Recently in the Twitter-verse, a user was getting frustrated that he could not export a clip with an alpha channel from Premiere Pro. Here is a tip I can share with you to make sure that the alpha channel is respected:
- Edit a clip into the Timeline.
- Make an effect that will create an alpha channel. Examples include:
- Crop
- Garbage Matte
- Motion > Scale (less than 100%)
- Track Matte Key
- Mark the clip’s In and Out points
- Export the clip via File > Export > Media
- In the export settings, make sure you choose a codec which supports the alpha channel, such as QuickTime ProRes 4444, PNG, or AVI None. You can tell if a codec supports an alpha channel by inspecting the bit depth settings for the codec in the Video tab, and then seeing if it has an option for 32 bit support.
- Under the Video tab in Basic Video Settings, check the Render at Maximum Depth box.
- Do one of the following:
- Choose 32 bit
- Click the radio button that says “32 bit”
- Check the box indicating “Include Alpha Channel”
- Export the media by clicking the Export or Queue button
- After the file is exported, import the media and place the clip on V2 over an existing clip. Check if your clip now carries transparency. It should!
I hope this blog post helps you in creating alpha channels in the clips you export.
