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R
robb99330196
Participant
February 28, 2018
Question

How do I reduce the file size in After Effects and Media Encoder?

  • February 28, 2018
  • 4 replies
  • 12517 views

I've been trying to reduce the output file size of my video for a while now. I rendered the video from After Effects using Quicktime .H264 at 1080p and 60FPS and the video is 1.87GB (3 min video).

When I try to encode the .H264 file to a DXV3 file (Resolume codec) it makes the file even larger at 2.03GB.

I've also tried compressing the .H264 video with Handbrake and encoding that to a DXV3 file but it still outputs the file at 2.03GB.

I need to do this for a lot of videos and I don't have enough space to store that many videos if they are each 2GB.

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks

Rob.

This topic has been closed for replies.

4 replies

imeilfx
imeilfx
Inspiring
March 1, 2018

Ok. So as I understant you are a VJ or maby A/V concert/event tech specialist? Is that correct? If that is the case I have more than 17 years of experience in that field so maby I will be able to help you.
First let's clarify:
What codec format you will use as a final product that you will play on event/
What software you will use for that?
Will you live mix lots of video layers or it will be just playlist one after another file?
Why I'm asking those questions? Because on live event most important it is to have robust, reliable setup that will give assurance that everthing will gho without any hickups/DSODs etc. not the smallest file size.

R
robb99330196Author
Participant
March 1, 2018

Yes I am a VJ. I will use the DXV3 codec (Resolume's codec) to play the clips on the Resolume Arena 5 software.

I'll be mixing at maximum 2 video layers as this event has a specific set list which I am creating the custom visuals for each song. Last event I played like this the maximum file size was 700mb (1080pHD 60fps) which was fine. I agree I don't want to be using external hard drives as there's more points of failure there.

imeilfx
imeilfx
Inspiring
March 1, 2018

Ok. So if you will use Reso A 5 just render your files to DXV format without any rerendering to mp4 or any other files. From AE use Composition/Add to Media Encoder render queue...
And in AME use Quick Time format (mov) and DXV3 codec and render your final animations straight to that codec.
In DXV you can chose normal or high quality and with or without alpha - of course smallest file will be if you chose normal no alpha but of course it will be much bigger file than f. eg. mp4 h264 file but as I said before - if you wish to have robbust and reliable setup - chose DXV codec. It is codec designed to give you good quality, quite small file size and - what is most important in VJ work - file that is not ho labor intensive for your cpu durring mixing it in resolume - and that is what you should want if you wish to have event without any hickups, BSODs and freezes.

Roland Kahlenberg
Roland Kahlenberg
Legend
March 1, 2018

You can set the bitrate which is equivalent to a quality setting for your H264 videos. What setting you apply depends on the purpose of these videos. Are these meant for final delivery or for long-term archival or for use in a project,soon or much later?

Very Advanced After Effects Training | Adaptive & Responsive Toolkits | Intelligent Design Assets (IDAs) | MoGraph Design System DEV
R
robb99330196Author
Participant
March 1, 2018

Okay, I'll try rendering at a lower bitrate. What do you recommend? I'm gonna use them for a live show which is in a week so they won't be needed after that.

Roland Kahlenberg
Roland Kahlenberg
Legend
March 1, 2018

Anywhere between 15-20 MBps should get you a good quality video, for a HD1080 video. The final file size is of course going to be heavily dependent on the duration of your video. For encoding type, use CBR instead of VBR.

Let us know if these settings provide sufficiently good results for you.

Very Advanced After Effects Training | Adaptive & Responsive Toolkits | Intelligent Design Assets (IDAs) | MoGraph Design System DEV
BartonGarrett256
BartonGarrett256
Inspiring
February 28, 2018

I use internal full size drives (2TB about $100 now) in a docking station($30), they are cheap and speedy enough even through USB ports, and back up everything using lots of them and the free Microsoft utility Sync Toy. Just be careful with the exposed circuit boards on the bottom.  I tape them so they can't be damaged or shorted. just plug into the same port every time.  I print labels for each drive with the name, port and purchase date.  Retire them after four years or so.

In my opinion the packaged external drives are overpriced, they are just internal drives in boxes.

I use SSDs in the same manner for cache and as working discs when I do large timelapses, which tend to be really big files.

I take my Ae files into Pr (use Dynamic Link so you don't have to render) and export from there, I'm no expert but exporting from Pr gives you a very broad range of quality/size settings.  Experiment with them to see what quality you want/get. I usually give my customers three sizes of files, one in 720 two in 1080.

Dave_LaRonde
Dave_LaRonde
Inspiring
February 28, 2018

Get another external hard drive.  Done.  You need another one for what you're doing. 

The alternative: crummy-looking video.

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