Converting Video Formats for WMV

I am about to go blindingly insane.

I'm using Adobe After Effects CS5 for the first time, and I want to be able to use what I make in Windows Movie Maker (Vista), or at least upload it directly to YouTube.

I have spent the last few hours doing about 50 searches and downloaded about 10 products, codecs, converters. etc just to get this thing to do what I want. But NOTHING has worked.


All I want to do is to convert either an .aep, .swf, .xfl or .prproj into something WMV will accept, like .avi, .wmv, .mp4 etc. but so far, either the conversion glitches, I get like 20% of it, or w/e. I keep seeing stuff about how Exports should have another option besides the 4 I named above (.swf etc.) or I should be able to render it, but I can't.

All I want is to convert a 5 second freakin animation to something WMVor YouTube will accept. I KNOW it's possible since Arastoph has done it.


Does anyone have any idea what I could do, please? It's unbelievable how such a simple task is so freakin complicated. I really do want to smash my computer right now.

By any chance does one of them contained any viruses?

you could try using Zamzar.com to convert the file.

Have you tried exporting it as a .avi?

I don't know if any have any viruses. It takes a day for me to scan the entire PC, but I might as well give it a go for tonight.

Trying that website now. EDIT: Doesn't support the only 4 formats I can do.

I don't have the option to convert it to .avi, only the few I named earlier.

Try exporting the file into Premier and then Export it as an AVI or MPEG from Premier.

you can't go to "File -> Export -> AVI"?

No I can't.

And, how do I get Premier? Do I have to install/download After Effects again?

Just grab the Premier CS5 trial and try it there.
No, you don't need to uninstall After Effects.

From what I remember, YouTube should accept AVI...

2 hour download time... urrhh %^%£$%!!

Thanks. Hope this works.


Ghost- I'm sure it can. It can't accept the adobe files though, which I want to convert to .avi or .wmv or what ever they're called.

Let me get this straight, your video is in After Effects, and you want to upload it to YouTube?

Go to Composition>Preview> RAM Preview. From there, you will be able to see your video with renders and complicated stuff. You'll even get to see it with sound. This might take a while to create, but its mandatory.

After its done rendering the entire video, then go to Composition>Save RAM Preview. It should export it into an AVI file.

I'm currently uploading one of mine to YouTube, and its gonna take 122 more minutes D:

It actually worked... I'm quite shocked that the first version came to 1.2GB big, and this 5 sec clip is 222MB, but still. It works in WMV, and I'm gonna try YouTube. Thank you.