Collect Files and Archive in After Effects

Archiving your Adobe After Effects projects ensures that all assets, comps, and dependencies remain intact and accessible for future revisions or client handoffs. This guide explains what the "Collect Files" feature is, why it is essential for preventing broken media links, and provides a clear, step-by-step process for safely archiving your motion graphics projects.

What Is File Collection?

Adobe After Effects does not embed media files into your project file (.aep). Instead, it creates references to the original media stored on your hard drive, such as video clips, audio tracks, images, and 3D assets. If any of those source files are moved, renamed, or deleted, After Effects displays a "missing footage" error.

The Collect Files feature automatically locates all external assets linked to your project, makes copies of them, and places them into a single, organized directory alongside a new copy of your .aep project file. This makes the project entirely self-contained and portable.

Step-by-Step: How to Collect Files in After Effects

Before archiving, it is best practice to clean up unnecessary files to save disk space and keep your archive lightweight.

Step 1: Clean Up Unused Media

  1. Open your project in After Effects.
  2. Go to File > Dependencies > Remove Unused Footage. This removes any imported media from the Project panel that is not actively used in any composition.
  3. If you only need to archive a specific composition, select it in the Project panel and go to File > Dependencies > Reduce Project.

Step 2: Run Collect Files

  1. Go to File > Dependencies > Collect Files...
  2. In the dialog box that appears, set the following parameters:
    • Collect Source Files: Choose All to collect every asset used in the project, or For Selected Comps if you only want media for specific compositions.
    • Generate Report Only: Leave this unchecked. Checking it only creates a text manifest without copying the files.
    • Obey Proxy Settings: Keep this checked if you use proxies and want to maintain those rules.
    • Reduce Project: Check this if you want After Effects to automatically strip out unused assets during the collection process.
    • Change File Paths: Ensure this option is active so the newly saved .aep file automatically links to the newly collected assets rather than the original locations.
  3. Click Collect.

Step 3: Choose the Destination

  1. Choose an export destination (such as an external drive or a dedicated archive folder).
  2. Name the folder and click Save.

After Effects creates a master folder containing:

  • A fresh copy of your project file (.aep).
  • A (Footage) subfolder containing all referenced media.
  • A text file report listing all files, missing assets, and project details.

Best Practices for Long-Term Archiving

To guarantee that your project can be opened years later without issues, follow these additional safeguards:

  • Include Non-Collected Assets: After Effects does not collect system fonts or third-party plugins. Manually create a _Notes or _Assets folder inside your collected directory to store font installers, custom LUTs, color profiles, and a text file listing required third-party plugins and version numbers.
  • Render a Reference Video: Export a high-quality preview (such as an MP4 or ProRes) of your final composition and place it in the root folder. If an old plugin stops working on future operating systems, you will still have an accurate visual reference of the final output.
  • Compress for Cold Storage: Compress the entire collected directory into a .zip or .7z file to prevent individual files from being accidentally modified or separated.
  • Use Multiple Backups: Follow the 3-2-1 backup rule by keeping at least three copies of your data across two different media types, with at least one copy stored offsite or in cloud storage.