How to Convert an After Effects Movie Into a Screensaver

After Effects is among the most popular software titles used in digital video effects creation. With Adobe After Effects, you can create stunning images from individual video and graphic elements. What better way to share your work than to use the video clips from files created in After Effect for your own screensaver. Better yet, share the video clips as screensaver files that can be installed on other computers. Your screensavers may be so popular people will want to buy them.

    Create Screensaver with InstantStorm

  1. Step 1

    Download and install InstantStorm.

  2. Step 2

    Select the composition from the After Effects Project window.

  3. Step 3

    Click “File,” then “Export,” then “Adobe Flash Player (SWF)” from the main menu. Select the folder to save the SWF file in and click the “Save” button.

  4. Step 4

    Open InstantStorm and close the splash screen box. Enter “My AE screensaver” as a title example for your screensaver in the “Screensaver title” field.

  5. Step 5

    Click the “Browse” button to load the SWF file you created with After Effects.

  6. Step 6

    Click the “Publishing” tab from the InstantStorm program window. Click the “Create” button to create the self-installing EXE screensaver file.

    7. Use Axialis Screensaver Producer

  7. Step 1

    Download and install Axialis Screensaver Producer.

  8. Step 2

    Select the composition from the After Effects Project window.

  9. Step 3

    Click “File,” then “Export,” then “Adobe Flash Player (SWF)” from the main menu. Select the folder to save the SWF file in and click the “Save” button.

  10. Step 4

    Open Axialis Screensaver Producer and click the “New” icon from the menu.

  11. Step 5

    Select “Flash Based Screensaver” from the “New Screensaver Project” menu and click the “Next” button.

  12. Step 6

    Type “My AE screensaver” as an example title in the “Title” field.

  13. Step 7

    Click the “Finish” button.

  14. Step 8

    Load the SWF file exported from After Effects by clicking the “…” button.

  15. Step 9

    Click the “Make Install” button and accept the program settings to create the EXE file by pressing the “Next” button through a series of configuration option windows until you reach the “Go and Compile!” button. Click this button and the self-installing EXE file will be created.

    16. Installing Screensavers

  16. Step 1

    Double click the EXE file created by the software.

  17. Step 2

    Right-click anywhere on the Windows desktop.

  18. Step 3

    Select “Personalize” from the menu.

  19. Step 4

    Click the “Screen Saver” icon.

  20. Step 5

    Select “My AE screensaver” from the “Screen saver” drop-down menu.