How to give my projects a sharper, crisper look?

[sodasullivan]

Hi everyone! I just completed my first real machinima project here:

I am not toltally unhappy with it, but I would like to know how everyone gets their work looking so crisp and less "fuzzy". I am using Fraps, editing and converting in Adobe Premier and uploading the file as mp4 (H264). Any suggestions or tips will be greatly appreciated.

[Maryanne Solo]

The simple answer is in the export/output resolution/size & quality.

I'm not that familiar with premier and your output format, quality & dimensions will depend on the speed & power of your PC.

Aim for something simple like 720 in .wmv for starters, or look on youtube for examples in quality.  

 

[sodasullivan]

Thanks to both!

[Ormand Lionheart]

Change the viewer window size to 1280x720 and record at 25 or 30 fps. Make sure you keep the same parameters during editing and when you render it. Changing fps and frame size during this process can introduce jerkiness and produce a low quality render. If your hardware can handle 1920x1080 @30 fps then try that but the smaller the viewer window the more fps you will have to prevent lag. The issue with your video is it's a low resolution.