Create personalized christmas greeting videos at scale with After Effects

Step 1: Setting Up the After Effects Template

First things first, we need to create a template in After Effects. The best part? No third-party plugins or complicated scripts are required—just a simple, festive After Effects project that we’ll later configure for video automation in Plainly.

To ensure the template is fully customizable, we add a prefix edit to the layers we want to make dynamic. This allows Plainly to automatically detect which layers should be modified later. Once that’s done, we collect the necessary files, package the fonts, and prepare the template for upload.

Step 2: Uploading and Configuring in Plainly

Now that our template is ready, we upload the zipped After Effects project into Plainly’s Custom Projects tab. Once the upload is complete, we use Plainly’s auto-parameterization feature to transform the project into a fully dynamic template.

Remember that edit prefix we mentioned earlier? This is where it comes in handy—Plainly recognizes those tagged layers and automatically sets them as dynamic fields, ready for customization.

To ensure the text and image layers adjust properly, we apply the auto-scale script. This keeps all elements neatly within their designated areas, preventing any design mishaps when we start generating multiple versions.

Step 3: Rendering Videos in Bulk

Once the template is fully set up, it’s time to generate personalized videos. Plainly offers three methods for rendering and distributing videos:

1. Batch Rendering with a CSV File

If you need to create multiple videos with different names, messages, or images, this is the easiest approach. Simply upload a CSV file with all the required personalization details, and Plainly will automatically map the columns to the appropriate layers. Plus, you can export thumbnails along with the videos—perfect if you need static designs for email campaigns or social media.

2. Native Integrations for Dynamic Video Generation

For a more flexible approach, Plainly integrates with Google Sheets, Excel, and even RSS feeds. This allows you to dynamically update content without manually uploading CSV files each time.

3. Full Automation with API

If you’re looking for a completely hands-off solution, Plainly’s API lets you connect directly with other tools to create custom workflows. This is particularly useful for agencies or businesses looking to offer a white-labeled video generation service to clients or employees.

Regardless of the method you choose, rendering typically takes just a few minutes, and once done, you can bulk download all your videos in one go.

Step 4: Distributing Your Holiday Greetings

With your personalized videos ready, it’s time to spread the holiday cheer! Plainly supports video distribution to multiple platforms, including YouTube, Vimeo, Google Drive, Frame.io, and more. Whether you’re embedding videos in emails, sharing them on social media, or sending them as direct messages, distribution is seamless and efficient.

Why Automate Your Holiday Videos?

Manually creating personalized videos can be a tedious and time-consuming process. With automation, you can:

• Save hours of manual work
• Ensure consistency across all your greetings
• Scale your outreach effortlessly
• Add a unique, personal touch to your holiday messages

So, if you’re ready to ditch manual edits and bring some magic to your holiday greetings, check out Plainly to start your free 14-day trial.

Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas from all of us!