Editing an mp4 in After Effects?

[faradinoto]

I made a video a while ago and cannot find the file. I can only find the mp4. Is there a way I can open the mp4 and convert it to an editable file again?

The mp4 is saved under a different name than the original comp/.aep file, and I cannot remember the original name and I think I might have deleted it because I cannot find any of my .aep files. I moved my entire "motion graphics" folder to dropbox to save space on my computer and the only files there are mp4. Does dropbox not support .aep files? Does anyone know where those files could have gone?

I spent a lot of time on this video, so any help as to how I can get it back to make changes would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

[Mylenium]

Is there a way I can open the mp4 and convert it to an editable file again?

No. It's all just compressed pixels. There is no editable data in an MP4 file. The rest we can't know. How are we supposed to know where your files are if you have no clue about that yourself?

Mylenium

[Roland Kahlenberg]

Unless you rendered in AE and not in AME AND you enabled the Include Project Link option (at the top of the Output Module Dialog Window), there is no way to get to the AEP that was used to create the MP4.

I suggest you create Output Templates that have the relevant option enabled, for all your renders, in the future.

[BartonGarrett256]

You can go back through the auto save files, there will be a record of it there, depending on when and how.  To see where they are set up a new project and see where you have default auto saves.  I would say go to your backup disk but I'm guessing you don't have one. Just keep in mind you need to find all the assets you used unless you have a render.

You can also get better searching utilities than Windows offers. I use a utility called Find Anything. 

You have to be very disciplined with Ae and Pr, they not work if you move assets around.  I use a set of disks for each client and have one master and one backup.  In addition I retire disks at three years, so I generally have three or more copies of everything.  Disks are cheap. I use internal hard drives either inside or via USB and inexpensive external adapters.  If you add drives internally be careful about getting too close to your power supply's upper limit in wattage. 

I use a free Microsoft utility called Synch Toy to duplicate drives or folders.

I set up every project with a filename that begins with the date, then use a standard set of folder names inside the project, so when I open any master I know where any asset is by classification.  You have to be consistent if you want to do anything other than just play in the sandbox.

[Warren Heaton]

Dropbox supports storing AEP files just fine.

How long ago did you work with the AEP?  It may still show in Recent Projects. 

You may have to locate each and every last AEP file on your computer and open them one at time.  Hopefully, one of them contains the source footage and Comp that was used to create your MP4.

If you used Adobe Medid Encoder, you may find the copy of the project that AME used to create the file if you check the temp location that AME put the project (it was probably the same location as the AEP file) for the temporary AEP or check the AME render log (File > Show Log File) to see if you can back track to where the MP4 came from.

-Warren

[kirkeric · Accepted solution]

I'm guessing you have this mp4 file because at some point you rendered a copy as an mp4.  As some have said, if you move assets, you will have problems and need to relocate.  If you deleted, well, you are pretty well out of luck.  The source file is the source file.  To my knowledge there is never a duplicate saved somewhere unless you do so yourself.

If it was used in the aep project, it should reveal the file name and the fact that it's not linked unless you have done some other naming changes along the way.  If it is listed there in your media bin in AE, you should see the name, right click and see some options to reload or try and replace, which generally at least will pull up the last location it was in.

Otherwise, you may just have to search all of the file types you are looking for and take some time to review, estimate dates, search ranges, etc.  But, if it's gone, it's gone.

As for Dropbox, it doesn't care what you put in it.  It's a hard drive essentially (in the cloud), not a program.

Eric