How can I export RGB + Alpha in Adobe After Effects with Adobe Media Encoder (2020)

Question

I have built out a few little animations in After Effects. I'm trying to export them — and pull them into ScreenFlow.

When I export > add-to-media-queue I get a .mov that won't open in QuickTime — and that is “messed up” (for lack of understanding) when I try to use it in ScreenFlow.

It's supposed to look like this:

but it looks like this:

I've been able to export it with Adobe Media Encoder — but it has a black background and I can't find how to ensure it comes out with alpha.

Media encoder is being really buggy - and I'm curious is there are problems with the latest releases?

How can a regular ol guy, who's trying to get a basic RGB + Alpha animation, get the job done — the simplest way? I don't even want to know what a codec is... if possible. I plan on staying in the hobbies zone.

Answer 1

Click the output mode in the render queue, by default it says lossless:

use these settings, format: quicktime, video output channels: RGB + Alpha: click format options and choose Apple ProRes 4444. The 4th 4 is the indicator that the codec has an alpha channel (this only applies to the Apple ProRes codec naming scheme). That should fix your problem.

Edit: This was also fixable without changing the codec to Apple ProRes 4444, and could have been accomplished with opening one less window by just switching the color channel to Straight (Unmatted), however... ...knowing whether to choose Straight (no baked-in black) or Premultiplied (baked-in black) is somewhat abstract, and importing video with the default animation codec + aplha into other programs is just weird sometimes.

I've found that ProRes 4444 hits the "it just works" goal more often, and remembering that 4444 corresponds with RGBA(lpha) is easier to recall than the difference between matted vs. unmatted.

Answer 2

3 Steps! I was having issues and was able to solve it by rendering in Adobe Media Encoder with the following settings/steps:

• When ready to export, in AE go to "File > Export > Add to Media Encoder Queue". Media Encoder should automatically open (if not already open) and add your AE file to it's queue.

• In the Media Encoder queue where your AE file is listed there are two sections with drop down arrows next to them. Click the first arrow and pick "Quicktime" from the drop down menu.

• Then click the second drop down arrow and pick "Apple ProRes 4444 with Alpha" from that drop down menu.

• Done! You can click the file path to the right to name your rendered file and choose where it will be saved.