5 tips to Speed up your After Effects workflow

I’ve worked with a lot of other artists over the last 8 years and sometimes you work with people and think “Damn they turn stuff out quick”. Other times it’s the exact opposite, and you’re convinced they must have slipped in to a coma because how on earth could that logo resolve take so long to animate…

To no suprise, much of the delta between these scenarios comes from workflow. A smooth workflow and the ability to adapt for each project are crucial characteristics of a successful animator. I’m going to share 5 of my favorite After Effects-related animation workflow tips.

1. Know your hotkeys

I pride myself on my “omg-how-did-you-know-that-its-almost-creepy” hotkey knowledge. Why do I put so much effort into knowing the hotkeys for software I work with? Because I recognize the importance of investing in my own time. Getting 2 seconds back (at least two seconds) every time I use a hotkey instead of going through a menu adds up to a significant amount over the course of a 8-10 hour workday. I’m not just talking about hitting “p” to expose a layers position property, I’m talking about navigating the timeline (shift+scrollwheel & alt+scrollwheel), re-applying effects (ctrl+alt+shift+e), nudging keyframes 10f at a time (shift+pagedown or pageup), exposing a 3D layers material properties (e+e), adding comments on markers (alt+*) and many many more.

Besides the killer documentation included with After Effects for hotkeys, one of the all-time best Mograph.net threads is one on hotkeys. (Note: I couldn’t find the original 10-page thread, but this one is good too)

2. Stay organized

I am also OCD about project organization and file structure. Every time I import anything, I immediately put the file in the appropriate folder inside my project window. It takes a half-second and it will keep you sane throughout the life of a project and it will do wonders for your co-workers if they ever have to take over your project. If you are a freelancer and you don’t keep a tight project, shame on you. I promise that people talk shit about you after you leave and they open your project… ok maybe not out loud, but definitely in their head.
Here’s a screenshot of the folder structure I use:

This is totally flexible to your preference, and you can always add new folders as they are needed. The bottom line is to have it make sense.

You can download an AE template file here:

Save this somewhere - root of your server, thumb-drive, your website, wherever, open it up and re-save it to start every project.

3. Rough it out

Have you ever used “Wireframe Mode” in After Effects? How about “Preview Mode” inside Trapcode Particular? What about proxies? In the early stages, separate your animation from your design. In the programming world we call this separating logic from presentation. Thinking about it in 3D terms, do you wait for a full render every time you want to see your animation? Or do you just make a preview? Your After Effects workflow doesn’t need to be any different (in the early stages). Motion Graphics is it’s own beast in the long run because the animation is very much integrated with the design - but early on, be nice to your CPU and do everything using the lightest processing necessary.
If I’m roughing out a big camera move, I’m constantly solo-ing only the layers that are relevant, turning off effects that don’t matter, and if my layer stack isn’t too crazy I’m in wireframe mode.

4. Dont be afraid of scripts

Don’t be afraid my child, for scripts are your friend. Don’t consider yourself a master-scripter? That doesn’t mean that scripts can’t be part of your workflow. Now that scripting has been available in After Effects for awhile, some killer resources have popped up for the syntax-challenged. (These are also amazing resources for the syntax-inclined, don’t get me wrong).
I’m not talking about learning scripting from the ground up - I’m talking about taking advantage of the many generous scripters out there that have already done the footwork and made it available to you. Browse existing repositories for scripts that spark your interest - you’ll more than likely run across something that you have been wishing After Effects could do, or a fix for tasks that you find repetitive, and if you’re lucky you can use many of them right out of the box.
Here are some collections ones to get you started:

Jeff Almasol’s Redefinery Scripts

aenhancers.com Scripts Library

Paul Tuersley’s Scripts

Impudent 1’s Scripts

Creative Workflow Hacks

(Note: Obviously this is not all the scripting resources out there, these are strictly places to find pre-made scripts… I can see the “where is Dan Ebberts?” comments already…)

5. Don’t render full-res or every frame

This may seem like common sense, but in application I see people do the opposite all the time. If you’re in the early stages of blocking a camera move, or in the process of breaking up a photoshop file into 3D, why preview it full resolution? And why preview every single frame? Especially as the majority of projects move to HD resolutions, I find it ridiculous when people do this. If I were a producer and this were the middle-ages, I would swat you with a stick. Previewing half-resolution equates to rendering half as many pixels, and previewing every-other frame equates to half as many frames… that a 200% speed improvement already! And I usually work at quarter-resolution if the project permits, and sometimes every third frame if necessary. Be conscious of your scenario and preview accordingly. Obviously if you are working on finalizing an animation or composite, you may need all the resolution and intricacy you can get.
There is a time and place for everything, and previewing your work should be no different.

Much like investing money (or dieting), a little bit here and there can add up to make a huge difference in the long run. Be conscious of your pipeline. Be disciplined about the things listed above (for starters), and as you get used to noticing friction points in your workflow, you will begin to notice that you get things done a lot quicker and much more efficiently.