After Effects Workflow

The basic workflow in Adobe After Effects is similar to most video editing applications (e.g. Adobe Premiere). The difference is that After Effects is tailored for working with complex video compositions and effects rather than straightforward "cutting" jobs.

A typical After Effects project unfolds like this:

1. Create a new project and save it as a .aep file.
2. If necessary, select a workspace to suit the job at hand.
3. Import media files (video clips, audio files, still images, etc). Imported files are called footage.
4. Create one or more compositions. Place footage in the composition timeline, arrange it in layers, apply effects and animations, etc.
5. Render and export movie files.