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Participant
April 1, 2016
Question

Transparency in background (After Effects CC 2015)

  • April 1, 2016
  • 4 replies
  • 13787 views

Hey! So, I'm trying to save this short video with a transparent background and I can't seem to get it right.

I've tried doing the RGB + alfa thing but it doesn't work. I've heard some things about codecs that accept the transparency and if it's so, how do I change it and to what should I change it to?

Thanks!

This topic has been closed for replies.

4 replies

Participant
July 1, 2017

Hey! I may have your answer. It certainly was for me. IF you have the AUTO INJEST box checked in the Media Browser in Premiere, it won't matter how to have rendered your alpha channel, because when you bring it into Premiere it will be transcoded to whatever the default codec is. I was bringing in perfect alpha channels, just like I had done for years and I noticed they would work for part of a second and then the background would turn black. I turned off auto injest and everything works as advertised. Good luck.

Participant
April 6, 2016

It worked! Thank you guys!

Participant
April 6, 2016

Not much help for someone after you. No mention of what you were doing or what worked.

Participant
March 5, 2017

Step 1.

Make sure that it is transparent by pressing this.

Step 2.

Pick a format like QuickTime and make sure that it supports Channels RGB + Alpha

From there, whatever you render out should be transparent.

So in theory you could have a complete green background, then layer this video on top of it and the rest should be transparent!

I hope this answers your question.

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^ Self advertisement, why not.

Szalam
Community Expert
Community Expert
April 1, 2016

You will not get transparency in a video player like QuickTime or Windows Media Player. They don't support transparency. Bring your file back into AE or into Premiere Pro and you will see the transparency.

Community Expert
April 1, 2016

Unless you are completely understand video formats you should be using the Lossless With Alpha Output Module preset to render your project with transparency. The only change that you should make is that you should change the color mode to Straight Alpha (nobody uses pre-multiplied and I don't have any idea why it is the default so I changed it by editing the preset)

Here's the important part, and I'll say it again. Unless you completely understand video formats do not mess with the presets.

It would also help us a bunch of you explained how you plan to use the rendered file. Media players, the web, HTML 5 players do not support alpha channels and will give you a black background.

Participant
April 1, 2016

It depends on where you want to use your transparent file. Many formats dont allow transparency. If you want it for web export to a photoshop sequence and open in photoshop to make a gif with transparency.