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Creating a filmstrip file for editing in Photoshop
Use the Filmstrip format to paint directly on video frames, a process known as rotoscoping.
You can render part or all of a composition as a filmstrip, a single file that contains all the
frames of a composition or portion of a composition. Because video compression is not
used in creating a filmstrip file, these files can be large. You can break the filmstrip file into
any number of smaller files by setting the work area to a different portion of the compo-
sition before rendering each portion.
A filmstrip opens in Adobe Photoshop as a series of frames in a column, with each frame
labeled by number, reel name, and timecode. If the column created by the filmstrip frames
is more than 30,000 pixels tall, the frames continue in a second column. The number of
frames displayed depends on the duration of the footage and the frame rate selected
when you render the filmstrip.
When editing a filmstrip in Adobe Photoshop, use the following guidelines for best results:
You can paint on the gray lines dividing the frames of the filmstrip without damaging
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the file. After Effects will display only the part of each frame that lies within the frame
border.
You can edit the red, green, blue, and alpha channels in the filmstrip file. Use only
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channel #4 as the alpha channel.
Do not resize or crop the filmstrip.
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Flatten any layers you add in Adobe Photoshop.
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Note: If you simply want to export a single frame, you don't need to use the Filmstrip
format. See "Exporting a single frame of a composition" on page 292.
To render a composition as a filmstrip:
1 Be sure that the composition you want to render is active. If you want to render only
part of the composition, set the work-area markers to define the part you want to render.
2 Choose Composition > Make Movie.
3 Type a filename.
4 In the Render Queue window, click the underlined Output Module template name.
5 Choose Filmstrip from the Format pop-up menu. Specify the rest of the settings you
want and click OK.
6 In the Render Queue window, click Render.
Rendering frames as a sequence of still images
Movies are the type of output most useful for easy previewing. However, a sequence of
still images from a composition can be used for movie-making and desktop presentations.
You can use a sequence of stills in the following ways:
Transfer frames to film using a film recorder.
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Create still images for high-end video systems.
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Create still images and use them in a presentation.
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Select images for publishing or creating storyboards.
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Rendering a Movie
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