There are a variety of ways to connect Premiere Pro and After Effects. Premiere is used primarily for editing video and audio in a clean timeline. After Effects is most often used for Visual Effects and Motion Graphics. They are both available in the Adobe Suite and are essential tools for any video editors.

1.  Replace with After Effects Composition

File > Adobe Dynamic Link > Create New After Effects Composition

 

This replaces a clip with an After Effects Composition.

Use this option for long-form video, when you need to do something to a clip(s) that Premiere Pro can’t do, like 3D space, tracking, After Effects only effects and scripts, and difficult Warp stabilizer jobs. Both apps have Warp Stabilizer, but After Effects can remove tracking points that cause issues where PP doesn’t.

When using “Replace”, Duplicate the clip to the track above (option/alt and drag up) as the AE composition will replace the PP clip and this way you have the original clip if you change your mind. It is very difficult to go backwards later in your workflow, so this redundancy can prove extremely useful.

If you are looking to add an overlaid graphic then we suggest using a Color Matte in your Premiere timeline and stretching it to the length you need before replacing with a dynamic linked After Effects clip. You can right click it from your timeline and replace from there. Save your After Effects project and see it auto-update in Premiere!

 

2.   New After Effects Composition

File > Adobe Dynamic Link > New After Effects Composition

 

This creates a blank linked Composition in the project panel. Anything you create in AE will show up in PP. If you create text, it is now automatically editable in PP.

Let’s say you reopen PP for a new editing session. To edit the linked AE Comp, sect it in the project and press Command/Control + E, to edit the original AE file.

 

3. Import After Effects Composition (Dynamic Link).

File > Adobe Dynamic Link > Import After Effects Composition

 

This is useful when you want to use an animation or titles created in After Effects as a clip in Premiere Pro.

 

 

4. Import Premiere Pro project into After Effects.

File > Import > Premiere Pro Project

 

A dialog box opens with options: bring in all the sequences, select a sequence and whether or not you want to import audio.

This workflow is handy when you are doing short promo style videos in Premiere Pro, and want to finish in After Effects using third party plugins/scripts and features Premiere Pro doesn’t have (3D, tracking and advanced VFX for example).

It is easier to work with audio in Premiere Pro, and your audio markers for sequences and clips will be sent over to After Effects.

 

 

5. Create Templates in After Effects and Modify in Premiere Pro

Select Composition in Project, then Composition > Open in Essential Graphics.

 

You can also use the Essential Graphics Workspace.

In the Essential Graphics Panel, select the Composition that you want to create a template from.

Click “Solo Selected Properties” to add properties you want to be able to modify in your template.

Drag them to the Essential Graphics Panel. Name your Template, and click “Export Motion Graphics Template”.

You can now open the template in Premiere Pro and modify it there.