great work. Would you be looking to work on the commercial side or feature film side? 

Nuke apparently has a great slow motion module called Kronos that blows other plugins like Twixtor out of the water. That might be a cool place to start to get used to the interface. I also remember seeing a walkthrough of how they composited really complex scenes from the feature film District 9 in Nuke. It's insane how intricate you can get. There's definitely a lot of cool stuff going on in the post production world these days....

Those are cool videos. The film restoration process looks pretty intricate, yet so important. There are a long list of classics that I would love to see restored some day. Do you know what program it is they're using in the video to retouch the frame scans? It looks like they're using a couple of different ones. I've been thinking of adding a digital pen tablet to my workflow, looks like thats what gives them such precise control and the ability to work quickly. 

Yeah, esp. for video editing the GPU is the key...I'm going to have to get me a 2nd monitor sometime too...Ive done some pretty intense AE comps with like 50 layers that for whatever reason I couldn't pre compose. I was looking at around a 2" preview thumbnail of my video if I had to drag keyframes around en masse. 

on the subject of having the right GPU etc, check out this DIY tutorial on building a supercharged "hackintosh" I was reading awhile back: 

http://nofilmschool.com/2010/10/build-video-editing-hackintosh-thats-faster/

I'm on an Imac right now but if I ever migrate over to a tower, I might consider ponying up the cash and making one of those.