• Adobe After Effects

  Colour Space: What am I doing wrong?

  Posted by Colin Carver on July 6, 2012 at 8:29 am

  I followed Andrew Devis’s tutorial on AE Colour Space here https://podcasts.creativecow.net/after-effects-tutorials-podcast/the-ae-color-space

  In my AE project settings, I set my colour working space to sRGB IEC61966-2.1 (my work is going to the web) and 16 bit depth. After finishing my project, I exported it (lossless AVI) making sure that in the ouput module/color management tab, the output profile showed sRGB IEC61966-2.1

  However, when I play my video back in an external player, the video is darker and more contrasty than what I am seeing in the AE project window. I tried viewing the video in VLC, Windows Media Player and Quicktime amongst others. The video looks the same in all.

  Here’s a screencap of what I’m seeing in After Effects:

  https://img209.imageshack.us/img209/3860/capfromae.jpg

  And here’s a screencap of the exported video footage:

  https://img155.imageshack.us/img155/2576/capfromencode.jpg

  Now I’ll grant you, the exported video colours look nicer, but that’s not the point of course. What I’d like to know is, why doesn’t the exported video match what I’m seeing in After Effects?

  I hope someone can help!

  Colin.

  Colin Carver replied 13 years, 10 months ago 2 Members · 3 Replies
• 3 Replies

• 

  Colin Carver

  July 7, 2012 at 8:14 am

  Hi Dave.

  The footage is all mostly computer generated, created on the PC, zero live footage and fairly fast animation. Lots of 3D work and lots of blocks of solid colours that need to be as close to the original as possible. Here’s a few screen caps:

  https://img201.imageshack.us/img201/6098/pic1nc.jpg
  https://img820.imageshack.us/img820/4416/pic2wq.jpg
  https://img812.imageshack.us/img812/3677/pic3xk.jpg
  https://img705.imageshack.us/img705/2355/pic4ft.jpg
  https://img607.imageshack.us/img607/9856/pic5cl.jpg
  https://img256.imageshack.us/img256/4705/pic6e.jpg
  https://img802.imageshack.us/img802/8339/pic7p.jpg
• 

  Dan Fredley

  July 8, 2012 at 9:51 am

  Make sure the 3D renders are set to “Embedded” color (probably Linear).

  Keep the working space at sRGB IEC61966-2.1 in your project settings.

  When you go to render set the Output Module color space to your monitor color space, meaning if you have a calibrated monitor you should see that setting in the drop-down. If you haven’t calibrated your monitor then you should check to see how it’s set in your operating system. Pay close attention to the gamma and make sure it’s the same on output.

  All colors will be converted to what you see on your monitor.
• 

  Colin Carver

  July 8, 2012 at 12:23 pm

  Thanks for the info, Dan, but I have a question: I do have my monitor colour space setting in the Output Module drop-down, and just as you said, the rendered video now looks identical to what I’m seeing in my AE project. One question though: Won’t choosing my particular monitor colour space affect the look of the rendered video on other people’s displays? Will they get the same colour settings as I’m seeing?

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