Exporting for web + Alpha channel

[CRobertson1392]

hello, I am trying to export for web. My final product needs an alpha channel because it is used as a border for live feed. Every time I export I get file sizes anywhere from 200mb+. My intention is to get 50mb and below. I know it can be done because I have files that are less than 20mb and have the same animations. The person I got the files from will not share their wisdom. I am using Adobe After Effects, usually with the saber plugin. What can be done to achieve the goal of 50mb or less with alpha channel?

[Dave_LaRonde]

CRobertson1392  wrote

What can be done to achieve the goal of 50mb or less with alpha channel?

You're not going to like this: NOTHING.  Codecs supporting alpha channels do not create such compact files.

I'd get together with the person who will use this border and discuss:

1) what the actual delivery requirements are or

2) a Plan B to get this to work.

[CRobertson1392]

I do not believe this to be true. As stated above I have a .mov file that is 19mb and has the same animation I work with. I am looking for a solution for all of my customers, not just a single one. There must be something else that can be done to achieve such a small file. Wether it be a different program or something else. I know it can be done.

[jasontcox]

Well, Dave was a bit dramatic but not entirely wrong either. It is VERY hard to get super small files with alpha channels but not impossible. BUT you didn't tell us ANYTHING about the important details of your project, such as resolution and length. Is it 5 seconds long or 5 mins long? Is it SD, HD, or 4K? If the video is SUPER short and/or not super high-res, then it's theoretically possible. But if you're trying to get 60 seconds of 4K video with an alpha down to 50 MB, it aint gonna happen lol.

[CRobertson1392]

Sorry, guess I’ve just been so run down looking for a solution that’s kind of a catch all I forgot about this.

None of my projects are over 20 seconds long. Hd is max resolution, I’m not interested in 4K.  30fps is What I use for all animations.

Im wondering if I’m missing some crucial information that can help you guys help me. I KNOW it can be done. I have files to prove it. Im just at a loss of how to get it done.

[Rick Gerard]

Media players that play videos will not under any circumstances give you an alpha channel. There is no transparency if you use a media player to play your video on a web page. The only solution is to use a program like Animate or export an SVG from AE but SVG only really works if all your layers are vectors,

[CRobertson1392]

I will not be using my projects in a media player. they are overlays used in software like OBS. OBS is a screen capture program if you are not familiar with it. OBS will capture the screen including the overlay I am creating and broadcast it to a website or it will be recorded to the comouter it is being recorded on.

The only time my media media will be “played back” would be during display time to the customer or the customers followers.

[Andrew Yoole]

What format are the files you already have that are the correct size?

[CRobertson1392]

.mov and there is also html. I have no idea how to export to html. Both have alpha channels both a extremely low mb.

[Andrew Yoole]

Your .mov files are almost certainly compressed with the Quicktime Animation codec.  Unfortunately, none of the Adobe applications allow you to alter the compression level when encoding Animation any more, so you are forced to make large files with less compression.

You might need to source a much older version of After Effects to get back that functionality.

[CRobertson1392]

Is it possible there is a compression program that will keep the alpha channels? I test handbreak and it emoved the alpha channels.

[Roland Kahlenberg]

Take a look at the HAP CODEC. You need to ensure the playback device/app supports the CODEC.

https://hap.video/

GitHub - disguise-one/hap-encoder-adobe-cc: Community-supported exporter of HAP codec family for Ado...

[Dave Merchant]

Now that legacy Quicktime is depreciated there are only a few options to export video from After Effects that includes alpha, and all of them are going to result in big files because they assume you want very high data rates.

Cineform (quality 4+)

Quicktime ProRes 4444 or 4444HQ

Quicktime "Animation"

DNxHD/DNxHR

Make sure that Channels says "RGB+Alpha" in every case.

The other option is to export an image sequence (PNG or TIFF). Often that's simpler, provided your other software can read it.

[CRobertson1392]

If the png sequence were in GIF format it would work but since I am exporting flowing animations png sequence will not work. Also the program will not accept it.

[Dave_LaRonde]

I'd say it's about time for Plan B, wouldn't you?

[Everdraed · Accepted solution]

naw he's correct to think it's possible and Plan A is fine, Dave.

OBS supports alpha'd webm, which both AME 2019 + 2018 (anything CS6 or later) can export to if you install the open source plugin for it from http://www.fnordware.com/WebM/ .  Make sure to 'Add to Adobe Media Encoder Queue' instead of 'Add to Render Queue' in AE and also check 'Include Alpha Channel' in 'Codec settings' on export.  It's extremely solid compression and offers some quality options as well.

Worked perfectly for me in a similar type of OBS overlay project where I animated donation reward visuals that appeared dynamically based on donation amounts in OBS:

http://everdraed.com/wat/fangTophat.webm   (3.98MB)

http://everdraed.com/wat/fang14karat.webm  (889KB)

http://everdraed.com/wat/fangHeadXplode.webm  (3.37MB)

I think these are with default compression quality, they aren't particularly complex or long but 50MB for sub 20 seconds should be no problem.

Also duder you should thank Dave for this, only reason I responded is 'cause I can't stand smug wrongness haha.

[CRobertson1392]

Dudette*    But thank you so much! I knew there had to be something! I do have the webm plugin but I couldn’t find the alpha channel setting so I assumed it didn’t have one.

ill Test it once I’m home and mark as correct if it works for me!

[CRobertson1392]

I finally was able to test this and it worked. I want to add that it must be the webm plugin from the link you shared. I had a webm plugin that adobe shared but it did not include an alpha channel option. Thanks again this was so helpful!

[Displav.]

Works perfectly in AE 2024 also!!

Thanks for the tip!
Saved us sooo much time!