How to Prepare Your After Effects Templates for Uploading to Pond5

We are looking for high-quality After Effects templates that our customers can easily modify to create their own unique motion graphics. The focus should be on providing a framework, rather than a mostly finished piece with limited editing potential.

Projects should be:

• Preferably created in AE6 or higher.
• Broadcast quality, ideally 1920×1080 or higher resolution. Feel free to include compositions within your projects with alternate resolutions, such as PAL/NTSC.
• Great looking, easily customizable, and labor-saving for the end user. Including help documents, videos, and/or walkthroughs in your ZIP file makes your project easier for everyone to use.
• Fully owned by you. This means that any audio, still images, video, or other elements contained in your uploaded ZIP file must be your creation. However, you can use assets not owned by you in your preview video – just make sure to mention in the description all the content that is not included in the template. Please refrain from using watermarked content (Pond5 watermark is acceptable both in music and photos/videos). Also, please refrain from using 3rd party licensed media (such as music, trailers from movies and games etc.).

Note: You may not include any stock elements that you licensed from Pond5 or elsewhere.

Please prepare all files in a single ZIP file, which should include:

• • The AEP file itself (if including multiple versions, please keep naming conventions simple)
  • The video preview to be used on the site (MOV compressed in h.264, minimum 1280×720 resolution). This file must be named Preview.mov.
  • A full-resolution still frame JPG.
  • A text file/help document for the user to refer to when working with your project.

Optional, but highly preferred:

• • A video tutorial and/or image walkthrough for the project
  • Links to fonts

If your project requires any third-party plug-ins, please make sure you list them in the requirements fields. We also suggest adding a link to the product site in your description field. Consider adding a pre-rendered effects version of your project file as well.

Do not upload projects that are based on tutorials, like those of Video Copilot.

Before uploading, please unzip all your files and test them to make sure everything is working and that no files are missing or unlinked.

Main folder:

• AEP project file
• Preview.mov
• Help file

Footage folder:

• video1.mov
• video2.mov
• video3.mov

Image folder:

• image1.jpeg
• image2.jpeg
• image3.jpeg

Audio folder:

• file1.mp3
• file2.wav
• file3.mp4

How assets are organized within AE itself and how the project is prepared should be similar. Have additional folders for compositions and pre-comps that say “Do not Edit” and “Edit This.” All editable elements should be in a pre-comp for convenience to the buyer. Naming layers also help the buyer navigate.

Red: For layers that should not be touched
Green: For editable layers
Orange: For layers that are optional to adjust

All other colors can be used for miscellaneous layers. Make layers that shouldn’t be adjusted into a shy layer, then hide them. Use Markers to add notes in a timeline or mark portions of the timeline where change happens. Reset the workspace to Standard before saving and collecting, so that this will always be the layout when a buyer opens the project.

Use fonts that are cross-platform, or better yet, those that are readily available by default on both MAC and PC. When using third-party fonts, make sure you include the link to the font download. Also be sure that the font is available for commercial use. Use placeholders and label them properly, like “Video 1,” “Photo 1,” “Text 1,” and “Your Logo Here.”

Title: This should be concise, relevant, and professional.

Description: Give detailed information about the template. Describe the elements, what is editable and what isn’t, which assets are included and which aren’t, and how many versions there are. Give courtesy to any other Pond5 artist whose materials are used in the preview movie (photos, videos, music) and include a link to the media in your description field. Please refrain from linking to external/personal websites for artists or content.

AE Version: Make sure you specify the correct version of the software that was used.

Resolutions: Specify the correct resolution, as well. If you have more than one, you can add that to the description.

Plug-ins: Specify all third-party plug-ins used and mention this in the description as well if you’re providing a pre-rendered version.

Keywords: Proper keywording is vital. List relative terms, uses, and voice/tone.

Please be sure your file names do not contain any special characters or accents.
Examples: &, å, ñ, é, ß, ®, ©, §, ç, ä, ø, ü, quote marks (“ ” or ‘ ’), or commas (,)

Spaces and dashes are not allowed.

You must be able to agree to all provisions in our Contributor Agreement in order to sell media files on our site; please read it thoroughly and make sure you understand your rights and responsibilities.

You must also have the rights for distribution of the submitted imagery. Found or public-domain images or illustrations cannot be submitted under any circumstances. If you do not have complete rights to the submission, you may not submit it.

For submitted work that contains any copyrighted material, including paintings, photos, logos, or any other art/advertisements/sculptures/exhibits that are copyrighted, you must either submit releases from the copyright owners or note to the curator that the images are editorial.

If you’re interested in finding out more about copyright, or in registering your work with the US copyright office (this is not necessary, but it can afford you additional legal protections), visit their website at www.copyright.gov.

For more information, contact our Customer Support at support@pond5.com.