Color Shift Between AE Preview Window and AME Export / Media Playback on QuickTime and iPhone
- January 21, 2026
- 0 replies
- 45 views
Hi, I know some variations of this question have been asked before, but I couldn't find a satisfactory answer on here or am still confused.
I am having a problem with colors in After Effects, mainly when looking at the preview inside the program vs the render preview in AME vs the QuickTime viewer on my computer vs whatever viewer engine is displaying colors on my iPhone. I am exporting for social media content.
When I "interpret footage" in AE, I see it is Rec 709 color space. This is a fresh install of AE and AME, so I haven't adjusted any of the color project settings, preferences, etc. I am applying NeatVideo, CC Vignette, and Lumetri Color effects to the footage. When I export the footage, it looks significantly different in the AME preview and QuickTime which I have found to be a common issue with the player itself. On my iPhone, it looks more similar to what I see in the AE preview but a little less saturated and bright. It's not nearly as bad as QuickTime, though. In VLC, the footage looks close to what my iPhone sees.
Is there anything I can be doing to optimize my color workflow for posting on social media / viewing on a phone? I know that color management varies so drastically from device to device and even from internet browser to internet browser, but I am wondering if anyone has tips on this.
If you want to mess around with the footage straight from my camera and the export using the settings supplied in the screenshots, feel free. I have included a Google Drive link below. Screenshots were captured using the built-in screenshot tool on my Mac.
Helpful info:
Computer: MacBook Pro 2025 Model
Camera: Sony a7s iii 4k 24 fps output
Software: After Effects and AME 2025
Footage and Screenshots to get around attachment size limits: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1BepnUq7GttV-u7QDtaltozsBHqftkcC7?usp=sharing
