Adobe After Effects is perhaps the most popular tool in the video editing and motion graphics industries. AE is used to create breathtaking animations, visual effects, title animation, montages, infographics, explainer videos and many other forms motion design. Whether it’s web series, movies, ads, social media videos, documentaries, Instagram reels, YouTube shorts or any form of broadcasting formats – it can handle it with ease.
In this tutorial article, I will focus on 7 best AI plugins for After Effects.
The game has changed on a larger scale, as AI (Artificial Intelligences) is turning around the ways in which designers use this Adobe software. Many boring or mundane tasks can be easily achieved with a few clicks using AI powered plugins. It has transformed the workflow of the editors, motion designers, as well as visual artists. The goal is to increase creativity and deliver professional quality results within record time.
AI in After Effects
Before proceeding to the plugins, we should first get a feel of how AI can be used with After Effects. It is not only about automation, but also about creativity boosting and getting rid of time wasting manual work. AI can do following things:
- Background removal which doesn’t have blue / green screens
- Track objects and faces in the most accurate way
- Upscaling of videos without losing quality
- Create realistic animation from still picture/ frame
- Color contrast and auto matching of entire sequences
- Use content-aware fill to get rid of unwanted objects from videos
In summary, AI reduces the problems that are faced by artists, so they can pay more attention on creativity.
Let’s check out the list of best AI Plugins for After Effects. These are mix of free / paid / freemium tools.
1. Runway ML
Runway ML has revolutionized VFX production through its seamless After Effects integration, transforming text-to-video generation and AI-powered visual effects.
- Gen-2 is used for generating video from text prompts or convert your jfif images to jpg.
- Gen-3 Alpha enables creators to convert still frames into Generative Visual Effects (GVFX) shots.
- Gen-3 Alpha Turbo delivers 7x faster processing at half the cost.
- The latest Gen-4 model turns 5-hour projects into 5-minute workflows.
Key technical advantages include native After Effects compositing with perfect clip synchronization. Runway ML also supports the API integration for automated batch processing. For the final output, you can go up to 1280×768 pixel resolution at 24 fps (frames per second). Professional studios reported 73% cost reduction compared to traditional 3D pipelines.
You can import live action footage and generate AI variations through Runway’s platform. The final compositing can be done in After Effects using its native tools.
2. mamoworld
mamoworld is developed by Mathias Möhl. mamoworld for After Effects specializes in workflow automation and productivity enhancement.
Some of the core mamoworld plugins / extensions are as follows.
- iExpressions 3: Allows users to leverage After Effects expressions without writing code. It provides an intuitive interface with over 100 pre-built expressions.
- MochaImport+: It simplifies workflows between mocha and After Effects. It enables stabilized precomps, mask movement, and perspective distortion.
- Auto Lip-Sync: It creates mouth animations that automatically sync with voice recordings.
The best part of mamoworld plugins is that the ecosystem supports both Premiere Pro and After Effects with full customization capabilities. The approach is to transform complex technical processes into one-click solutions for motion designers and VFX artists.
3. Content-Aware Fill (Native in After Effects)
It was introduced in 2019 as Adobe’s answer to bringing Photoshop’s beloved feature to motion graphics.
The main use of content aware fill tool is to remove unwanted objects from video. It is based on Adobe Sensei (the AI framework of Adobe). This temporally aware feature analyzes frames over time to synthesize new pixels from other frames, instantly replacing masked areas with seamless background details. The technology examines frames across time to fill missing pixels by extracting them from other frames in the video.
Artist can remove wires, signs, people, or any such distractions without complicated masking or cloning. Content-Aware Fill transforms complex rotoscoping workflows into simple mask and render operations. Performance varies by project specifications – short 1080p clips render in minutes while 4K videos require significantly longer processing times. Optimization techniques include using proxies and limiting fill ranges for faster results.
The AI driven approach eliminates traditional paint and cleanup techniques. It delivers broadcast quality results with minimal artist intervention.
4. DeepMotion Animate 3D
DeepMotion Animate 3D is an AI powered motion capture software from video. The cloud based platform designed can convert 2D video footage into 3D character movements. It eliminates the need for traditional motion capture suits and specialized hardware. DeepMotion can help everyone from indie developers to professional animators.
It uses advanced AI algorithms to track the body movements. Some of the major tools are pose estimation, kinematic tracking, and physics-based simulation. This markerless approach allows users to capture motion using any camera, including mobile devices. The technology analyzes video frames to extract 3D skeletal motion. A key feature is the Rotoscope Pose Editor, a patent-pending tool that allows for frame-accurate refinement of the generated motion by directly tracing over the input video.
Users can upload their own custom 3D characters in formats like FBX, GLB, or VRM, or utilize built-in avatar creators. DeepMotion’s AI automatically retargets the generated animation on the chosen character. The platform offers a range of customization settings, including Physics Simulation, Foot Locking, Hand to Ground Contact, and Motion Smoothing, to refine the animation.
The performance largely depends on project specifications. Freemium accounts can upload 1080p videos at up to 30 FPS, while higher-tier plans support 4K and even 8K videos at higher frame rates (up to 120 FPS) and longer clip lengths. Optimization techniques often involve utilizing the platform’s refinement tools like the Rotoscope Pose Editor and leveraging features such as text labeling for earning “Animation Credits” to extend free usage.
This AI-driven solution significantly streamlines the animation pipeline, transforming complex motion capture and character animation tasks into more accessible, efficient, and cost-effective processes. It delivers realistic, broadcast-quality results with reduced manual intervention, empowering creators to bring lifelike movement to their digital characters for games, film, virtual reality, and social media content.
It is not a direct plugin which get installed inside After Effects. From DeepMotion Animate 3D, you export the After Effects compatible video formats (FBX, BVH, GLB, and MP4) and then import them to further do motion graphics and compositing.
5. Topaz Video AI
Topaz Video AI revolutionizes video enhancement including upscaling video, removing noise and frame interpolation. It uses AI and ML to offer such comprehensive restoration capabilities by intelligently analyzing each frame and adding details without manual adjustments.
The latest Video AI 7.0 introduces Project Starlight, the first ever diffusion model for video restoration that brings almost any video to 4K with superb clarity. Starlight Mini enables local processing on Windows machines with NVIDIA GPUs, requiring at least 8GB VRAM (Well, 16GB is recommended for optimal performance).
The core capabilities includes:
- AI Super Resolution upscaling to 16K pixels
- AI Denoise for grain removal
- AI Stabilization for shaky footage
- AI Frame Interpolation for smooth slow motion
- Refine out of focus recordings
- Smoothly converts heic to png
Topaz Video AI excels at reviving vintage footage, VHS tapes, and early digital clips, transforming low-resolution content into broadcast-quality results.
Check out the part 2 of the best AI plugins for After Effects. It also features three bonus things.
- Future of AI Plugins for After Effects
- Pros of AI Plugins for After Effects
- Cons of AI Plugins for After Effects