Uploaded August 2025 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
In this lesson, you will learn the many different methods to add, open or import media footage files into After Effects and which file types are supported . The lesson also includes an introduction to using the Interpret Footage feature to adjust footage properties and extend the duration or number of loop times of video footage.
Exercise Files:
https://dub.sh/aeugfiles
1. Import Footage
1. Menu Import
1. File...Import...File
2. Keyboard shortcut: Command/Ctrl + i
2. Right-Click Import
1. Right-click in the project panel...Import...File
3. Drag-and-Drop
1. Dragging files directly into the Project Panel
2. Dragging files onto the After Effects icon on a Mac
4. Adobe Creative Cloud Libraries
1. Accessing and importing from Creative Cloud libraries
2. Opening libraries from the Window menu
2. Top Secret Method
1. Double-click in empty space in the project panel to open Finder/Explorer
2. Navigate to project folder and footage folder
3. Selecting and importing multiple files without creating a composition
3. Supported File Types
1. Help Documentation on Adobe website
2. Various audio formats
3. Still image formats (e.g., Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, BMP, JPEG, TIFF)
4. Camera files, EPS, GIF, etc.
5. Overview of supported file types and formats
4. Previewing and Metadata
1. Viewing thumbnails and metadata in the project panel
2. Thumbnail transparency grid for alpha channel files
3. Customizing information displayed in the project panel
4. Right-click to show/hide columns of information
5. Interpret Footage
1. Overview
1. AE will ‘guess’ the best settings for footage.
2. Interpret Footage can override imported settings for frame rate, etc.
3. Good for extending duration of looping animations
2. Open Interpret Footage Dialogue Bx
1. Right-click on footage file or,
2. Click on the icon at the bottom of Project Panel
3. Change the Number of Loop Times
4. Add Footage to Timeline and drag out to extend
In this lesson, you will learn the many different methods to add, open or import media footage files into After Effects and which file types are supported . The lesson also includes an introduction to using the Interpret Footage feature to adjust footage properties and extend the duration or number of loop times of video footage.
Exercise Files:
https://dub.sh/aeugfiles
1. Import Footage
1. Menu Import
1. File...Import...File
2. Keyboard shortcut: Command/Ctrl + i
2. Right-Click Import
1. Right-click in the project panel...Import...File
3. Drag-and-Drop
1. Dragging files directly into the Project Panel
2. Dragging files onto the After Effects icon on a Mac
4. Adobe Creative Cloud Libraries
1. Accessing and importing from Creative Cloud libraries
2. Opening libraries from the Window menu
2. Top Secret Method
1. Double-click in empty space in the project panel to open Finder/Explorer
2. Navigate to project folder and footage folder
3. Selecting and importing multiple files without creating a composition
3. Supported File Types
1. Help Documentation on Adobe website
2. Various audio formats
3. Still image formats (e.g., Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, BMP, JPEG, TIFF)
4. Camera files, EPS, GIF, etc.
5. Overview of supported file types and formats
4. Previewing and Metadata
1. Viewing thumbnails and metadata in the project panel
2. Thumbnail transparency grid for alpha channel files
3. Customizing information displayed in the project panel
4. Right-click to show/hide columns of information
5. Interpret Footage
1. Overview
1. AE will ‘guess’ the best settings for footage.
2. Interpret Footage can override imported settings for frame rate, etc.
3. Good for extending duration of looping animations
2. Open Interpret Footage Dialogue Bx
1. Right-click on footage file or,
2. Click on the icon at the bottom of Project Panel
3. Change the Number of Loop Times
4. Add Footage to Timeline and drag out to extend
