Exporting Video from After Effects

From Help Wiki
  • Video can be exported with the After Effects Render Queue or with Adobe Media Encoder.
  • Video with a transparent layer needs to be exported with an alpha channel.

Render Queue

Export ProRes Mov with the Render Queue

  1. Select the composition in the Project Window
  2. Go to File > Export > Add to Render Queue.
  3. In the Render Queue window click on the blue text to the right of Output Module
  4. For Format choose Quicktime.
  5. In Video Output set channels to RGB for regular video. For a video with an alpha channel choose RGB + Alpha.
  6. Click Format Options and choose Apple ProRes 422 (LT) for regular video and or Apple ProRes 4444 for an alpha channel.
  7. The Audio Output setting defaults to Auto. Audio will only be exported if the composition has audio. Audio can also be set to on or off.
  8. Click OK
  9. Set the output destination by click on the blue text to the right of Output To. Browse to your folder and click OK
  10. Click Render in the top right corner to start to exporting the video.


Export H.264 with the Render Queue

  1. Select the composition in the Project Window
  2. Go to File > Export > Add to Render Queue.
  3. In the Render Queue window click on the blue text to the right of Output Module
  4. For Format choose H.264.
  5. In Video Output set channels to RGB for regular video.
  6. The Audio Output setting defaults to Auto. Audio will only be exported if the composition has audio. Audio can also be set to on or off.
  7. Click OK
  8. Set the output destination by click on the blue text to the right of Output To. Browse to your folder and click OK
  9. Click Render in the top right corner to start to exporting the video.


Media Encoder

Export ProRes Mov with Adobe Media Encoder

  1. Select the composition in the Project Window
  2. Go to File > Export > Add to Adobe Media Encoder Queue.
  3. Adobe Media Encoder will open with the composition added to the Queue.
  4. To change the preset drag the desired preset on top of the default preset.
    • Use the 1920 Screening ProRes preset when using the lab computers
    • Or use Broadcast > Apple ProRes > Apple ProRes 422 (LT) QuickTime
  5. For an alpha channel use Broadcast > Apple ProRes > Apple ProRes 4444 QuickTime
    1. Click on the Apple ProRes 4444 QuickTime Playback setting in the Queue to open the settings.
    2. The Video Codec should be Apple Pro Res 444.
    3. Set the Render at Maximum Depth setting to 16-bpc + Alpha.
    4. Click OK
  6. Click the text in the Output File column to set the export location. Browse to your folder and click Save
  7. Click the green play button in the top right corner to start to exporting the video.

Export H.264 with Adobe Media Encoder

  1. Select the composition in the Project Window
  2. Go to File > Export > Add to Adobe Media Encoder Queue.
  3. Adobe Media Encoder will open with the composition added to the Queue.
  4. To change the preset drag the desired preset on top of the default preset.
    • Use Broadcast > H.264 > Match Source High Bit Rate.
  5. Click the text in the Output File column to set the export location. Browse to your folder and click Save
  6. Click the green play button in the top right corner to start to exporting the video.