Search
Woman in an office working at a computer

After Effects How to Render: Mastering Video Rendering

Jose Waller

In this After Effects tutorial, the narrator will demonstrate the process of depiction and exporting from After Effects to various video formats. There are multiple ways to provide for specific mediums, but the narrator will focus on the commonly used render settings.

The following are the available options, and the viewer can simply click on the desired one. It is important to note that when rendering, the file should be saved/exported on the computer first. Rendering on a server or external hard drive may cause delays.

The narrator starts by explaining how to send the project to the provide queue panel. For beginners, there is an animated screenshot illustrating the process of sending the finished project to the render queue window. They can follow these steps:

  1. Select the project;
  2. Drag the project to the Render Queue Window Panel. Alternatively, they can go to File > Export > Add to Render Queue.

The narrator also provides a keyboard shortcut for depiction:

  • On Mac: press Shift + Command + /
  • On PC: press Shift + Ctrl + /

Next, the tutorial focuses on depiction a high-resolution video in After Effects. Sometimes, video editors or production companies require a high-resolution version of the animation. The following are the recommended provide settings for a 1080p video with no loss in quality:

Before rendering, it is essential to ensure sufficient hard drive space as the video file will take up a significant amount of space.

To begin depiction:

  1. Drag the project to the Render Queue Window;
  2. Click on “Lossless”;
  3. In the video Output area: Choose “Quicktime” as the format;
  4. Click on “Format Options”;
  5. In the Format Options window: Select “Animation” and click “OK”;
  6. If audio is required: Click on the audio output to enable sound;
  7. To finalize the output module settings: Click “OK” to close the output module setting window;
  8. Now, choose the destination folder: Click on “Comp1”;
  9. Finally, start the rendering process: Click on the “Render” button.

Note: Instead of using the “Animation” format, it is also possible to provide in “Apple ProRes 422 (LT)” or “Apple ProRes 4444” (including alpha channel), but these options require a Mac computer. Based on the narrator’s past experience, the Animation format has a high success rate with clients.

Rendering in After Effects with a transparent background is a straightforward process that requires ensuring no interfering backgrounds or layers are present.

Follow the steps outlined below:

  1. Begin by examining the project to verify it has a transparent background. This can be done by clicking on the corresponding icon;
  2. Transfer the project to the Render Queue Window;
  3. Select the “Lossless” option;
  4. Choose the “Quicktime” format in the video Output section;
  5. Click on “Format Options”;
  6. Opt for the “Animation” format and confirm the selection by pressing the OK button;
  7. In the Channels drop-down menu, choose “RGB + Alpha.” This configuration will generate a video with an Alpha Channel, effectively making it transparent;
  8. If sound is not required, adjust the audio output accordingly;
  9. Once again, click OK to close the output module settings window;
  10. Determine the destination folder by selecting Comp1;
  11. Initiate the depiction process by clicking on the Render button.

By following these steps, users can successfully provide their After Effects project with a transparent background, enabling the integration of the video into various projects seamlessly.

Note: It’s important to remember that formats like “Animation” or “Apple ProRes 4444” support rendering with an Alpha Channel, whereas MP4 files do not.

Here’s how to provide from After Effects to an MP4 file

Surprisingly, the current version of After Effects’ render queue does not have the capability to directly render to an MP4 format. Instead, you will need to either export to Adobe Media Encoder or use alternative software to convert the video file to an MP4 format.

Here are two options for exporting your After Effects project to an MP4 video format:

Option 1 – Adobe Media Encoder:

  1. Send your project to the render queue;
  2. In the provide queue, select the project;
  3. Click on the “Output To” field to specify the output location and file name for the rendered video;
  4. In the “Output Module” section, click on the “Format” dropdown menu and choose “H.264” as the format;
  5. Adjust the other settings, such as resolution and bitrate, as desired;
  6. Click on the “Render” button to start the depiction process.

Option 2 – External software:

  1. Once your composition is ready, go to File > Export > Add to Adobe Media Encoder Queue. This will open Adobe Media Encoder with your project loaded;
  2. In Adobe Media Encoder, select the project and choose the desired output format, such as MP4;
  3. Configure additional settings like resolution, bitrate, and encoding options;
  4. Specify the output location and file name;
  5. Click on the “Start Queue” button to begin the depiction process.

By utilizing either Adobe Media Encoder or external software, users can successfully export their After Effects project to an MP4 video format, allowing for compatibility with various devices and platforms.

Option 1

Adobe Media Encoder logo

To render a composition in After Effects using Adobe Media Encoder or HandBrake, follow these steps:

  1. Ensure that Adobe Media Encoder is installed either through your Adobe Cloud Account or by downloading the free trial version;
  2. In After Effects, navigate to the Project panel window and select the desired project;
  3. Click on File > Export > Add to Adobe Media Encoder Queue… Alternatively, use the shortcut:On Windows: Ctrl + Alt + M/ On Mac: Option + Command + M;
  4. Adobe Media Encoder will open, displaying the initial screen;
  5. In the Queue panel, the project you selected in After Effects should be visible;
  6. Confirm that the Format dropdown is set to H.264. These are the recommended settings, but you can customize and optimize them to reduce the MP4 file size;
  7. Click on the green play button icon to begin rendering the project into the MP4 video format.

Option 2 – HandBrake:

HandBrake is a useful software that allows you to convert videos to MP4 format for free. It is available for both Mac and PC.

  1. First, render your After Effects composition as a Quicktime MOV file. Refer to the detailed explanation provided above if needed;
  2. Launch HandBrake;
  3. Drag and drop your MOV file into HandBrake’s interface;
  4. By default, the format dropdown should be set to MP4;
  5. Click on the browse button to specify the destination for saving your MP4 file;
  6. Click on the Start Encode button;
  7. Once the process is complete, your MP4 video will be ready to be uploaded anywhere.

In conclusion, understanding how to properly provide in After Effects is crucial to ensure the quality of your project. Even with a beautifully crafted animation, incorrect depiction can result in glitches, blurriness, grain, and pixelation. If you have any questions regarding depiction, feel free to leave a comment for further assistance.