AE Workflow
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- harlequino
Curious - if you are working on a lengthy project with lots of shots and artwork, do you tend to keep everything within one AE project file, or do you tend to spread things out over several project files?
I usually do the former, but I am wondering about pros/cons to that.Other general workflow tips appreciated.
- chossy0
Depends on how they stitch together, if it's a simple join I would have a few projects, with the elements in them I find it easier that way, but if it is complex then I would have one big ass project, folders are the key to this one though.
- harlequino0
That's always been my thought process too. But I just finished projects that clocked in a 4 minutes and 8 minutes, respectively, and the occurred to me - fuck me what if I ever lose this file or it gets corrupted?
But I back up regularly so no big deal I suppose.- Indeed, that's the constant worry, back up and copy back up.chossy
- whereRI0
hmmm , lots of 'increment and save' , consolidate and reduce every now and then and dont have too many comps open... keep it super organised with clear folder structure
i used to do the mutli-project thing, but soon found that when its a super big project, it gets worse when you bringing in other projects
and confusing.after each review or approval, i save as new project, click on my main comp, reduce proj. , remove unused footage and clean it up a bit.
i also try save copy before setting off big ol renders over night
there's my 2 cents.
- Yep, there are many ways to do this, I rarely have time to tidy my projects, but if I get time then yes I would do it.chossy
- Chief0
One project. Organizing everything by date: Comps, PS, Illy, Assets, Footage, Renders, PreComps. Every new day spent working on the project I'll Save As and put the date in the project name. Leaves a trail if I ever need to go back.
- keithrondinelli0
One project, definitely. The thing with AE, unlike other Adobe apps, is that you can only have one project open at a time, which makes copy-pasting from one project to another difficult (requiring you to have to open, close, open, close, etc.), not to mention that AE doesn't remember the "source" of a layer if it's copy-pasted from one document to another. Therefore, in my experience, it's best to keep everything in one project, well organized into folders....
- easier to import a project and grab all the layers you need, delete what you don't.Chief
- M_C_P0
also depends if you're going at it solo or as part collaborative.
for me larger projects have been more manageable when broken down into separate aep's per shot.
- version30
i do everything in one project, good for my file keeping, edits, working with directors, etc
- BIGGESTDOGINTHEWORLD0
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Everything in 1 project, AE is easily the most solid of the Adobe products so I trust it enough for it not to fuck up. Theres no way I'd do the same in Flash that would be like using a piece of duct tape as your child's seatbelt in a car crash testing lab
- broxybluenose0
Everything in 1 project can be a nightmare if your working on a huge project, can take ages to load and sometimes become impossible to collect or reduce.
But I always try and work in 1 project unless it's a beast!
- NONEIS0
Just version your files regularly, and do break it up where it makes sense, especially if certain elements can be treated as pre-rendered assets within your final render.
You can always import each project into a final render AEP, and it will be the same as 1 project, when you actually NEED it.
- Meeklo0
interesting, I've never even consider having multiple projects
for a single job.I'm very organized with folders, files, precomps and audio and my projects are never THAT big so I usually just use 1 project
- FixMiller0
nobody here on mac using time machine ? i mean i used to save versions back in the day but seems easer with time machine.
- harlequino0
Ok, NEW QUESTION --
If you are providing storyboards or styleframes prior to beginning real animation or production work, do you tend to do everything in Photoshop and migrate into AE once approved, or do you do some pre-vis type work in AE, and export frames as needed for presentation?
I've always done the former, but beginning a gig today in which I am thinking it might be better to be in AE from the go, since cameras, solids, particles, etc will already be in place.
Thoughts?
- dskz0
- Yeah defintely looks like AE straight away would be better in this situation.harlequino
- M_C_P0
I've seen it done both ways. if you can create the boards all in photoshop, then you've pretty much done some leg work for animation when you are awarded the job (if you're hired for more than just the boards)
however if you're incorporating 3D in the mix, it's inevitable that you'll be doing dual puropse work: build the elements once to work for the boards and the animation. at least that's how i've always done it.