Once I have the image looking good, I then interpret the footage by right clicking the footage in the project window. I select interpret footage and make sure the frame rate is set at the desired setting. Most often I use 23.976 but the default AE settings are usually 30p which will cause your image sequence to render improperly. You have the ability to change this default frame rate in the AE preferences. The final step is to option click the project settings to cycle the working space to a minimum of 16 bpc. This will help eliminate banding that can occur in areas of gradation in colors.