Filmstrip format

You can export part or all of a composition as a single Filmstrip file. A Filmstrip file opens in Adobe Photoshop as a series of frames in a column. Each frame is labeled with its frame number and timecode. If the column of filmstrip frames is more than 30,000 pixels tall, the frames continue in a second column.

Note: For most purposes, it is more convenient to exchange images between After Effects and Photoshop using image sequences, not Filmstrip format. Photoshop Extended can also import and export video files directly.

Because video compression isn’t used in creating Filmstrip files, they can be large. If your computer doesn’t have enough memory for Photoshop to load the Filmstrip file, you can break the file into any number of smaller files by setting the work area to a different portion of the composition before rendering and exporting each portion.

When editing a filmstrip in Adobe Photoshop, use the following guidelines for best results:

After Effects displays only the part of each frame that lies within the frame border; however, you can paint on the gray lines dividing the frames of the filmstrip.
You can edit the red, green, blue, and alpha channels in the filmstrip File. Use only channel 4 as the alpha channel; After Effects doesn’t recognize other alpha channels.
Don’t resize or crop the filmstrip.
Flatten any layers that you add in Adobe Photoshop.