After Effects PNG Sequence Export Problem

[Nirmani]

I am making a 6 seconds Strip ad video. They ask me to make it on PAL D1/DV 720x576, and they ask me to export it in PNG Sequence. I did everything and everything went well. but when I importing the png files. it's only showing 5 seconds. but I export a 6-second video. I did everything. but still its 5 seconds. please help me. why is that? is there a way to make it 6 seconds.

[Jose Panadero]

Chek that you are not set and IN and OUT in the work area of your timeline before exporting. Check attached image. If so, double click over the gray bar to reset to lenght of comp.

[Nirmani]

Hi these are the settings they ask me to use

[Dave Merchant]

Obviously you need to tell After Effects what frame rate to use when importing an image sequence; it doesn't ask at the time and just applies the system default so you have to go into Interpret Footage and correct it.

[Nirmani]

these are the settings they ask me to use

[Jose Panadero]

Could you upload a screen capture of your timeline with the layers? Also, what kind of footage are you using (ie, image sequences, graphics, video, etc)?

[Nirmani]

sorry for blurring it. I cant how the company logo. this is a strip ad. 

[Dave Merchant · Accepted solution]

We're going round in circles here. Your question said:

They ask me to make it on PAL D1/DV 720x576, and they ask me to export  it in PNG Sequence. I did everything and everything went well. but when I  importing the png files. it's only showing 5 seconds. but I export a  6-second video

1. PAL means the composition should be 25fps (interlaced) which is confirmed in your screenshot, but for some reason you're not exporting to a PAL-compliant video format.
2. 576i PAL means a pixel aspect ratio of 1.09 and interlaced output, which means you have a bucket load of problems saving to a PNG image sequence unless you know exactly what you're doing.
3. You talk about importing the PNG sequence, but you haven't shown us the settings for that piece of footage in the project panel, which as I said before is critical. If it's not interpreted at 25fps, of course it will be a different length. Image sequences (except for specialist packages like cDNG) never have embedded frame rates, everyone using them has to be told what interpretation to apply. After Effects will use the system default in the preferences panel, not some value from the project. You will find it's still at the factory setting of NTSC 29.97.

[Jose Panadero]

As Dave has told you, you must interpret the original OK 3.png sequence to 25pfs. Select this PNG sequence in your project panel and go to File > Interpret Footage > Main. Change the frame rate to 25. Once yo do this, preview your comp and check that your png sequence is the exact long you need.

Anyway I would like to ask you one more question. How many frames do you have in the original folder that contains this PNG sequence. I'm asking because the name of the file ends at 25 (cannot see the complete name) but I'm afraid that this is an indicator that the length of this PNG sequence is 125 frames, so the length will be always 5secs.

[Nirmani]

Hi, thank you both a lot. these are the settings they ask me to use

[Nirmani]

HI Thank you, so much. oh my god, you guys are lifesavers. I check the frames just like you said. I export it in 25 frames. but when I import it shows as 30 frames. I change as you say to 25 frames. the suddenly it went right. oh my god Thank you soo much. bau I have a small problem the PAL video is a blur after I export it. one of my friends said that it will not be a blur on Television. is it normal to be blur?.  I have to give this today. Thank you again.

[Dave Merchant]

Nirmani  wrote

I have a small problem the PAL video is a blur after I export it. one of my friends said that it will not be a blur on Television. is it normal to be blur?.

There shouldn't be any blur unless something strange is going on. PNG from After Effects is visually lossless (allowing for color space issues).

You can compare the exported sequence by dropping it as a top layer on your original composition then setting the Mode to "Difference". If it was pixel-perfect the result would be pure black, but there will always be some artifacts (e.g. a thin halo around text and shape layers caused by the anti-aliasing).

Broadcast PAL interlaces the frames and smushes up the picture thanks to the limited bandwidth of analog transmission, so a freeze-frame from a TV will never be as good as the original master, but the files you send should always be as good as possible. If you can see a degradation in your exported frames then something's up.

[Nirmani]

Thank you so much for everything. you are a life savior.