Premiere displaying After Effects exports differently (only in Rec 709 colorspace). Big color shift.

Report · Jul 15, 2022

I am working on a short film and as I get into VFX I am realizing that every file I export from After Effects has a color shift to it (which becomes very apparent when a color grade is applied). This is not a normal gamma shift (light/dark). Eyeballing it, it looks like it has to do with magenta/saturation maybe.

After Effects is in a Rec 709 Gamma 2.4 color space (16 bit project). Premiere is also Rec 709 color space (gamma not listed, though Google says it's 2.4 by default). Both have linearized color checked. Premiere's sequence settings has Maximum Bit Depth checked. Both programs have color management enabled.

I did a test-- exporting a shot from the short (shot in Rec 709 colorspace) from After Effects (tried many different QuickTime Formats, all max quality and Rec 709 colorspace). I then brought both the export and the original raw file into Premiere. The color was different (visually and on scopes) with zero effects applied.

Export from AE: [https://imgur.com/ZKJl4a4]

Original, imported directly: [https://imgur.com/UMxEmUZ]

I even did the same thing with a solid-- literally just a color. Created from the same hex values in each project. In Premiere, it was different from the export.

When re-imported into After Effects, everything looked fine. In fact, everything works in Premiere when I switch to either of the available Rec 2100 color spaces. The colors display the same (accurately) visibly and in scopes.

I don't understand what the problem could be here. I am pulling my hair out here and have been Googling/troubleshooting for hours. Can anyone please help me or even point me in the right direction?

**AE and Premiere 2022

Report · Jul 16, 2022

Please post images directly on the forum, so we don't have to open unknown links.

Report · Jul 17, 2022

Didn't realize that was a rule. Uploaded below!

Original footage exported from After Effects, imported into Premiere

Original footage imported directly into Premiere

Report · Jul 16, 2022

Try unchecking or mismatching the linearized color setting, and turning off Max Bit Depth in Pr. Experiment a bit. Also try switching from hardware acceleration to software rendering in Pr.

Quick thought: since switching color spaces in Pr makes the colors match, are you 100% sure the source footage in Pr was shot in 709? Might be worth checking.

Report · Jul 17, 2022

I am absolutely sure it was shot in Rec 709. The color profile was embedded in the footage by the camera. I have already checked every possibly combination of those settings with absolutely zero effect.

To be clear, this is how it is appearing in Premiere:

REC 709 Colorspace

- Original footage NORMAL

- Export from After Effects WRONG

REC 2100 Colorspace

- Original footage NORMAL

- Export from After Effects NORMAL

Even though After Effects is in Rec 709, and is exporting Rec 709, and has all of the same settings as Premiere.

Report · Jul 18, 2022

Logic dictates that if proper color management is being used, and all the settings are correct, the original footage should not look the same in both 709 and 2100.

Report · Jul 18, 2022

In my many years of experience, Adobe programs tend to defy logic.

That said I also don't think that's true. My footage was shot in 709. It would display the same in both (and also, it does, across multiple programs and multiple devices and operating systems, including Da Vinci). If the footage was shot in a broader color space like 2100, yes, it would look different in 709. But not the inverse.