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scottramsay
Participant
February 2, 2017
Answered

Every video I render has a black background

  • February 2, 2017
  • 2 replies
  • 10527 views

Whenever I do an animation in AE, I can select any color I please and it changes to that color. Although, when I go to render it, the background is always black.

Does anybody have clues as to why this might be so?

Thankyou hugely in advance! Regards, Scott

    This topic has been closed for replies.
    Correct answer imeilfx

    Changing background color you are changing only preview window background color. If you wish to make different background color - just make a solid layer with color of your chosing.

    2 replies

    R
    Community Expert
    Rick GerardCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    February 2, 2017

    The only reason to ever change the background color of a composition is if you are planning to render with an alpha channel pre-multiplied against the new background color. This is a very odd thing to do and only folks expert in compositing would ever need this feature.

    After Effects always calculates an alpha channel. If you do not choose to render to a format that supports alpha channels then the "alpha" will always render as black. It is always this way. It always has been and there is no good reason to change it.

    As imeilfx said, if you want a solid color you have to add some pixels to the comp in the form of a shape layer or a solid.

      K
      KayBeeGee
      Known Participant
      October 28, 2021

      Absolutely wrong! The only time an artist needs to change the background color is when the artist decides the background color is incorrect. I am experiencing this problem now, trying to render compositions out of AE to import into Premiere. No matter what choice I make I end up with the black background that I don't want. I am trying to composite in Premiere - it is our pipeline and I have to adhere to it - HOW THE HECK DO I GET RID OF THE BLACK BACKGROUND?! This is outrageous. An alpha channel should be BY DEFAULT unfilled with any color. It is supposed to be empty, specifically for compositing. I make titles in AE to import into Premiere, and now I have a dozen titles with freakin' black backgrounds that I can't get rid of. 

        R
        Community Expert
        Rick GerardCommunity Expert
        Community Expert
        October 28, 2021

        Unless you put pixels in the background, the background is transparent. Almost all codecs always render transparent areas as black unless you are rendering to a format that supports RGBA, in other words, alpha channels.

         

        If you want colored backgrounds to add a layer with the color. A solid or a shape layer is the easiest solution.

        imeilfx
        imeilfxCorrect answer
        Inspiring
        February 2, 2017

        Changing background color you are changing only preview window background color. If you wish to make different background color - just make a solid layer with color of your chosing.

          N
          Nathaniel22722243ivvb
          Participant
          January 19, 2022

          Does not work. Insructions are too complicated for this. Where's the simple step-by-step anywhere? So far, the results I've found via searching around the web are that this is more complicated than it should be. Suppose it's to keep jobs as graphic designers secure.

           

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