How do I export a video from After Effects to Premiere?

You don't directly "export" a video from After Effects to Premiere. Instead, you import your After Effects composition directly into your Premiere Pro project. Here's how:

Importing After Effects Compositions into Premiere Pro

This process allows you to maintain a dynamic link between the two programs, meaning any changes made in your After Effects composition will automatically update in your Premiere Pro timeline. This eliminates the need to render out a separate video file from After Effects and then import it into Premiere.

Steps:

1. Save Your After Effects Project: Before you start, ensure you have saved your After Effects project containing the composition you want to use in Premiere Pro.
2. Open Premiere Pro: Launch your Premiere Pro application and open the project where you want to bring in the After Effects comp.
3. Import the After Effects Project:
   • Navigate to the Project Panel in Premiere Pro.
   • Right-click anywhere within the Project Panel.
   • Select Import from the menu.
   • Find your After Effects project file (.aep).
   • Select the file and click Open.
4. Select the Composition: After selecting the project file, you'll be given options of which compositions to bring in. Select the correct comp, and it will now be in the Project Panel for you to use in a sequence.

Key Advantages of this Method:

• Dynamic Linking: As mentioned above, edits in After Effects will update in Premiere.
• No Intermediate Rendering: Save time and hard drive space by avoiding extra rendering steps.
• Preserves Effects: All effects and animations created in After Effects are maintained in Premiere.
• Flexible Workflow: Work between Premiere and After Effects non-destructively.

Example:

Let's say you created a title animation in After Effects named “My Title Animation”.

• You would first save the After Effects project containing “My Title Animation”.
• Then, in Premiere Pro, use the import method described above and import the .aep file.
• You will be prompted to select the specific comp; here, you would select “My Title Animation”.
• Now, you can simply drag the “My Title Animation” comp onto your timeline in Premiere Pro. If you later decide you need to change something in the After Effects animation, any changes you make will be reflected on your Premiere Pro timeline.

This method is the most efficient way to utilize After Effects animations or visual effects in a Premiere Pro editing workflow. It keeps your projects organized and streamlined.