Adobe Using Premiere Pro CS5.5 Instruction Manual Premierepro Cs5 En

User Manual: adobe Premiere Pro - CS5.5 - Instruction Manual Free User Guide for Adobe Premiere Software, Manual

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Using
ADOBE® PREMIERE® PRO CS5 & CS5.5
Last updated 1/16/2012
Legal notices
Legal notices
For legal notices, see http://help.adobe.com/en_US/legalnotices/index.html.
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Last updated 1/16/2012
Contents
Chapter 1: What's new
What’s new (CS5.5) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
What’s new (CS5) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Chapter 2: User interface
Workspaces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Working with Panels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Preferences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Chapter 3: Workflows and setup
Basic workflow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Cross-platform workflow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Cross-application workflows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Adobe Dynamic Link . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Setting up your system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Chapter 4: Project setup
Creating and changing projects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Archiving projects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Trim or copy your project . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Chapter 5: Importing, transferring, capturing, and digitizing
Transferring and importing files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Importing assets from tapeless formats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Importing still images . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
Importing digital audio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
Importing sequences, clip lists, libraries, and compositions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
Importing XML project files from Final Cut Pro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
Capturing and digitizing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
Capturing DV or HDV video . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
Capturing HD video . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
Create clips for offline editing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
Digitizing analog video . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
Capturing content for DVD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
Batch capturing and recapturing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
Working with timecode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
Chapter 6: Managing assets
Customizing the Project panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
Organizing assets in the Project panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
Managing metadata . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
Working with aspect ratios . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117
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Chapter 7: Monitoring assets
Using the Source Monitor and Program Monitor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
Playing assets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
Using the Waveform monitors and vectorscope . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
Using the Reference Monitor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133
Chapter 8: Editing sequences and clips
Creating and changing sequences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135
Editing multi-camera sequences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157
Creating and playing clips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161
Synchronizing audio and video with Merge Clips (CS5.5 and later) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
Working with offline clips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
Modifying clip properties with Interpret Footage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169
Creating special clips (synthetics) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170
Adding clips to sequences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172
Trimming clips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182
Working with clips in a sequence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194
Rearranging clips in a sequence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199
Rendering and previewing sequences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204
Correcting mistakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209
Remove alerts with the Events panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 210
Working with markers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 210
Chapter 9: Editing Audio
Overview of audio and the Audio Mixer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 216
Working with clips, channels, and tracks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221
Editing audio in a Timeline panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 227
Recording audio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231
Adjusting volume levels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 234
Recording audio mixes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 239
Panning and balancing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 242
Advanced mixing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245
Editing audio in Adobe Soundbooth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 249
Editing and mixing audio in Adobe Audition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250
Chapter 10: Titling and the Titler
Creating and editing titles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 252
Creating and formatting text in titles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 255
Drawing shapes in titles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 260
Add images to titles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 264
Working with text and objects in titles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 264
Fills, strokes, and shadows in titles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 267
Titler text styles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 271
Rolling and crawling titles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 272
Chapter 11: Effects and transitions
About effects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 274
Applying, removing, finding, and organizing effects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 278
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Viewing and adjusting effects and keyframes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 281
Applying effects to audio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 284
Working with audio transitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 288
Effect presets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 289
Creating common results . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 291
Motion: position, scale, and rotate a clip . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 293
Eliminate flicker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 298
Duration and speed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 299
Interlacing and field order . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 309
Color correction and adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 311
Transition overview: applying transitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 330
Modifying and customizing transitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 335
Effects and transitions reference . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 339
Audio effects and transitions reference . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 404
Chapter 12: Animation and keyframes
Adding, navigating, and setting keyframes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 415
Moving and copying keyframes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 422
Controlling effect changes using keyframe interpolation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 424
Optimize keyframe automation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 428
Chapter 13: Compositing
Compositing, alpha channels, and adjusting clip opacity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 429
Blending modes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 432
Chapter 14: Exporting
Workflow and overview for exporting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 435
Formats exported directly from Premiere Pro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 437
Export to Panasonic P2 format . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 437
Exporting OMF files for Pro Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 439
Export a still image . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 441
Exporting to DVD or Blu-ray Disc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 441
Exporting projects for other applications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 442
Exporting to videotape . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 445
Exporting for the Web and mobile devices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 447
Chapter 15: Keyboard shortcuts
Finding and customizing keyboard shortcuts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 451
Default keyboard shortcuts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 453
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Chapter 1: What's new
What’s new (CS5.5)
For a complete list of what’s new and changed in Adobe Premiere Pro CS5.5, see this post on the Premiere Pro Work
Area blog.
To see the new features of Adobe Premiere Pro CS5.5 in action, see this video tutorial series by Video2Brain.
For more information about new features in Premiere Pro CS5.5, see the Adobe website.
Merged Clips Adobe Premiere Pro CS5.5 features a method for synchronizing "dual-system" audio and video. This
streamlines the process by which users can synchronize audio and video recorded separately. See “Synchronizing
audio and video with Merge Clips (CS5.5 and later)” on page 164 and this video by Video2Brain.
Mercury Engine Performance Gains New GPU-accelerated features include speed changes, footage interpretation
options, field-order processing, and video effects and transitions. More video cards are supported, as well. See this
video by Video2Brain.
Usability Improvements Lot of usability improvements have been added to Adobe Premiere Pro CS5.5, as described
in this video by Video2Brain.
•Keyboard customization: You can now customize your keyboard even more easily with the search field in the
keyboard shortcuts dialog box. See “Find keyboard shortcuts” on page 451 and this video about keyboard shortcuts
in Premiere Pro CS5.5 by Video2Brain.
•A new overlay allows you to drag clips from the Media Browser, Project panel, or Source panel into the Program
panel to perform an insert or overwrite edit. See “Insert or Overwrite by dragging a clip to the Program panel” on
page 178.
•Add keyframes directly into the timeline using the Pen or Selection tools without having to first enable keyframing.
A modifier key is no longer needed to set keyframes, as well. See Add, select, and delete keyframes.
•The Unlink command now decouples the audio portion of a clip while automatically leaving the video portion
selected. The Unlink command now works on multiple clips at the same time, as well. See Link and unlink video
and audio clips.
Editing in Adobe Audition A new workflow allows you to interchange with Adobe Audition CS5.5 a clip, or an entire
sequence worth of video and audio data, including tracks, individual clips, and keyframes. See “Edit audio in Adobe
Audition (CS5.5)” on page 250 and this video by Video2Brain.
Accelerated Video Effects More video effects and transitions are now GPU-accelerated for the Mercury Playback
Engine. See “List of GPU accelerated effects in Premiere Pro CS5” on page 276.
Unified Audio Effects Audio effects are now combined into a single, unified effect. See “Audio effects” on page 405 and
this video by Video2Brain.
Expanded native support for RED digital cinema workflows The RED R3D Source Settings dialog has been redesigned,
and offers intuitive controls to those working with RED media. Saves and loads the latest versions of RMD, creates
presets, and allows you to adjust color with a histogram or with curves. Choose a desired Color Science, and apply
settings to multiple RED clips simultaneously. See “File formats supported for import” on page 58 and this video by
Video2Brain.
Speech analysis improvements with Adobe Story You can find and fix speech analysis errors more easily by making
side-by-side comparisons of the text of the speech analysis with the text of the Adobe Story script. You can also attach
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an Adobe Story script file (.astx) to a single or multiple clips directly in Adobe Premiere Pro. You don't have to use
OnLocation for this step anymore. See “Improve speech analysis with Adobe Story scripts (CS5.5 and later)” on
page 197 and this video by Video2Brain.
Closed Captioning You can attach a closed caption data file to a sequence and display the closed captions in the
Program Monitor and through Firewire DV output. See “Attach closed caption files (CS5.5 and later)” on page 156
and this video by Video2Brain.
Integration with Adobe CS Review Enables clients and teammates to take part in reviewing video sequences using a
web browser and annotation tools. Reviewers can make frame-accurate comments that visually correlate to the Adobe
Premiere Pro timeline.
What’s new (CS5)
For Premiere Pro system requirements, see the Adobe website.
For lists of various categories of hardware compatible with Adobe Premiere Pro, see the Adobe website.
See this page for what’s new and changed in Adobe Premiere Pro CS5 (5.0.2).
See this page for what’s new and changed in Adobe Premiere Pro CS5 (5.0.3).
See this page for what’s new and changed in Adobe Premiere Pro CS5 (5.0.4).
See this page for what’s new and changed in Adobe Media Encoder CS5.
This blog post on the animotion website details the advantages and considerations of upgrading to Premiere Pro CS5.
Native 64-bit and GPU-accelerated performance with Adobe Mercury Playback Engine Edit HD as fluidly as SD. The
Mercury Playback Engine delivers native 64-bit support, GPU acceleration, and other performance and stability
improvements. Open projects faster, refine effects-rich HD and higher-resolution sequences in real time, enjoy
smooth scrubbing and play back of complex projects without rendering. See results instantly when applying multiple
color corrections, the new Ultra Key, Gaussian blurs, and blending modes. Work with numerous other effects across
many video layers. Work in real time on complex timelines and long-form projects with thousands of clips. Save
rendering time with real-time playback, whether your project is in SD, HD, 2K, 4K or beyond. For more information.
See “GPU-accelerated effects” on page 276.
Expanded native tapeless workflows In CS5, Premiere Pro gains native support for XDCAM HD 50, AVCCAM,
DPX, and AVC-Intra as well as enhanced RED. Premiere Pro continues support for P2, XDCAM EX and HD, and
AVCHD. You never waste valuable production time transcoding or rewrapping, and always have access to the pristine
quality of the original files. Edit video natively from the latest DSLR cameras like the Canon 5D Mark II and Canon
7D. For more information, see “Importing assets from tapeless formats” on page 65.
Script-to-screen workflow Collaborate on writing scripts with Adobe Story, capturing key production direction as you
go. Then, automatically create shot lists from your script in Adobe OnLocation to manage your shoot and capture
logging notes. When you import the project into Premiere Pro, metadata from Adobe OnLocation makes it easy to
create a preliminary rough cut. Use Speech Search to synchronize the script to footage, and then edit based on the
dialogue transcript. With Premiere Pro, you reap the rewards of a well-planned project. For more information, see
“Working with Adobe Story, Adobe OnLocation, and Adobe Premiere Pro” on page 33.
Round-trip editing with Final Cut Pro and Avid Media Composer Leverage the unique tools in Premiere Pro in any
production workflow. Final Cut Pro export completes round-trip editing workflows with Apple Final Cut Pro and
Avid Media Composer to enable a collaborative production process. Bring the creative benefits of Adobe tools to the
whole project. Explore new possibilities with After Effects, Encore, and other Adobe applications. Edit with Speech
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Search, which turns spoken dialogue into searchable text for faster editing. For more information, see “Cross-
application workflows” on page 28.
Editing and production efficiencies from metadata features Add intelligence to your assets using innovative metadata
features. Turn spoken dialogue into searchable text faster and with higher accuracy. Synchronize content with your
Adobe Story script, or by using reference scripts that are optimized for your content. Accelerate editing by marking In
and Out points in the speech analysis text. Use face detection technology to locate clips containing human faces. Plus,
metadata stays with the assets you create, making your content more discoverable online. For more information, see
Understanding the script-to-screen workflow and “Analyze speech for text XMP metadata” on page 194.
Client and team reviews made simple with CS Review CS Review is a new online service that allows you to share dailies
and works in progress for review. CS Review eliminates the need for burning discs or swapping large files back and
forth. Encode sequences and automatically upload them in the background for review and collaboration. Clients and
teammates can comment on your video using just a web browser, and their frame-accurate comments automatically
appear in the Premiere Pro sequence. Upgrading to Premiere Pro CS5 gives you a complimentary one year
subscription to CS Review. The CS Review video workflows for Premiere Pro will not be available when Premiere Pro
CS5 initially ships. Premiere Pro CS5 customers will automatically receive access to the CS5 Review video workflows
when they become available.
Simplify everyday tasks with small changes that make large differences Take advantage of the most requested editing
enhancements. See large productivity gains and smoother day-to-day workflows. Use automatic scene detection to
create separate clips from HDV tapes. Import assets from DVDs. Use new extend edit and find gaps keyboard
shortcuts. Control keyframes with greater precision. Clean up your sequences quickly with new commands for finding
and removing gaps. For more information, see “Log clips with automatic scene detection” on page 86, “Make rolling
edits with the current-time indicator” on page 189, and “Find gaps in sequences and tracks” on page 203.
Streamlined encoding with revamped Adobe Media Encoder Efficiently deliver your content in virtually any format
with Adobe Media Encoder, now with a more intuitive user interface. Adobe Media Encoder saves you time by batch
encoding multiple versions of your source files and Premiere Pro sequences. Set up multiple items for encoding,
manage priorities, and control advanced settings for each item individually. Use any combination of sequences and
clips as sources. Encode to a wide variety of video formats. DPX joins FLV, F4V, Windows Media (Windows only),
QuickTime, MPEG-2, MPEG-4, and H.264 codecs. For more information, see the help document for Adobe Media
Encoder: Using Adobe Media Encoder.
Log footage from virtually any camera with Adobe OnLocation CS5 Use the powerful logging options in Adobe
OnLocation when working with tapeless cameras. tell Adobe OnLocation which shot is currently recording. Then
enter notes, comments, and additional metadata. When you copy clips from the tapeless camera, Adobe OnLocation
automatically merges the information. For more information see help for Adobe OnLocation: Using Adobe
OnLocation.
Ultra Key for fast, accurate keying—even on challenging footage Key HD footage in real time with the new Ultra Key
chroma keyer in Premiere Pro. Ultra Key is optimized for footage that includes uneven lighting, wrinkled
backgrounds, and frizzy hair. Ultra Key preserves shadows and can achieve complex keys on smoke, liquids, and
transparent objects. For more information, see “Chromakey with the Ultra Key effect” on page 380.
Native support for DSLR cameras Edit video from the latest DSLR cameras. New native support means that you never
waste valuable production time transcoding or rewrapping, and always have access to the original file’s pristine quality.
Premiere Pro supports video shot on the following DSLR cameras:
•Canon EOS-1D Mark IV,
•Canon EOS-5D Mark II,
•Canon EOS 7D,
•Nikon D90,
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•Nikon D300S,
•Nikon D3S
•Nikon D5000
•Panasonic Lumix GH1 using AVCHD sequence presets.
Create searchable web-DVDs in Encore CS5 Create a more engaging experience with web-DVDs that now
automatically include a search interface, making it easier for viewers to jump directly to content of interest. When you
use Speech Analysis in Premiere Pro to turn spoken dialogue into searchable text, the information is passed along to
Encore. Encore uses the metadata along with subtitles and menu button text to make your web-DVDs searchable. For
more information, see Help for Encore: Using Adobe Encore.
Dynamic Link is now bidirectional Dynamic Link communication between Adobe Premiere Pro and Adobe After
Effects is now bi-directional. Previously, if you used Dynamic Link to send information from After Effects to Premiere
Pro, you could not later use Dynamic Link to send information from Premiere Pro to After Effects. You had to restart
the applications to reset the direction and use Dynamic Link going in the other direction. In Creative Suite CS5, that
limitation is gone.
More Help topics
Premiere Pro CS5 feature tour
“Premiere Pro trial versions” on page 42
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Chapter 2: User interface
Workspaces
For an overview of the Premiere Pro interface, see this introduction to panels and workspaces from Peachpit Press.
For an overview of the Premiere Pro interface, see this video from Learn By Video and Video2Brain by Maxim Jago.
Import a workspace with a project
Workspace selections and customizations made in a project are saved in the project file. By default, Premiere Pro opens
projects in the current workspace. However, you can instead open a project in the workspace last used with it. This
option is particularly helpful if you often rearrange the workspace for each project.
If you import a project and the workspace is empty, close the project. Deselect Import Workspace From Projects.
Import the project again, and select an existing workspace for the project.
❖Before opening a project, select Window > Workspace > Import Workspace From Projects.
Customizing workspaces
About workspaces
Adobe video and audio applications provide a consistent, customizable workspace. Although each application has its
own set of panels (such as Project, Metadata, and Timeline), you move and group panels in the same way across
products.
The main window of a program is the application window. Panels are organized in this window in an arrangement
called a workspace. The default workspace contains groups of panels as well as panels that stand alone.
You customize a workspace by arranging panels in the layout that best suits your working style. As you rearrange
panels, the other panels resize automatically to fit the window. You can create and save several custom workspaces for
different tasks—for example, one for editing and one for previewing.
You can use floating windows to create a workspace more like workspaces in previous versions of Adobe applications,
or to place panels on multiple monitors.
In these two tutorials Andrew Devis from Creative Cow shows how to use different workspaces, and how to customize
your workspace.
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Example workspace
A. Application window B. Grouped panels C. Individual panel
Choose a workspace
Each Adobe video and audio application includes several predefined workspaces that optimize the layout of panels for
specific tasks. When you choose one of these workspaces, or any custom workspaces you’ve saved, the current
workspace is redrawn accordingly.
❖Open the project you want to work on, choose Window > Workspace, and select the desired workspace.
Dock, group, or float panels
You can dock panels together, move them into or out of groups, and undock them so they float above the application
window. As you drag a panel, drop zones—areas onto which you can move the panel—become highlighted. The drop
zone you choose determines where the panel is inserted, and whether it docks or groups with other panels.
Docking zones
Docking zones exist along the edges of a panel, group, or window. Docking a panel places it adjacent to the existing
group, resizing all groups to accommodate the new panel.
BC
A
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Dragging panel (A) onto docking zone (B) to dock it (C)
Grouping zones
Grouping zones exist in the middle of a panel or group, and along the tab area of panels. Dropping a panel on a
grouping zone stacks it with other panels.
Dragging panel (A) onto grouping zone (B) to group it with existing panels (C)
Dock or group panels
1If the panel you want to dock or group is not visible, choose it from the Window menu.
2Do one of the following:
•
To move an individual panel, drag the gripper area in the upper-left corner of a panel’s tab onto the desired drop zone.
C
B
A
B
C
A
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Drag panel gripper to move one panel
•To move an entire group, drag the group gripper in the upper-right corner onto the desired drop zone.
Drag group gripper to move entire group
The application docks or groups the panel, according to the type of drop zone.
Undock a panel in a floating window
When you undock a panel in a floating window, you can add panels to the window and modify it similarly to the
application window. You can use floating windows to use a secondary monitor, or to create workspaces like the
workspaces in earlier versions of Adobe applications.
❖Select the panel you want to undock (if it’s not visible, choose it from the Window menu), and then do one of the
following:
•Choose Undock Panel or Undock Frame from the panel menu. Undock Frame undocks the panel group.
•Hold down Ctrl (Windows®) or Command (Mac OS®), and drag the panel or group from its current location.
When you release the mouse button, the panel or group appears in a new floating window.
•Drag the panel or group outside the application window. (If the application window is maximized, drag the
panel to the Windows taskbar.)
Resize panel groups
When you position the pointer over dividers between panel groups, resize icons appear. When you drag these icons,
all groups that share the divider are resized. For example, suppose your workspace contains three panel groups stacked
vertically. If you drag the divider between the bottom two groups, they are resized, but the topmost group doesn’t
change.
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To quickly maximize a panel beneath the pointer, press the accent key. (Do not press Shift.) Press the accent key again
to return the panel to its original size.
1Do either of the following:
•To resize either horizontally or vertically, position the pointer between two panel groups. The pointer becomes a
double-arrow
.
•To resize in both directions at once, position the pointer at the intersection between three or more panel groups.
The pointer becomes a four-way arrow
.
2Hold down the mouse button, and drag to resize the panel groups.
Dragging divider between panel groups to resize them horizontally
A. Original group with resize icon B. Resized groups
Open, close, and scroll to panels
When you close a panel group in the application window, the other groups resize to use the newly available space.
When you close a floating window, the panels within it close, too.
•To open a panel, choose it from the Window menu.
•To close a panel or window, press Control-W (Windows) or Command-W (Mac OS), or click its Close button .
•To see all the panel tabs in a narrow panel group, drag the horizontal scroll bar.
•To bring a panel to the front of a group of panels, do one of the following:
•Click the tab of the panel you want in front.
•Hover the cursor above the tab area, and turn the mouse scroll wheel. Scrolling brings each panel to the front, one
after another.
•Drag tabs horizontally to change their order.
•To reveal panels hidden in a narrow panel group, drag the scroll bar above the panel group.
A
B
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Drag horizontal scroll bar to see all panels in narrow group
Working with multiple monitors
To increase the available screen space, use multiple monitors. When you work with multiple monitors, the application
window appears on one monitor, and you place floating windows on the second monitor. Monitor configurations are
stored in the workspace.
More Help topics
“Dock, group, or float panels” on page 6
Save, reset, or delete workspaces
Save a custom workspace
As you customize a workspace, the application tracks your changes, storing the most recent layout. To store a specific
layout more permanently, save a custom workspace. Saved custom workspaces appear in the Workspace menu, where
you can return to and reset them.
❖Arrange the frames and panels as desired, and then choose Window > Workspace > New Workspace. Type a name
for the workspace, and click
OK.
Note: (After Effects, Premiere Pro, Encore) If a project saved with a custom workspace is opened on another system, the
application looks for a workspace with a matching name. If it can’t find a match (or the monitor configuration doesn’t
match), it uses the current local workspace.
Reset a workspace
Reset the current workspace to return to its original, saved layout of panels.
❖Choose Window > Workspace > Reset workspace name.
Delete a workspace
1Choose Window > Workspace >Delete Workspace.
2Choose the workspace you want to delete, and then click OK.
Note: You cannot delete the currently active workspace.
Brighten or darken the interface
You can lower the brightness, as when working in a darkened editing suite or when making color corrections.
Changing the brightness affects panels, windows, and dialog boxes but does not affect scroll bars, title bars, and menus
that aren’t inside panels. In addition, the change doesn’t affect the application background on Windows.
1Choose Edit > Preferences > Appearance (Windows) or Premiere Pro > Preferences > Appearance (Mac OS).
2Drag the User Interface Brightness slider to the left or right. Click Default to restore the default brightness level.
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Working with Panels
Navigate the panels
You can use keyboard shortcuts to activate panels in rotation.
❖Do one of the following:
•To activate panels in rotation to the right, press Ctrl+Shift+. (period) (Windows), or Control+Shift+. (period) (Mac OS).
•
To activate panels in rotation to the left, press Ctrl+Shift+, (comma) (Windows), or Control+Shift+, (comma) (Mac OS).
Kevin Monahan provides instructions and keyboard shortcuts for activating panels in this blog post.
Display any panel full-screen
You can expand any panel to display it in full-screen mode, and toggle back to normal view. You can do so with the
current panel in focus or the panel you are hovering over with your mouse. In Adobe Premiere Pro CS5, do the
following.
1Hover your mouse over the panel you want to maximize.
2Press the accent key (`). Typically, this key lies just to the left of the numeral one (1) key. Some see this key as the
back quote key, or the tilde key. Press the accent key once more to restore the panel size.
In Adobe Premiere Pro CS5.5 and later, to maximize a selected panel you can choose Window > Maximize Frame. To
restore the panel size, choose Window > Restore Frame Size. You can also press Shift+accent to maximize the panel
size of a selected panel. Press the accent key to toggle the panel size of a panel you are hovering over with the mouse.
Note: When Adobe Premiere Pro is installed on a computer with a non-U.S. keyboard, the Maximize Or Restore Frame
command is mapped to a key other than the accent key. The key for Maximize Or Restore Frame is listed in the Keyboard
Customization dialog box. To find it, select the Adobe Premiere Pro Defaults set. Then, select Application from the menu.
Scroll down past the Help heading to Maximize or Restore Frame.
More Help topics
“Find keyboard shortcuts” on page 451
Display panel options
❖Click the panel menu icon in the upper-right corner of the panel.
You can open a panel menu even when the panel is minimized.
In Photoshop, you can change the font size of the text in panels and tool tips. In the Interface preferences, choose a
size from the UI Font Size menu.
Display context and panel menus
In addition to choosing from the menus at the top of your screen, you can choose from context menus, which display
commands relative to the active tool or selected item. Panel menus display commands relative to the active panel.
•To display panel menus, click the button in the upper-right corner of the panel.
•To display context menus, right-click a panel.
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Tools panel and Options panel
When you open the Options panel, it opens by default in the horizontal docking area running just under the menu bar,
forming the Options bar. You can undock, move, and redock the Options panel like any other panel. By default, the
Options panel contains a menu of workspaces and a link to CS Services. You can also dock the Tools panel to the
Options panel.
Tools
When you select a tool, the pointer changes shape according to the selection. For example, when you select the Razor
tool and position the pointer over a clip in a Timeline panel, the icon changes to a razor . However, the Selection
tool icon can change to reflect the task currently being performed. In some cases, pressing a modifier key (such as
Shift) as you use a tool changes its function, and its icon changes accordingly. Select tools from the Tools panel, or use
a keyboard shortcut. You can resize the Tools panel and orient it vertically or horizontally.
Note: The Selection tool is the default tool. It’s used for everything other than specialized functions. If the program isn’t
responding as you expect, make sure that the Selection tool is selected.
Toolbox
A. Selection tool B. Ripple Edit tool C. Rate Stretch tool D. Slip tool E. Pen tool F. Hand tool G. Track Select tool H. Rolling Edit tool I. Razor
tool J. Slide tool K. Zoom tool
Select any tool to activate it for use in a Timeline panel by clicking it or pressing its keyboard shortcut. Let the cursor
hover over a tool to see its name and keyboard shortcut.
Selection Tool The standard tool for selecting clips, menu items, and other objects in the user interface. It’s generally
a good practice to select the Selection Tool as soon as you are done using any of the other, more specialized, tools. For
more information about using the Selection Tool, see “Select one or more clips” on page 197.
Track Selection Tool Select this tool to select all the clips to the right of the cursor in a sequence. To select a clip and
all clips to the right in its own track, click the clip. To select a clip and all clips to its right in all tracks, Shift-click the
clip. Pressing Shift changes the Track Selection Tool into the Multi-track Selection Tool. For more information about
using the Track Selection Tool, see “Select one or more clips” on page 197 and “Delete all clips on one track” on
page 204.
Ripple Edit Tool Select this tool to trim the In or Out point of a clip in a Timeline. The Ripple Edit Tool closes gaps
caused by the edit and preserves all edits to the left or right of the trimmed clip. For more information about using the
Ripple Edit tool, see “Making rolling and ripple edits” on page 187 or this video tutorial about the Ripple Edit Tool by
Andrew Devis
Rolling Edit Tool Select this tool to roll the edit point between two clips in a Timeline. The Rolling Edit Tool trims the
In point of one and the Out point of the other, while leaving the combined duration of the two clips unchanged. For
more information about using the Rolling Edit tool, see “Making rolling and ripple edits” on page 187 or this video
tutorial about the Rolling Edit Tool by Andrew Devis.
Rate Stretch Tool Select this tool to shorten a clip in a Timeline by speeding up its playback, or to lengthen it by
slowing it down. The Rate Stretch Tool changes speed and duration, but leaves the In and Out points of the clip
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unchanged. For more information about using the Rate Stretch Tool, see “Change clip speed and duration with the
Rate Stretch tool” on page 300 or this video about the Rate Stretch Tool by Andrew Devis..
Razor Tool Select this tool to make one or more incisions in clips in a Timeline. Click a point in a clip to split it at that
precise location. To split clips in all tracks at that location, Shift-click the spot in any of the clips. For more information
about using the Razor Tool, see “Split or cut one or more clips with the Razor tool” on page 201 or this video about the
Razor Tool by Andrew Devis.
Slip Tool Select this tool to simultaneously change the In and Out points of a clip in a Timeline, while keeping the time
span between them constant. For example, if you have trimmed a 10-second clip to 5 seconds in a Timeline, you can
use the Slip Tool to determine which 5 seconds of the clip appear in the Timeline. For more information about using
the Slip Tool, see “Make slip and slide edits” on page 191 or this video about the Slip Tool by Andrew Devis.
Slide Tool Select this tool to move a clip to the left or right in a Timeline while simultaneously trimming the two clips
that surround it. The combined duration of the three clips, and the location of the group in the Timeline, remain
unchanged. For more information about using the Slide Tool, see “Make slip and slide edits” on page 191 or this video
about the Slide Tool by Andrew Devis.
Pen Tool Select this tool to set or select keyframes, or to adjust connector lines in a Timeline. Drag a connector line
vertically to adjust it. Ctrl-click (Windows) or Command-click (Mac OS) on a connector line to set a keyframe. Shift-
click noncontiguous keyframes to select them. Drag a marquee over contiguous keyframes to select them. For more
information about using the Pen Tool, see “Select keyframes” on page 420.
Hand Tool Select this tool to move the viewing area of a Timeline to the right or left. Drag left or right anywhere in the
viewing area.
Zoom Tool Select this tool to zoom in or out in a Timeline viewing area. Click in the viewing area to zoom in by one
increment. Alt-click (Windows) or Option-click (Mac OS) to zoom out by one increment. For more information about
using the Zoom Tool, see “Navigate in a sequence” on page 136.
Open the Options panel
•Select Window > Options.
Dock the Tools panel to the Options panel
1In the Tools panel, click the panel menu icon.
2Select Dock In Options Panel.
Undock the Tools panel from the Options panel
❖In the Options panel, click the dotted area to the left of Selection Tool.
Premiere Pro removes the Tools panel from the Options panel, and returns the Tools panel to the location it had
before docking to the Options panel.
Clip details in the Info panel
The Info panel displays several data about a selected item, and timecode information for clips under the current-time
indicator in the Timeline.
At the top of the panel, information is displayed for the current selection. This information varies depending on its
media type, the active panel, and so on. For example, the Info panel displays information unique to an empty space in
a Timeline panel, or a clip in the Project panel.
Video Indicates frame rate, frame size, and pixel aspect ratio, in that order.
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Audio Indicates sample rate, bit depth, and channels, in that order.
Tape Indicates the name of the tape.
In Indicates the In point timecode of the selected clip.
Out Indicates the Out point timecode of the selected clip.
Duration Indicates the duration of the selected clip.
The section below the current selection data contains the timecode values for the active sequence and for clips in each
of its video and audio tracks. These values are displayed in a stacking order that matches the Timeline for easy visual
correlation. Video track timecodes are displayed with the highest track number on top, and audio tracks are displayed
with the highest track number on the bottom. The only time this section is blank is when all sequences are closed.
When a track is added to or deleted from the current sequence, the Info panel updates to accurately display the number
of tracks in the sequence. There is no limit on the number of tracks displayed. Similarly, when the user switches to a
different sequence, the Info panel updates to display the correct number of tracks in that sequence.
The Info panel displays timecode for the current selection and for all track items under the current-time indicator.
When the playhead crosses a blank area in the timeline, no timecode value is displayed for that track, but the track label
remains visible and undimmed. The vertical stack layout of the timecodes is easily correlated with the physical layout
of the tracks in the sequence.
The Info panel
A. Name of selected clip B. Data for selected clip C. Tape name D. Sequence timecode locations of clip Start and End points E. Name of active
sequence F. Source timecode location in selected clip of current-time indicator G. Source timecode location in clips on video tracks of current-
time indicator H. Source timecode location in clips on audio tracks of current-time indicator
Note: You can change the default behavior of some of the panels in the Preferences dialog box. See “Preferences” on
page 15.
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Preferences
Change preferences
You can customize the look and behavior of Premiere Pro, from determining the default length of transitions to setting
the brightness of the user interface. Most of these preferences remain in effect until you change them. The preferences
you set for scratch disks, however, are saved with your projects. Whenever you open a project, it automatically defaults
to the scratch disks you selected for it when you set up that project.
•To open the Preferences dialog box, choose Edit > Preferences (Windows) or Premiere Pro > Preferences (Mac
OS), and select the category of preferences you wish to change.
•To restore default preference settings, hold down Alt (Windows) or Option (Mac OS) while the application is
starting. You can release the Alt key or Option key when the splash screen appears.
•To restore default preference settings and plug-in cache at the same time, hold down Shift-Alt (Windows) or Shift-
Option (Mac OS) while the application is starting. Release the Shift-Alt keys or Shift-Option key when the splash
screen appears.
Preferences are stored in the following location:
•For Windows: <drive>\Users\<username>\AppData\Roaming\Adobe\Adobe Premiere Pro
•For Mac OS: <drive>/Users/<username>Library/Preferences/com.adobe.AdobePremierePro.plist
This excerpt from the Adobe Premiere Pro Classroom in a Book explains how to set up projects, sequences, and
preferences when getting started with Premiere Pro. See Selecting Settings, Adjusting Preferences, and Managing
Assets in Adobe Premiere Pro CS5.
General preferences
In the General pane of the Preferences dialog box, you can customize settings for everything from playback preroll
duration to bin behaviors.
•Preroll and postroll are the amount of seconds before and after an edit point when playing back footage for a
number of editing functions, like using the Trim Monitor.
•You can specify whether Adobe Premiere Pro, by default, displays timeline playback by page scroll, by smooth
scroll, or no scroll. In page scrolling, each new view of the timeline appears after the playhead moves offscreen. In
smooth scrolling, the playhead remains in the middle of the screen, while the clips and time ruler move by.
•You can specify whether Adobe Premiere Pro, by default, shows clip keyframes, clip volume, handles, keyframes,
track keyframes, track volume, or to hide keyframes for audio tracks. Select the desired option from the New
Timeline Audio Tracks menu.
•You can specify whether Adobe Premiere Pro, by default, shows opacity handles, keyframes, or neither for video
tracks. Select the desired option from the New Timeline Video Tracks menu.
More Help topics
“Play a sequence or clip with preroll and postroll pauses” on page 127
“Specify and apply default transitions” on page 334
“Change the default duration for still images” on page 299
“Scroll a sequence during preview” on page 207
“Set the default keyframe display of video tracks” on page 141
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“Set the default keyframe display of audio tracks” on page 141
“Render audio when rendering video” on page 206
“Scale assets” on page 294
“Change bin behaviors” on page 107
“Specify whether to render audio when rendering video” on page 47
Appearance preferences
In the Appearance pane of the Preferences dialog box, you can set the overall brightness of the user interface.
More Help topics
“Brighten or darken the interface” on page 10
Audio Preferences
Automatch Time The Automatch Time preference specifies the time, in the Audio Mixer, for any control that has been
adjusted to return to its previous setting. Affected controls are Volume, Pan, Effect and Send parameter knobs in
Audio, Submix and (except sends) Master track. Automatch Time preference affects properties in Touch mode, and
in Read mode for effects with keyframes.
5.1 Mixdown Type Specifies how Premiere Pro mixes source channels to 5.1 audio tracks.
Mute Input During Timeline Recording Check this box to prevent monitoring of the audio inputs while recording the
timeline.
Default Track Format Defines the type of track in which the clip audio channels are presented when a clip is added to
a sequence—Mono, Stereo, Mono As Stereo, or 5.1.
•Mono Maps the source audio channels so that they’re placed on separate mono audio tracks. For example, when
you select Mono from the Default Track Format menu, Premiere Pro maps each source channel to a separate mono
track on capture or import. If you capture from a stereo source with this setting, Premiere Pro maps each of the source
channels to a separate monaural track. You can apply the Mono track format to clips containing any number of audio
channels. Importing a file containing 5.1 channels maps them to six audio tracks. When you add the clip to the
sequence, the clips on the separate mono tracks remain linked together.
•Stereo Maps the source audio channels so that paired channels are placed on stereo audio tracks. You can apply
the Stereo track format to clips containing any number of audio channels. If the clip doesn’t contain an even number
of channels, a silent channel is created. The silent channel is paired with the unpaired channel when the clip is added
to a sequence.
•Mono As Stereo Maps the source audio channels so each is placed on a stereo audio track. Premiere Pro duplicates
the audio from each mono source channel and places it in the left and right channels of a stereo track. You can apply
the Mono As Stereo format to clips containing any number of audio channels.
•5.1 Maps the source audio channels so that one or more groups of six channels are placed into separate 5.1
surround audio tracks. If the number of source channels is not a multiple of six, Premiere Pro creates a 5.1 surround
audio track with silence on one or more channels.
Linear Keyframe Thinning Creates keyframes only at points that don’t have a linear relationship to the start and end
keyframes. For example, suppose you are automating a fade from 0 dB to –12 dB. With this option selected, Premiere
Pro creates keyframes only at the points that represent an increase in value from the beginning (0 dB) and ending (–
12 dB) keyframes. If you don’t select this option, Premiere Pro may create several incremental keyframes of identical
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values between those two points, depending on the speed at which you change the value. This option is selected by
default.
Minimum Time Interval Thinning Creates keyframes only at intervals larger than the value you specify. Enter a value
between 1 and 2000 milliseconds.
More Help topics
“Set Automatch Time for Touch mode and Read mode” on page 241
“Specify automated keyframe creation” on page 242
“Downmixing to fewer channels” on page 248
“Specify whether to play audio while scrubbing” on page 234
“Mute input during recording” on page 234
“Mapping source and output audio channels” on page 221
“Specify automated keyframe creation” on page 242
Audio Hardware preferences
In the Audio Hardware pane of the Preferences dialog box, you specify the computer audio device and settings,
including the ASIO settings (Windows only), or buffer size setting (Mac OS only) that Premiere Pro uses for recording
audio.
More Help topics
“Preparing the audio input channel for recording” on page 232
“Specify the default audio device” on page 46
“Specify ASIO device settings (Windows only)” on page 47
Audio Output Mapping preferences
In the Audio Output Mapping pane of the Preferences dialog box, you specify the target speaker in your computer
sound system for each supported audio channel.
Note: Adobe Audition users will need to use Audio Output Mapping preferences to that 5.1 clips will output Ls, Rs, C,
and LFE channels in the same order as Audition.
More Help topics
“Map sequence audio channels to audio output device hardware channels” on page 223
Change the Auto Save settings
By default, Premiere Pro automatically saves your project every 20 minutes and retains the last five versions of the
project file on the hard disk. You can revert to a previously saved version at any time. Archiving many iterations of a
project consumes relatively little disk space because project files are much smaller than source video files. It’s best to
save project files to the same drive as your application. Archived files are saved in the Premiere Pro Auto-Save folder.
1Choose Edit > Preferences > Auto Save (Windows) or Premiere Pro > Preferences > Auto Save (Mac OS).
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2Do any of the following, and then click OK:
•Select Automatically Save Projects, and type the number of minutes you would like between saves.
•For Maximum Project Versions, enter the number of versions of a project file you want to save. For example, if you
type 10, Premiere Pro saves the ten most recent versions.
3Click OK.
Note: Premiere Pro will only execute an auto save when there are unsaved changes in the currently opened project. This
also applies when the program is in the background or minimized. The potential consequence for leaving a project open
with unsaved changes for a long enough period of time is that eventually all of the auto save versions will become identical,
wiping out potentially useful versions to roll back to. Adjust this preference according to your workflow or close Premiere
Pro when you will be working on other applications for an extended period of time.
Capture preferences
Controls how Premiere Pro transfers video and audio directly from a deck or camera. (None of the other project
settings options affect capturing.) The contents of this panel depend on the editing mode. If you’re capturing DV
footage, use the default DV capture settings. When DV/IEEE 1394 Capture is the selected capture format, no options
are available because the options are automatically set to the IEEE 1394 standard. Additional capture formats and
options appear if you install other software, such as software included with a capture card certified to be compatible
with Premiere Pro.
Note: For P2 DVCPRO 50 and P2 DVCPRO HD projects, the Capture Format setting is not relevant, because the assets
are captured and recorded directly to the P2 card as digital files by the camera.
More Help topics
“Set up a project for device control” on page 81
Device Control preferences
In the Device Control pane of the Preferences dialog box, you specify the settings Premiere Pro uses to control a
playback/recording device, such as a VTR or camcorder.
More Help topics
“Set up a device for device control” on page 82
Label Colors preferences
In the Label Colors pane of the Preferences dialog box, you can change the default colors and color names. You can
label assets with these colors and color names in the Project panels.
More Help topics
“Label assets” on page 107
Label Defaults preferences
In the Label Defaults pane of the Preferences dialog box, you can change the default colors assigned to bins, sequences,
and different types of media.
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More Help topics
“Label assets” on page 107
Media preferences
Indeterminate Media Timebase Specifies the framerate for imported still-image sequences.
Timecode Specifies whether Premiere Pro shows the original timecode imported clips, or assigns new timecode to
them, starting at 00:00:00.
Frame Count Specifies whether Premiere Pro assigns a 0, or a 1 to the first frame of an imported clip, or assigns a
number by timecode conversion.
Write XMP ID To Files On Import Check this box to write ID information into XMP metadata fields.
Enable Clip And XMP Metadata Linking Check this box to link clip metadata to XMP metadata, so that changing one
changes the other.
More Help topics
“Move or clean the Media Cache Database” on page 49
“Choose timecode display format” on page 98
“Ensure that Adobe video applications use the same cached files” on page 208
“About the Metadata panel in Premiere Pro” on page 113
Memory preferences
In the Memory pane of the Preferences dialog box, you can specify the amount of RAM reserved for other applications,
and for Premiere Pro. For example, as you reduce the amount of RAM reserved for other applications, the amount of
RAM left available for Premiere Pro increases.
Some sequences, such as those containing high-resolution source video or still images, require large amounts of
memory for the simultaneous rendering of multiple frames. These assets can force Premiere Pro to cancel rendering
and to give a Low Memory Warning alert. In these cases, you can maximize the available memory by changing the
Optimize Rendering For preference from Performance to Memory. Change this preference back to Performance when
rendering no longer requires memory optimization.
More Help topics
“Optimize rendering for available memory” on page 50
Player Settings preferences
In the Player Settings pane of the Preferences dialog box, you can select the default player. Premiere Pro uses the player
to play media from clips and sequences for the following:
•Source Monitor
•Program Monitor
•the preview area at the top of the Project panel
•Trim Monitor
•Multi-Camera Monitor
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•the video transition preview in the Effect Controls panel.
You can choose the default player for your computer, or a third-party plug-in player for Premiere Pro. Third-party
players are installed with some capture cards.
Titler preferences
In the Titler pane of the Preferences dialog box, you can change the letters Premiere Pro shows in the Titler Style
Swatches panel and in the font browser.
More Help topics
“Specify the characters in the Title Styles panel” on page 272
“Change the letters that appear in the Font Browser” on page 257
Trim preferences
The Trim Monitor includes Large Trim Offset buttons. Clicking one of these buttons moves a trim point earlier or
later. In the Trim pane of the Preferences dialog box, you can specify the number of frames that the Large Trim Offset
buttons move trim points.
More Help topics
“Make a rolling edit using the Trim Monitor” on page 189
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Chapter 3: Workflows and setup
Basic workflow
The steps you take in editing video, from import or capture through final output, make up your workflow. The basic
workflow describes the most general steps you would take with most projects. Specific types of workflows, such as the
P2 workflow or the cross-platform workflow, explain the noteworthy settings, variations, or issues specific to each type.
Reviewing the entire workflow for a production before creating a project and first sequence can help you optimize
Adobe Premiere Pro for the needs of that production. It can also help you plan for the special needs your production
has at any particular step. For example, if you learn, before you begin, the parameters of your footage, you can select
the best sequence presets for your production.
For resources relating to optimizing your computer system, your workflow, and Premiere Pro so that you can get the
most done in the least time see this blog post on the After Effects Region of Interest.
Whether you use Adobe Premiere Pro to edit video for broadcast, DVD, or the web, you’re likely to follow a workflow
like the one outlined below. For Adobe recommended tutorials on basic workflow, scroll to the bottom of this page.
Before you begin editing
Before you begin editing in Premiere Pro, you will need footage to work with. You can either shoot your own footage,
or work with footage that other people have shot. You can also work with graphics, audio files, and more.
Many projects you work on do not need a script. However, sometimes you work from or write a script, especially for
dramatic projects. You can write your script and organize your production details with Adobe Story.
While you shoot, organize your shots and take log notes. You can also adjust and monitor footage as you shoot,
capturing directly to a drive. For capturing to a drive, use Adobe OnLocation.
It is important to note that using Adobe Story or Adobe OnLocation are not necessary for editing with Adobe Premiere
Pro. Writing a script, and making notes on the set are optional steps to help organize a project before you get started.
Get started editing
After you have acquired footage, follow the steps to get started editing with Premiere Pro.
1. Start or open a project
Open an existing project, or start a new one from the Premiere Pro Quickstart screen. If you are starting a new project,
the New Project dialog launches. From the New Project dialog, you can specify the name and location of the project
file, the video capture format, and other settings for your project. (See “Creating and changing projects” on page 51.)
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Quickstart screen
If you are starting a new project, the New Sequence dialog will appear after you have exited the New Project dialog.
Choose the one that matches the settings of your footage.
•If you need help choosing a sequence preset, and are not sure of your settings, see this FAQ entry: “How do I choose
the right sequence settings.”
•For an overview of the Premiere Pro workflow, see this video from Video2Brain and Learn by Video, presented by
Maxim Jago.
•To get started editing quickly with Premiere Pro, see this video from Video2Brain and Learn by Video, presented
by Maxim Jago.
2. Capture and import video and audio
For file-based assets, using the Media Browser you can import files from computer sources in any of the leading media
formats. Each file you capture or import automatically becomes a clip in the Project panel.
Alternatively, using the Capture panel, capture footage directly from a camcorder or VTR. With the proper hardware,
you can digitize and capture other formats, from VHS to HDTV.
Optionally, if you import an Adobe OnLocation project into Premiere Pro, metadata from Adobe OnLocation makes
it easy to create a preliminary rough cut. Use Speech Search to synchronize the script to footage, and then edit based
on the dialogue transcript.
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Project panel and Capture panel
You can also import various digital media, including video, audio, and still images. Premiere Pro also imports Adobe®
Illustrator® artwork or Photoshop® layered files, and it translates After Effects® projects for a seamless, integrated
workflow. You can create synthetic media, such as standard color bars, color backgrounds, and a countdown. (See
“About capturing and digitizing” on page 78.)
You can also use Adobe® Bridge to organize and find your media files. Then use the Place command in Adobe Bridge
to place the files directly into Premiere Pro.
In the Project panel, you can label, categorize, and group footage into bins to keep a complex project organized. You
can open multiple bins simultaneously, each in its own panel, or you can nest bins, one inside another. Using the
Project panel Icon view, you can arrange clips in storyboard fashion to visualize or quickly assemble a sequence.
Note: Before capturing or importing audio, ensure that Preferences>Audio>Default Track Format is set to match the
desired channel format.
3. Assemble and refine a sequence
Using the Source Monitor, you can view clips, set edit points, and mark other important frames before adding clips to
a sequence. For convenience, you can break a master clip into any number of subclips, each with its own In and Out
points. You can view audio as a detailed waveform and edit it with sample-based precision. (See “Source Monitor and
Program Monitor overview” on page 122.)
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Source Monitor, Program Monitor, and Timeline panel
You add clips to a sequence in a Timeline panel by dragging them there or by using the Insert or Overwrite buttons in
the Source Monitor. You can automatically assemble clips into a sequence that reflects their order in the Project panel.
You can view the edited sequence in the Program Monitor or watch the full-screen, full-quality video on an attached
television monitor. (See “Timeline panels” on page 136 and “Adding clips to a sequence” on page 172.)
Refine the sequence by manipulating clips in a Timeline panel, with either context-sensitive tools or tools in the Tools
panel. Use the specialized Trim Monitor to fine-tune the cut point between clips. By nesting sequences—using a
sequence as a clip within another sequence—you can create effects you couldn’t achieve otherwise.
4. Add titles
Using the Premiere Pro full-featured Titler, create stylish still titles, title rolls, or title crawls that you can easily
superimpose over video. If you prefer, you can modify any of a wide range of provided title templates. As with any clip,
you can edit, fade, animate, or add effects to the titles in a sequence. (See “Titling and the Titler” on page 252.)
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Titler
5. Add transitions and effects
The Effects panel includes an extensive list of transitions and effects you can apply to clips in a sequence. You can
adjust these effects, as well as a clip’s motion, opacity, and Variable Rate Stretch using the Effect Controls panel. The
Effect Controls panel also lets you animate a clip’s properties using traditional keyframing techniques. As you adjust
transitions, the Effect Controls panel displays controls designed especially for that task. Alternatively, you can view and
adjust transitions and a clip’s effect keyframes in a Timeline panel. (See “Transition overview: applying transitions” on
page 330 and “Apply effects to clips” on page 279.)
Effects panel in filtered view, Effect Controls panel, and Program Monitor
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6. Mix audio
For track-based audio adjustments, the Audio Mixer faithfully emulates a full-featured audio mixing board, complete
with fade and pan sliders, sends, and effects. Premiere Pro saves your adjustments in real time. With a supported sound
card, you can record audio through the sound mixer, or mix audio for 5.1 surround sound. (See “Mixing audio tracks
and clips” on page 217.)
Audio Mixer
7. Export
Deliver your edited sequence in the medium of your choice: tape, DVD, Blu-ray Disc, or movie file. Using the Adobe
Media Encoder, you can customize the settings for MPEG-2, MPEG-4, FLV, and other codecs and formats, to the
needs of your viewing audience. (See “Types of exporting” on page 435.)
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Export Settings dialog box and Encore New Project dialog box
More Help topics
“Import clips from Adobe OnLocation projects using the Media Browser” on page 72
What is Premiere Pro? on Adobe TV
The Basic Premiere Pro workflow on Adobe TV
Cross-platform workflow
You can work on a project across computer platforms. For example, you can start on Windows and continue on Mac
OS. A few functions change, however, as the project moves from one platform to the other.
Sequence settings You can create a project on one platform and then move it to another. Premiere Pro sets the
equivalent sequence settings for the second platform, if there is an equivalent. For example, you can create a DV project
containing DV capture and device control settings on Windows. When you open the project on Mac OS, Premiere Pro
sets the appropriate Mac DV capture and device control settings. Saving the project saves these Mac OS settings.
Premiere Pro translates these settings to Windows settings if the project is later opened on Windows.
Effects All video effects available on Mac OS are available in Windows. Windows effects not available on the Mac
appear as offline effects if the project is opened on the Mac. These effects are designated “Windows only” in Premiere
Pro Help. All audio effects are available on both platforms. Effect presets work on both platforms (unless the preset
applies to an effect not available on a given platform).
Adobe Media Encoder presets Presets created on one platform are not available on the other.
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Preview files Preview files made on one platform are not available on the other. When a project is opened on a
different platform, Premiere Pro rerenders the preview files. When that project is then opened on its original platform,
Premiere Pro renders the preview files yet again.
High-bit-depth files Windows AVI files containing either 10-bit 4:2:2 uncompressed video (v210), or 8-bit 4:2:2
uncompressed video (UYVU) are not supported on Mac OS.
Preview rendering The playback quality of unrendered non-native files is not as high as playback quality of these files
on their native platforms. For example, AVI files do not play back as well on Mac OS as they do on Windows. Premiere
Pro renders preview files for non-native files on the current platform. Premiere Pro always renders preview files in a
native format. A red bar in the timeline indicates which sections contain files needing rendering.
Cross-application workflows
You can use various other Adobe applications to enhance or modify the assets used in a Premiere Pro project. Also,
you can use Premiere Pro to edit projects begun in other applications.
Edit a clip in its original application
In Premiere Pro, the Edit Original command opens clips in the applications associated with their file types. You can
edit clips in the associated applications. Premiere Pro automatically incorporates the changes into the current project
without replacing files. Similarly, Premiere Pro sequences placed in other applications, such as Adobe After Effects can
be opened with the host product’s Edit Original command.
1Select a clip in either the Project panel or Timeline panel.
2Choose Edit > Edit Original.
You can export a movie from Premiere Pro with the data necessary for the Edit Original command. In the Export
Movie Settings dialog box, choose Project from the Embedding options menu.
Working with Photoshop and Premiere Pro
If you use Photoshop to create still images, you can use Premiere Pro to make them move and change. You can animate
an entire image or any of its layers.
You can edit individual frames of video and image sequence files in Photoshop. In addition to using any Photoshop
tool to edit and paint on video, you can also apply filters, masks, transformations, layers styles, and blending modes.
You can paint using the Clone Stamp, Pattern Stamp, Healing Brush, or Spot Healing Brush. You can also edit video
frames using the Patch tool.
In Photoshop, with the Clone Stamp, you can sample a frame from a video layer and paint with the sampled source
onto another video frame. As you move to different target frames, the source frame changes relative to the frame from
which you initially sampled.
After making edits, you can save the video as a PSD file, or you can render it as a QuickTime movie or image sequence.
You can import any of these back into Premiere Pro for further editing.
If you use Premiere Pro to create movies, you can use Photoshop to refine the individual frames of those movies. In
Photoshop, you can do any of the following:
•Remove unwanted visual elements.
•Draw on individual frames.
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•Use the superior selection and masking tools to divide a frame into elements for animation or compositing.
Online resources for Premiere Pro and Photoshop workflow
•Franklin McMahaon provides a video tutorial that demonstrates creating a title in Photoshop for use in Premiere
Pro in this video tutorial from Layers Magazine.
•This Premiere Pro tutorial video by Phil Hawkins at Infinite Skills shows how to import files between Photoshop
and Premiere Pro.
•Jarle Leirpoll shows how to automate production of lower thirds with Photoshop and Premiere Pro in this article
on the ProVideo Coalition website.
Comparative advantages for specific tasks
The strengths of Premiere Pro lie in its numerous video editing features. You can use it to combine Photoshop files
with video clips, audio clips, and other assets. You can use the Photoshop files, for example, as titles, graphics, and
masks.
In contrast, Photoshop has excellent tools for painting, drawing, and selecting portions of an image. The Photoshop
Quick Selection tool and Magnetic Lasso tool make it easy to create a mask from a complex shape. Rather than hand-
drawing a mask in Premiere Pro, consider doing this work in Photoshop. Similarly, if you are applying several paint
strokes by hand to get rid of dust, consider using the Photoshop paint tools.
The animation and video features in Photoshop Extended include simple keyframe-based animation. Premiere Pro,
however, provides quite a bit more keyframe control over various properties.
Exchanging still images
Premiere Pro can import and export still images in many formats. For greatest versatility, however, use the native
Photoshop PSD format when transferring individual frames or still image sequences from Photoshop to Premiere Pro.
When you import a PSD file into Premiere Pro, you can choose whether to import it as a flattened image, or with its
layers separate and intact.
It is often a good idea to prepare a still image in Photoshop before importing it into Premiere Pro. Examples of such
preparation include correcting color, scaling, and cropping. It is often better to change a source image in Photoshop
than to have Premiere Pro perform the same operation many times per second as it renders each frame for previews
or final output.
In Photoshop, you can create a PSD document that is set up correctly for a specific video output type. From the New
File dialog box, select a Film & Video preset. In Premiere Pro, you can create a PSD document that matches your
composition and sequence settings. Choose File > New > Photoshop File.
Exchanging movies
You can also exchange video files, such as QuickTime movies, between Photoshop and Premiere Pro. When you open
a movie in Photoshop, a video layer is created that refers to the source footage file. Video layers allow you to paint
nondestructively on the movie’s frames. When you save a PSD file with a video layer, Photoshop saves the edits that
you made to the video layer. Photoshop does not save edits made to the source footage itself.
You can also render a movie directly from Photoshop. For example, you can create a QuickTime movie from
Photoshop that can then be imported into Premiere Pro.
Color
Premiere Pro works internally with colors in an RGB (red, green, blue) color space. If you want to edit video clips you
create in Photoshop in Premiere Pro, create the clips in RGB.
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If you want to broadcast the final movie it is best to ensure, in Photoshop, that the colors in your image are broadcast-
safe. Assign the appropriate destination color space—for example, SDTV (Rec. 601)—to the document in Photoshop.
More Help topics
Import 3D layers from Photoshop
Create and edit Photoshop files
You can create a still Photoshop file that automatically inherits the pixel and frame aspect ratio settings of your
Premiere Pro project. You can also edit any still image file in a Premiere Pro project in Photoshop.
Create a Photoshop file in a project
❖Choose File > New > Photoshop File.
Photoshop opens with a new blank still image. The pixel dimensions match the project’s video frame size, and image
guides show the title-safe and action-safe areas for the project.
Edit a still image file in Photoshop
From within a project, you can open an image file in most formats that Adobe Photoshop supports. Premiere Pro does
not import files in CMYK or LAB color formats.
1Select a still-image clip in either the Project panel or Timeline panel.
2Choose Edit > Edit In Adobe Photoshop.
The file opens in Photoshop. When you save the file, changes are available in the Premiere Pro project.
More Help topics
“Export a still image” on page 441
Copy between After Effects and Adobe Premiere Pro
•From the After Effects Timeline panel, you can copy layers based on audio or video footage items (including solids)
and paste them into the Adobe Premiere Pro Timeline panel.
•From the Adobe Premiere Pro Timeline panel, you can copy assets (any items in a track) and paste them into the
After EffectsTimeline panel.
•From either After Effects or Adobe Premiere Pro, you can copy and paste footage items to the other’s Project panel.
Note: You can’t, however, paste footage items from the After Effects Project panel into the Adobe Premiere Pro
Timeline panel.
If you want to work with all clips or a single sequence from an AdobePremiere Pro project, use the Import command
instead to import the project into After Effects.
Use Adobe Dynamic Link to create dynamic links, without rendering, between new or existing compositions in After
Effects and Adobe Premiere Pro. (See “About Dynamic Link (Production Premium or Master Collection only)” on
page 36.)
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Copy from After Effects to Adobe Premiere Pro
You can copy a layer based on a footage item from an After Effects composition and paste it into an Adobe Premiere
Pro sequence. Adobe Premiere Pro converts these layers to clips in the sequence and copies the source footage item to
its Project panel. If the layer contains an effect that is also used by AdobePremiere Pro, Adobe Premiere Pro converts
the effect and all of its settings and keyframes.
You can also copy nested compositions, Photoshop layers, solid-color layers, and audio layers. Adobe Premiere Pro
converts nested compositions to nested sequences, and solid-color layers to color mattes. You cannot copy shape, text,
camera, light, or adjustment layers to Adobe Premiere Pro.
1Start Adobe Premiere Pro (you must start AdobePremiere Pro before you copy the layer in After Effects).
2Select a layer (or layers) from the After Effects Timeline panel.
Note: If you select multiple layers and the layers don’t overlap in After Effects, they’re placed on the same track in
AdobePremiere Pro. On the other hand, if the layers overlap in After Effects, the order in which you select them
determines the order of their track placement in Adobe Premiere Pro. Each layer is placed on a separate track, and the
last selected layer appears on Track 1. For example, if you select layers from top to bottom, the layers appear in the reverse
order in Adobe Premiere Pro, with the bottom-most layer on Track 1.
3Choose Edit > Copy.
4In Adobe Premiere Pro, open a sequence in the Timeline panel.
5Move the current-time indicator to the desired location, and choose either Edit > Paste or Edit > Paste Insert.
Results of pasting into Adobe Premiere Pro
When you paste a layer into an Adobe Premiere Pro sequence, keyframes, effects, and other properties in the copied
layer are converted as follows:
After Effects item Converted to in Adobe Premiere Pro Notes
Audio volume property Channel Volume filter
Blending modes Blending modes supported by
Adobe
Premiere Pro are converted
Effect properties and keyframes Effect properties and keyframes, if the
effect also exists in Adobe Premiere Pro
Adobe Premiere Pro lists
unsupported effects as offline in the
Effect Controls panel. Some After
Effects effects have the same names
as those in Adobe Premiere Pro, but
since they’re actually different effects,
they aren’t converted.
Expressions Not converted
Layer markers Clip markers
Masks and mattes Not converted
Stereo Mixer effect Channel Volume filter
Time Remap property Time Remapping effect
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Copy from Adobe Premiere Pro to After Effects
You can copy a video or audio asset from anAdobe Premiere Pro sequence and paste it into an After Effects
composition.After Effects converts assets to layers and copies the source footage items into its Project panel. If the asset
contains an effect that is also used by After Effects, After Effects converts the effect and all of its settings and keyframes.
You can copy color mattes, stills, nested sequences, and offline files, too. After Effectsconverts color mattes into solid-
color layers and converts nested sequences into nested compositions. When you copy a Photoshop still image
intoAfter Effects, After Effects retains the Photoshop layer information. You cannot paste Adobe Premiere Pro titles
into After Effects, but you can paste text with attributes from the Adobe Premiere Titler into After Effects.
1Select an asset from the Adobe Premiere Pro Timeline panel.
2Choose Edit > Copy.
3In After Effects, open a composition in the Timeline panel.
4With the Timeline panel active, choose Edit > Paste. The asset appears as the topmost layer in the Timeline panel.
Note: To paste the asset at the current-time indicator, place the current-time indicator and press Ctrl+Alt+V (Windows)
or Command+Option+V (Mac OS).
Results of pasting into After Effects
When you paste an asset into an After Effectscomposition, keyframes, effects, and other properties in a copied asset
are converted as follows:
Time Stretch property Speed property Speed and time stretch have an
inverse relationship. For example,
200% stretch in After Effects converts
to 50% speed in Adobe Premiere Pro.
Transform property values and
keyframes
Motion or Opacity values and
keyframes
The keyframe type—Bezier, Auto
Bezier, Continuous Bezier, or Hold—is
retained.
Source settings for R3D source
files
Source settings for R3D source files
Adobe Premiere Pro asset Converted to in After Effects Notes
Audio track Audio layers Audio tracks that are either 5.1 surround
or greater than 16-bit aren’t supported.
Mono and stereo audio tracks are
imported as one or two layers.
Bars and tone Not converted
Blending modes Converted
Clip marker Layer marker
Color mattes Solid-color layers
Crop filter Mask layer
Frame Hold Time Remap property
Motion or Opacity values and
keyframes
Transform property values and
keyframes
Keyframe type—Bezier, Auto Bezier,
Continuous Bezier, or Hold—is retained.
After Effects item Converted to in Adobe Premiere Pro Notes
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Note: When you import a Premiere Pro project into After Effects, features are converted in the same manner as they are
converted when copying from Premiere Pro to After Effects.
Working with Adobe Premiere Pro and Adobe Flash
Adobe Premiere Pro is a professional tool for editing video. If you use Adobe Flash Professional to design interactive
content for websites or mobile devices, you can use Adobe
Premiere Pro to edit the movies for those projects.
Adobe
Premiere Pro gives you professional tools for frame-accurate video editing, including tools for optimizing
video files for playback on computer screens and mobile devices.
Adobe Flash Professional is a tool for incorporating video footage into presentations for the web and mobile devices.
Adobe Flash offers technological and creative benefits that let you fuse video with data, graphics, sound, and
interactive control. The FLV and F4V formats let you put video on a web page in a format that almost anyone can view.
You can export FLV and F4V files from Adobe Premiere Pro. You can embed those files into interactive websites or
applications for mobile devices with Adobe Flash. Adobe Flash can import sequence markers you add in an
Adobe
Premiere Pro sequence as cue points. You can use these cue points to trigger events in SWF files on playback.
If you export video files in other standard formats, Adobe Flash can encode your videos within rich media applications.
Adobe Flash uses the latest compression technologies to deliver the greatest quality possible at small file sizes.
Working with Adobe Story, Adobe OnLocation, and Adobe Premiere Pro
You can script shots in Adobe Story, shoot them in Adobe OnLocation, and edit them in Premiere Pro, carrying time
saving XMP metadata from each step into the next.
You can also attach an Adobe Story script directly to clips to improve speech analysis. See “Improve speech analysis
with Adobe Story scripts (CS5.5 and later)” on page 197.
Karl Soule talks about OnLocation CS5’s new ability to support tapeless workflows on set and shows you how to
quickly create a rough cut edit using OnLocation and Premiere Pro in this video.
Sequence marker Markers on a new solid-color layer To copy sequence markers, you must
either copy the sequence itself or import
the entire Adobe Premiere Proproject as a
composition.
Speed property Time Stretch property Speed and time stretch have an inverse
relationship. For example, 50% speed in
Adobe Premiere Pro is converted to 200%
stretch in After Effects.
Time Remapping effect Time Remap property
Titles Not converted
Universal counting leaders Not converted
Video and audio transitions Opacity keyframes (Cross dissolve
only) or solid-color layers
Video effect properties and
keyframes
Effect properties and keyframes, if
the effect also exists in After Effects
After Effects doesn’t display unsupported
effects in the Effect Controls panel.
Volume and Channel Volume
audio filters
Stereo mixer effect Other audio filters are not converted.
Source settings for R3D source files Source settings for R3D source files
Adobe Premiere Pro asset Converted to in After Effects Notes
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More Help topics
Understanding the script to screen workflow
Record direct to disk: from Adobe OnLocation to Adobe Premiere Pro
“Import clips from Adobe OnLocation projects using the Media Browser” on page 72
Import clips with In and Out points set in Adobe OnLocation
In Adobe OnLocation, you can set In and Out markers for clips. When you import a clip from an Adobe OnLocation
project using the Media Browser, the imported master clip retains these In and Out markers. You can mark the good
portions of clips in Adobe OnLocation, import them into Premiere Pro and start editing the good portions
immediately.
Working with Encore and Premiere Pro
Using Adobe Encore and Adobe Premiere Pro, you can burn a single sequence to DVD or Blu-ray Disc. You can burn
each sequence in your project to a separate DVD or Blu-ray Disc. First, add all the content you want to include on a
disc into a sequence. After you edit the sequence, perform the following tasks:
Add Encore chapter markers
You can add Encore chapter markers in a Adobe Premiere Pro sequence. You can send the Encore chapter markers,
along with the sequence to Encore.
In Encore, if you create an AutoPlay DVD, the Encore chapter markers become scene markers. When viewing the
DVD, pressing the Previous button or Next button on the remote control skips backward or forward to the next of
these markers. If you create a DVD or Blu-ray Disc with menus, you can link scene buttons on the menus to the Encore
chapter markers.
Send to Encore or to an MPEG-2 file
You can send a whole sequence, or any portion of a sequence, from Adobe Premiere Pro to Encore. From Encore, you
can burn the sequence directly to a DVD without menus, or add menus and buttons before burning. From Encore, you
can export the project in any of the following forms:
•you can burn the project to disc,
•you can save the project to a DVD image file,
•you can save the project to a set of DVD folders,
•you can save the project to DVD master files on DLT tape.
•you can export the project to a SWF file for posting on the web.
Alternatively, using the MPEG2-DVD format, you can export a DVD-compliant MPEG-2 file from Adobe Premiere
Pro. You can use the MPEG-2 file in most DVD-authoring applications.
Choose a menu template
Encore templates are predesigned menus that come in several styles. Buttons on the templates automatically link to
chapter markers placed in the sequence. Encore creates additional submenus as necessary to accommodate all the
chapter markers in a sequence.
Note: AutoPlay DVDs do not have menus. Do not choose a template for AutoPlay DVDs.
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Customize the menu template
Edit titles, change graphics, or add video for background in Encore. You can also use video in button thumbnails by
specifying a section of a clip to play in the button.
Preview the disc
Check the functionality and the look of your DVD or Blu-ray Disc menus in the Preview DVD window.
Burn the disc
With a DVD or Blu-ray Disc burner installed or connected, you can burn your content to disc. You can save the
compressed files to a folder for playback from a computer hard drive. You can also save an ISO image to distribute or
burn to a DVD.
Note: Encore creates DVDs that conform to DVD-video format. It does not create data or audio DVDs.
More Help topics
“Transferring and importing files” on page 58
“Capturing content for DVD” on page 91
“Importing assets from tapeless formats” on page 65
“Exporting to DVD or Blu-ray Disc” on page 441
Working with Final Cut Pro and Adobe Premiere Pro
You can import Final Cut Pro project XML files into Premiere Pro. For more information, see “Importing XML project
files from Final Cut Pro” on page 74. You can export Premiere Pro project files as Final Cut Pro XML files.
For more information, see “Export a Final Cut Pro project XML file” on page 444.
For more information about workflows possible between Final Cut Pro and Premiere Pro, see Open workflows with
Final Cut Pro and Avid software.
Joost van der Hoeven provides a video tutorial on the Adobe website that demonstrates exchanging information
between Final Cut Pro and Premiere Pro using XML projects.
See this page for several documents that make the transition from Final Cut Pro to Premiere Pro easier.
Note: An exported XML file from Premiere Pro can be imported into some versions of Final Cut Express, as well.
Working with Avid Media Composer and Premiere Pro
For information about the workflows possible between Premiere Pro and Avid Media Composer, see Open workflows
with Final Cut Pro and Avid software.
In this video tutorial from Premiere Pro CS5 for Avid editors, Maxim Jago presents the round-tripping workflow with
Avid Media Composer.
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Adobe Dynamic Link
About Dynamic Link (Production Premium or Master Collection only)
In the past, sharing media assets among post-production applications has required you to render and export your work
from one application before importing it into another. This workflow was inefficient and time-consuming. If you
wanted to change the original asset, you rendered and exported the asset again. Multiple rendered and exported
versions of an asset consume disk space, and they can lead to file-management challenges.
Dynamic Link, a feature of Adobe Creative Suite Production Premium and Master Collection, offers an alternative to
this workflow. You can create dynamic links between After Effects, Adobe Premiere Pro, and Encore. Creating a
dynamic link is as simple as importing any other type of asset. Dynamically linked assets appear with unique icons and
label colors to help you identify them. Dynamic links are saved in projects generated by these applications.
If you purchase Premiere Pro as a standalone product (which includes Adobe Media Encoder and Adobe Encore),
Dynamic Link works betweenPremiere Pro, Adobe Media Encoder and Encore.
Changes you make in After Effects to a dynamically linked composition appear immediately in the linked clips in
Adobe Premiere Pro or Encore. Changes you make to dynamically linked sequences in AdobePremiere Pro appear
immediately in After Effects and Encore. You don’t have to render or save changes first.
Online resources about Dynamic Link
For a video tutorial introducing Dynamic Link, see the Adobe website.
John Dickinson provides a video tutorial on the Motionworks website that shows how to use Dynamic Link between
After Effects and Premiere Pro and between After Effects and Encore.
Tim Kolb provides a video tutorial on the Adobe website that demonstrates the creation of an interactive DVD menu
with Premiere Pro and Encore, using Dynamic Link.
Andrew Devis explains how to use Dynamic Link from aPremiere Pro user’s perspective in this video on the Creative
Cow website.
Learn more about Premiere Pro workflow for Dynamic Link in this video by Jason Levine.
Linking to and from Adobe Premiere Pro
You can send selected clips from Adobe Premiere Pro into After Effectsas a composition or nested composition,
replacing the clips in AdobePremiere Pro with a dynamically linked composition.
With Dynamic Link, you can also send sequences from Adobe Premiere Pro into Encore for authoring to DVD, Blu-
ray Disc, or SWF files.
In addition to using Dynamic Link, you can share content among applications in any of the following ways:
•copying and pasting between After Effects and Adobe Premiere Pro
•exporting After Effects projects to Adobe Premiere Pro
•using the Capture In Adobe Premiere Pro command in After Effects
•importing Adobe Premiere Pro projects into After Effects
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Linking to and from After Effects
When you dynamically link to an After Effects composition from AdobePremiere Pro or Encore, it appears in the host
application Project panel. You can use the dynamically linked composition as you would any other asset. When you
insert a linked composition into the host application timeline, a linked clip appears in the Timeline panel. A linked clip
is simply a reference to the linked composition in the Project panel. After Effects renders the linked composition on a
frame-by-frame basis during playback in the host application.
There are two restrictions on the use of dynamically linked clips betweenAfter Effects and Adobe Premiere Pro. Both
of these restrictions also apply in reverse: they remain true if you switch composition and sequence:
•If a sequence contains a composition, do not include that sequence, or any sequence in which the sequence is
nested, in any dynamic link from the project of the included composition.
•If a sequence contains a composition, do not include links from that composition, or any composition nested in
that composition, back to any sequence.
In Adobe Premiere Pro, you can do any of the following with a dynamically linked After Effectscomposition:
•preview it in the Source Monitor
•set In and Out points for it
•add it to a sequence
•edit it with Adobe Premiere Pro tools
When you add a linked composition that contains both video and audio to a sequence, Adobe Premiere Pro inserts
linked video and audio clips in the timeline. You can unlink the video from the audio to edit the clips separately.
In Encore, you can do any of the following with a dynamically linked After Effects composition:
•create a motion menu with it
•insert it into a timeline
•edit it with Encore tools
You can add a linkedAfter Effects composition that contains both video and audio to an Encore timeline. Encore
inserts separate video and audio clips in the timeline.
You can create After Effectscompositions from Encore menus, even without Dynamic Link.
Linking to and from Encore
From Encore, you can do any of the following with dynamically linked clips:
•edit a sequence in Adobe Premiere Pro using the Edit Original command
•edit an After Effects composition using the Edit Original command
•update the markers in Encore to match the Encore chapter markers in a sequence in Adobe Premiere Pro
Color and Dynamic Link
After Effects works with the RGB (red, green, blue) color model. AdobePremiere Pro, however, works with the YUV
color model. When you work with a dynamically linked composition, Adobe Premiere Pro either converts it to YUV
or retains the RGB colors, depending on the output format.
Dynamically linked compositions are rendered in the color depth of the After Effects project (8, 16, or 32 bpc,
depending on project settings). Set the After Effects project color depth to 32 bpc if you’re working with HDR (high
dynamic range) assets.
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In Adobe Premiere Pro, select a sequence. Then, choose Sequence > Sequence Settings. In the Video Previews pane,
select Maximum Bit Depth and Maximum Render Quality to haveAdobe Premiere Pro process at the highest possible
quality. However, these options slow processing.
Saving and Dynamic Link
Save your After Effects project at least once before creating a dynamic link from AdobePremiere Pro or Encore to a
composition within it. After that, you do not have to save changes to the After Effects project to see the changes in a
linked composition in Adobe Premiere Pro or Encore.
Using the Save As command to create a copy of an After Effects project does not change dynamic links made to the
original project. AdobePremiere Pro and Encore projects continue to use the original project, not the copy, as the
sources for their linked compositions. You can, however, relink a dynamically linked clip to a composition in the copy
at any time.
Note: In After Effects, you can choose File > Increment And Save. The newly saved open project continues to serve frames
to any client projects containing dynamically linked compositions from the open After Effects project.
Dynamic Link performance (Production Premium or Master Collection only)
A linked clip can refer to a complex source composition. Actions you perform on the complex source composition
require additional processing time. After Effects takes time to apply the actions and make the final data available to
Adobe Premiere Pro or Encore. In some cases, the additional processing time delays preview or playback.
To reduce playback delays, do one of the following:
•take the linked composition offline
•disable a linked clip to temporarily stop referencing a composition
•render the composition and replace the dynamically linked composition with the rendered file
If you commonly work with complex source compositions, try adding RAM or a faster processor.
Note: A linked After Effects composition will not support Render Multiple Frames Simultaneously multiprocessing. See
Improve performance by optimizing memory, cache, and multiprocessing settings.
Create and link to After Effects compositions with Dynamic Link (Production
Premium or Master Collection only)
You can create After Effects compositions, and dynamically link to them, from Adobe Premiere Pro or Encore. You
can also dynamically link to existing After Effects compositions from Adobe Premiere Pro or Encore.
Create a composition from clips in Adobe Premiere Pro
You can replace selected clips in Adobe Premiere Pro with a dynamically linked After Effects composition based on
those clips. The new composition inherits the sequence settings from Adobe Premiere Pro.
1In a sequence, select the clips you want in the composition.
2Right-click any of the selected clips.
3Select Replace With After Effects Composition.
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Create a dynamically linked composition from Adobe Premiere Pro or Encore
Creating a new dynamically linked composition from Adobe Premiere Pro or Encore launches After Effects.After
Effects then creates a project and composition with the dimensions, pixel aspect ratio, frame rate, and audio sample
rate of the originating project. (If After Effects is already running, it creates a composition in the current project.) The
new composition name is based on theAdobe Premiere Pro or Encore project name, followed by Linked Comp [x].
1In Adobe Premiere Pro or Adobe Encore, choose File > Adobe Dynamic Link > New After EffectsComposition.
2If the After EffectsSave As dialog box appears, enter a name and location for the After Effects project, and click Save.
When you create a dynamically linked After Effects composition, the composition duration is set to 30 seconds. To
change the duration, select the composition in After Effects, choose Composition > Composition Settings. Click the
Basic tab, and specify a new value for Duration.
Link to an existing composition
For best results, match composition settings (such as dimensions, pixel aspect ratio, and frame rate) to the settings in
the Adobe Premiere Pro or Encore project.
❖Do one of the following:
•In Adobe Premiere Pro or Encore, choose File > Adobe Dynamic Link > Import After Effects Composition. Choose
an After Effects project file (.aep), and then choose one or more compositions.
•In Adobe Premiere Pro or Encore, choose an After Effects project file and click Open. Then choose a composition
in the displayed dialog box and click OK.
•Drag one or more compositions from the After EffectsProject panel to the Adobe Premiere Pro Project panel or the
Encore Project panel.
•Drag an After Effects project file into the AdobePremiere Pro Project panel. If the After Effects project file contains
multiple compositions, the Import Composition dialog box opens.
Note: You can link to a single After Effects composition multiple times in a single Adobe Premiere Pro project. In an
Adobe Encore project, however, you can link to an After Effects composition only once.
If you create a dynamically linked composition from Encore, turn off subpicture highlight layers in After Effects, so
that you can control their display in Encore.
Dynamically linked After Effects compositions
Delete a dynamically linked composition or clip (Production Premium or
Master Collection only)
You can delete a linked composition from an Encore project if the composition isn’t used in the project. You can delete
a linked composition from an Adobe Premiere Pro project at any time, even if the composition is used in a project.
You can delete linked clips from the timeline of an Adobe Premiere Prosequence or from an Encore menu or timeline
at any time.
❖In Adobe Premiere Pro or Encore, select the linked composition or clip and press the Delete key.
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Modify a dynamically linked composition in After Effects (Production
Premium or Master Collection only)
Use the Edit Original command in Adobe Premiere Pro or Encore to modify a linked After Effectscomposition. Once
the composition is open in After Effects, you can change the composition without having to use the Edit Original
command again.
1Select the After Effects composition in the AdobePremiere Pro or Encore Project panel, or choose a linked clip in
the Timeline, and choose Edit > Edit Original.
2Change the composition in After Effects. Then, switch back to Adobe Premiere Pro or Encore to view your changes.
The changes made in After Effects appear in Adobe Premiere Pro. Adobe Premiere Pro stops using any preview files
rendered for the clip before the changes.
Note: You can change the name of the composition in After Effects after creating a dynamic link to it from
Adobe
Premiere Pro. Adobe Premiere Pro does not update the linked composition name in the Project panel.
Adobe
Premiere Pro does retain the dynamic link, however.
Create an After Effects composition from clips in Premiere Pro (Production
Premium only)
You can replace a selection of clips in a sequence in Premiere Pro with an After Effects composition based on those
clips. The composition inherits the sequence settings from Premiere Pro and maintains a dynamic link to After Effects.
You can edit the composition in Premiere Pro or in After Effects.
1In a sequence, select the clips you want in the composition.
2Right-click any of the selected clips.
3Select Replace With After Effects Composition.
More Help topics
Dynamic Link from Premiere Pro to After Effects
Offline compositions and Dynamic Link (Production Premium or Master
Collection only)
Adobe Premiere Pro and Encore display dynamically linked compositions as offline in any of the following
circumstances:
•You’ve renamed, moved, or deleted the After Effects project that contains the composition.
•You’ve purposely taken the composition offline.
•You’ve opened the project that contains the composition on a system on which Production Premium or Master
Collection isn’t installed.
•You’re working with a project trimmed by the Adobe Premiere Pro Project Manager. Project Manager does not
move the After Effectssource compositions to the trimmed project folder. Move the composition manually.
Offline compositions appear with an Offline icon in the Adobe Premiere Pro Project panel. In Encore, the
thumbnail preview displays the Offline icon when an offline asset is selected in the Project panel. If you’re working
with an offline composition, you can relink it to the original After Effects composition. You can also choose to relink
a linked composition to a different source composition.
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Take a dynamically linked composition offline
If you are experiencing jerky playback, you can take a dynamically linked composition offline. Also, you can share your
project without having to open it on a system with Production Premium or Master Collection installed. You can take
a dynamically linked composition offline. When you take a composition offline, you sever the dynamic link with After
Effects. The linked composition is replaced in the Project panel with an offline composition.
You can temporarily suppress a linked clip in Adobe Premiere Pro by selecting the clip and choosing Clip > Enable.
To relink the clip, choose Clip > Enable again (a check mark next to the command indicates that the clip is enabled).
1In Premiere Pro, select the composition in the Project panel.
2Choose Project > Make Offline.
Relink a dynamically linked composition
❖Do one of the following:
•In Adobe Premiere Pro, select the composition and choose Project > Link Media. In thedisplayed dialog box, select
an After Effects project. Adobe Premiere Pro automatically relinks the composition.
•In Encore, right-click the composition and choose Locate Asset. In the Locate Asset dialog box, locate the
composition you want to link to, and then click Select (Windows) or Open (Mac OS).
Setting up your system
For Premiere Pro system requirements, see the Adobe website.
For lists of various categories of hardware compatible with Adobe Premiere Pro, see the Adobe website.
Jeff Sengstack provides detailed tips for optimizing a computer system and Premiere Pro for performance on the
Adobe website.
To run a series of performance tests on your computer system and determine how to optimize for performance with
Premiere Pro, see this page.
This thread on the Premiere Pro forum provides recommendations for setting up disk drives for optimum
performance and reliability.
For details about CUDA processing, the Mercury Playback Engine, and GPU processing, see this thread on the Adobe
Premiere Pro user-to-user forum.
This thread on the Premiere Pro user-to-user forum includes several experienced users’ suggestions for practical
system requirements for Adobe Premiere Pro.
See this page for resources about optimizing performance.
See this video for an After Effects and Premiere Pro performance workshop from video2Brain.
See this video for a performance tip: stopping software not relevant to your work.
See the FAQ entry: “What computer and components should I buy for Premiere Pro?” for advice about a good
computer system for editing.
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Premiere Pro trial versions
The trial version of Premiere Pro CS5 doesn't include some features that depend on third-party software components
that are only included in the full version of Premiere Pro. The import and export of some formats are not supported
in the trial version, such as AVC-Intra, AVCHD, HDV, MPEG-2, MPEG-2 DVD, MPEG-2 Blu-ray, and XDCAM. For
a detailed list of limitations of the trial version of Premiere Pro software, see the Adobe website.
The trial version for Adobe Premiere Pro CS5.5 and later does not have the limitations that Premiere Pro CS5 has. It
includes all sequence presets, editing modes, encoders, and decoders that are included in the full, activated version of
Premiere Pro CS5.5 and later. However, after downloading the trial version of Premiere Pro CS5.5 and later, you do
not receive the title templates or non-English speech-to-text dictionaries (speech analysis models). These items are
available for download after you have purchased the software.
Watch this lesson by Video2Brain to learn about improvements in the free trial version of Adobe Premiere Pro CS5.5
and later-most notably, the inclusion of all encoders and decoders. Now the trial version can import and export the
same formats as the full version.
For more information about the trial version of Adobe Premiere Pro CS5.5 and later, see this blog post on the Premiere
Pro work area.
For frequently asked questions about trial versions, see the Adobe website.
Set up a DV or HDV system
DV/HDV setup
A. Computer and computer monitor B. 6-pin FireWire port and connector C. 4-pin FireWire port and connector D. DV/HDV camcorder
E. RCA jacks and plugs for L (white) audio, R (red) audio, composite video (yellow); jack and plug for S-Video (y/c) F. HDMI port and
connector G. Television monitor
With this setup, you can capture audio and video from a DV or HDV source. You can monitor the signal on a TV
monitor while editing. Finally, you can export any sequence back to videotape.
1Connect the DV or HDV camcorder or VTR to the computer using a FireWire cable.
2Connect the camcorder or VTR to the television monitor with an S-Video or RCA video cable and RCA audio
cables, or an HDMI cable.
3Set the camcorder or VTR to VTR or Play mode.
4(For HDV camcorders or VTRs only) Make sure the device is in DV playback mode for DV projects, or HDV
playback mode for HDV projects. See the user manual for your device for details.
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More Help topics
“Creating and changing projects” on page 51
“Selecting a sequence preset” on page 147
“Create a sequence” on page 142
“Create an HDV or HD sequence” on page 149
Set up an SD-SDI, HD-SDI, or component system
SDI/component setup with breakout box
A. Computer and computer monitor B. (Optional) A/V breakout box C. XLR jacks and plugs for L & R audio D. RS232/422 port and
connector E. BNC jacks and plugs for Y/Pb/Pr component video, BNC jack, and plug for SDI video F. HD/SD VTR G. BNC jacks and plugs
for Y/Pb/Pr component video, BNC jack, and plug for SDI video H. RCA jacks and plugs for L (white) & R (red) audio I. Speakers J. Television
monitor
With this setup you can capture audio and video from an SD-SDI, HD-SDI, or component video device (camcorder
or VTR). You can monitor the signal on a TV monitor while editing. Finally, you can export any sequence back to the
camcorder or VTR.
This setup requires either an SDI or component PCI card installed in the computer. Alternatively, it requires an
external SDI or component device connected to the computer via FireWire. Either an internal card or an external
device would provide ports, usually with BNC connectors, capable of receiving SDI or component video signals.
Some SDI and component PCI cards come with breakout boxes which provide ports for the SDI or component signals.
Some breakout boxes also provide ports for genlock. Others provide the necessary outputs directly on the card.
1Connect the SD-SDI, HD-SDI, or component device to the computer or breakout box using SDI or component
video cables. A single cable with BNC connectors carries SDI video, but three separate cables with BNC connectors
carry component video signals. Run video cables from the video outputs of the computer or breakout box to the
video inputs of the device. Also run video cables from the video outputs of the device to the video inputs of the
computer or breakout box.
2Connect the SD-SDI, HD-SDI, or component device to the computer or breakout box using XLR audio cables. Run
audio cables from the audio outputs of the computer or breakout box to the audio inputs of the device. Also run
audio cables from the audio outputs of the device to the audio inputs of the computer or breakout box.
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3Do one of the following:
•Connect the serial device control port (RS-422 or RS-232) on the camcorder or VTR with the serial port (Windows)
or USB port (Mac OS) on the computer. Use the Pipeline Digital ProVTR cable for RS-232/422-controlled devices.
•If your system has a breakout box with a serial device control port (RS-422 or RS-232), connect the serial device
control port on the device with this port on the breakout box. Do not connect the serial control port on the device
with the serial or USB port on the computer. Some breakout boxes require a standard serial 9-pin D-Sub cable instead
of the Pipeline Digital ProVTR cable. Consult the documentation from the manufacturer of the breakout box.
Note: Native serial device control is available in Windows only.
4Connect the deck or camcorder to the television monitor with component video cables and to amplified speakers
with RCA audio cables.
5Put the camcorder or deck into VTR or Play mode.
6In Premiere Pro, select File >New > Sequence.
7In the Available Presets area of the New Sequence dialog box, select the SDI or component preset that matches the
format of your source footage. Premiere Pro does not provide these presets. Manufacturers of SDI cards,
component capture cards, and other devices provide these presets. The presets must be installed with those cards
and devices.
8Type a name in the Sequence Name box. Then click OK.
More Help topics
“Create a project” on page 52
Set up a file-based system
File-based system
A. Card reader, drive, or camcorder for P2, XDCAM HD, XDCAM EX, or AVCHD media B. Computer and computer monitor C. Audio cables
running to speakers or amplifier D. Speakers E. TV monitor F. BNC connectors for component or SDI video cables to TV monitor (alternative
to “G”) G. HDMI connector for audio-video cable to TV monitor (alternative to “F”)
With this setup, you can import or transfer audio and video files from card readers, drives, or tapeless camcorders
recorded in any of the following digital video file formats:
•Panasonic P2
•XDCAM HD
•XDCAM EX
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•AVCHD
•AVC-I
You can also preview video on a high-definition TV monitor, if your computer has one of the following:
•a high-definition capture card,
•a display card with component, SDI or HDMI outputs.
1Connect the card reader, disk drive, or camcorder to the computer, typically with a USB 2.0 cable. Check the
manual for your device for details.
2Connect the output of the computer sound card to computer speakers or audio amplifier.
3Connect the video outputs from the capture card, breakout box, or display card to the TV monitor using
component, SDI, or HDMI cables.
Set up an S-Video or composite system
S-Video/composite setup
A. Computer and computer monitor B. Ports and connectors for FireWire, USB 2.0 C. A/D converter D. Jacks and plugs for RCA composite
video, S-Video (y/c) E. RS 232/422 port and connector F. RCA jacks and plugs for L (white) and R (red) audio G. Analog camcorder, analog
VTR H. RCA jacks and plugs for L (white) audio, R (red) audio, and composite video (yellow); jack and plug for S-Video (y/c) I. Television
monitor
With this setup, you can capture audio and video from an analog camcorder or VTR. You can monitor the video signal
on a TV monitor while editing. Finally, you can export any sequence back to the camcorder or VTR.
To convert the analog source signal to a digital file the computer can read, this setup requires an analog/digital (A/D)
converter, or digitizer. You can use any of the following to digitize the video signal:
•an internal digitizer, installed in the computer,
•an external digitizer, connected to the computer,
•a digital camcorder or VTR capable of digitizing an incoming analog signal.
1Connect the analog camcorder or VTR to the digitizer using S-Video or RCA video cables. Run video cables from
the video outputs of the computer or its interface to the video inputs of the device. Also run video cables from the
video outputs of the device to the video inputs of the computer or its interface.
2Connect the analog camcorder or VTR to the digitizer using XLR or RCA audio cables. Run audio cables from the
audio outputs of the digitizer to the audio inputs of the device. Also run audio cables from the audio outputs of the
device to the audio inputs of the digitizer.
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3(Optional. For an analog camcorder or VTR with an RS-422 or RS-232 port. Windows only) Connect the serial
device control port on the camcorder or VTR with the serial port on the computer or digitizer using the Pipeline
Digital ProVTR cable.
Note: Native serial device control is available in Windows only.
4Connect the analog camcorder or VTR, or the digitizer, to the television monitor with an S-Video or RCA video
cable, and RCA or XLR audio cables.
5Put the analog camcorder or deck into VTR or Play mode.
6In Premiere Pro, select File >New > Sequence.
7In the Available Presets area of the New Sequence dialog box, select the preset that matches the format of your A/D
converter. Do not match the source footage. For example, if you use a DV camcorder or A/DV converter to convert
the analog signal, choose a DV preset.
8Type a name in the Sequence Name box. Then click OK.
Specify the default audio device
1Choose Edit > Preferences > Audio Hardware (Windows) or Premiere Pro > Preferences > Audio Hardware (Mac
OS), and set the following options:
•Select an output device from the Default Device menu.
•Select a buffer size from the Buffersize menu (Mac OS).
2Click OK.
Audio Hardware Settings (Windows only)
When you click ASIO Settings in the Audio Hardware panel of the Preferences dialog box, Premiere Pro opens the
Audio Hardware Settings dialog box, which contains an Input tab, and an Output tab.
Enable Devices Determines which connected audio device is routed into and out of Premiere Pro. If the device is an
ASIO device, select the ASIO drivers for the device. If the sound card does not have manufacturer-supplied ASIO
drivers, choose Premiere Pro WDM Sound for this setting. To enable a device, be sure to install an up-to-date driver
for the device (Windows.) If you want to input more than two stereo channels or monitor 5.1 surround audio, the
device driver must comply with the ASIO (Audio Stream Input Output) specification. If it does not, only stereo inputs
and outputs are available, regardless of the number of hardware inputs and outputs that are connected.
Buffersize Specifies the size of the buffer, in kilobytes, that Premiere Pro uses for recording audio.
Device 32-bit Recording/Playback On the Input tab, check Device 32-bit Recording to record audio in 32-bit samples.
On the Output tab, check Device 32-bit Playback to enable 32-bit playback.
Note: If you have trouble hearing audio, see the TechNote: “No sound during playback of video or audio clips (Premiere
Pro CS5, CS4, or CS3 on Windows.”
Set up a USB microphone (Mac OS)
1In the Audio Midi Setup application in Utilities, go to Audio > Open Aggregate Device Editor.
2Check each of the following:
•Your USB microphone.
•An additional input device, for example, Line In.
•An output device
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3Select this new aggregate device within Premiere Pro's Audio Hardware Preference panel.
Specify ASIO device settings (Windows only)
1Choose Edit >Preferences > Audio Hardware.
2Click ASIO settings. Specify the ASIO settings for the selected device.
Note: The device and driver you use determine the settings in this dialog box, not Adobe Premiere Pro. See the
documentation for the ASIO device and driver you use.
3In the Audio Hardware Settings dialog box, select the Input tab.
4Check the boxes next to the names of any devices you want to enable.
5Check Device 32-bit Recording if you want to record 32-bit audio.
6Drag the Samples slider to set the size of the buffer.
7Click OK.
Specify whether to render audio when rendering video
You can specify whether Premiere Pro renders audio previews by default. Select Sequence > Render Effects In Work
Area, or Sequence > Render Entire Work Area. Rendering audio previews could improve playback performance, but
could take additional time when you select either of these commands.
1Select Edit > Preferences > General (Windows), or Premiere Pro > Preferences > General (Mac OS).
2Select or deselect Render Audio When Rendering Video.
3Click OK.
Specify the duration for preroll and postroll pauses
You can set the length of preroll and postroll for clip and sequence previews in the General pane of the Preferences
dialog box.
Note: The Preroll and Postroll fields are different from the Preroll setting in the Device Control pane of the Preferences
dialog box. The Preroll setting in the Device Control pane affects the control of external devices such as VTRs and
camcorders.
1Select Edit > Preferences > General (Windows) or Premiere Pro > Preferences > General (Mac OS).
2In the Preroll and Postroll fields, type in the number of seconds for each.
3Click OK.
More Help topics
“Play a sequence or clip with preroll and postroll pauses” on page 127
Specify scratch disks to improve system performance
When you edit a project, Premiere Pro uses disk space to store files required by your project. Premiere Pro stores
captured video and audio, conformed audio, and preview files. Premiere Pro uses conformed audio files and preview
files to optimize performance, allowing real-time editing, 32-bit floating-point quality, and efficient output.
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All scratch disk preferences are saved with each project. You can select different scratch disk locations for different
projects. If you reopen an earlier project after editing another project with different scratch disk locations, Premiere
Pro will seek out the files belonging to the earlier project at the scratch disk locations you chose for that project.
If you delete preview files or conformed audio files for a project, Premiere Pro automatically recreates them when you
reopen the project.
By default, scratch disk files are stored where you save the project. The scratch disk space required increases as
sequences become longer or more complex. For best performance, dedicate a hard disk or disk strictly for your media
assets. Choose a disk for the assets other than the disk where you keep your project file, operating system files, or the
files for applications. That way your media disks can access and play media files as fast as possible, without having to
access other files. Use the Project > Project Settings > Scratch Disks command to specify which disks Premiere Pro uses
for media files. Choose scratch disks when you set up a new project.
In terms of performance, it’s best to dedicate a different disk to each asset type, but you can also specify folders on the
same disk. You can specify unique scratch disk locations for each of the following types of files:
Captured Video Video files that you create using File > Capture.
If you transfer video files to a scratch disk folder before creating the project for them, specify the folder containing the
video files for Captured Video.
Captured Audio Audio files that you create using File > Capture, or by recording through the Audio Mixer as when
recording a voice-over.
Video Previews Files created when you use the Sequence > Render Entire Work Area command, export to a movie file,
or export to a device. If the previewed area includes effects, the effects are rendered at full quality in the preview file.
Audio Previews Audio preview files are created by all of the following commands:
•Sequence > Render Entire Work Area,
•the Clip > Audio Options > Render And Replace command,
•use export to a movie file,
•export to a DV device.
If the previewed area includes effects, they are rendered at full quality in the preview file.
Specify scratch disks
You set up scratch disks in the Scratch Disk pane of the Preferences dialog box. Before changing scratch disk settings,
you can verify the amount of free disk space on the selected volume. by The amount appears in the box to the right of
the path. If the path is too long to read, position the pointer over the path name. The full path appears in a tool tip.
1Choose Project > Project Settings > Scratch Disks.
2Identify a location for each type of file named in the dialog box. Premiere Pro creates a subfolder named for each
file type (for instance, Captured Video) and stores the folder’s associated files in it. The menu lists three default
locations:
My Documents (Windows) or Documents (Mac OS) Stores scratch files in the My Documents folder (Windows) or
Documents folder (Mac OS).
Same As Project Stores scratch files in the same folder where the project file is stored.
Custom Allows you to specify a location of your choosing. Choose Custom, then click Browse and browse to any
available folder.
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Optimizing scratch disk performance
For optimum performance, follow these guidelines:
•If your computer has only one hard disk, consider leaving all scratch disk options at their default settings.
•Set up scratch disks on one or more separate hard disks. In Premiere Pro, you can set up a separate scratch disk for
each type of media. For example, you can set up one disk for captured video and another for captured audio.
•On Windows, specify only partitions formatted for the NTFS file format as scratch disks. On Mac OS, use partitions
formatted for Mac OS Extended. FAT32 partitions are not recommended for video. They do not support large file
sizes.
Note: Third-party tools are available that allow NTFS drives to work with Mac OS. See Tuxera NTFS for Mac, and
Paragon NTFS for Mac.
•On Mac OS, disable journaling for best performance.
•Specify your fastest hard disks for capturing footage and storing scratch files. You can use a slower disk for audio
preview files and the project file.
•Specify only disks attached to your computer. A hard disk located on a network is usually too slow. Avoid using
removable media because Premiere Pro always requires access to scratch disk files. Scratch disk files are preserved
for each project, even when you close the project. They are reused when you reopen the project associated with
them. If scratch disk files are stored on removable media and the media are removed from the drive, the scratch
disk is not available to Premiere Pro.
•You can divide a single disk into partitions and set up partitions as scratch disks. However, partioning doesn’t
improve performance because the single drive mechanism becomes a bottleneck. For best results, set up scratch
disk volumes that are physically separate drives.
•You can capture audio and video to separate drives, if supported by the format codec. (The native DV and HDV
capture in Premiere Pro does not support capturing audio separate from video.) Set the locations for new files by
choosing Edit > Preferences > Scratch Disks (Windows) or Premiere Pro > Preferences > Scratch Disks (Mac OS).
If you don’t change the defaults, all files captured or created by Premiere Pro are stored in the same folder in which
it stores the project files.
Online resources for improving system performance
See this forum thread for advice from experienced users on setting up disks for a video editing system.
For a collection of videos and articles about making Premiere Pro work faster can be found on this blog post.
See this video to learn about hard disk setup for optimum performance in Adobe Premiere Pro and After Effects.
To learn how to format a disk as NTFS on Windows, see this web page on the Microsoft site.
To learn how to format a disk as HFS+ on Mac OS, see this page from the kenstone.net website. The information on
this page is valid for Mac OS X 10.4-10.7
Move or clean the Media Cache Database
When Premiere Pro imports video and audio in some formats, it processes and caches versions of these items that it
can readily access when generating previews. Imported audio files are each conformed to a new .cfa file, and MPEG
files are indexed to a new .mpgindex file. The media cache greatly improves performance for previews, because the
video and audio items do not need to be reprocessed for each preview.
Note: When you first import a file, you may experience a delay while the media is being processed and cached.
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A database retains links to each of the cached media files. This media cache database is shared with Adobe Media
Encoder, After Effects, Premiere Pro, Encore, and Soundbooth, so each of these applications can each read from and
write to the same set of cached media files. If you change the location of the database from within any of these
applications, the location is updated for the other applications, too. Each application can use its own cache folder, but
the same database keeps track of them.
❖Choose Edit > Preferences > Media (Windows) or Premiere Pro > Preferences > Media (Mac OS), and do one of
the following:
•To move the media cache or the media cache database, click the respective Browse, button.
•To remove conformed and indexed files from the cache and to remove their entries from the database, click Clean.
This command only removes files associated with footage items for which the source file is no longer available.
Important: Before clicking the Clean button, make sure that any storage devices that contain your currently used source
media are connected to your computer. If footage is determined to be missing because the storage device on which it is
located is not connected, the associated files in the media cache is removed. This removal results in the need to reconform
or reindex the footage when you attempt to use the footage later.
Cleaning the database and cache with the Clean button does not remove files that are associated with footage items
for which the source files are still available. To manually remove conformed files and index files, navigate to the media
cache folder and delete the files.
Optimize rendering for available memory
By default, Premiere Pro renders video using the maximum number of available processors, up to 16. However, some
sequences, such as those containing high-resolution source video or still images, require large amounts of memory for
the simultaneous rendering of multiple frames. These sequences can force Premiere Pro to cancel rendering and to
give a Low Memory Warning alert. In these cases, you can maximize the available memory by changing the rendering
optimization preference from Performance to Memory. Change this preference back to Performance when rendering
no longer requires memory optimization.
1Select Edit > Preferences, and select Memory in the Preferences dialog box.
2In the drop-down list next to Optimize Rendering For, select Memory.
3Click OK, close Premiere Pro, and reopen the project for the new preference to take effect.
More Help topics
“Memory preferences” on page 19
“Render audio when rendering video” on page 206
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Chapter 4: Project setup
Creating and changing projects
A project file stores information about sequences and assets, such as settings for capture, transitions, and audio mixing.
Also, the project file contains the data from all of your editing decisions, such as the In and Out points for trimmed
clips and the parameters for each effect. Premiere Pro creates a folder on your hard disk at the start of each new project.
By default, this is where it stores the files it captures, the preview and conformed audio files it creates, and the project
file itself.
For every project you create, Premiere Pro creates a project file. This file contains the settings you select for each
sequence in the project, as well as crucial data about the assets, edit decisions, and effects used in the project.
Premiere Pro doesn’t store video, audio, or still image files in the project file—it stores only a reference to each of these
files, a clip, which is based on the filename and location of the file at the time you imported it. If you later move, rename,
or delete a source file, Premiere Pro can’t find it automatically the next time you open the project. In this case, Premiere
Pro displays the Where Is The File dialog box.
By default, every project includes a single Project panel. This acts as a storage area for all clips used in the project. You
can organize a project’s media and sequences using bins in the Project panel.
A project may contain multiple sequences, and the sequences within a project may differ from one another in their
settings. Within a single project, you can edit individual segments as separate sequences, and then combine the
segments into a finished program by nesting them into a longer sequence. Similarly, you can store multiple variations
of a sequence, as separate sequences, in the same project.
Note: There’s no need to save copies of a project when creating different segments or versions of the same video program.
Simply create new or duplicate sequences within a single project file.
Online Resources
Andrew Devis shows how to set up a new project and sequence in this getting-started video on the Creative Cow
website.
Maxim Jago explains project settings and demonstrates the process of starting up a new project in this video from
“Getting Started with Premiere Pro” from Video2Brain.
This chapter from the “Adobe Premiere Pro CS5 Classroom in a Book” explains how to set up projects, sequences, and
preferences when getting started with Premiere Pro.
Maxim Jago shows how to create a new project and sequence in this video from “Premiere Pro CS5: Learn by Video”
from Video2Brain.
Get free project templates and more from Jarle Leirpoll’s Premiere Pro blog.
More Help topics
“Sequence presets and settings” on page 143
www.adobe.com/go/learn_dv_primer_dvbasics_en
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Create a project
Projects may contain more than one sequence, and the settings for one sequence may differ from that of another.
Premiere Pro will prompt you for settings for the first sequence every time you create a new project. However, you can
cancel this step to create a project containing no sequences.
1(Optional) If you plan to capture video from a device, connect the device to your computer using an IEEE 1394 or
SDI connection. Then turn the device on, and do one of the following:
•If the device is a camera, set it to the playback mode, which may be labeled VTR or VCR.
•If the device is a deck, make sure that its output is set properly.
Note: Don’t set a camera to any of the recording modes, which may be labeled Camera or Movie.
2Either choose New Project on the Welcome screen that appears when Premiere Pro starts up or, after the
application is open, choose File > New > Project.
3Browse to a location where you want to save the project file, name the project, and click OK.
Note: Whenever possible, specify a location and name that you won’t have to change later. By default, Premiere Pro stores
rendered previews, conformed audio files, and captured audio and video in the folder where you store the project. Moving
a project file later may require moving its associated files as well.
4Do one of the following:
•Select a preset, or customize settings, for the first sequence of the project. For more information, see “Create a
sequence” on page 142. Then, click OK.
•To create a project without a sequence, click Cancel.
5(Optional) If you want to change where Premiere Pro stores various types of files, specify the scratch disk locations.
See “Specify scratch disks to improve system performance” on page 47.
Note: Premiere Pro supports high bit-depth (greater than 8 bits per channel) video necessary for editing standard and
high definition footage.
More Help topics
“Create a sequence” on page 142
Review project settings
All project settings apply to the whole project, and most can’t be changed after a project is created.
After you begin working in a project, you can review project settings, but you can change only a few of them. You can
access these settings through the Project Settings dialog box.
1Choose Project > Project Settings > General, or Project > Project Settings > Scratch Disks.
2View or change settings as needed.
3Click OK.
Project Settings dialog box
General
Video Rendering and Playback Specifies whether the software or hardware function of the Mercury Playback Engine
is enabled or not. If a qualified CUDA card is installed, the choice for hardware rendering and playback with the
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Mercury Playback Engine will be enabled. For more information about CUDA, Mercury Playback Engine and
Premiere Pro, see this post on the Premiere Pro Work Area blog.
Title Safe Area Specifies how much of the frame edge to mark as a safe zone for titles, so that titles aren’t cut off by
television set overscan. A rectangle with cross hairs marks the title-safe zone when you click the Safe Margins button
in the Source Monitor or Program Monitor. Titles are usually assumed to require a wider safe zone than action.
Action Safe Area Specifies how much of the frame edge to mark as a safe zone for action so that action isn’t cut off by
television set overscan. A rectangle marks the action-safe zone when you click the Safe Margins button in the Source
Monitor or Program Monitor.
Display Format (Video and Audio) For information about video and audio display formats, see their entries under
General Settings in “Sequence presets and settings” on page 143.
Capture Format For information about setting the capture format, see “Set capture format, preferences, and tracks”
on page 79.
Scratch Disks
For information about designating scratch disks, see “Specify scratch disks to improve system performance” on
page 47.
Online Resources
See this video tutorial by Andrew Devis on the Creative Cow website for information about the choices users must
make in the Welcome screen, and the New Project and New Sequence dialog boxes after opening Premiere Pro.
Open a project
Premiere Pro for Windows can open project files created with earlier versions of Premiere Pro or Adobe Premiere 6.x.
You can open only one project at a time. To transfer the contents of one project into another, use the Import
command.
Use the Auto Save command to automatically save copies of your projects in the Premiere Pro Auto-Save folder.
You may encounter missing files as you work on a project. You can continue working by substituting offline files as
placeholders for the missing files. You can edit using offline files, but you must bring the originals back online before
rendering your movie.
To bring a file back online after the project is open, use the Link Media command. You can continue working without
having to close and reopen the project.
1Choose File > Open Project.
2Browse to the project file and select it.
3Select Open.
4If the Where Is The File dialog box opens, locate the file using the Look In field, or choose one of the following in
the Where Is The File dialog box:
Find Launches the Windows Explorer (Windows) or Finder (Mac OS) search feature.
When moving a project and assets to a different machine, you can edit the file path in the project file so that Premiere
Pro finds the files associated with the project automatically. Open the PRPROJ file in a text editor, or in an XML editor
like Dreamweaver. Search for the file path that was used when the project was on the previous machine. Replace it with
the file path on the new machine.
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Skip Replaces a missing file with a temporary offline clip for the duration of a session. When you close your project
and then reopen it, you see a dialog box that asks you to locate the file or allows you to skip it again.
Skip All Like Skip, Skip All replaces all missing files with temporary offline files.
Important: Select Skip or Skip All only when you are certain that you want to rework all the instances where the file is
used in the project. If you want to keep the file in the project but can’t locate it at the moment, use Offline instead.
Skip Previews Stops Premiere Pro from searching for any preview files already rendered for the project. This allows
the project to load faster, but you may need to render parts of its sequences for best playback performance.
Offline Replaces a missing file with an offline clip, a placeholder that preserves all references to the missing file
everywhere in the project. Unlike the temporary offline clip created by Skip, the one generated by Offline persists
between sessions, so you won’t have to locate missing files every time the project is opened.
Offline All Like Offline, Offline All replaces all missing files with persistent offline files.
Note: Do not delete source files while you are using them as clips in a Premiere Pro project unless they were captured using
device control, and you plan to recapture them. After you deliver the final movie, you can delete source files.
More Help topics
“Importing earlier Premiere Pro projects” on page 73
“Importing sequences, clip lists, libraries, and compositions” on page 72
Delete a project file
1In Windows Explorer (Windows) or Finder (Mac OS), browse to the Premiere Pro project file, and select it. Project
files have a .prproj filename extension.
2Press Delete.
Moving a project to another computer
To move a project to another computer where you want to continue editing, you must move copies of all the assets for
the project to the second computer, as well as the project file. The assets should retain their file names and folder
locations so that Premiere Pro can find them and relink them to their clips in the project automatically.
Make certain, also that the same codecs you used for the project on the first computer are also installed on the second
computer. For more information about moving a project and its assets to another computer, see “Trim or copy your
project” on page 55.
More Help topics
“Cross-platform workflow” on page 27
“Trim or copy your project” on page 55
Archiving projects
The Premiere Pro Project Manager can help facilitate an efficient workflow by performing two functions: reducing the
storage needs of a project, and consolidating the files associated with a project.
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Using Project Manager, you can create a version of your project, called a trimmed project, that references only the
material used in your sequences. Also, you can specify which sequences to include in the trimmed project. You need
not include all of them. Trimmed projects are saved under a unique name in the standard Premiere Pro project file
format (.prproj).
In the trimmed project, file references are modified so that the project refers only to the portions of the footage items,
including offline clips, that you used in sequences. You can instruct Project Manager to copy the relevant portions of
the source media files to serve as the source files for the trimmed project; or you can have the trimmed project list the
footage items as offline, so that you can capture them from videotape. (The latter method is useful when employing an
offline/online editing workflow, in which you replace low-quality footage used for editing with high-quality footage
used for export.) Using either method, you reduce storage requirements by using only the media you need to create
and export the sequences in the project; you can archive or delete the original source media.
The Project Manager can also help you consolidate, or collect, a project. Collecting files copies the current project and
all of its associated media files to a single location. You can use this feature to gather a project’s source media files when
they are stored in various locations, and to prepare a project for sharing or archiving.
When you create a trimmed project and source files, keep the following things in mind. The Project Manager copies
only portions of source footage used in sequences. However, you can specify the number of extra frames, or handles,
the new footage includes, so that you can still make minor edits in the trimmed project. The new footage retains the
and reel number of the original captured footage. If one or more subclips share frames with another subclip, the Project
Manager creates a footage file that contains only those shared frames. The Project Manager also copies the still image
sequences used in the original project. Still images, titles, and generated footage, such as color bars and counting
leaders, are also retained, but not trimmed. Offline clips are trimmed.
When either trimming or collecting a project, you can specify whether the new project retains any of the unused clips
from the original project.
Project Manager does not trim the source footage for multi-camera sequences. As the nested sequence contains all the
source footage, Project Manager does not trim any of that source footage.
Project Manager does not carry all effects into a trimmed project. Check your trimmed project carefully before
discarding the source project.
Certain Long GOP formats cannot be trimmed by the Project Manager.
Note: Project Manager retains any effect keyframes and clip markers that exist beyond the In and Out points of a trimmed clip.
Online Resources
See this excerpt from Adobe Premiere Pro CS5 Classroom in a Book which explains managing assets in a project,
including using the Project Manager.
Franklin McMahon from franklinmcmahon.com shows how to trim, copy, and archive projects with the Project
Manager in this video on the Layers Magazine website.
Trim or copy your project
1Choose Project > Project Manager.
2In the Source pane of the Project Manager window, check the box next to each sequence you want to include in
your trimmed project. To check all boxes, Shift-click any one box.
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Note: Nested sequences are not automatically added to the trimmed sequences. If the sequence(s) you are trimming
contain nested sequences, you also need to include these nested sequences in the selection so they are included in the
trimmed project.
3 Select one of the following:
Create New Trimmed Project to create a new version of the current project that refers only to the footage you used in
the selected sequences
Collect Files and Copy to New Location to copy and consolidate the footage you used in the selected sequences.
Note: Project Manager does not copy and collect After Effects compositions that are dynamically linked to an
Adobe
Premiere Pro project. Project Manager does save the Dynamic Link clip in the trimmed project as an offline clip,
however.
4Select any of the following options, if available.
Note: The options that are available depend on the option you choose in the previous step.
Exclude Unused Clips Specifies that Project Manager will not include, or copy, media you did not use in the original
project.
Make Offline Specifies that Project Manager denote as “offline” any footage that you can recapture later. When you
select this option, Project Manager retains reel names and timecode to facilitate quick batch capture. Selecting this
option is especially useful if you used low resolution footage in your original project, or if you are archiving a project.
This option is available only if Create New Trimmed Project is selected. Selecting this option will have no effect on
MXF files, as their Reel Names will remain empty and as this media cannot be recaptured by batch recapturing.
Note: When recapturing footage using offline clips from a trimmed project, source clips that do not match the current
sequence settings are recaptured at their original settings, not the current sequence settings. To override this behavior,
click Override Clip Settings in the Batch Capture dialog box and specify the settings that you want for all captured clips.
However, this option is rarely necessary for capturing DV footage.
Include Handles Specifies the number of frames to retain before the In point and after the Out point of each trimmed
clip. For example, a value of 30 means that 30 frames are retained before the In point, and 30 frames are retained after
the Out point. Handles function as extra frames that allow for additional minor adjustments to the edits in the new
project.
Note: Some formats, such as Long GOP based media files, cannot trim media, or add handles.
Include Preview Files Specifies that effects you rendered in the original project remain rendered in the new project.
When not selected, the new project occupies less disk space, but the effects are not rendered. This option is available
only if you select Collect Files And Copy To New Location.
Include Audio Conform Files Ensures that the audio you conformed in the original project remains conformed in the
new project. When not selected, the new project occupies less disk space, but Premiere Pro conforms the audio again
when you open the project. This option is available only if you select Collect Files And Copy To New Location.
Rename Media Files To Match Clip Names Renames the copied footage files with the same names as your captured
clips. Select this option if you rename your captured clips from within the Project window and want the copied footage
files to have the same name. (Captured files that you import, especially those captured using scene detection, may not
have intuitive names, so you may want to rename them from within the Project window.) This option ensures that the
filename of the actual captured footage is updated to reflect the new name in the Project window, greatly simplifying
the organization of your footage files. Selecting this option for an MXF file will not change the User Clip Name in the
file’s XML; however, it will change the filename of the clip copied for the trimmed project to match the clip name
shown in the project panel.
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Note: If you rename captured clips, and then select the Make Offline option, the subsequent copied project retains and
displays the original filename, not the new name.
Project Destination Designates where Project Manager saves the files you specified. Click Browse to navigate to a
location other than the default. When creating a trimmed project, Project Manager creates a folder named
“Trimmed_[Project Name]” and saves the trimmed project and other files you specified, such as trimmed footage files
into the folder. When copying a project, Project Manager creates a folder named “Copied_[Project Name]” and copies
the project, footage files, and other files you specified into the folder.
Note: If a folder already exists with a name identical to the project you are trimming, Project Manager appends a number
to the name. For example, identically-named successive projects may have appendages of “_001, _002, _003, _004,....”
Disk Space Displays a comparison between the size of the current project’s files and the estimated size of the trimmed
or copied files. Click Calculate to update the estimate.
5Click OK.
When trimming a project or copying and collecting files, the Project Manager does not produce a P2-compliant MXF
file structure for media files that came from a P2 source.
The following online resources are available for more information about trimming or copying your project:
•Franklin McMahon demonstrates a few features for preparing a movie for export and review, including details
about trimming a project in this video on the Layers Magazine website.
•Andrew Devis shows you how to trim and store your projects with the Project Manager in this video on the Creative
Cow website.
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Chapter 5: Importing, transferring,
capturing, and digitizing
Transferring and importing files
For information about shooting and capturing high-quality audio and video, see “Shooting and Capturing Great Video
Assets,” from Premiere Pro CS5 Classroom in a Book.
File formats supported for import
Important: The trial version of Premiere Pro CS5 doesn't include some features that depend on third-party software
components that are only included in the full version of Premiere Pro. The import and export of some formats are not
supported in the trial version, such as AVC-Intra, AVCHD, HDV, MPEG-2, MPEG-2 DVD, MPEG-2 Blu-ray, and
XDCAM. The trial version for Adobe Premiere Pro CS5.5 and later does not have the limitations that Premiere Pro CS5
has. It includes all sequence presets, editing modes, encoders, and decoders that are included in the full, activated version
of Premiere Pro CS5.5 and later. However, after downloading the trial version of Premiere Pro CS5.5 and later, you do
not receive the title templates or non-English speech-to-text dictionaries (speech analysis modes). These items are
available for download after you have purchased the software. For a detailed list of limitations of the trial version of
Premiere Pro software, see the Adobe website. For more details about the trial version of Premiere Pro CS5.5 and later,
see this video.
Premiere Pro can import many video and audio formats. Plug-in software modules provide file format support. Most
of these software modules are installed automatically with Premiere Pro.
Some filename extensions—such as MOV, AVI, MXF, FLV, and F4V—denote container file formats rather than
denoting a specific audio, video, or image data format. Container files can contain data encoded using various
compression and encoding schemes. Premiere Pro can import these container files, but the ability to import the data
that they contain is dependent on the codecs (specifically, decoders) installed.
By installing additional codecs, you can extend the ability of Premiere Pro to import additional file types. Many codecs
must be installed into the operating system (Windows or Mac OS) and work as a component inside the QuickTime or
Video for Windows formats. Contact the manufacturer of your hardware or software for more information about
codecs that work with the files that your specific devices or applications create. If Premiere Pro does not import your
file, see this FAQ video tutorial, "Why can't Premiere Pro import my file?" for an explanation.
Video and still-image files that you want to import must not be more than the maximum dimensions allowed. For
more information on maximum dimensions in Premiere Pro, see the Premiere Pro Work Area blog.
Adobe provides workflow guides for P2, RED, XDCAM, AVCCAM, and DSLR cameras and footage on the Adobe
website.
Colin Brougham explains how Premiere Pro works natively with tapeless media (no transcoding) in this article and
video series on the ProVideo Coalition website.
For more information about RED (R3D) digital cinema and Canon XF improvements in Premiere Pro CS5.5 and later,
read this post on the Premiere Pro work area blog.
Premiere Pro can import files in the formats listed, provided the codec used to generate a specific file is installed locally.
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Supported video and animation file formats
•3GP, 3G2
•ASF (Netshow, Windows only)
•AVI (DV-AVI, Microsoft AVI Type 1 and Type 2)
•DV (raw DV stream, a QuickTime format)
•FLV and F4V
Note: Premiere Pro CS5 can import FLV files with video encoded using the On2 VP6 video codec; Premiere Pro CS5
can’t import FLV files with video encoded with the Sorenson Spark video codec. As with any unsupported format,
transcode the file to a format that Premiere Pro can import.
•GIF (Animated GIF)
•M1V (MPEG-1 Video File)
•M2T (Sony HDV)
•M2TS (Blu-ray BDAV MPEG-2 Transport Stream, AVCHD)
•M4V (MPEG-4 Video File)
•MOV (QuickTime Movie, requires QuickTime 7 for import of non-native QuickTime files; in Windows, requires
QuickTime player)
Note: The fully featured version of QuickTime 7 Pro is not installed in Mac OS X 10.7 by default. If you are using Mac
OS X 10.7, go to this page to download the proper version (QuickTime Player 7.66 for Mac OS X v.10.6.3). For more
information see the article, "Install QuickTime 7 Pro with Lion.”
•MP4 (QuickTime Movie, XDCAM EX)
•MPEG, MPE, MPG (MPEG-1, MPEG-2), M2V (DVD-compliant MPEG-2)
•MTS (AVCHD)
•MXF (Media eXchange Format; P2 Movie: Panasonic Op-Atom variant of MXF, with video in DV, DVCPRO,
DVCPRO 50, DVCPRO HD, AVC-Intra; XDCAM HD Movie, Sony XDCAM HD 50 (4:2:2), Avid MXF Movie),
and native Canon XF (new in Premiere Pro CS5.5 and later)
Note: In Premiere Pro CS5.5 and later, native Canon XF files are previewed in the Media Browser and use of metadata
is supported.
•R3D (RED camera)
•In Premiere Pro CS5, there was an update to the importer software for RED (R3D) files. The update is related to
the RED camera Mysterium-X sensor and new color science. See the Premiere Pro Work Area blog for
information.
•In Premiere Pro CS5 (5.0.2), there were updates for RED (R3D) footage and new REDCODE plug-ins. See the
Premiere Pro Work Area blog for more information.
•Adobe Premiere Pro CS5.5 and later includes several additions and improvements to source settings for RED
Digital Cinema (R3D) files, including new color science support (REDcolor2, REDgamma2, REDlogFilm, etc.)
and better curves and levels user interface. For a summary of these new and changed features for RED (R3D)
footage, as well as improvements made in the Premiere Pro CS5 (5.0.2) update, including RMD and Red Rocket
card support, see this video by Video2Brain.
•Adobe has also released a preview version of advanced RED importer software that adds support for RED EPIC
footage, as well as the following features:
•ability to rotate and flip footage based on the camera orientation flag in R3D metadata
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•support for Echo port in R3D Source Settings dialog box, so that RED preview can be sent out to an external
monitor
•increased size of RED R3D Source Settings dialog on large monitors
•HDR track selection and HDR blend support
•SWF
Note: SWF files can be imported with an alpha channel. Audio is not retained. Interactive content and scripted
animation are not retained. Animation defined by keyframes in the main, top-level movie is retained.
•VOB
•WMV (Windows Media, Windows only)
Note: Render Type 1 AVI clips before previewing from a DV device. To render a Type 1 AVI clip, add it to a sequence in
a DV project, and preview it.
Supported audio file formats
•AAC
•AC3 (including 5.1 surround)
•AIFF, AIF
•ASND (Adobe Sound Document)
•AVI (Video for Windows)
•BWF (Broadcast WAVE format, Premiere Pro CS5 (5.0.2) and later)
•M4A (MPEG-4 Audio)
•mp3 (mp3 Audio)
•MPEG, MPG (MPEG Movie)
•MOV (QuickTime; requires QuickTime player)
•MXF (Media eXchange Format; P2 Movie: Panasonic Op-Atom variant of MXF, with video in DV, DVCPRO,
DVCPRO 50, DVCPRO HD, AVC-Intra; XDCAM HD Movie, Sony XDCAM HD 50 (4:2:2), Avid MXF Movie)
•WMA (Windows Media Audio, Windows only)
•WAV (Windows WAVeform)
Supported still-image and still-image sequence file formats
Premiere Pro supports 8bpc (4 bytes per pixel) and 16bpc (8 bytes per pixel) still-image files.
•AI, EPS
•BMP, DIB, RLE
•DPX
•EPS
•GIF
•ICO (Icon File) (Windows only)
•JPEG (JPE, JPG, JFIF)
•PICT
•PNG
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•PSD
•PSQ (Adobe Premiere 6 Storyboard)
•PTL, PRTL (Adobe Premiere title)
•TGA, ICB, VDA, VST
•TIF
Supported video project file formats
•AAF (Advanced Authoring Format)
•AEP, AEPX (After Effects project)
•CSV, PBL, TXT, TAB (batch lists)
•EDL (CMX3600 EDLs)
•PLB (Adobe Premiere 6.x bin) (Windows only)
•PREL (Adobe Premiere Elements project) (Windows only)
•PRPROJ (Premiere Pro project)
•PSQ (Adobe Premiere 6.x storyboard) (Windows only)
•XML (FCP XML)
Note: Premiere Pro on Mac OS imports projects from version CS3 onwards. You need the Windows version to open
projects from earlier versions and save them as a current one.
More Help topics
“Selecting a sequence preset” on page 147
About transferring files
Transferring projects from other computers
When transferring project files, such as After Effects project files, Premiere Pro project files, or Final Cut Pro project
files from another computer to the computer on which you will import those project files into Premiere Pro, make sure
you transfer all the assets associated with the project files. Keep the project files, and their associated assets, on the
destination computer in folders that have names and folder structures identical with those on the computer of their
origin.
Transferring assets from file-based media
It is possible to edit assets residing on file-based media, such as P2 cards, XDCAM cartridges, SxS cards, or DVDs.
However, Premiere Pro performs faster if you first transfer the assets to a local hard disk. Using Windows File Explorer
(Windows) or Finder (Mac OS), transfer files from file-based acquisition media. Then, import the files on the hard
disk into Premiere Pro projects.
When transferring files to hard disk from file-based media, transfer the folder containing all related files and all of its
subfolders. Keep the folder structure intact. For example, when transferring files from AVCHD file-based media,
transfer the BDMV folder and all its contents. When transferring files from DVCPRO HD media, transfer the
CONTENTS folder and all its contents. When transferring files from XDCAM EX media, transfer the BPAV folder
and all its contents. When transferring files from DVD, transfer all the contents of the VIDEO_TS folder, and if it
exists, all the contents of the AUDIO_TS folder.
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Transfer video files from file-based media into the same folder you specify for captured video with the project scratch
disk settings.
The folder structure for AVCHD assets
The folder structure for DVCPRO HD assets
The folder structure for XDCAM EX assets
The folder structure for DVD-video assets
More Help topics
“Specify scratch disks to improve system performance” on page 47
“Import files with the Media Browser” on page 63
About importing files
For a video overview of the ways to import assets into Premiere Pro, see the Adobe website.
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Importing is different from capturing. The Import command brings files that are already on your hard disk or other
connected storage device into your project. Importing files makes them available to a Premiere Pro project. Premiere
Pro lets you import numerous types of video, still images, and audio. Finally, you can export a Premiere Pro project
from After Effects, and import it into Premiere Pro.
You can import video, audio, and still files in various file formats into a Premiere Pro project. You can import a single
file, multiple files, or an entire folder. Frame sizes cannot exceed 16 megapixels.
If the software you use to create art doesn’t let you specify pixels as a unit of measure, try specifying points.
For a basic tutorial on importing, editing, and then exporting a file, see this video by Clay Asbury.
In Premiere Pro, you can import files by using the Media Browser or the Import command. You can also place files
into Premiere Pro from Adobe Bridge.
Premiere Pro indexes certain types of files and transcodes others after importing them. You cannot edit these types
fully until these processes are completed. The filename of a clip appears in the Project panel in italics until it has been
fully indexed or transcoded.
To import files that Premiere Pro does not support natively, install the appropriate capture card or third-party plug-
in software. For more information, check the manual that came with the installed card or plug-in.
You can also import files and folders by dragging them from Windows Explorer (Windows) or Finder (Mac OS) into
the Project panel. On Windows Vista, if the User Account Control (UAC) is activated, Windows disables drag-and-
drop from Windows Explorer, or any program, to any program running in Administrator mode. You run Premiere Pro
in Administrator mode for plugin activation, special disk access, and network permissions. To enable drag and drop while
running Premiere Pro in Administrator mode disable the UAC. In Windows Control Panel, select User Accounts. Disable
UAC for the selected user..
More Help topics
“Import files with the Media Browser” on page 63
“Capturing and digitizing” on page 78
Import files with the Media Browser
The Media Browser makes it easy to browse to files, and to find them by their type. Unlike the Import dialog box, the
Media Browser can be left open, and docked, like any other panel. The Media Browser gives you quick access to all
your assets while you edit. Also, you can use the Media Browser to import clips copied from video storage media such
as P2 cards, SxS cards, XDCAM disks, and DVDs. When you import an asset Premiere Pro leaves it in its current
location, and creates a clip in the Project panel that points to it. By default, Premiere Pro writes XMP files to the
directory where the media files are located, but you can turn off this behavior in Preferences. For best performance,
first transfer files from their file-based media to a local hard disk. Then, import them into Premiere Pro projects from
the hard disk.
1Select Window > Media Browser.
2To browse to the desired files, do one of the following:
•To open a folder recently opened, click the triangle in the Recent Directories menu, and select the folder.
•In the list of hard drives and folders in the Media Browser, click the triangles next to folder names to open them.
3To view only files of certain types, click the triangle in the Files Of Type menu, and select a file type. To select an
additional type, open the menu again and make another selection. Repeat until all desired types have been selected.
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4Select one or more files from the list of files. To select more than one non-contiguous file, Ctrl-click (Windows) or
Command-click (Mac OS) the filenames. To select more than one contiguous file, Shift-click the filenames.
5Do one of the following:
•Select File > Import From Browser, or right-click the file in the Media Browser and select Import. Alternatively, you
can drag the file from the Media Browser into the Project panel, or drag the file from the Media Browser into a
Timeline.
The Media Browser imports the file into the Project panel.
•Right-click the file in the Media Browser and select Open In Source Monitor. Alternatively, double-click the file in
the Media Browser to open it in the Source Monitor.
The Media Browser opens the file in the Source Monitor.
Import files with the Import commands
Note: While you can import clips directly from file-based media connected to your computer, it is best to first transfer
clips from these media to a hard disk. Then, import them from the hard disk. For more information about transferring
files, see “About transferring files” on page 61
•Choose File > Import. You can select multiple files.
•To import a recently imported file, choose File > Import Recent File > [file name]. (The file name doesn’t appear if
Premiere Pro preferences have been reset.)
•To import a folder of files, choose File > Import. Locate and select the folder, and then click Import Folder. The
folder, with its contents, is added as a new bin in the Project panel.
•For instructions on importing a numbered still-image sequence as a clip, see “Import numbered still-image
sequences as video clips” on page 70.
More Help topics
“Import files using Adobe Bridge” on page 64
Import files using Adobe Bridge
You can import files into Premiere Pro from Adobe Bridge.
More Help topics
About Adobe Bridge CS5
Start Adobe Bridge from Adobe Premiere Pro
For a video on using Adobe Bridge, see www.adobe.com/go/vid0090.
❖Do one of the following:
•Choose File > Browse In Bridge.
•Select a file in the Project panel, then choose File > Reveal in Bridge.
Import files from Adobe Bridge
1Start Adobe Bridge from Premiere Pro.
2In Adobe Bridge, double-click the clip.
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Premiere Pro imports the clip into the Project panel.
You can also drag clips from the Adobe Bridge Content panel directly into the Premiere Pro Project panel.
Channel support
Premiere Pro supports four-channel assets. Every processed pixel in the render pipeline uses four channels. When
Premiere Pro processes a three-channel asset, such as DV, HDV, or MPEG footage, Premiere Pro automatically
converts it to a four-channel asset. Premiere Pro converts a three-channel asset when you add an effect or transition
to the asset.
Premiere Pro supports 10-bit color depth, sometimes useful for editing standard and high-definition footage.
Importing assets from tapeless formats
File-based camcorders from various manufacturers record video and audio into files of specific formats organized
within specific directory structures. These formats include Panasonic P2 camcorders, Sony XDCAM HD and XDCAM
EX camcorders, Sony CF-based HDV camcorders, and AVCHD camcorders.
Camcorders recording in any of these formats typically record to hard disks, optical media, or flash memory media,
not to videotape. These camcorders and formats are therefore called file-based, or tapeless, rather than tape-based.
The video and audio from a file-based camcorder are already contained in digital files. No capture or digitizing step is
necessary to bring them into Premiere Pro. Reading the data from the recording media and converting it to a format
that can be used in a project is instead called ingest. Premiere Pro ingests files in any of these file-based formats from
any of their media.
Adobe provides workflow guides for P2, RED, XDCAM, AVCCAM, and DSLR cameras and footage on the Adobe
website.
XDCAM and AVCHD formats
You can find the video files from XDCAM HD camcorders in the CLIP folder, written in the MXF format. XDCAM
EX camcorders write MP4 files into a folder named BPAV.
For information about the XDCAM format, see this PDF document on the Sony website.
AVCHD video files are in the STREAM folder. For more information about the AVCHD format, see the AVCHD
website
The Panasonic P2 format
A P2 card is a solid-state memory device that plugs into the PCMCIA slot of a Panasonic P2 video camera, such as the
AG-HVX200. The digital video and audio data from the video camera is recorded onto the card in a structured, codec-
independent format known as MXF (Media eXchange Format). Specifically, Premiere Pro supports the Panasonic Op-
Atom variant of MXF, with video in DV, DVCPRO, DVCPRO 50, DVCPRO HD, or AVC-I formats. A clip is in the
P2 format if its audio and video are contained in Panasonic Op-Atom MXF files. These files are located in a specific
file structure.
The root of the P2 file structure is a CONTENTS folder. Each essence item (an item of video or audio) is contained in
a separate MXF wrapper file. The video MXF files are in the VIDEO subfolder, and the audio MXF files are in the
AUDIO subfolder. XML files in the CLIP subfolder contain the associations between essence files and the metadata
associated with them.
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Note: Premiere Pro does not support proxies recorded by some Panasonic P2 camcorders in P2 card PROXY folders.
For your computer to read P2 cards, it needs the appropriate driver, which you can download from the Panasonic website.
Panasonic also provides the P2 Viewer application, with which you can browse and play media stored on a P2 card.
Note: To use certain features with P2 files, you first change the file properties from read only to read and write. For
example, to change the timecode metadata of a clip using the Timecode dialog box, you first set the file properties to read
and write. Use the operating system file explorer to change file properties.
Avid capture format
Avid editing systems capture footage to MXF files, generally into a folder called Avid Media files, with audio captured
into discreet files separate from the video files. When you import Avid video files, Premiere Pro automatically imports
their associated audio files. However, it is simpler to import Avid project files, in Advanced Authoring Format (AAF),
than to identify and import individual Avid MXF video files.
DVD format
DVD camcorders and DVD recorders capture video and audio into MPEG-encoded VOB files. VOB files are written
into a VIDEO_TS folder. Optionally, ancillary audio files may be written into an AUDIO_TS folder.
Note: Premiere Pro and Premiere Elements, do not import or decrypt encrypted DVD files.
More Help topics
Importing tapeless assets in Media Browser
www.mog-solutions.com/img_upload/PDF/MOG_SOLUTIONS_operational_patterns_NAB2007.pdf
Import assets from file-based sources with Media Browser
You can import assets into Premiere Pro directly from tapeless media. However, it is more efficient to transfer tapeless
media contents to a hard disk before importing. Also, playback performance is much better from a dedicated internal
hard drive or RAID than from a camera or memory card reader.
Use the Media Browser, instead of File > Import, to import files from tapeless sources. The Media Browser assembles
the relevant files into coherent clips, and does not import irrelevant non-media files sometimes found in the folders of
tapeless media.
1(Optional) Transfer the entire contents of one or more P2 cards, Sony Compact Flash cards, XDCAM media,
XDCAM EX SxS cards, hard disk camcorders, DVDs, or AVCHD media to a hard disk. For information about
transferring these media, see “About transferring files” on page 61.
Note: For XDCAM EX, copy the entire BPAV folder and its contents, not just one MP4 file at a time.
2If the Media Browser is not already open, select Window > Media Browser.
Note: You can dock or group the Media Browser like any other panel in Premiere Pro.
3Browse to the folder containing the media files.
The Media Browser shows a thumbnail or icon (depending on the format) and shot name for each shot in the folder.
The Media Browser automatically aggregates spanned clips and shot metadata from the subfolders into single clips for
any of these formats. The Media Browser shows different sets of metadata for different formats.
4(Optional) To preview a shot before importing it, double-click the shot in the Media Browser.
Premiere Pro plays the clip in the Source Monitor without importing it into the Project panel.
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5Either select File > Import From Browser, drag clips from the Media Browser into the Project panel, or drag clips
from the Media Browser into a timeline.
The asset or assets are imported into the Project panel as whole clips.
More Help topics
“Create an HDV or HD sequence” on page 149
“Mapping source and output audio channels” on page 221
“Export to Panasonic P2 format” on page 437
About spanned clips
When a shot or take is recorded requiring more than the file size limit of a medium, a file-based camcorder starts
another file, and continues recording the shot to that file without interruption. This is referred to as clip spanning
because the shot spans more than one file or clip. Similarly, a file-based camcorder sometimes spans a shot across clips
on different cards or disks, if the camcorder has more than one card or disk loaded. It records the shot until it runs out
of room on the first medium, then starts a new file on the next medium with available space, and continues recording
the shot to it. Although a single shot or take can be recorded to a group of multiple spanned clips, it is designed to be
treated as a single clip.
For P2 and XDCAM EX, Premiere Pro imports all of the spanned clips within a single shot or take as a single clip. It
will import all the clips within a shot on a card when you select any one of them, provided none of the spanned clips
is missing and the relevant XML is present. When one or more spanned clips are missing from a shot, Premiere Pro
will import one or more of them depending on where the missing clips fall within the shot.
To import a group of spanned clips, select one of them to import all of them. If you select more than one spanned clip,
you will import duplicates of the whole group of spanned clips as duplicate clips in the Project panel.
If the group of spanned clips itself spans two P2 or XDCAM EX cards, copy the full directory trees from them both to
same-level folders on the hard disk before importing. For P2 media only, you can alternatively import clips spanning
two P2 cards if both cards are simultaneously mounted to your computer.
Colin Brougham explains how Premiere Pro works natively with tapeless media (no transcoding) in this article on the
ProVideo Coalition website.
Importing still images
You can import individual still images into Premiere Pro or import a numbered series of still images as a sequence.
You can import still images from Adobe applications such as Photoshop and Illustrator. For information about the
still-image formats that Premiere Pro imports, see “File formats supported for import” on page 58.
An imported still image uses the duration specified in the Still Image preferences. You can change the duration of a
still image in a sequence.
The maximum frame size that can be imported for still images and movies is 256 megapixels, with a maximum
dimension of 32,768 pixels in either direction. For more information, see this post on the Premiere Pro Work Area blog.
More Help topics
“Change speed and duration for one or more clips” on page 299
“Create and edit Photoshop files” on page 30
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Preparing still images before importing
Before you import a still image into Premiere Pro, prepare it as completely as possible to reduce rendering time. It’s
usually easier and faster to prepare a file in its original application. Consider doing the following:
•Make sure that the file format is supported by the operating system you plan to use.
•Set the pixel dimensions to the resolution you will use in Premiere Pro. If you plan to scale the image over time, set
image dimensions that provide enough detail at the largest size the image has in the project.
•For best results, create files with a frame size at least as large as the frame size of the project so that you don’t have
to scale up the image in Premiere Pro. Scaling an image larger than its original size can cause loss of sharpness. If
you plan to scale up an image, prepare it at a larger frame size than the project’s. For example, if you plan to scale
up an image 200%, prepare the image at double the project frame size before you import it.
•Crop the parts of the image that you don’t want to be visible in Premiere Pro.
•If you want to designate areas as transparent, create an alpha channel or use the transparency tools in applications
such as Photoshop or Illustrator.
•If final output will be shown on standard television screens, avoid using thin horizontal lines (such as 1-pixel lines)
for images or text. These may flicker as a result of interlacing. If you must use thin lines, add a slight blur so that
the lines appear in both video fields. See “Interlaced video, noninterlaced video, and progressive scanning” on
page 309.
•Save the file using the correct naming convention. For example, if you plan to import the file into Premiere Pro in
Windows, use a three-character filename extension.
•When you prepare still images in applications that support color management, such as Photoshop, colors may
appear more consistent between the application and Premiere Pro if you prepare images in a video-friendly color
space, such as sRGB or NTSC RGB.
More Help topics
“Scale assets” on page 294
Importing Photoshop and Illustrator files
You can import files from Adobe Photoshop 3.0 or later, or from Adobe Illustrator. You can control how layered files
are imported. Empty (transparent) areas of nonflattened files are transparent when imported into Premiere Pro,
because the transparency is stored as an alpha channel. This lets you import graphics and superimpose them over clips
in other tracks with no extra effort.
You can import layered Photoshop files either with selected layers imported as individual clips into a bin, with selected
layers imported as individual clips into a bin and sequence, or with selected layers merged into a single video clip.
Also, you can import Photoshop files that contain video or animations if they are saved from Photoshop in timeline
animation mode.
Note: Individual layers moved from a Photoshop composition into a Premiere Pro project may not behave as expected.
More Help topics
“Working with Photoshop and Premiere Pro” on page 28
“Create and edit Photoshop files” on page 30
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Import a layered Photoshop file
When you import a layered file saved in Photoshop file formats, you can choose how to import the layers in the Import
Layered File dialog box.
Note: Some Photoshop layer attributes aren’t supported, such as special blending modes and the Knockout option. For
best results, use basic transparency and opacity in Photoshop. Adobe
Premiere Pro does support most Photoshop blending
modes.
Premiere Pro imports attributes that were applied in the original file, including position, opacity, visibility,
transparency (alpha channel), layer masks, adjustment layers, common layer effects, layer clipping paths, vector
masks, and clipping groups. Photoshop exports a white background as opaque white, whereas it exports a
checkerboard background as a transparent alpha channel when exporting to a format that supports alpha channels.
Importing layered Photoshop files makes it easy to use graphics created in Photoshop. When Premiere Pro imports
Photoshop files as unmerged layers, each layer in the file becomes an individual clip in a bin. Each clip’s name consists
of the layer name followed by the name of the file that contained it. Each layer is imported with the default duration
you select for still images in Preferences.
You can import Photoshop files containing video or animations like any other Photoshop file. Since each layer is
imported at the default still-image duration, the imported video or animation may play back at a speed different from
that of its source in the Photoshop file. To make the speed match, change the still image default duration before
importing the Photoshop file. For example, if the Photoshop animation was created at 30 fps and the Premiere Pro
sequence frame rate is 30 fps, set the still image default duration in Premiere Pro to 30 frames in Preferences.
The options you select in the Import Layered File dialog box determine how the layers in the video or animation are
interpreted on import into Premiere Pro.
From the Import dialog box, when you select a Photoshop file containing layers for import, the Import Photoshop
Document dialog box opens. The Import As menu gives you these options for ways to import the file:
Merge All Layers Merges all layers, importing the file into Premiere Pro as a single flattened PSD clip.
Merged Layers Merges only the layers you select into Premiere Pro as a single, flattened, PSD clip.
Individual Layers Imports only the layers you select from the list into a bin containing one clip for each source layer.
Sequence Imports only the layers you select, each as a single clip. Premiere Pro also creates a sequence containing each
clip on a separate track, and deposits all these into their own bin in the Project panel. Choosing Sequence allows you
to select one of the following options from the Footage Dimensions menu:
•Document Size
Changes the frame size of the clips to match the frame size specified in the Sequence Settings dialog box.
•Layer Size Matches the frame size of the clips to the frame size of their source layers in the Photoshop file.
Note: When you import one layer as a single clip, its name in the Project panel consists of the layer name followed by the
original filename.
Importing Illustrator images
You can import an Adobe Illustrator still-image file directly into a Premiere Pro project. Premiere Pro converts path-
based Illustrator art into the pixel-based image format used by Premiere Pro, a process known as rasterization.
Premiere Pro automatically anti-aliases, or smooths, edges of the Illustrator art. Premiere Pro also converts all empty
areas into an alpha channel, so that empty areas become transparent.
If you want to define the dimensions of the Illustrator art when it is rasterized, use Illustrator to set crop marks in the
Illustrator file. For information about setting crop marks, see Illustrator Help.
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Even though the layers in Illustrator are merged in Premiere Pro you can edit the layers by selecting the clip and
choosing Edit > Edit Original.
Import numbered still-image sequences as video clips
You can import an animation contained in a single file, such as an animated GIF. You can also import a sequence of
numbered still-image files, such as a TIFF sequence, and automatically combine them into a single video clip; each
numbered file becomes one frame of video. Importing a sequence is useful for animations exported as a series of
numbered still images by applications like After Effects. The images in the series cannot include layers. For
information on layers and flattening, see the application’s documentation.
1Set the framerate for the still-image sequence. Select Edit > Preferences > Media (Windows), or Premiere Pro >
Preferences > Media. Then, select a framerate from the Indeterminate Media Timebase menu. Click OK.
2Make sure that each still-image filename contains an equal number of digits at the end and has the correct file
extension—for example, file000.bmp, file001.bmp, and so forth.
3Choose File > Import.
4Locate and select the first numbered file in the sequence, select Numbered Stills, and click Open. When Numbered
Stills is selected, Premiere Pro interprets each of the numbered files as a single frame in a video clip.
Note: Changing the default duration of still images in the Preferences dialog box does not affect the duration of numbered
stills imported into a video clip. Each still becomes one frame when imported in this way.
More Help topics
“Media preferences” on page 19
Importing digital audio
You can import digital audio clips stored as audio files or tracks in video files. Digital audio is stored on computer hard
disks, audio CDs, or digital audio tape (DAT) as binary data readable by computers. To keep quality as high as possible,
transfer digital audio files to your computer via digital connections. Avoid digitizing the analog outputs from your
audio sources through your sound card.
Note: To capture an audio-only file from a digital video source, choose Audio from the Capture menu in the Logging pane
of the Capture panel. Premiere Pro does not support audio-only capture for some formats, such as HDV.
Using audio from audio CDs
You can use CD audio (CDA) files in a project, but before you can import them into Premiere Pro, you need to convert
them to a supported file format, such as WAV or AIFF. You can convert CDA files using an audio application such as
Adobe® Audition®.
Note: Make sure that you own the copyrights or have licensed the copyrights to any audio tracks you use.
Using compressed audio formats
Music stored in formats such as MP3 and WMA are compressed using a method that removes some of the original
audio quality. To play back compressed audio, Premiere Pro must decompress the file and may need to resample it to
match your output settings. Although Premiere Pro uses a high-quality resampler for this purpose, the best results
come from using an uncompressed or CD audio version of the audio clip whenever possible.
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Using audio from Adobe Soundbooth
You can use Adobe® Soundbooth™ to perform advanced audio editing. If you export the audio from Adobe
Soundbooth to an audio file format compatible with Premiere Pro, you can import the audio into Premiere Pro
projects.
Audio sample rates supported
Premiere Pro natively supports these audio sample rates:
•8000 Hz
•11025 Hz
•22050 Hz
•32000 Hz
•44100 Hz
•48000 Hz
•96000 Hz
Conforming audio
Premiere Pro processes each audio channel, including audio channels in video clips, as 32-bit floating-point data at the
sequence sample rate. This processing assures maximum editing performance and audio quality. Premiere Pro
conforms certain types of audio to match the 32-bit format and the sequence sample rate. If conforming is required, it
is done when a file is imported into a project for the first time. Conforming takes some time and disk space. A progress
bar appears at the lower right of the Premiere Pro window when conforming begins. Premiere Pro saves conformed
audio in CFA audio preview files. You can determine where to save these audio preview files by specifying a Scratch
Disk location for Audio Previews in the Project Settings dialog box.
You can work with audio files, even applying effects to them, before they are fully conformed. However, you can
preview only the parts of the files that have been conformed. You cannot hear unconformed sections on playback.
These rules determine which types of audio get conformed:
Uncompressed audio
•Premiere Pro does not conform audio in uncompressed clips that were recorded in one of the natively supported
sample rates, when you use these clips in sequences with matching sample rates.
•Premiere Pro does conform audio in uncompressed clips when you use them in sequences with non-matching
sample rates. However no conforming is done until you export the sequences or create audio preview files.
•Premiere Pro does conform audio in uncompressed formats that were not recorded in a natively supported sample
rate. In most of these cases, it will upsample the audio either to the nearest supported sample rate, or to a supported
sample rate that is an even multiple of the source audio sample rate. For example, it will upsample an 11024Hz
source to 11025Hz, since that is the nearest supported rate, and there is no supported rate that is an even multiple
of 11024.
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Compressed audio
•Premiere Pro does conform all compressed audio, such as audio found in mp3, WMA, MPEG, or compressed MOV
files. It conforms this audio at the sample rate of its source file. For example it will conform a 44100Hz mp3 file at
44100Hz. However, if the conformed audio is used in a sequence with a non-matching sampling rate, as when a
44100Hz clip is used in a 44000Hz sequence, the audio will play back at the sample rate of the sequence without
further conforming.
Premiere Pro does not conform a file that was conformed in one sequence when you import it into another sequence
with the same audio sample rate, so long as you haven’t moved or renamed the file since it was conformed. Premiere
Pro keeps the location of the conform files for all files it has conformed in the Media Cache Database.
To avoid conforming, use audio editing software, or transcoding software, to convert your files to natively-supported
uncompressed formats at the supported sampling rates.
In addition to conforming some files, Premiere Pro also creates a PEK file for any file containing audio when it is first
imported into a project. It uses these PEK files for drawing the audio waveforms in Timeline panels. Premiere Pro
stores PEK files in the location specified for Media Cache Files through the Media pane of the Preferences dialog box.
Importing sequences, clip lists, libraries, and
compositions
Import clips from Adobe OnLocation projects using the Media Browser
In Adobe OnLocation, you can set In and Out points on clips. When you import a clip from an Adobe OnLocation
project using the Media Browser, Premiere Pro retains these In and Out markers. You can mark the good segments of
clips in Adobe OnLocation, and select only the good segments for importing into Premiere Pro.
1(Optional) If necessary, copy the Adobe OnLocation project and clips to the machine running Premiere Pro.
2(Optional) If the Media Browser is not open, select Window > Media Browser to open it.
3In the Media Browser, browse to the desired Adobe OnLocation project file, and select it.
4From the View As menu, select Adobe OnLocation Project.
The clips contained in the selected Adobe OnLocation project file appear in the pane on the right side of the Media
Browser. You can sort clips by their metadata fields.
5Select the clips desired.
6Do one of the following:
•Select File > Import From Media Browser,
•In the Media Browser, right-click any of the selected clips. Select Import.
•Drag the clips from the Media Browser and drop them into the Project panel.
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Importing earlier Premiere Pro projects
You can add the contents of a project made with Premiere Pro CS3 on either Mac OS or Windows. In addition, on
Windows, you can import a project made with earlier versions of Premiere Pro, or Premiere 6.0 or 6.5. The imported
project’s clips and sequences are added to the Project panel in a bin named after the imported project. The bin
hierarchy of the imported project is maintained within its new bin. Discontinued transitions and effects are not
maintained. Use caution when importing a project into another project with a different time base or audio sample rate,
because these differences may affect edit positioning and audio quality.
Importing a project into another project is the only way to transfer its complete sequence and clip information.
Also, you can open projects made with Premiere Pro for Windows, including any contents that may have been
imported from earlier versions, in Premiere Pro for Mac OS.
Note: In earlier versions of Adobe Premiere, storyboards were stored in files independent of project files. Premiere Pro
contains all storyboard features within the Project panel. On Windows, you can import storyboard files created in earlier
versions by choosing File
> Import.
Import selected sequences from Premiere Pro projects
You can import one or more sequences of your choosing from another Premiere Pro project.
To make the assets for a sequence easy to import with the sequence, first consolidate the project that contains the
sequence. Collect the files and copy them to a new location with the Project Manager.
1Select File > Import, and browse to the project file containing the desired sequence or sequences, and select them.
2Click Open.
3In the Import Project dialog box, choose whether to import the entire project or selected sequences, and click OK.
4In the Import Premiere Pro Sequence dialog box, select each sequence you want to import, and click OK.
Import a Premiere Elements project (Windows only)
1Select File > Open Project.
2Browse to an Adobe Premiere Elements project file, with file extension PREL.
3Click Open.
Premiere Pro converts the Premiere Elements project file to a Premiere Pro project file.
Importing libraries (Windows only)
Adobe Premiere 6.5 supports containers called libraries, which store clips from one or several projects in files. A library
(PLB) is a file apart from any project file. Although Premiere Pro doesn’t directly support libraries, it allows you to
import PLB library files, in Windows only. A library converts to a bin when you import it into a Premiere Pro project.
To store a set of clips to make them available for other projects, simply save a project that contains the clips, and import
that project into other projects.
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Importing After Effects compositions
You can import After Effects compositions like any other supported file type by using the File > Import command.
You can export a Premiere Pro project file from After Effects and open it for editing in Premiere Pro. You can also
copy and paste layers and assets between Premiere Pro and After Effects. If you have Adobe Creative Suite Production
Premium, or Adobe Creative Suite Master Collection installed, you can create or import After Effects compositions by
using Adobe Dynamic Link. You can also select clips in a Premiere Pro timeline and replace them with an After Effects
composition via Adobe Dynamic Link. Adobe Dynamic Link allows changes made to a file in either application to
appear in both, instantaneously, without a need for rendering.
To move an After Effects project from another computer to the one on which you are running Premiere Pro, make sure
to move all the files associated with the After Effects project.
More Help topics
“About transferring files” on page 61
Copying and pasting between After Effects and Premiere Pro
“About Dynamic Link (Production Premium or Master Collection only)” on page 36
“Create an After Effects composition from clips in Premiere Pro (Production Premium only)” on page 40
Import After Effects compositions
1Do one of the following:
•Select File > Import, and browse to the desired AEP file.
•(Production Premium only) Select File > Adobe Dynamic Link > Import After Effects Composition.
2Select the AEP file and click Open.
If the After Effects project contains more than one composition, the Import After Effects Composition dialog opens.
3Select one or more compositions. Shift-click to select contiguous compositions. Ctrl-click (Windows), or
Command-click (Mac OS) to select non-contiguous clips.
Premiere Pro imports the selected After Effects compositions and places them into the Project panel. If you selected
more than one composition. Premiere Pro creates a bin with the name of the AEP file, and places the compositions
within that bin.
Import CMX3600 EDL projects
You can import project files in the EDL file format.
1Select File > Import, and browse to the project file containing the desired EDL file, and select it.
2Click Open.
Importing XML project files from Final Cut Pro
You can import entire projects, selected clips, or selected sequences that you export from Final Cut Pro as XML files.
In Premiere Pro, bins and clips have the same hierarchies and names that they have in the Final Cut Pro source
projects. Also, Premiere Pro retains the sequence markers, sequence settings, track layout, locked tracks, and sequence
timecode start points of Final Cut Pro source projects. Premiere Pro imports text from the Final Cut Pro Text
generators into Premiere Pro titles.
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Note: You cannot import native Final Cut Pro project files, only XML files exported from Final Cut Pro. You can export
Final Cut Pro XML files from Premiere Pro. The effects that are tranlated from Premiere Pro are the same as those that
are imported from a Final Cut Pro XML f ile.
Joost van der Hoeven provides a video tutorial on the Adobe website that demonstrates exchanging information
between Final Cut Pro and Premiere Pro using XML projects.
For a list of items in Premiere Pro that are translated from a Final Cut Pro XML file, see “Final Cut Pro clip data” on
page 75, “Final Cut Pro effects and transitions” on page 75, “Final Cut Pro composite modes” on page 77, and “Final
Cut Pro Multiclips” on page 77. Also, see the PDF, “Appendix D: Working with Final Cut Pro from the Editor’s Guide
to Premiere Pro,” by Richard Harrington, Robbie Carman, and Jeff Greenberg for more information.
See this blog post about the Premiere Pro CS5 (5.0.2) updates, which features several improvements to Final Cut Pro
XML export.
Robbie Carman explains the process of exporting a Final Cut Pro project and then importing it into Premiere Pro in
this video tutorial on AdobeTV. Information about reading errors in the Translation Report is included.
Additional resources about importing Final Cut Pro projects are linked to from this article on the Adobe website.
More Help topics
“Export a Final Cut Pro project XML file” on page 444
Import an XML file from Final Cut Pro
1Export an XML file from Final Cut Pro. For more information, see Final Cut Pro Help.
2In Final Cut Pro, close the source project.
3In Premiere Pro, select File >Import.
4Browse to the XML file, and click Open.
More Help topics
“Export a Final Cut Pro project XML file” on page 444
Final Cut Pro clip data
Clip data in the Description, Scene, ShotTake, and LogNote fields in Final Cut Pro appear in the clip metadata fields
with the same names in Premiere Pro.
Final Cut Pro effects and transitions
Premiere Pro retains the basic motion and opacity effects, and motion and opacity keyframes, from Final Cut Pro
source projects. Additionally, Premiere Pro converts some Final Cut Pro effects and transitions according to the
following tables:
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Conversion of Final Cut Pro video effects
Conversion of Final Cut Pro video transitions
Conversion of Final Cut Pro audio effects
Final Cut Pro
effect
Premiere Pro effect
Crop Crop
Eight-Point
Garbage Matte
Eight-Point Garbage Matte
Four-Point
Garbage Matte
Four-Point Garbage Matte
Gaussian Blur
(provided the
channel
selection in
Final Cut Pro is
Alpha+RGB.)
Gaussian Blur
Luma Key Luma Key
Three-Way
Color Corrector
Three-Way Color Corrector
Final Cut Pro
transition
Premiere Pro transition
Dip To White Dip To White
Dip to [color] Dip To Black
Edge Wipe
transitions
Wipe, with the wipe direction rounded to
the closest of the eight Premiere Pro
supported directions.
Other video
transitions
Cross Dissolve
Final Cut Pro
audio effect
Premiere Pro audio effect
Audio level
values and
keyframes
Audio clip volume values and keyframes
Audio pan
values and
keyframes
Track pan values and keyframes
Low Pass Filter Lowpass
High Pass Filter Highpass
Band Pass Filter Bandpass
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Conversion of Final Cut Pro audio transitions
Final Cut Pro composite modes
Premiere Pro retains the basic motion and opacity effects, and motion and opacity keyframes, from Final Cut Pro
source projects. Premiere Pro converts Final Cut Pro composite modes according to the following table:
Final Cut Pro Multiclips
Premiere Pro converts uncollapsed Final Cut Pro Multiclips, with as many as four inputs, to Multi-camera sequences.
Premiere Pro converts collapsed Multiclips to individual clips.
Note: Premiere Pro issues a warning when you try to import a Multiclip with more than four inputs.
Final Cut Pro
audio
transition
Premiere Pro audio transition
Cross Fade
(0
dB)
Constant Gain
Cross Fade
(+3
dB)
Constant Power
Other
transitions
Constant Power
Final Cut Pro
mode
Premiere Pro mode
Normal Normal
Add Linear Dodge (Add)
Subtract Not supported
Difference Difference
Multiply Multiply
Screen Screen
Overlay Overlay
Hard Light Hard Light
Soft Light Soft Light
Darken Darken
Lighten Lighten
Travel Matte
Alpha
Not supported
Travel Matte
Luma
Not supported
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Capturing and digitizing
Andrew Devis demonstrates capturing and batch capturing from miniDV tape using Adobe Premiere Pro in this video
tutorial on the Creative Cow website.
About capturing and digitizing
To bring footage that is not already in the form of a file or set of files into a Premiere Pro project, you can capture it,
or digitize it, depending on the type of source material:
Capture You capture digital video from a live camera or from tape: you record it from the source to the hard disk.
Many digital camcorders and decks record video to tape. You capture the video from tape to the hard disk before using
it in a project. Premiere Pro captures video through a digital port, such as a FireWire or SDI port installed on the
computer. Premiere Pro saves captured footage to disk as files, and imports the files into projects as clips. You can use
Adobe After Effects to start Premiere Pro and start the capture process. Alternatively, you can use Adobe OnLocation
to capture video.
Digitize You digitize analog video from a live analog camera source or from an analog tape device. You digitize the
analog video, convert it to digital form, so your computer can store and process it. The capture command digitizes
video when a digitizing card or device is installed in the computer. Premiere Pro saves digitized footage to disk as files,
and imports the files into projects as clips.
For a video tutorial on capturing and importing assets, see www.adobe.com/go/vid0231.
Note: While capturing footage, you can monitor audio levels in the Audio Master Meters panel.
More Help topics
Importing footage into Premiere Pro
“Importing assets from tapeless formats” on page 65
System requirements for capturing
To capture digital video footage, your editing system needs the following components:
•For DV or HDV footage, one of the following:
•an OHCI-compliant IEEE 1394 (FireWire, i.Link) port or capture card
•a non-OHCI-compliant IEEE 1394 capture card with presets, drivers, and plug-ins written specifically for
Premiere Pro.
•For HD or SD footage playable on a device with SDI or component outputs, a supported HD or SD capture card
with SDI or component inputs.
•For HD or SD footage stored on media from file-based camcorders, a device connected to your computer capable
of reading the respective media.
•For recording audio from analog sources, a supported audio card with an analog audio input.
•A codec (compressor/decompressor) for the type of footage you want to capture. Premiere Pro has its own codecs
for importing DV and HDV footage. Plug-in software codecs are available for other types. Hardware codecs are
built in to some capture cards.
•A hard disk capable of sustaining the data rate for the type of footage you want to capture.
•Sufficient disk space for the captured footage.
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Note: Your operating system or hard disk format could limit the length of a captured clip.
•A project that was created using a preset in the New Project dialog box in which all settings match the footage you
plan to capture.
Note: Some DV and HDV camcorders require a connection to their power adapters to activate their IEEE 1394 ports.
Other camcorders go into sleep mode or demo mode if left in the camera mode without tape activity for a period. To avoid
these problems, connect your camcorder to its power adapter when setting it up for capturing or dubbing video. If the
camcorder goes into demo mode with the power adapter connected, disable this feature using the camcorder menu system.
Set capture format, preferences, and tracks
Use the Capture panel (choose File > Capture) to capture digital or analog video and audio. This panel includes a
preview, which displays video being captured, and controls for recording with or without device control. The Capture
panel also contains a Settings pane for editing your capture settings, and a Logging pane for logging clips for batch
capturing. For convenience, some options available in the Capture panel are also available in the Capture panel menu.
You can control certain source devices, such as camcorders and decks, directly from the Capture panel. Your computer
must have an IEEE1394, RS-232, or RS-422 controller compatible with Premiere Pro. If your source device lacks any
of these interfaces, you still use the Capture panel. You must cue, start, and stop your source device using its controls.
Note: When not capturing in Adobe Premiere Pro, close the Capture panel. The Capture panel assumes primary focus,
so leaving it open while editing or previewing video disables output to the source device. Leaving the Capture panel open
also may decrease performance.
Capture panel
A. Status area B. Preview C. Tabs D. Panel menu E. Transport controls
More Help topics
“Optimizing scratch disk performance” on page 49
“Setting up your system” on page 41
E
A CB D
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Specify capture settings
1With a project open, choose File > Capture, and select the Settings tab.
2In the Capture Settings pane, click Edit.
3In the Capture Settings dialog box, select an option from the Capture Format menu.
4Click OK.
Note: When capturing DV formats, Premiere Pro will use QuickTime as the container for the DV codec in Mac OS and
AVI is used for Windows. When capturing HDV, Premiere Pro will use MPEG as the format. For other formats, you must
use a video capture card for digitizing or capturing. See “Digitizing analog video” on page 90 and “Capturing HD video”
on page 88.
Set capture preferences
1Choose Edit > Preferences > Capture (Windows) or Premiere Pro > Preferences > Capture (Mac OS).
2Specify whether you want to cancel capture on dropped frames, report dropped frames, or generate a batch log file.
3Specify whether to use device control timecode. If a device controller is installed, Premiere Pro can record the
timecode supplied by the controller instead of recording any timecode written to the source tape.
Select tracks for capture
1To open the Capture panel, select File > Capture.
2In the Capture panel, click the panel menu.
3Select Record Video, Record Audio, or Record Audio and Video, depending on the option desired.
Capture from stereo sources to mono tracks
You can capture from sources containing stereo or 5.1 audio channels so that each audio channel maps to its own
mono audio track automatically. The Mono Default Track Format preference enables this behavior for footage
captured from multi-channel sources, and for imported multi-channel files. For more information about audio
channel mapping, see “Mapping source and output audio channels” on page 221.
1Select Edit > Preferences > Audio (Windows), or Premiere Pro > Preferences > Audio (Mac OS).
2
In the Source Channel Mapping pane of the Preferences dialog box, select Mono from the Default Track Format menu.
3Click OK.
File size limits
Premiere Pro does not limit the size of files. However, your capture card, operating system, or hard disk can set such
a limit. Check your capture card and hard disk documentation for information on support of large files.
The format of your hard disk greatly affects its ability to handle large files. FAT32 formatting limits each file to 4 GB,
or about 18 minutes of DV footage. NTFS formatting does not limit file size. It is best to use NTFS-formatted disks as
the scratch disks where you capture video and for the target hard drives where you export video files. However, other
components of your video editing system can limit file size.
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Set up device control
You can use device control to manage and automate video capture and to export sequences to tape. Device control lets
you precisely control devices, such as decks and camcorders, with capture and batch capture controls. With device
control, you can use the Capture panel to log each clip and then use the Batch Capture command to record logged clips
automatically.
Premiere Pro controls devices through its built-in support of IEEE 1394 (FireWire, i.Link) and third-party support for
RS-232 and RS-422 controllers. Regardless of type, if your device isn’t automatically recognized, you can set it up
manually. Before setting up device control, make sure that you have a tape deck or camcorder that supports external
device control, and a cable that connects the device to your controller, computer, or both.
Set up a project for device control
Some device control settings are available when you choose Edit > Preferences > Device Control (Windows) or
Premiere Pro > Preferences > Device Control (Mac OS). Others are in the Device Control section at the bottom of the
Settings pane of the Capture panel. Device control settings apply to the entire project.
1Choose Edit > Preferences > Capture (Windows) or Premiere Pro > Preferences > Capture (Mac OS).
2Select one or more of the Capture options. If you are using a device controller that generates its own timecode, select
Use Device Control Timecode. Use Device Control Timecode replaces the unreadable timecode recorded on the
tape with the controller’s timecode. Click OK.
3If you want to save captured clips to a specific bin in a project, first open the project . Before capturing, make sure
that the bin exists in the Project panel.
4Choose File > Capture.
5In the Settings panel, click Edit to verify that the capture format specified in the Capture Settings dialog box is
appropriate for your device. Click OK.
Note: Not all formats have options for capture settings. For example, the HDV format has no options.
6In the Capture Locations section of the Settings panel, make sure that the disk drives you designate for captured
video and audio have sufficient free space. If you want to change the locations, click the corresponding Browse
button, set the location, and click OK.
7In the Device Control section, if device control has not been set up, choose a device from the Device menu. Click
Options to set it up. Options vary depending on the device; see the documentation for your device driver.
8Test the device control buttons in the Capture panel to verify that they work. If video preview is supported for the
format, make sure that you see video in the preview.
9Click Logging. In the Setup area, choose Audio, Video, or Audio And Video from the Capture menu depending on
what you want to capture. Select a bin from the Log Clips To list if needed. By default, the Project panel is selected
in the Log Clips To field.
10 Enter information into the Clip Data area as needed. This information is saved in the metadata of the clip.
Note: To avoid confusion, make sure that the tape name is unique. Some types of device control software ask you to specify
the Tape Name setting each time you insert a new tape. The other Logging Data options aren’t required.
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Set up a device for device control
Premiere Pro supports the control of devices such as camcorders and VTRs. Premiere Pro controls DV and HDV
devices by way of IEEE 1394 (FireWire, i.Link) connections. Premiere Pro controls serially-controlled devices by way
of third-party RS-232 or RS-422 controllers installed on the computer.
1To open the Device Control Preferences dialog box, choose Edit > Preferences > Device Control (Windows) or
Premiere Pro > Preferences > Device Control (Mac OS).
2Select the type of device you want to control from the Devices menu.
3Click Options.
4(Optional) If you are connecting a DV or HDV device, make your selections from the Video Standard, Device
Brand, Device Type, and Timecode Format menus. In the Device Type menu, if your particular model is not listed,
do one of the following:
•select a model from the same family (if known),
•leave at Standard,
•click Go Online For Device Info.
5If you are connecting a serial device, make your selections from the Protocol, Port, Time Source, and Time Base
menus. Check either or both checkbox selections available for the Protocol you choose.
6(DV/HDV Device Control only) Click Check Status. Premiere Pro displays one of the following statuses:
Offline Premiere Pro does not see your device. Check all your connections and settings.
Detected Premiere Pro sees your device but cannot control the tape (possibly because there is no tape inserted).
Online Premiere Pro sees your device and can control the tape.
7Click OK.
8In the Device Control section of the Settings pane, specify the following options as needed:
Preroll Time Indicates how much before the In point Premiere Pro starts playing the tape before capture. The
appropriate value varies depending on the device you are using.
Timecode Offset Indicates the number of frames to adjust the timecode embedded in the captured video. Set the offset
so that the timecode corresponds with the timecode number of the same frame on the source tape.
Select a device for device control
1In the Capture panel, select the Settings tab.
2From the Device menu, select the type of device you want to control .
3Click Options.
4(Optional) If you are connecting a DV or HDV device, make your selections from the Video Standard, Device
Brand, Device Type, and Timecode Format menus. In the Device Type menu, if your particular model is not listed,
do one of the following:
•select a model from the same family (if known),
•leave at Standard,
•click Go Online For Device Info.
5If you are connecting a serial device, make your selections from the Protocol, Port, Time Source, and Time Base
menus. Check either or both checkbox selections available for the Protocol you choose.
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6(DV/HDV Device Control only) Click Check Status. Premiere Pro displays one of the following statuses:
Offline Premiere Pro does not see your device. Check all your connections and settings.
Detected Premiere Pro sees your device but cannot control the tape (possibly because there is no tape inserted).
Online Premiere Pro sees your device and can control the tape.
7Click OK.
8In the Device Control section of the Settings tab, specify the following options as needed:
Preroll Time Indicates how much before the In point Premiere Pro starts playing the tape before capture. The
appropriate value varies depending on the device you are using.
Timecode Offset Indicates the number of frames to adjust the timecode embedded in the captured video. Set the offset
so that the timecode corresponds with the timecode number of the same frame on the source tape.
Calibrate an RS-422 or RS-232 device (third-party only)
1Select File > Export > Export To Tape.
2Click Options.
3Enter the number of offset frames, as appropriate for your device, to the Delay Movie Start, Manual Edit Timing,
and Preroll boxes.
Control an RS-422 or RS-232 device (third-party only)
1Select Edit > Preferences > Device Control.
2From the Devices menu, select Serial Device Control.
3Click Options.
4In the VTR And Port Control section, select a protocol and port for your device.
5In the Time Control section, select a time source and timebase for your device.
Device controls in the Capture panel
You can use the controls in the Capture panel to operate the device as you log clips. The jog control lets
you navigate quickly to nearby frames. The shuttle control lets you change the speed of the tape as you play it
forward or backward. The Record button lets you begin a manual capture.
If you press the Rewind button when the tape is stopped, the device rewinds the tape at full speed. If you rewind
when the tape is playing or paused, the device rewinds while displaying video in the preview.
If you press the Fast Forward button when the tape is stopped, the device moves the tape forward at full speed.
If you fast forward when the tape is playing or paused, the device moves the tape forward while displaying video in the
preview.
If you press the Previous Scene button, the tape shuttles to the previous start point and pauses. If you press the Next
Scene button, the tape shuttles to the start point of the next scene and pauses.
Note: Previous Scene and Next Scene are supported for DV in Windows only, and not supported for HDV for either
Windows or Mac OS.
You can also press the J, K, and L keys to control your device. J rewinds the tape; L fast forwards it, and K pauses it.
The speed of forward or reverse increases each time you press J or L. To rewind or forward one frame at a time, hold
down K and press J or L once. To slowly rewind or forward, hold down K+J or K+L.
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To operate Capture panel controls using the keyboard, see the tool tips in the Capture panel. You can change the
shortcuts by choosing Edit > Keyboard Customization. To shuttle a tape quickly to a specific frame type its timecode
into the Capture Panel’s current timecode field, to the lower left of the monitor. Press Enter (Windows) or Return Mac OS).
Disable device control
1Open the Device Control Preferences dialog box by doing one of the following:
•Choose Edit > Preferences > Device Control (Windows) or Premiere Pro > Preferences > Device Control (Mac OS).
•In the Capture panel, click Settings.
2From the Devices menu, choose None.
3Click OK.
Note: When device control is disabled, start playback on the device manually.
Capture without device control
If you do not have a device that Premiere Pro controls, you can capture video manually. You manually operate both
the playback device controls and the Capture panel controls in Premiere Pro.
Note: Preview HDV footage on an external TV monitor, or, if the source is a camcorder, on the camcorder viewfinder
while shuttling, logging, and capturing on Mac OS. The preview pane in the Capture panel shows the words Previewing
On Camera.
1Make sure that the deck or camcorder is properly connected to your computer.
2Choose File > Capture.
3(Mac OS) If a QuickTime Capture Settings dialog box opens, choose video and audio settings appropriate to your
project.
These settings are preserved for the project, but you can set them again for each new project.
4In the Setup area of the Logging pane, choose your media type from the Capture menu.
5Use the controls on the deck or camcorder to move the videotape to a point several seconds before the frame where
you want to begin capturing.
6Press the Play button on the deck or camcorder, and then click the red Record button in the Capture panel.
7Record a few seconds beyond the end of the footage you need, to provide room for editing. Press the Esc key to stop
recording.
When the Save Captured File dialog box appears, enter logging data and click OK. The new file is listed in the Project
panel and is saved to the disk location specified in the Settings pane of the Capture panel.
Capture with device control
After a device and the project are set up properly, you can begin capturing clips using device control. You can capture
an entire tape or you can mark In and Out points for each clip, and then capture the clip. You can log In and Out points
for any number of clips and have Premiere Pro capture as many as you like in a batch. Premiere Pro supports FireWire
device control, but supports serial device control by third-party drivers only.
Note: On Mac OS, preview HDV footage on an external TV monitor, or, if the source is a camcorder, on the camcorder
viewfinder while shuttling, logging, and capturing. The preview pane in the Capture panel shows the words Previewing
On Camera.
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Note: When capturing with In and Out points, the earliest allowable time for the In point is 2 seconds. If the provided In
point is earlier, it will be automatically adjusted to start at 2 seconds.
For details about capturing tape from an AJA device and setup in Premiere Pro CS5.5 and later, see this video by Walter
Biscardi.
More Help topics
“Set up device control” on page 81
Capture an entire tape or portion of a tape
1Choose File > Capture.
2(Mac OS) If a QuickTime Capture Settings dialog box opens, choose video and audio settings appropriate to your
project.
These settings are preserved for the project, but you set them again for each new project.
3In the Capture panel, make sure that the device is online, as indicated above the preview.
4Insert a tape into the device. Premiere Pro prompts you to name the tape. Be sure not to give any two tapes the same
name.
Including a unique number in the name can help you avoid using the same name twice.
5In the Setup area of the Logging pane, choose the media type from the Capture menu.
6Rewind the tape to its beginning, or to the beginning of the portion you want to capture.
7To create a separate file (Windows) or a subclip (Mac OS) for each new scene on the tape, select Scene Detect in the
Capture area.
8You can capture frames that extend beyond the In and Out points of each clip. Enter the number of frames in the
Handles box in the Capture area.
9Click Tape.
10 To stop capturing at the end of a portion, click the Stop button. Otherwise capturing stops when the tape comes to
its end.
Select and capture a clip
1Choose File > Capture.
2(Mac OS) If a QuickTime Capture Settings dialog box opens, choose video and audio settings appropriate to your
project.
These settings will be preserved for the project, but you may need to set them again for each new project.
3In the Capture panel, make sure that the device is online, as indicated above the preview.
4
Insert a tape into the device. Premiere Pro prompts you to name the tape. Be sure not to give any two tapes the same name.
5In the Setup area of the Logging pane, choose the media type from the Capture menu.
6Use the controls in the Capture panel to move to the first frame you want to capture, and click Set In. Then move
to the last frame you want to capture, and click Set Out.
Note: If capturing HDV footage on Mac OS, you must preview on an external TV monitor or camcorder viewfinder while
logging. The preview pane in the Capture panel will show the words Previewing On Camera.
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7If you want to capture frames that extend beyond the In and Out points of each clip, enter the number of frames in
the Handles setting of the Capture section.
8Click the In/Out button in the Capture area of the Logging pane to capture the clip.
Determine whether your device is online
1Select File > Capture.
2(Mac OS) If a QuickTime Capture Settings dialog box opens, choose video and audio settings appropriate to your
project.
These settings will be preserved for the project, but you may need to set them again for each new project.
3Select the Settings tab in the Capture panel.
4In the Device Control area of the Settings tab, click Options.
5In the DV/HDV Device Control Settings dialog box, click Check Status.
Log clips with automatic scene detection
Scene Detect can greatly speed up the process of logging clips. As you capture video, Scene Detect logs a clip wherever
there is a break in a tape Time/Date stamp. With Scene Detect, Premiere Pro automatically captures a separate file
(Windows) or creates a master clip with a subclip (Mac OS) at each scene break. On Mac OS, Premiere Pro places the
subclips in a new bin. Scene Detect works whether you capture an entire tape or just a section between specific In and
Out points. Scene Detect creates clips even between defined In and Out points, if it detects a scene break.
Scene Detect logs scenes for batch capturing without altering the tape’s progress. It also logs scenes that occur across
timecode breaks.
Tracy Peterson provides a video tutorial that demonstrates automatic scene detection on the Adobe website.
❖In the Capture panel, do either of the following:
•Click the Scene Detect button below the image.
•Select Scene Detect in the Capture area of the Logging pane.
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Scene Detect starts a separate file (Windows) or subclip (Mac OS) at the first frame of each scene
Note: Scene detection works for DV, HDV 1080i, and HDV 720p footage.
Common capture issues
If you run into problems while capturing digital footage, refer to Premiere Pro Help or the documentation for your
camera, deck, or capture card. For more information, check Troubleshoot digital video capture and playback. The
following are common issues that may arise when you capture digital video:
•If your device (camera or deck) goes into sleep mode, close and then reopen the Capture panel; or close the Capture
panel, turn the device off and back on, and then reopen the Capture panel. You can disable sleep mode on many
cameras by connecting them to AC power and ejecting the tape.
•If video looks grainy in the Capture panel or Monitor panel, Premiere Pro may have decreased display quality to
preserve capture quality. Video is captured and stored at the quality you determine and always plays at that quality
on an NTSC or PAL monitor. On slower systems, Premiere Pro may lower the quality of the capture preview in
order to ensure that sufficient CPU resources are available for full-quality capture.
•If the video image does not appear in the Capture panel, verify your device control and capture settings. Then,
leaving the device on, restart Premiere Pro.
•If captured audio and video are not in sync, make sure that sections of tape weren’t skipped (left unrecorded)
between shots. Blank tape areas lack timecode, which may cause interruptions in the camera time mode. When you
capture the blank area, the camera doesn’t transmit valid frames, but time continues to be marked.
•If no audio is recording, try playing a source through the computer’s sound input and speaker system without
recording. If you can’t hear it, the audio source may not be connected properly or audio parameters may not be set
properly. Check hardware connections, Sounds And Audio Devices in the Windows Control Panel, and mixer
settings, and refer to the documentation for your sound card. In Premiere Pro, select Edit > Preferences (Windows)
or Premiere Pro > Preferences (Mac OS), and check the settings for Audio, Audio Hardware, and Audio Output
Mapping.
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•When shuttling, logging, and capturing HDV footage on Mac OS, the preview pane in the Capture panel will
remain blank. You must preview this footage on an external TV monitor or, when the source device is a camcorder,
on its viewfinder.
More Help topics
Troubleshoot digital video capture and playback
Capturing DV or HDV video
You can capture audio and video from a DV or HDV device by connecting the device to your computer with a
FireWire cable. Premiere Pro records the audio and video signal to the hard disk and controls the device through the
FireWire port.
You can capture DV or HDV footage from XDCAM or P2 devices. You can capture through SDI ports if your
computer has a supported third-party capture card or device installed. Also, your computer must have the respective
drivers.
In a sequence made with one of the DV or HDV presets, the capture settings are set for DV Capture or HDV Capture,
respectively. You can, however, change the capture settings to either DV or HDV from within the Capture panel in an
established project.
You can choose whether to preview DV video in the Capture window during preview and capture. You can also
preview HDV footage in the Capture window, in Windows only. However, you cannot preview HDV footage in the
Capture window during capture. Instead, the word Capturing appears in this window during HDV capture.
Important: You can transfer and import DVCPRO HD assets, XDCAM HD, and XDCAM EX assets, and AVCHD
assets from their media without capturing. Capturing takes longer than transferring, and does not preserve all metadata.
For more information, see “Importing assets from tapeless formats” on page 65.
More Help topics
“Set up a DV or HDV system” on page 42
“Capture with device control” on page 84
“Export a sequence to tape with device control” on page 446
Capturing HD video
You can capture audio and video from an HD device with an SDI port. Your computer must have a supported SDI
capture card, and its drivers and software installed. Similarly, you can capture HD footage from XDCAM SDI sources
provided a supported XDCAM capture card is installed, along with its respective driver. Correct installation adds HD
presets to the Available Presets pane of the New Sequence dialog box. It also adds HD formats to the Capture Format
menu on the General tab of the Project Settings dialog box.
You typically connect the HD device to your computer by connecting its SDI ports by coaxial cable with BNC
connectors. To provide device control (Windows only), you also connect the serial port on the device with an RS422
or RS-232 port on the computer. See the setup instructions provided by the capture card manufacturer.
For details about capturing tape from an AJA device and setup in Premiere Pro CS5.5 and later, see this video by Walter
Biscardi.
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Important: You can transfer and import DVCPRO HD assets, XDCAM HD and XDCAM EX assets, and AVCHD assets
from their media without capturing. Capturing takes longer than transferring, and does not preserve all metadata. For
more information, see “Importing assets from tapeless formats” on page 65.
More Help topics
“Set up an SD-SDI, HD-SDI, or component system” on page 43
“Set up device control” on page 81
“Capture without device control” on page 84
Create clips for offline editing
For online editing, you edit clips at the level of quality required for the final version of the video program. This is the
default method of working in Premiere Pro. Online editing works well when the speed and storage capacity of the host
computer are adequate to the demands of the video formats used. For example, most modern computers can handle
the data rate of DV in full resolution. They may be challenged, however, by the greater demands of, for example, HDV
or HD footage. For many videographers, that’s where offline editing comes in.
In offline editing, after capturing high-resolution clips, you make low-resolution copies of them for editing purposes.
After editing, you replace the low-resolution footage associated with the clips with the high-quality original footage.
You can finish, render, and export your final product in high-resolution. Editing the low-resolution clips allows
standard computers to edit excessively large assets, such as HDV or HD footage, without losing performance speed. It
also lets editors use laptop computers to edit—for example, while on location.
You may edit a project with the high-resolution footage remaining online throughout the project. On the other hand,
you may edit in a two-phase workflow. You make your initial creative decisions with the high-resolution footage
offline. Then you bring the high-resolution footage back online for fine-tuning, grading, and color correction.
You can complete an offline edit of, for example, an HD project with Premiere Pro, and then export your project to
EDL for transfer to an editing system with more powerful hardware. You can then perform the final online edit and
rendering, at full resolution, on the more powerful hardware.
Create low-resolution clips for offline editing
1Capture or import assets into the Project panel at full resolution.
2In the Project panel, click the New Bin button, and name a bin for your low-resolution clips.
3Launch Adobe Media Encoder, and add all the clips for your project to the Adobe Media Encoder Queue.
4In Adobe Media Encoder, click Settings.
5Change the format and other settings to the format and settings for a lower-resolution format.
6Click the filename in the Output Name field, and browse to the folder you created for your low-resolution clips.
7Click OK.
8Click Start Queue.
Adobe Media Encoder encodes clips in the low-resolution format, and, by default, retains the filename of the original
clips in the filenames of the encoded clips.
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Note: When creating low-resolution clips for offline editing with Adobe Media Encoder, clips with two audio channels
are created even if you have four or more audio channels on your footage. This problem is a limitation of Adobe Media
Encoder, so use an alternate tool if the other audio channels are to be preserved.
9In the Premiere Pro Project panel, open the bin you created for low-resolution clips. Import the low-resolution clips
into this bin.
10 Edit the project using the low-resolution clips.
Replace low-resolution clips with high-resolution clips for online editing
You can replace low-resolution copies of assets with the original high-resolution so that you can render a project at
full resolution.
1 Select Clip > Replace Footage. Browse to the original high-resolution clip that has the same filename as the low-
resolution clip you selected, and select it. Click Select.
2Repeat the previous two steps for each low-resolution clip used in the project.
Digitizing analog video
In order to edit video shot in an analog format, you must first digitize it. You can digitize it by routing the video signal
through either a digital camcorder that can digitize on the fly or a digitizing device installed in your computer.
Alternatively, you can dub the analog footage to a digital format, and then capture the video from a digital device
through a capture card as any other digital source. Depending on your equipment, you may be able to digitize analog
video from any of several signal types, including component video, composite video, and S-Video. Some third-party
digitizers provide device control. They connect to your source device through RS-232 or RS-422 ports, enabling you
to control the device through Premiere Pro’s Capture panel and to perform batch capturing. Refer to the instructions
included with your camcorder and digitizer/capture card. For information on troubleshooting analog video capture,
go to Troubleshoot analog capture problems in Premiere Pro.
More Help topics
“Set up an S-Video or composite system” on page 45
“Capturing analog audio” on page 231
Troubleshoot analog capture problems in Premiere Pro
About capture card settings
Some of the capture settings you see in Premiere Pro may be from the plug-in software that came with your
digitizer/capture card. Because of the differences among brands of cards, specific options and supported formats can
vary. This complex relationship between video capture cards and Premiere Pro can make it difficult to identify which
part of the system is responsible for a particular option or problem. Adobe, as well as most capture card manufacturers,
provides troubleshooting documents online that can help you determine whether an option or problem is related to
the video capture card and its software or to Premiere Pro. Check the Premiere Pro website and the capture card
manufacturer’s website for troubleshooting resources.
Most of the supported capture cards install a settings file (preset) that you can select in the Premiere Pro New Project
dialog box, in the Load Preset pane. This preset automatically sets all capture settings for optimal support of your
capture card. For best results, use your capture card’s preset, if provided, and don’t change the capture settings in the
Custom Settings pane.
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Digitize analog video
1Exit from Premiere Pro.
2Connect the analog device’s video and audio outputs to the digital device’s (digitizer, digital camcorder or digital
deck) analog inputs.
3If the digital device is an external digitizer, deck, or camcorder, connect its FireWire or SDI port to the computer’s.
4If the third-party digital device is a digitizer with device controls (and has device drivers for Premiere Pro), connect
its device control port (RS-232 or RS-422) with the same type port on the analog device.
5Turn on the analog source and the digitizing device.
6If the digitizing device is a camcorder, put it into VTR, VCR, or Play (not Camera) mode.
7Set the input selection control on the digitizing device to the correct analog input.
8Start Premiere Pro.
9When the Welcome screen appears, do one of the following:
•To start a new project using a capture card, click New Project, select the capture card’s preset (if available) from the
Load Preset pane, and click OK.
•To open an existing project using a capture card, select an existing project that was set up with the capture card’s
preset.
•To start a new project using an external device, such as a camcorder or deck, to digitize, click New Project, select a
DV or HDV preset that matches your target television standard and format, and click OK.
•To open an existing project using an external device, such as a camcorder or deck, to digitize, select an existing
project that was set up with the correct DV or HDV preset.
10 (Optional) Specify how Premiere Pro maps the audio channels from the digitizing device to audio tracks. Select Edit
> Preferences > Audio (Windows), or Premiere Pro > Preferences > Audio (Mac OS). In the Source Channel
Mapping pane, select an audio channel format from the Default Track Format menu.
11 Choose File > Capture.
12 In the Capture panel, carefully check the settings on the Settings pane. If you need to change them, click Edit. (If
you’re using a capture card, the settings are provided by the card manufacturer’s plug-in software, not by Premiere
Pro, and vary according to the capture card’s brand and model. See the documentation for the software driver
provided by the capture card manufacturer.)
13 Do one of the following:
•If the digital device offers no device control, cue up your source using the analog device’s own controls. Press Play
on the analog device and click the Record button in the Capture panel.
•If the digital device offers device control, capture or log footage using the Capture panel’s controls, as you would
with a digital source.
Capturing content for DVD
DVD content is compressed according to DVD specifications so that it plays reliably on a wide range of players. When
preparing content for a DVD project, pay attention to frame size and frame rate, so that content retains its quality in
the transition to DVD.
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For best results, make sure that you capture or record according to these specifications:
Frame size NTSC standard 720x480 or PAL standard 720x576. If your project uses a different frame size, Premiere Pro
scales it automatically.
Frame rate 29.97 fps (NTSC) or 25 fps (PAL); alternatively, 23.976 (NTSC) for 24p. All footage in a single project must
be of the same frame rate.
Aspect ratio 4:3 or 16:9 (widescreen).
Audio bit depth 16 bits.
Audio sample rate 48 kHz.
Batch capturing and recapturing
About logging clips
You can specify which shots you want to use from source tapes by logging them as a set of offline clips for later capture.
If you set device-control options in the Preferences dialog box to remotely control your camera or deck, you can create
offline clips by using the clip-logging controls in the Capture panel, and then use the Batch Capture command to
capture the logged clips automatically.
If you have a list of In and Out points, you can log them manually without a device online; simply enter each shot’s In
and Out points and click the Log Clip button. You can also log frame numbers using a separate logging or spreadsheet
program and then import the spreadsheet into Premiere Pro as a list of offline clips.
You can also log clips interactively: you can set In points and Out points while the source tape is playing.
More Help topics
“Working with offline clips” on page 167
Log clips for batch capturing
1In the Capture panel, make sure that your device is online, as indicated above the preview.
2Insert a tape into your device. Premiere Pro prompts you to name the tape. Be sure not to give any two tapes you
log the same name.
3Use the controls in the Capture panel to move to the first frame in your first shot, and click the Set In button. Then
move to the last frame in the shot and click the Set Out button.
4In the Setup area of the Logging pane, choose your media type from the Capture menu.
5If you want to capture some frames extending beyond the In and Out points of each clip, enter the number of frames
for these handles in the Handles setting of the Capture section.
6Click the Log Clip button in the Timecode area of the Logging pane to log the clip you identified. Name the clip
when prompted. Premiere Pro logs the clip by placing an offline clip for it in the Project panel.
7Repeat steps 2 through 6 to log each shot you want to batch capture.
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Capture panel with Logging active
When logging HDV and other Long GOP formats, be sure to add handles in the Handles setting of the Capture section.
Because of the nature of Long GOP formats, inaccuracy in actual media content is possible. Adding handles assures
that you have the proper frames needed for editing and, if need be, recapturing.
Log clips interactively
1Make sure that your device is connected and in VTR or VCR (not Camera) mode, and then choose File > Capture.
2In the Logging pane, enter the settings you want to use as the defaults for Setup and Clip Data.
3Play the tape. Click Set In or Set Out at any time, even as the tape plays. Repeat as necessary.
4When you are satisfied with the In and Out points, click Log Clip, verify the clip data, and click OK.
You can make slight timecode adjustments by using the plus sign (+) or minus sign (–). For example, to add five frames
to the end of the Out point, select the entire Out point timecode, type +5, and press Enter/Return.
Tips for logging clips interactively
•Set options on the Logging pane of the Capture panel. Premiere Pro uses the current data in the Setup and Clip Data
sections as defaults for subsequent logged clips. If you want to log a series of clips into the same bin with similar
logging data, save work by specifying clip data before you start logging the series. When you click the Log Clip
button, a dialog box appears so that you can accept or change the clip data.
•In the Clip Data section, specify a tape name. Premiere Pro asks for this name every time you begin batch capturing.
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•The Clip Name in the Clip Data section progresses in numerical increments automatically. For example, if you want
to number a series of clips with clip names starting with Car Chase, enter “Car Chase 01,” making sure that the clip
name ends with the number. Subsequent logged clips default to the next number, such as “Car Chase 02.”
•You can change Capture panel settings at any time. For example, if you see the action changing as the tape plays
back, you can get ready to capture the new upcoming action by selecting a different bin to log subsequent clips into
or by typing a different name for Description or Scene. You don’t have to stop the tape as you change settings.
•You can operate the device and log clips using the keyboard. See the tool tips for Capture panel controls, or choose
Edit > Keyboard Customization to view or change the shortcuts.
•You must click Log Clip to create a new offline clip. This pauses the tape as you confirm the clip data for the new
offline clip.
About batch capturing
Premiere Pro supports batch capturing—automatic, unattended capture of multiple clips from a controllable device.
You can define a batch by selecting a group of clips you have logged. These appear as offline (placeholder) clips in the
Project panel or in a bin. You can capture any number of logged offline clips by selecting them and choosing File >
Batch Capture. When you begin capture, Premiere Pro automatically re-sorts entries by tape name and timecode In
points so that they’re captured as efficiently as possible.
To save time by reducing the number of clips you log manually, consider using Scene Detect. See “Log clips with
automatic scene detection” on page 86.
When you want to batch capture a set of logged offline clips, select them in the Project panel and choose File > Batch
Capture. If you organized offline clips into bins, you can batch capture an entire bin by selecting the bin.
Premiere Pro can capture video in the background so that you can perform other tasks during capture. When you start
either a manual capture or batch capturing in Premiere Pro, you can minimize the Premiere Pro application or switch
to another application without stopping capture. After you restore the Premiere Pro window, you can click anywhere
inside it to halt capture. However, be aware that frames may drop out if you perform a system-intensive task while
capturing. The chance of dropping frames is lower on a high-performance system, such as one with dual processors.
Note: Batch capturing is not recommended for the first and last 30 seconds of your tape because of possible timecode and
seeking issues. Capture these sections manually.
Preparing for batch capturing
A. Clips selected for capture B. Capture Settings option
A
B
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More Help topics
“Set up device control” on page 81
Choosing batch-capture settings
A batch list of logged clips appears as a list of offline clips in the Project panel. If you plan to capture many clips, you
may want to create bins in the Project panel in advance so that you can log each set of offline clips directly into its own
bin. When you batch capture, the offline clips are replaced by captured clips, maintaining the bin organization you set
up in advance.
By default, the settings that Premiere Pro uses to batch capture offline clips are the capture settings of the project. If an
offline clip has its own capture settings, Premiere Pro uses the clip settings when capturing it; the resulting clip
maintains its capture settings so that it can easily be recaptured using the same settings. For example, if an offline clip
has HDV as its format and the format specified in the project capture settings is DV, Premiere Pro captures the clip in
HDV unless you change the clip capture settings. You can override clip capture settings by choosing the Override
Capture Settings option in the Batch Capture dialog box.
More Help topics
“Specify capture settings” on page 80
Determine whether an offline clip has capture settings
You can determine whether an offline clip already has its own capture settings.
❖In the Project panel, scroll right to the Capture Settings column. If the column is hidden, choose Metadata Display
from the Project panel menu. Then click the triangle next to Premiere Project Metadata to expose column names.
Select Capture Settings. Click
OK.
If an offline clip has its own capture settings, its box in this column has a check mark.
Change capture settings for an offline clip
You can change capture settings for an offline clip. For example, you can capture the clip at a resolution higher than it
had when it first was captured or logged.
1Select the clip in the Project panel,
2Choose Clip > Capture Settings > Set Capture Settings.
The Capture Settings dialog box opens.
3See “Specify capture settings” on page 80.
More Help topics
“Set up device control” on page 81
Remove capture settings from an offline clip
1In the Project panel, select the clip.
2Choose Clip > Capture Settings > Clear Capture Settings.
By default, Premiere Pro captures this clip with the project capture settings.
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Batch capture clips
1Select the offline clips that you want to capture, and then choose File > Batch Capture.
2In the Batch Capture dialog box, do any of the following:
•Choose Capture With Handles and enter the number of frames for the handles if you want to capture frames
beyond the In and Out points identified for each clip in the batch.
Note: The number of frames you enter here will be added to the number you set for handles in the Capture panel.
•Choose Override Capture Settings if you want to replace the capture settings of individual clips in the batch with
the project’s default settings.
3Verify that the deck and source videotape are set up properly for capture, and then click OK.
4In the Insert Tape dialog box, insert the requested tape and click OK. If you are capturing from multiple tapes, be
ready to insert them when prompted.
5If you want to stop batch capturing, click the Stop button in the Capture panel, or press the Esc key.
Troubleshooting batch capturing
You can perform trouble-free batch capturing if device control and the project’s capture settings are set up properly
and if the offline clips you logged are consistent and free of conflicting data. If you encounter problems with batch
capturing, make sure that all clips you want to batch capture are set up with the proper settings:
•The Status of each clip must be Offline. Verify the status in the Project panel List view. If a clip is not offline, select
it in the Project panel and choose Project > Unlink Media. If you select multiple clips and some are online, Premiere
Pro captures the offline clips only.
•Tape Name, Media Start, and Media End must be specified in the Edit Offline File dialog box for each offline clip.
As long as one selected offline clip contains these settings, the Batch Capture command is available, but only clips
with all three settings are captured. If necessary, verify this in the Project panel List view or double-click each offline
clip to edit settings.
•Recording video, audio, or both must be supported by the selected capture device. For example, audio isn’t captured
if the capture device doesn’t capture audio. If settings exist that can’t be captured, batch capturing stops and the
Capture Settings Error dialog box appears.
•The filename of each clip (as specified in the Capture Settings dialog box) must not duplicate the filename of an
existing clip. If necessary, double-click each offline clip to verify that its name is unique. If you select an offline clip
with a duplicate name for batch capturing, Premiere Pro slightly alters the name of that clip when it captures it. In
this way, it avoids overwriting the other file with the same name.
To manage capture errors when the Capture Settings Error dialog box appears, do one of the following:
•To fix the capture settings for any clips in the list, select one or more files in the list and click Edit Settings.
•To omit the clips with invalid capture settings and proceed with the rest of the batch capture, click Skip. Clips you
skip are removed from the list and are not captured.
•To stop batch capturing, click Cancel. No clips are captured.
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Import and export batch lists
You can import batch lists in a variety of file formats: tab-delimited text (TXT), comma-separated value (CSV), TAB,
and PBL. When imported, each entry in the text batch list appears as an offline clip in the Project panel. You can also
export offline clips as a CSV batch list so that you can transfer a logged clip list between projects and workstations. To
see the format of a batch list, export it and open the file in a text editor such as Notepad or in a spreadsheet application.
A batch list text file may come from sources such as Adobe Premiere 6.5, logging utilities such as Pipeline Autolog, or
custom video-production software that uses a database or spreadsheet program to generate a batch list.
When you import a batch list, the order of fields in the list must be as follows: tape name, In point, Out point, clip
name, and comment. When you export offline clips as a batch list, Premiere Pro orders the fields as follows: tape name,
In point, Out point, clip name, log note, description, scene, and shot/take. Exported field data is exported from the
corresponding columns in the List view of the Project panel.
•To import a batch-list timecode log, open a project and choose Project > Import Batch List. Locate and select the
file, and click Open.
•To export a batch-list timecode log, select the files that you want to log. Then choose Project > Export Batch List.
Specify a filename and location, and click Save.
Recapture clips
You can recapture clips in an existing project using batch capturing. Clips can be recaptured only if they have been
unlinked from their source files, becoming offline clips; if they have names in their Tape Name fields; and if their
source medium contains timecode.
1If you want to override the capture settings for any clip that you intend to recapture, set the clip’s Capture settings.
2In the Project panel, select all the clips you want to recapture. If you want to select clips in different bins, use List
view, which lets you view multiple bins.
3Choose Project > Make Offline. The selected clips are dissociated from their current source files.
4In the Make Offline dialog box, specify whether the source media files are to remain on disk or be deleted.
5With the offline clips still selected, choose File > Batch Capture. Adjust the settings as necessary.
6Verify that the deck and source videotape are set up properly for capture, and then click OK.
7After recapturing is complete, save the project.
In Premiere Pro CS5.5 and later, you can recapture offline merged clips. The merged clip will not become an online
clip until all the component clips are captured.
More Help topics
“Working with offline clips” on page 167
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Working with timecode
About timecode
Many camcorders and high-end video decks record timecode, which marks specific frames with unique addresses.
Timecode is important whenever you want to capture exactly the same frames that were identified or captured
previously, as in the following tasks:
•You want to log clips before you capture them.
•You plan to capture clips using batch (automated) capture.
•You want to recapture clips because the original files became corrupted or were deleted.
•You plan to export sequences to another system by using EDL.
•You’re using a system in which you edit quickly with low-resolution captures, and later recapture the clips at full
resolution and quality for the final version.
•You plan to synchronize captured video with audio recorded separately.
Unlike the numbers on time counters found in home VCRs, timecode is recorded onto videotape as part of the video
signal. If footage lacks timecode, you can add it by copying it with a camera or deck that writes timecode. You can then
log or capture the video from that device.
For best results, timecode should run continuously from the beginning to the end of the tape; it shouldn’t restart from
zero anywhere in the middle. In editing, if you log a capture In point such as 00:00:01:09 but that number occurs on
the tape two or three times because of timecode restarts, Premiere Pro can’t be certain which 00:00:01:09 is the place
to start its capture. It can easily capture the wrong clips from tapes with discontinuous timecode.
To ensure unbroken timecode, you need to either shoot it continuously or stripe your tape with it before shooting.
To ensure that you always shoot continuous timecode, record at least 5 seconds of extra video past the end of the action
in any shot. If you review a clip in the camera, be sure to rewind the tape back into that 5-second margin before
recording again. Your camcorder reads the timecode from the frame on which you stop and begins recording timecode
with the very next frame number when you start your next shot. Be careful; if you leave a gap between the last frame of
the previous shot and the first frame of the next, the camcorder begins writing timecode at 00:00:00:00 again.
Choose timecode display format
By default, Premiere Pro displays the timecode for any clip that was originally written to the source medium. If a frame
has timecode 00:00:10:00 on tape, the timecode displayed for it after it has been captured is 00:00:10:00. Source
timecode often makes logging clips easy. Source timecode is shown for a clip regardless of the timebase of the
sequences in which it is used. When the timebase of the clip differs from the timebase of the sequence, source timecode
can make logging footage easier. For example, a clip shot in 24p has a timebase of 30 fps and 30 fps timecode. Premiere
Pro shows the original 30 fps timecode for that clip, even though it is used in a sequence with a timebase of 23.976.
However, you can change this default to instead show the timecode for every clip starting at 00:00:00:00.
Also, you can determine how Premiere Pro displays the frame count when a Frames or Feet And Frames display is
chosen for a panel. You can make the frame count for every clip start at 0 or at 1, or you can have it converted from
the source timecode. If a frame in a 30 fps clip has a source timecode of 00:00:10:00 the Timecode Conversion option
gives this frame number 300. Premiere Pro converts 10 seconds at the 30 fps frame rate to 300 frames.
1Select Edit > Preferences > Media (Windows) or Premiere Pro > Preferences > Media (Mac OS).
2In the Timecode menu, choose one of the following:
Use Media Source Shows the timecode recorded to the source.
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Start At 00:00:00:00 Starts timecode shown for every clip at 00:00:00:00.
3In the Frame Count menu, choose one of the following:
Start At 0 Numbers every frame sequentially, with the first frame numbered 0.
Start At 1 Numbers every frame sequentially, with the first frame numbered 1.
Timecode Conversion Generates frame number equivalents of the source timecode numbers.
4Click OK.
More Help topics
“Media preferences” on page 19
“Display 24p source timecode” on page 153
Change how timecode is displayed
You can change the timecode display format in any panel where timecode is shown in hot text.
1(Optional) To display timecode in audio units (Audio Samples or Milliseconds), click the panel menu button
in the panel desired, and select Show Audio Time Units.
2
Ctrl-click (Windows) or Command-click (Mac OS) a hot text timecode display to toggle through any of these timecode
formats that are available. The last two are available only if you select Show Audio Time Units in the panel menu.
•Drop-frame timecode
•Non-drop-frame timecode
•Frames
•Feet+Frames 16 mm
•Feet+Frames 35 mm
•Audio Samples
•Milliseconds
The timecode display format for the Program Monitor (including the instance in the Trim Monitor) and Timeline
panels always match one another. Changing the display format in one of these panels changes it in the other.
Stripe tape or replace timecode
You can ensure continuous timecode by recording timecode onto the tape before you use it. This process is called
striping the tape. Striping is not necessary if you follow recommended shooting practices, but it can protect you from
accidentally breaking timecode by miscuing a tape in your camera.
Stripe a tape with timecode
1Place an unused tape in the camera. It should have no timecode.
2If you’re using a camera for striping, attach the lens cap and disable audio recording.
3Ensure that all camera settings (particularly the audio sample rate) are exactly the same as the settings you will use
when you shoot. Use all these same settings whenever shooting on that tape.
4Begin recording. Let the camera or deck run until the entire tape has been recorded.
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5Before you record video on a striped tape, play about 30 seconds of it from the beginning. Verify that the camcorder
is reading the timecode you striped before you start shooting. The 30-second empty lead on the tape also helps in
batch capturing.
Check your camera’s settings whenever changing tapes, especially when reinserting a tape you had begun shooting
previously. Though you may want to use different settings for different tapes, it’s best to use the same settings from
beginning to end of each tape. These should match the settings used when first striping that tape.
Replace DV timecode
If your source footage is in DV format and its timecode isn’t continuous, you can replace its timecode by making a DV
copy, or dub, of the tape. The DV device making the copy records new timecode that is continuous, so you can then
log and capture video, with the new timecode, from the copy.
Note: This technique does not work when dubbing to the DVCAM format or using a Panasonic AG-DV2500 as the record deck.
1Load the DV tape you shot into a DV camcorder or deck for playback, and fully rewind it.
2Load a new tape into a second camcorder or deck, which you will use to record a copy.
3If the recording device includes an option to record video with the timecode from your original tape, be sure that
this option is disabled. See the operating instructions for the device for information on this option.
4If the recording device is digital, connect it to the DV source device using a digital cable, such as IEEE 1394 or SDI.
This will make a full-quality copy.
5Connect the recording device to a television monitor.
6Set both devices to VTR mode.
7Make sure that the recording device is set to record from the digital port.
8Begin recording the new tape and then start your original tape playing. Let the camcorders or decks run until the
entire original tape has been copied.
Note: Scene Detect recognizes the starting and stopping points for each shot by looking for jumps in the timestamps.
Because copying a tape this way creates a single clip with a continuous timestamp, you can’t use Scene Detect when you
capture the copy in Premiere Pro.
Capturing timecode
The timecode of source video is captured when you use device control. Timecode capture with controllable analog
devices depends on the precision of your tape deck. If your tape deck cannot read the timecode accurately, you may
have to calibrate your system or manually assign the timecode to your movie by matching frames.
Note: Timecode is visible in the tape counter only on equipment that can recognize timecode, unless the timecode has been
burned in or recorded over the picture in a copy of the tape. Most analog home VCRs cannot read or write timecode.
Set timecode manually for a clip
You can change the timecode from that recorded by Premiere Pro. For example, you captured footage from a DV copy
of a Hi8 tape originally recorded with RCTC (Rewritable Consumer Time Code). The DV copy, and the video files on
your computer copied from it, carry the DV timecode, not the original RCTC. For convenience in referencing shot
logs made for the original Hi8 tape, you want to reset the timecode to the original RCTC numbers.
1Select the clip in the Project panel.
2Choose File > Timecode, specify options as needed, and click OK.
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Enter timecode
As you capture and edit video, you enter timecode values many times. For example, you enter timecode values to set
In and Out points for clips and to navigate a Timeline panel. Premiere Pro provides many ways to enter timecode.
In Premiere Pro, the duration between the In and Out points includes the frames indicated by the timecode. For
example, if you enter the same timecode for the In and Out points of a clip, the duration of the clip is one frame. When
entering timecode, you can substitute periods for colons or type numbers without punctuation. Premiere Pro
interprets the numbers you type as hours, minutes, seconds, and frames.
•To set a specific timecode, select the timecode, type a new timecode, and then press Enter/Return.
•To adjust the current timecode by dragging, drag the timecode horizontally. For example, to set an earlier timecode,
drag to the left.
•To adjust the current timecode by using a relative value, type the plus sign (+) or minus sign (–) and the number
of frames to add or subtract. For example, to subtract five frames from the current timecode, select the entire
timecode, type –5, and then press Enter/Return.
View timecode as a burn-in
You can display clip timecode within the video preview of the clip by applying the Timecode effect to that clip. You
can display timecode within the video preview of any part of a sequence by applying the Timecode effect to a
transparent video clip. then trim the transparent video clip for the period when you want the timecode visible.
Onscreen timecode is commonly referred to as burn-in timecode. It is used in rough edits and proofs to give frame-
accurate reference points to editors and their collaborators.
More Help topics
“Timecode effect” on page 403
View clip timecode as a burn-in
1In the Effects panel, click the triangle next to the Video Effects bin to open it. Then, click the triangle next to the
Video bin to open it.
2Drag the Timecode effect and drop it onto a clip in a sequence.
3Click the Effect Controls panel to make the panel active.
4Click the triangle next to Timecode to expose the options for this effect.
5Adjust the options as needed.
View sequence timecode as a burn-in
1At the bottom of the Project panel, click the New Item icon . Select Transparent Video.
2Drag the transparent video clip to an empty track in the sequence higher than all other video tracks.
3In the Effects panel, click the triangle next to the Video Effects bin to open it. Then, click the triangle next to the
Video bin to open it.
4Drag the Timecode effect and drop it onto the transparent video clip.
5Click the Effect Controls panel to make the panel active.
6Click the triangle next to Timecode to expose the options for this effect.
7Adjust the options as needed.
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View source timecode in the Program Monitor
You can display the source timecode in the Program Monitor preview for clips in a sequence as you edit:
•If you trim a clip, the clip’s source timecode is displayed.
•If you perform a slide edit, the new source media In and Out points for the adjacent clips are displayed.
•If you perform a slip edit, the clip’s new source media In and Out points are displayed.
❖Choose Timecode Overlay During Edit from the Program Monitor panel menu. A check mark indicates that the
command is selected.
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Chapter 6: Managing assets
Customizing the Project panel
For information about the Project Panel, see this series of 4 video tutorials by Andrew Devis on the Creative Cow
website:
•Project Panel: Organizing, Automating and Searching
•Project Panel: New Items and Templates
•Project Panel: Preferences and Bin Structures
•Project Panel: Importing Footage
Change Project panel views
After you obtain an asset, its name appears in the Project panel. The Project panel lists detailed information about each
asset in your project. You can view and sort assets in either List view or Icon view. List view displays additional
information about each asset. You can customize the information it displays to meet the needs of your project.
Project panel views
A. List view B. Icon view
•To change from one view to another, click the List View button or the Icon View button at the bottom of
the panel. Alternatively, select View > List or View > Icon from the Project panel menu.
•To arrange items in Icon view, drag an item to any square. As you drag, a vertical bar indicates where the item is
going. If you drag an item to a bin, the item goes inside the bin.
You can use Icon view for story boarding and then use the Automate To Sequence feature to move the storyboard into
a sequence.
•To sort items in List view, click the column heading by which you want to sort the items. If bins are expanded, items
sort from the top level and down the Project panel hierarchy. To reverse the sort order, click the column heading
again.
•
To hide or show the thumbnail viewer and clip information, choose View > Preview Area from the Project panel menu.
•To hide or set the size of thumbnails, choose Thumbnails from the Project panel menu.
BA
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Customize List view columns
The columns of metadata in the Project panel List view tell various things about the assets listed. The Project panel can
display any XMP metadata fields you choose, not only the clip data fields. You can select which metadata columns
Premiere Pro displays, add properties to schema, and change the order of columns. Premiere Pro saves your choice of
columns in the project file. The same selection of columns appears in the Project panel whenever you open the project.
Edit the display of columns in the Project panels
1Choose Metadata Display from the Project panel menu, and do any of the following:
•To display all the columns in a metadata schema in the Project panels, check the box next to the schema name.
•To display columns selected from one or more schema, click the triangles next to the schema names to open them.
Then, check the boxes next to the names of the columns you want to display.
Note: If you can’t locate or change a property in the Metadata Display dialog box, Adobe Premiere Pro locks the property,
so that you cannot change it. For example, you can delete properties you added, but not the properties built in to the
Adobe
Premiere Pro project metadata.
2Click OK.
Rearrange columns
❖In the List view of the Project panel, drag the column header horizontally to the desired position.
Change the width of a column
❖In the List view of the Project panel, position the mouse over a dividing line between column headings. When the
Column Resize icon
appears, drag horizontally.
Sort by a column
❖In the List view of the Project panel, click a column name to switch between ascending and descending sorts based
on the content of that column.
Add a column
1Choose Metadata Display from the Project panel menu.
2Click Add Property.
3Type a name for the column.
4Choose a type:
Integer columns can contain only whole numbers.
Real columns can contain decimals up to two digits.
Text columns can contain any text you enter.
Boolean columns provide the option for Boolean terms.
5Click OK, and click OK again.
List view columns
The names of most of the Project panel columns are self explanatory. Following are definitions for the less obvious ones:
Name By default, displays the asset filename. You can change the name the asset uses within the project. You cannot
remove the Name field from the List view.
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Label Color that helps identify and associate assets.
Media Duration Length of the source file, expressed in the currently specified Display option.
Note: In Premiere Pro, all durations in any panel include the frames specified by the In point and Out point. For example,
setting the In point and Out point to the same frame results in a duration of one frame.
Video Duration The duration of the video component of a clip. To determine video duration, Premiere Pro takes the
difference between the video In point and Out point, and then incorporates any relevant adjustments, such as changes
to clip speed.
Audio Duration The duration of the audio component of a clip. To determine audio duration, Premiere Pro takes the
difference between the audio In point and Out point, and then incorporates any relevant adjustments, such as changes
to clip speed.
Video Info The frame size and aspect ratio of the asset, and whether an alpha channel is present.
Video Usage The number of times the video component of an asset is used in the project sequences.
Audio Usage The number of times the audio component of an asset is used in the project sequences.
Tape Name The name of the source tape, as entered when the clip was logged or captured.
Description Optional description of the asset, entered when the clip was logged or captured.
Comment Optional comment, entered when the asset was logged or captured, intended for identification and sorting
purposes.
Log Note Field for optional text entered through the Capture panel or Edit Offline File dialog box.
File Path Location of the file on disk, expressed as a folder path.
Capture Settings Indicates whether a file has capture settings assigned in Premiere Pro.
Status Whether an asset is online or offline. If a clip is offline, Status also indicates why.
Offline Properties Whether the source of an offline clip contains video, audio, or both.
Scene Field for scene name entered through the Capture panel or the Edit Offline File dialog box. It can be helpful to
use scene names from a script here to help organize your work.
Shot/Take
Field for shot name, or take name entered using the Capture panel or through the Edit Offline File dialog box.
Good Indicates preferred assets.
Select format for timecode display in the Project panel
By default, Premiere Pro displays timecode for clips in the Project panel in the format selected in Preferences. You can
change this default, however, to any other timecode display format.
1Select Project > Project Settings > General.
2In the Video section of the Project Settings dialog box, select a timecode format from the Display Format menu.
3Click OK.
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Organizing assets in the Project panel
Work with bins
The Project panel can include bins, which you can use to organize project contents in much the same way as folders in
Windows® Explorer or Mac OS® Finder. Bins can contain source files, sequences, and other bins. You may want to use
bins in the following ways:
•To store lists of offline files for batch capture.
•To store each sequence and its source files separately.
•To organize files by type, such as video, still images, and audio files.
Project panel
A. Parent bin B. Child bin
These are the default behaviors of bins in the Project panel. You can change the last three bin default behaviors by
editing bin preferences.
To learn more about working with bins, see the video tutorial, Enhanced Bins In Premiere Pro CS3, on the Creative
COW website.
•To add a bin, click the New Bin button at the bottom of the Project panel.
•To delete one or more bins, select the bins and click the Delete icon at the bottom of the Project panel.
If you click New Bin multiple times in a row, each new bin is nested inside the previous new bin.
•To move an item into a bin, drag the item to the Bin icon. You can move bins into other bins to nest them. Dropping
an item into a bin does not automatically open the bin.
•To display the contents of a bin, in List view, click the triangle beside the Bin icon to expand it, or double-click the bin.
•To show the contents of an enclosing (parent) bin when you’re viewing only the contents of a nested bin, click the
Parent Bin button in the Project panel. You can continue to click this button until the top-level contents of the
Project panel appear.
•To open a bin in its own floating panel, double-click the bin. This panel can be docked or grouped like any other
panel.
•To open a bin in place, Ctrl-double-click (Windows) or Command-double-click (Mac OS) the bin.
B
A
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•To open a bin in a new tab, Alt-double-click (Windows) or Option-double-click (Mac OS) the bin.
Double-click to open a bin in its own dockable panel.
More Help topics
Creative COW: Enhanced Bins In Premiere Pro CS3
“Find and group effects” on page 278
Change bin behaviors
You can change the default behaviors of Project panel bins by editing the bin preferences.
1Select Edit > Preferences > General (Windows) or Premiere Pro > Preferences > General (Mac OS).
2In the Bins area, select options from the menus for Double-Click, + Ctrl (Windows) or + Command (Mac OS), and
+ Alt (Windows) or + Opt (Mac OS).
3Click OK.
Label assets
Labels are colors that help you identify and associate assets. You assign and view labels in the Project panel. Label
colors mark assets in the Project panel’s Label column and in a Timeline panel.
•To assign a label to an asset, select a clip in the Project panel, choose Edit > Label, and choose a color.
•To select all assets with the same label, select an asset that uses the label and choose Edit > Label > Select Label
Group.
•To edit label names or colors, choose Edit > Preferences > Label Colors (Windows) or Premiere Pro > Preferences
> Label Colors (Mac OS). Click a color swatch to edit a color.
•To set default labels for a media type, choose Edit > Preferences > Label Defaults (Windows) or Premiere Pro >
Preferences > Label Defaults (Mac OS).
Note: Label defaults affect assets you add to the Project panel from the time you change the defaults; the command doesn’t
change label colors for assets already in the Project panel. To change label colors for assets already in the Project panel,
use the Edit
> Preferences > Label Colors (Windows) or Premiere Pro > Preferences > Label Colors (Mac OS) command.
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Rename assets
All files in your project are stored on your hard disk as individual files. Only a reference to each file is added to the
Project panel in Premiere Pro. Whenever you rename a clip in Premiere Pro, the original file and filename remain
untouched on your hard disk.
When changing the name of your clip, the name of the source file does not reflect the change. Some users suggest
entering the desired clip name in the “Description” Column instead so that the clip name and source file naming
scheme is maintained. The drawback is that the clip name is not descriptive in the Timeline panel or in the Project panel
in icon view. You decide which system would be more advantageous to your workflow.
Rename a clip
You can change the name for a clip. Premiere Pro stores the clip name with the other clip properties in the project file.
Changing the name of a clip does not change the filename of the source file for the clip.
Note: To automatically store the new name also in the Title field of the Dublin Core metadata schema, first link the Clip
Name property. See “Link clip data to XMP metadata” on page 117.
1In the Project panel, select the clip.
2Do one of the following:
•In the Project panel, choose Clip > Rename, type the new name, and press Enter (Windows) or Return (Mac OS).
•In the Project panel, click the Name field, type the new name, and press Enter (Windows) or Return (Mac OS).
•In the Metadata panel, click the triangle next to Clip to show the clip properties fields. Type the new name into the
Name field, and press Enter (Windows) or Return (Mac OS).
The Rename command is available when you right-click (Windows) or Control-click (Mac OS) a clip in the Project
panel, or in a Timeline.
Rename an original source file
❖Quit Premiere Pro and rename the file on the desktop.
The next time you open the project, Premiere Pro asks you to locate the file.
Jump to an asset in the Project panel
1Select the Project panel.
2Type the first letter of the name of the desired clip.
Find assets in the Project panel
1In the Project panel, select one of these options from the In menu:
All Searches all metadata.
Visible Searches only the metadata fields visible in the Project panel.
Text Transcript Searches only the Speech To Text metadata field.
2Do one of the following:
•Place the cursor in the Find box in the Project panel.
•Select the Project panel, and press Shift+F.
3(Optional) Click the magnifying glass icon in the Find box to see a menu listing the most recently searched terms.
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4Type the term for which you want to search.
The Project panel shows only assets that match the search criteria. The magnifying glass menu suggests search terms.
The suggestions include any misspellings present in clip metadata. This feature allows you to find errors and correct
them.
The menu updates dynamically as you type each new letter.
When you open a bin while a search term is in the Find box, Premiere Pro copies this search term into the new Find
box. The filtering persists for the opened bin.
5(Optional) Click a suggestion to initiate a search for that term.
6Click the Close icon to end the search and show all assets.
Find assets matching criteria
For more detailed searches, you can locate any assets in your project that meet criteria you specify. For example, you
can search for a video clip that has a certain word in its Name column and a phrase in its Comment column.
1Do one of the following:
•Click the Find icon at the bottom of the Project panel.
•Select the Project panel, and press Ctrl + F (Windows), or Command + F (Mac OS).
2In the Find dialog box, select the name of the columns to search from the menus under Column.
3Select the appropriate operators from the menus under Operator.
4Type in the characters you want to find in the specified columns in their respective Find What fields.
5If you’re searching for two criteria simultaneously, do one of the following:
•To find assets that match both criteria, select All from the Match menu.
•To find assets that match either criteria, select Any from the Match menu.
6Click Find.
More Help topics
www.adobe.com/go/lrvid4070_pr
Finding clips with Face Detection
You can find clips containing faces if you first use Face Detection to identify them.
Identify clips containing faces
Identify clips that contain faces, so that you can later filter the Project panel for clips containing faces.
Note: Content analysis works on all supported media types, including still images. In Premiere Pro CS5.5 and later, face
detection is enabled for merged clips if at least one of the component clips contains video.
1To select one or more clips for face detection, do one of the following:
•Select a clip in the Project panel. Choose Clip > Analyze Content.
•In the Project panel, right-click a selected clip and choose Analyze Content.
The Analyze Content dialog box appears.
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2Check Face Detection. Choose from High, Medium, or Low quality (High gives the best results, while Low is
fastest), and then click
OK.
Adobe Media Encoder opens with the selected clips in its encoding queue, and analyzes the selected clips. A green
checkmark appears in the Status column for each clip that has been analyzed.
3Close the Adobe Media Encoder window.
Find clips containing faces
You can filter the Project panel to show only clips containing faces. First identify the clips that contain faces using Face
Detection.
1Do one of the following:
•Click the magnifying glass in the Find box and choose Find Faces,
•Choose Edit > Find Faces.
The Project panel displays only clips containing faces. All bins remain visible in this filtered view to allow you to
drag clips to them.
2To clear the filter, click the X on the right side of the Find box.
The Project panel displays all clips.
Remove assets from a project
You can remove assets you don’t need from the Project panel without removing them from your hard disk.
Remove an asset from the Project panel
❖Select the item and press the Delete key.
The file remains on the hard disk
Note: When you use the Project > Make Offline command, you have the option of deleting the actual source file along
with its reference in the project. (See “Working with offline clips” on page 167.)
Remove unused assets from the Project panel
You can remove assets you haven’t used in a Timeline panel from the Project panel.
❖Do one of the following:
•Sort the Project panel List view by the Video Usage or Audio Usage columns to identify unused clips, and then
select and delete them.
•Choose Project > Remove Unused.
Define a different thumbnail for a clip
By default, the first frame of a clip appears in the thumbnail viewer and in other places in the project where the
thumbnail is displayed. You can override the default thumbnail by designating any clip frame as a poster frame.
1Select the clip in a Project panel.
2Press the Play button or drag the play slider on the thumbnail viewer in the upper left corner of the Project panel
until the frame you want is displayed.
3Click the Set Poster Frame button .
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You can also set the poster frame by right-clicking (Windows) or Control-clicking (Mac OS) the thumbnail viewer and
choosing Set Poster Frame.
Edit cells in the Project panel
You can edit the data in the editable cells, whether for clip properties or XMP metadata, for any clip in the Project
panel. Premiere Pro stores data written to XMP metadata cells in the source files. However, it stores data written to
clip properties cells in the project file, not into the source files. Clip properties data do not travel with the source files,
and they are readable only by Premiere Pro.
By default, the Project panel displays only the clip properties. To write data that Premiere Pro stores in the source files,
first add metadata columns to the Project panel display. See “Customize List view columns” on page 104.
1Do one of the following:
•In the List View of the Project panel, click an icon to the left of a filename to select a clip. Press Tab repeatedly, until
the desired editable cell is highlighted, and switched to editing mode.
•Click in an editable cell.
2Type the data you want to replace the data already in the cell, if any.
3Do one of the following:
•To save the new data, and to highlight the next cell for the same clip, press Tab.
•To save the new data, and to highlight the previous cell for the same clip, press Shift+Tab.
•To save the new data, and to highlight the same cell in the next clip, press Enter (Windows) or Return (Mac OS).
•To save the new data, and to highlight the same cell in the previous clip, press Shift+Enter (Windows), or
Shift+Return (Mac OS).
Note: In Icon View of the Project panel, press Tab to highlight the filename of the next asset and to place it in editing mode.
Viewing clip properties
Premiere Pro includes clip analysis tools that you can use to evaluate a file in any supported format stored inside or
outside a project. For example, after producing a video clip to be streamed from a web server, you can use clip analysis
tools to determine whether a clip you exported has an appropriate data rate for Internet distribution.
The Properties panel provides detailed information about any clip. For video files, analyzed properties can include the
file size, number of audio channels, duration, frame rate, audio sample rate, average data rate, and codecs. The
Properties panel will not show all these properties for every clip. The data shown in the Properties panel is determined
by the file format of the clip being examined.
View the properties of a clip
❖Do one of the following:
•If the clip is in the Project panel, select it to display a subset of its properties in the preview area at the top of the
Project panel.
•If the clip is in the Source Monitor, Timeline panel, or Project panel, select it and choose File > Get Properties For
> Selection.
•If the clip is not in the project, choose File > Get Properties For > File. Locate and select the clip you want to analyze,
and then click Open.
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You can also view clip properties in the Source Monitor, Timeline panel, or Project panel by right-clicking (Windows)
or Control-clicking (Mac OS) a clip and choosing Properties.
Change the frame rate of a clip
You can use the Interpret Footage command to change the frame rate that Premiere Pro assumes for a clip. When
changing the frame rate of a clip, audio is changed, in addition to the video. Changing the frame rate changes the
original duration proportionally. For example, if you set a 10-second, 24-fps clip to 48 fps, it becomes half as long, with
a new duration of 5 seconds. Clip frame rate is reconciled with the sequence frame rate. For example, if you change a
24-fps clip in a 24-fps sequence to 48 fps, the sequence displays only every other frame of the clip.
You can also change clip speed and duration by choosing the Clip > Speed/Duration command for a clip selected in a
Timeline panel. However, such a change affects only that clip instance in a Timeline panel. Using the Interpret Footage
command changes how a file is interpreted throughout a project.
1In the Project panel, right-click the desired clip.
2Select Modify > Interpret Footage, and do one of the following:
•Select Use Frame Rate From File,
•Select Assume This Frame Rate, and type the number of frames per second.
3Click OK.
More Help topics
“Create a custom sequence preset” on page 147
Managing metadata
About the Metadata panel and XMP
To streamline your workflow and organize your files, use XMP metadata. Metadata is a set of descriptive information
about a file. Video and audio files automatically include basic metadata properties, such as date, duration, and file type.
You can add details with properties such as location, director, copyright, and much more.
With the Metadata panel, you can share this information about assets throughout Adobe video and audio applications.
Unlike conventional clip properties, which are limited to only one application’s Project or Files panel, metadata
properties are embedded in source files, so the data automatically appears in other applications. This sharing of
metadata lets you quickly track and manage video assets as they move through your production workflow.
Note: Properties in the Metadata panel also appear in Adobe Bridge, providing additional details that help you quickly
browse assets.
For a video about the Metadata panel, see the Adobe website.
Maxim Jago explains XMP metadata in a video from, “Premiere Pro CS5 for Avid Editors.”
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About schemas and properties
A metadata schema is a collection of properties specific to a given workflow. The Dynamic Media schema, for example,
includes properties like Scene and Shot Location that are ideal for digital video projects. Exif schemas, by contrast,
include properties tailored to digital photography, like Exposure Time and Aperture Value. More general properties,
like Date and Title, appear in the Dublin Core schema. To display different properties, see “Show or hide XMP
metadata” on page 116.
For information about a specific schema and property, hover the pointer over it in the Metadata panel. For most
items, a tool tip appears with details.
About the XMP standard
Adobe applications store metadata using the Extensible Metadata Platform (XMP). XMP is built on XML, which
facilitates the exchange of metadata across a variety of applications and publishing workflows. Metadata in most other
formats (such as Exif, GPS, and TIFF) automatically transfers to XMP so you can more easily view and manage it.
In most cases, XMP metadata is stored directly in source files. If a particular file format doesn’t support XMP, however,
metadata is stored in a separate sidecar file.
Project assets without corresponding files don’t support XMP. Examples from Adobe Premiere Pro include Bars and
Tone, Universal Counting Leader, Color Matte, Titles, Black Video, and Transparent Video.
To customize the creation and exchange of metadata, use the XMP Software Development Kit. For more information
about XMP, see Extensible Metadata Platform.
About the Metadata panel in Premiere Pro
The Metadata panel shows both clip-instance metadata and XMP file metadata for a selected asset. Fields under the
Clip heading show clip-instance metadata: information about a clip selected in the Project panel, or in a sequence. Clip
instance metadata is stored in the Premiere Pro project file, not in the file to which the clip points. Only Premiere Pro
reads clip instance metadata not, other applications. However, in Premiere Pro you can link some clip metadata fields
with XMP metadata fields. This option allows applications outside Premiere Pro to access the clip-based metadata by
way of the XMP fields.
If you never use subclips and never import multiple instances of master clips, then each clip in your project is unique.
You can use XMP File properties exclusively, so all your metadata is recorded into the source file, visible to other
applications. Alternatively, you can use the traditional Clip properties, but turn linking on for all of them. Premiere
Pro automatically copies the clip data into the matching XMP properties from that point on.
Fields under the File and the Speech Transcript headings show XMP metadata. Using Speech Search, you can
transcribe words spoken in a clip to text. Then search the text to find where a specific word is spoken in the clip. For
more information about using Speech Search, see “Analyze speech for text XMP metadata” on page 194.
For more information about XMP metadata, see the overview on the Adobe website.
For more information about XMP metadata, see the white paper on the Adobe website.
The Metalogging workspace
The Metalogging workspace is for entering metadata after importing, capturing, or digitizing media into Premiere Pro.
The Project panel and the Metadata panels are maximized to make entering metadata easier.
To enable the Metalogging workspace, choose Window>Workspace>Metalogging.
Phil Hawkins has details about the Metalogging workspace in this video tutorial from Infinite Skills.
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Frankin McMahon shows you how to use the Metalogging workspace in the video tutorial, “DSLR Video Editing in
Premiere Pro CS5” from Layers Magazine.
More Help topics
XMP metadata in Creative Suite 4 Production Premium
About file, clip, and project XMP metadata
For the most part, Adobe video and audio applications deal with XMP metadata very similarly. Some small distinctions
exist, however, reflecting the unique workflow stage that each application addresses. When using applications in
tandem, an understanding of these slightly different approaches can help you get the most out of metadata.
Adobe OnLocation and Encore provide one set of metadata properties for all assets. However, Adobe Premiere Pro,
After Effects, and Soundbooth divide the Metadata panel into separate sections for different asset types.
Adobe Premiere Pro Separates metadata in these sections:
•Clip Displays properties for clip instances you select in the Project panel or Timeline panel. This metadata is stored
in project files, so it appears only in Adobe Premiere Pro.
•File Displays properties for source files you select in the Project panel. This metadata is stored directly in the source
files, so it appears in other applications, including Adobe Bridge.
After Effects Separates metadata in these sections:
•Project Displays properties for the overall project. If you select Include Source XMP Metadata in the Output
Module Settings dialog box, this information is embedded into files you output from the Render Queue.
•Files Displays properties for source files you select in the Project panel. (If you select a proxy, properties for the
actual file appear.)
ForAfter Effects, both Project and File properties are stored directly in files, so you can access this metadata in Adobe
Bridge.
Soundbooth Separates metadata in these sections:
•File Displays properties for the currently displayed audio or ASND file. This metadata is stored directly in such
files, so it appears in other applications. (Adobe Bridge, however, does not display metadata for ASND files.)
•Clip Displays properties for multitrack clips you select in the Editor panel. This metadata is stored in the containing
ASND file, so it appears only in Soundbooth.
Adobe Premiere Pro and Soundbooth also provide a Speech Analysis section with metadata that appears only in those
applications.
Using clip metadata and file metadata
XMP file metadata is information about a source file stored in the source file. Clip metadata is information about a
clip, stored in a Premiere Pro project file. In Premiere Pro, any number of clips can point to the same source file. For
example, a group of subclips, each with different In points and Out points, point to the same source file. Also, if you
import a file twice, but give each imported clip a different name, both clips point to the same source file.
Use the XMP metadata fields to store data that applies to the source file, and all clip instances that point to it. Use the
clip metadata fields to store data specific to each unique clip. Link clip metadata fields to XMP metadata fields when
you want clip metadata copied to the source file. Do not link a clip metadata field to an XMP metadata field for more
than one clip pointing to the same source file, however.
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More Help topics
“Source clips, clip instances, subclips, and duplicate clips” on page 161
Edit XMP metadata
In Adobe video applications, similarly named properties are linked in the Metadata and Project panels. However, the
Metadata panel provides more extensive properties and lets you edit them for multiple files simultaneously.
Note: Instead of a Project panel, Soundbooth uses the Files panel.
1Select the desired files or clips.
2In the Metadata panel, edit text or adjust values as needed.
If you selected multiple items, the panel displays properties as follows:
•If a property matches for all items, the matching entry appears.
•If a property differs, <Multiple Values> appears. To apply matching values, click the text box, and type.
Search XMP metadata
1Select the files or clips you want to search.
2In the search box at the top of the Metadata panel, enter the text you want to find.
The list of metadata collapses to reveal only properties that contain your search string.
3(Adobe Premiere Pro only) To navigate through the search results, click the Previous and Next buttons to
the right of the search box, or press Tab.
4
To exit the search mode and return to the full list of metadata, click the close button to the right of the search box.
Metadata panel
A. Before search, all properties appear B. After search, only properties with search string appear. In Adobe Premiere Pro, Previous and Next
buttons navigate through search results.
A B
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Show or hide XMP metadata
To optimize the Metadata panel for your workflow, show or hide entire schemas or individual properties, displaying
only those that you need.
1From the options menu for the Metadata panel, select Metadata Display.
2To show or hide schemas or properties, select or deselect them from the list.
Save, switch, or delete metadata sets
If you use multiple workflows, each requiring different sets of displayed metadata, you can save sets and switch
between them.
1From the options menu for the Metadata panel, select Metadata Display.
2Do any of the following:
•To save a customized set of displayed metadata, click Save Settings. Then enter a name, and click OK.
•To display a previously saved set of metadata, select it from the menu.
•To delete a previously saved set of metadata, select it from the menu, and click Delete Settings.
Create schemas and properties
If you have a unique, customized workflow that the default metadata options don’t address, create your own schemas
and properties.
1From the options menu for the Metadata panel, select Metadata Display.
2Click New Schema, and enter a name.
3In the list, click Add Property to the right of the schema name.
4Enter a property name, and select one of the following for Type:
Integer Displays whole numbers that you drag or click to change.
Real Displays fractional numbers that you drag or click to change.
Text Displays a text box (for properties similar to Location).
Boolean Displays a check box (for On or Off properties).
View clip data in the Metadata panel
You can show or hide clip information in the Metadata panel like any other metadata. Premiere Pro saves clip
information in the schema named Premiere Project Metadata.
For more information about showing or hiding metadata schemas, see “Show or hide XMP metadata” on page 116.
1Do one of the following, if necessary:
•If the Metadata panel is not open, select Window > Metadata.
•If the contents of the Metadata panel are hidden behind another panel, click the Metadata tab to bring the panel
forward.
2Click the panel menu button in the Metadata panel, and select Metadata Display.
3Click the triangle next to Premiere Project Metadata to view all the clip information fields.
4Do one of the following:
•Check the Premiere Project Metadata box to display all clip information,
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•Check only the boxes near the names of the clip information fields you want to display.
5Click OK.
Link clip data to XMP metadata
In the Metadata panel, the Clip property value fields are internal. They reside in the Premiere Pro project file, and are
readable by Premiere Pro alone. However, some of the property value fields in the Clip section have a link option box
next to them. After you select the link option, Premiere Pro automatically enters the information that you enter into
the Clip value field into a corresponding XMP field.
When you select the link option, the metadata panel links a clip data field to an XMP metadata field in one of the
schema. Selecting this option does not copy existing clip data into XMP fields. Premiere Pro does copy any clip data
added after the link is made into the linked XMP fields. In most cases, the XMP field has the same name as the clip data
field linked to it. In the following two cases, the XMP fields have names different from the clip data fields linked to them:
1In the Metadata panel, drag the scroll bar under the Clip heading downward until you see the fields with empty link
buttons to the right.
2Click the link buttons near any fields you want to link to XMP metadata.
A chain icon appears in the link button for any linked field.
Working with aspect ratios
About aspect ratios
An aspect ratio specifies the ratio of width to height. Video and still picture frames have a frame aspect ratio, and the
pixels that make up the frame have a pixel aspect ratio (sometimes referred to as PAR). You record video for television
in either a 4:3 or 16:9 frame aspect ratio. Additionally, different video recording standards use different pixel aspect
ratios.
You set the frame and pixel aspect ratios for a Premiere Pro project when you create it. Once these ratios are set, you
cannot change them for that project. You can, however, use assets created with different aspect ratios in that project.
Premiere Pro automatically tries to compensate for the pixel aspect ratio of source files. If an asset still appears
distorted, you can manually specify its pixel aspect ratio. Reconcile pixel aspect ratios before reconciling frame aspect
ratios, because an incorrect frame aspect ratios can result from a misinterpreted pixel aspect ratio.
Frame aspect ratio
Frame aspect ratio describes the ratio of width to height in the dimensions of an image. For example, DV NTSC has a
frame aspect ratio of 4:3 (or 4.0 width by 3.0 height). A typical widescreen frame has a frame aspect ratio of 16:9. Many
cameras that have a widescreen mode can record using the 16:9 aspect ratio. Many films have been shot using even
wider aspect ratios.
Clip data field name XMP field name
Name Title (in Dublin Core schema)
Log Note Log Comment (In Dynamic Media schema)
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A 4:3 frame aspect ratio (left), and wider 16:9 frame aspect ratio (right)
When you import clips shot in one frame aspect ratio into a project that uses another frame aspect ratio, you decide
how to reconcile the different values. For example, two common techniques are used for showing a 16:9 movie on a
4:3 standard television. You can fit the entire width of the 16:9 movie frame within the 4:3 television frame. This
placement leaves black bands above and below the movie frame, called letterboxing. Alternatively, you can fill the 4:3
frame vertically with the entire height of the 16:9 frame. Then, you pan the horizontal position of the 16:9 frame within
the narrower 4:3 frame so that important action always remains inside the 4:3 frame. This techniques is called pan &
scan. In Premiere Pro, you can implement either technique by using Motion effect properties such as Position and
Scale.
NTSC displays
A. 16:9 NTSC footage B. DVD player display using original widescreen format on widescreen TV screen C. 16:9 image on a 4:3 TV screen
cropped using automatic pan and scan D. 16:9 image on a 4:3 TV screen using automatic letterboxing to reduce overall frame size and display
entire image
Pixel aspect ratio
For a video that explains the basics of pixel aspect ratios, see the Adobe website.
3
416
9
AB
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Pixel aspect ratio describes the ratio of width to height of a single pixel in a frame. Pixel aspect ratios vary because
different video systems make various assumptions about the number of pixels required to fill a frame. For example,
many computer video standards define a 4:3 aspect ratio frame as 640 pixels wide by 480 pixels high, which results in
square pixels. Video standards such as DV NTSC define a 4:3 aspect ratio frame as 720x480 pixels, which results in
narrower, rectangular pixels because where more pixels lie within the same frame width. The computer video pixels in
this example have a pixel aspect ratio of 1:1 (square). The DV NTSC pixels have a pixel aspect ratio of 0.91 (nonsquare).
DV pixels, which are always rectangular, are vertically oriented in systems producing NTSC video and horizontally
oriented in systems producing PAL video. Premiere Pro displays clip pixel aspect ratio next to the clip image
thumbnail in the Project panel.
If you display rectangular pixels on a square-pixel monitor without alteration, images appear distorted; for example,
circles distort into ovals. However, when displayed on a broadcast monitor, the images appear correctly proportioned
because broadcast monitors use rectangular pixels. Premiere Pro can display and output clips of various pixel aspect
ratios without distortion. Premiere Pro attempts to automatically reconcile them with the pixel aspect ratio of your
project.
You could occasionally encounter a distorted clip if Premiere Pro interprets pixel aspect ratio incorrectly. You can
correct the distortion of an individual clip by manually specifying the source clip pixel aspect ratio in the Interpret
Footage dialog box. You can correct similar misinterpretations of groups of same-size files by editing the file
Interpretation Rules.txt.
Pixel and frame aspect ratios
A. 4:3 square-pixel image displayed on 4:3 square-pixel (computer) monitor B. 4:3 square-pixel image interpreted correctly for display on 4:3
non-square pixel (TV) monitor C. 4:3 square-pixel image interpreted incorrectly for display on 4:3 non-square pixel (TV) monitor
<<Premiere Pro CS3 and earlier used pixel aspect ratios for standard-definition video formats that ignore the concept
of clean aperture. By not accounting for the fact that clean aperture differs from production aperture in standard-
definition video, the pixel aspect ratios used by After Effects CS3 and earlier were slightly inaccurate. The incorrect
pixel aspect ratios cause some images to appear subtly distorted.
Note: The clean aperture is the portion of the image that is free from artifacts and distortions that appear at the edges of
an image. The production aperture is the entire image.
For details about the corrected pixel aspect ratios in Premiere Pro CS4 and later (as well as other applications), see the
Adobe website.
More Help topics
AE CS4: New pixel aspect ratios
Using assets with various aspect ratios
Premiere Pro automatically attempts to preserve the frame aspect ratio of imported assets, sometimes changing the
pixel aspect ratio, the frame dimensions, or both so that the asset does not appear cropped or distorted when used in
a sequence. Some assets contain metadata that allows Premiere Pro to make the calculations automatically and
precisely. For assets lacking this metadata, Premiere Pro applies a set of rules to interpret pixel aspect ratio.
AB C
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When you capture or import NTSC footage with the ATSC frame size of 704x480, the D1 frame size of 720x486, or the
DV frame size of 720x480, Premiere Pro automatically sets the pixel aspect ratio for that asset to D1/DV NTSC (0.91).
When you capture or import footage with the HD frame size of 1440x1080, Premiere Pro automatically sets the pixel
aspect ratio for that file to HD 1080 Anamorphic (1.33). When you capture or import PAL footage with the D1 or DV
resolution of 720x576, Premiere Pro automatically sets the pixel aspect ratio for that file to D1/DV PAL (1.094).
For other frame sizes, Premiere Pro assumes that the asset was designed with square pixels and changes the pixel aspect
ratio and frame dimensions in a way that preserves the asset image aspect ratio. If the imported asset is distorted, you
can change the pixel aspect ratio manually.
When you drag an asset into a sequence, Premiere Pro centers the asset in the program frame by default. Depending
on its frame size, the resulting image could be too small or overcropped for the needs of the project. If so, you can
change its scale. You can do this manually or have Premiere Pro do it automatically whenever you drag an asset into a
sequence.
It is always a good idea to make sure that files are interpreted correctly. You can read asset frame dimensions and pixel
aspect ratio near the preview thumbnail and in the Video Info column of the Project panel. You can also find this data
in the asset Properties dialog box, the Interpret Footage dialog box, and the Info panel.
More Help topics
“Add images to titles” on page 264
“Clip details in the Info panel” on page 13
Fix aspect ratio distortion
The sequence settings preset you choose when you create a sequence sets the frame and pixel aspect ratios for the
sequence. You can’t change aspect ratios after you create the sequence, but you can change the pixel aspect ratio that
Premiere Pro assumes for individual assets. For example, if a square-pixel asset generated by a graphics or animation
program looks distorted in Premiere Pro, you can correct its pixel aspect ratio to make it look right. By ensuring that
all files are interpreted correctly, you can combine footage with different ratios in the same project. Then you can
generate output that doesn’t distort the resulting images.
More Help topics
“Importing still images” on page 67
Correct individual aspect ratio misinterpretations
1Right-click the still image in the Project panel.
2Select Modify > Interpret Footage.
3Select an option in the Pixel Aspect Ratio section, and click OK.
4Select one of the following:
Use Pixel Aspect Ratio From File Uses the original aspect ratio saved with the still image.
Conform To Lets you choose from a list of standard aspect ratios.
Note: When using Photoshop to generate images for use in video projects, it’s best to use the Photoshop preset named for
the video format you’ll use. Using the preset ensures that your images are generated with the correct aspect ratio.
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Correct recurring aspect ratio misinterpretations
Premiere Pro automatically assigns pixel aspect ratios to files according to a file of rules. If a specific type of image is
consistently misinterpreted (distorted) when you import it, you can change the relevant rule.
1Open a text editor.
2From within the text editor, go to the Premiere Pro Plug-ins folder.
3Open the file named Interpretation Rules.txt.
4Edit the rule that you want to modify, and choose Save.
Common pixel aspect ratios
Pixel aspect ratio When to use
Square pixels 1.0 Footage has a 640x480 or 648x486 frame size, is 1920x1080 HD (not
HDV or DVCPRO HD), is 1280x720 HD or HDV, or was exported from an
application that doesn’t support nonsquare pixels. This setting can also
be appropriate for footage that was transferred from film or for
customized projects.
D1/DV NTSC 0.91 Footage has a 720x486 or 720x480 frame size, and the desired result is
a 4:3 frame aspect ratio. This setting can also be appropriate for
footage that was exported from an application that works with
nonsquare pixels, such as a 3D animation application.
D1/DV NTSC
Widescreen
1.21 Footage has a 720x486 or 720x480 frame size, and the desired result is
a 16:9 frame aspect ratio.
D1/DV PAL 1.09 Footage has a 720x576 frame size, and the desired result is a 4:3 frame
aspect ratio.
D1/DV PAL
Widescreen
1.46 Footage has a 720x576 frame size, and the desired result is a 16:9 frame
aspect ratio.
Anamorphic 2:1 2.0 Footage was shot using an anamorphic film lens, or it was
anamorphically transferred from a film frame with a 2:1 aspect ratio.
HDV 1080/DVCPRO
HD 720, HD
Anamorphic 1080
1.33 Footage has a 1440x1080 or 960x720 frame size, and the desired result
is a 16:9 frame aspect ratio.
DVCPRO HD 1080 1.5 Footage has a 1280x1080 frame size, and the desired result is a 16:9
frame aspect ratio.
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Chapter 7: Monitoring assets
Using the Source Monitor and Program Monitor
Online resources for the Source Monitor and Program Monitor
Andrew Devis gives an overview of editing and viewing assets in the Source monitor in this video tutorial on the
Creative Cow website.
Source Monitor and Program Monitor overview
The Source Monitor plays back individual clips. In the Source Monitor, you prepare clips that you want to add to a
sequence. You set In points and Out points, and specify the clip’s source tracks (audio or video). You can also insert
clip markers and add clips to a sequence in a Timeline panel.
The Program Monitor plays back the sequence of clips that you are assembling. It’s your view of the active sequence
in a Timeline panel. You can set sequence markers and specify sequence In points and Out points. Sequence In points
and Out points define where frames are added or removed from the sequence.
Each monitor contains both a time ruler and controls to play back and cue the current frame of a source clip or
sequence. Each monitor also contains an Export Frame button for creating a still from a single frame of video.
Setting display quality for the Source and Program Monitors
Some formats are difficult to display in full-motion playback, due to their high compression or high data rate. A lower
resolution permits faster motion playback, but at the expense of display image quality. This tradeoff is most visible
when viewing AVCHD and other H.264-codec based media. Below Full resolution, these formats have error correction
turned off, and artifacts are common during playback. These artifacts, however, do not show up in exported media.
Providing separate playback and pause resolutions gives you more control over your monitoring experience. With
high resolution footage, you can set playback resolution to a lower value (for example, 1/4) for smooth playback , and
set the Pause resolution to Full. These settings allow you to check the quality of focus or edge details when playback is
paused. Scrubbing puts the monitor in playback resolution, not pause resolution.
Not all resolutions are available for all sequence types. For Standard Definition sequences, such as DV, only Full and
1/2 are available. For many HD sequences up to 1,080 frame size, Full, 1/2, and 1/4 are available. For sequences with
frame sizes larger than 1,080, such as RED, all the fractions are available.
Note: If your previews are rendered at a resolution below the sequence resolution, the playback resolution is actually a
fraction of the preview resolution. For example, you can set your preview files to render at 1/2 the sequence frame size
(1/2 resolution) and your playback resolution to 1/2 resolution. The rendered previews play back at 1/4 of original
resolution (assuming that the resolution of the original media matched the sequence resolution).
Set the display quality for the Source Monitor and Program Monitor
Note: You can assign keyboard shortcuts to playback resolutions.
1Do one of the following:
•Right click the image in the Source Monitor or Program Monitor.
•Click the panel menu icon in the Source Monitor or Program Monitor.
•Click the Output button in the Source Monitor or Program Monitor.
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2Do one of the following:
•To set playback resolution, select Playback Resolution,
•To set paused resolution, select Paused Resolution.
3From the menu, select the resolution desired.
For an explanation and tips on speeding up previews in Premiere Pro, see this video on the Video2Brain website.
Change magnification
The Source Monitor and Program Monitor scale video to fit into the available area. You can change the magnification
setting for each view to see the video in more detail, or to increase the size of the pasteboard area around the image (to
adjust motion effects more easily, for example).
1Choose a magnification setting from the View Zoom Level menu (to the right of the current time display) in the
Source Monitor or Program Monitor.
In the Source Monitor, percentage values refer to the size of the source media. In the Program Monitor, percentage
values refer to the image size specified by the sequence settings. Fit scales the video to fit in the monitor’s available
viewing area.
2To change the visible area of a monitor, use the monitor’s scroll bars to change the visible area of the video image.
Scroll bars appear when the current size of the monitor can’t contain the entire image.
Open or clear a clip in the Source Monitor
To view and edit source clips listed in the Project panel or individual clip instances in a sequence, open the clips in the
Source Monitor. The Source menu, accessed from the Source Monitor tab, lists open clips.
1To open a clip, do any of the following:
•Double-click the clip in the Project or Timeline panel, or drag a clip from the Project panel to the Source Monitor.
The clip appears in the Source Monitor and its name is added to the Source menu.
•Drag multiple clips or an entire bin from the Project panel into the Source Monitor, or select multiple clips in the
Project panel and double-click them. Clips are added to the Source menu in the order in which they were selected,
and the last clip selected appears in the Source Monitor.
•Choose the name of the clip you want to see from the Source menu (click the triangle to the right of the current
clip’s name on the Source tab to make the menu appear).
The Source menu lists master clips by name. Clips opened from a sequence are listed by their sequence name, clip
name, and starting time in the sequence.
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Choosing a clip to view from the Source menu
2To clear a clip from the Source Monitor, in the Source menu, choose Close to clear or Close All to clear all clips.
You can also close all clips and the Source Monitor itself by clicking the Close button in the Source Monitor tab.
Navigate clips in the Source Monitor
You can set keyboard shortcuts for navigating the clips in the Source Monitor. These can speed toggling to the next or
previous clip, skipping to the first or last clip, or closing one or all the clips in the Source Monitor.
1Select Edit > Keyboard Customization.
The Keyboard Customization dialog box opens.
2In the second drop-down menu, select Panels, and click the triangle next to Source Monitor Panel to reveal the
keyboard shortcuts for that panel.
3Set keyboard shortcuts for any of the commands that begin with Source Clip.
4Click OK.
Using the Source Monitor and Program Monitor time controls
The Source Monitor has several controls for moving through time (or frames) in a clip. The Program Monitor contains
similar controls for moving through a sequence.
Time controls in the Source Monitor and Program Monitor
A. Time ruler B. Current-time indicator C. Viewing area bar D. Current time display E. Duration display
Time rulers Display the duration of a clip in the Source Monitor and sequence in the Program Monitor. Tick marks
measure time using the video display format specified in the Project Settings dialog box. You can toggle the time rulers
D ECA B
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to display timecode in other formats. Each ruler also displays icons for its corresponding monitor’s markers and In
and Out points. You can adjust the current time, markers, and the In and Out points by dragging their icons in a time
ruler.
Current-time indicator (CTI) Shows the location of the current frame in each monitor’s time ruler. The CTI is the light
blue triangle in the ruler.
Current time displays Show the timecode for the current frame. The current time displays are located at the bottom
left of each monitor’s video. The Source Monitor shows the current time for the open clip. The Program Monitor
shows the sequence’s current time. To move to a different time, click in the display and enter a new time, or place the
pointer over the time display and drag left or right. You can change the display between full timecode and a frame
count by Ctrl-clicking (Windows) or Command-clicking (Mac OS) the current time in either monitor or a Timeline
panel.
Duration display Show the duration of the open clip or sequence. Each monitor’s duration indicator is located next to
the Duration icon below the video display. The duration is the time difference between the In point and the Out
point for the clip or sequence. When no In point is set, the starting time of the clip or of the sequence is substituted.
When no Out point is set, the Source Monitor uses the ending time of the clip to calculate duration, and the Program
Monitor uses the ending time of the last clip in the sequence to calculate duration.
Viewing area bars Correspond with the visible area of the time ruler in each monitor. They are the thin bars with
curved handles above each time ruler. You can drag the handles to change the width of the bar and thereby change the
scale of the time ruler below. Expanding the bar to its maximum width reveals the entire duration of the time ruler,
and contracting the bar zooms in for a more detailed view of the ruler. By dragging the center of the bar, you can scroll
the visible part of a time ruler without changing its scale.
Note: Although the Program Monitor’s current-time indicator corresponds with the current-time indicator in a Timeline
panel, changing the Program Monitor’s time ruler or viewing area bar does not affect the time ruler or viewing area in a
Timeline panel.
View safe zones in the monitors
Safe zone guides are for your reference and are not included in previews or export.
Safe zones in Program Monitor
A. Action-safe zone B. Title-safe zone
❖Click the Safe Margins button below the Source Monitor or Program Monitor. Click the button again to
remove the safe-zone guides.
A
B
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The standard action- and title-safe margins are 10% and 20%, respectively. However, you can change the dimensions
of the safe zones in the Project Settings dialog box. (See “Project Settings dialog box” on page 52.)
Choose fields in the Source and Program Monitors
You can set the Source Monitor and Program Monitor to display the first field, second field, or both fields for
interlaced footage. The settings in the Source Monitor are disabled when a progressive clip is opened in it. The settings
in the Program Monitor are disabled when the active sequence uses a progressive sequence preset.
1In the Source Monitor or Program Monitor, click the panel menu button .
2Select Display First Field, Display Second Field, or Display Both Fields according to your need.
Choose a display mode
You can display normal video, the video’s alpha channel, or one of several measurement tools.
❖In the Source Monitor or Program Monitor, click the Output button , or click the panel menu and choose a
display mode setting:
Composite Video Displays the normal video.
Alpha Displays transparency as a grayscale image.
All Scopes Displays a waveform monitor, vectorscope, YCbCr Parade, and RGB Parade.
Vectorscope Displays a vectorscope that measures the video’s chrominance, which includes hue and saturation.
YC Waveform Displays a standard waveform monitor, which measures the video’s luminance in IRE.
YCbCr Parade
Displays a waveform monitor that measures the Y, Cb, and Cr components of the video separately, in IRE.
RGB Parade Displays a waveform monitor that measures the R, G, and B components of the video separately, in IRE.
Vect/YC Wave/YCbCr Parade Displays a waveform monitor, vectorscope, and YCbCr Parade.
Vect/YC Wave/RGB Parade Displays a waveform monitor, vectorscope, and RGB Parade.
Program Monitor set to Vect/YC Wave/YCbCr Parade
A. Waveform monitor B. YCbCr Parade C. Vectorscope
To use the waveform monitor and vectorscope displays most effectively, view them with the Reference Monitor ganged
to the Program Monitor. See “Using the Reference Monitor” on page 133.
A
B
C
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Playing assets
Play video in the Source Monitor and Program Monitor
The Source Monitor and Program Monitor contain several controls that resemble the playback controls on a video
deck. Use the Source Monitor controls to play or cue a clip. Use the Program Monitor controls to play or view the
active sequence.
Most playback controls have keyboard equivalents. When you want to use keyboard shortcuts to control playback,
make sure that the monitor you want is active. Click the video image in the monitor you want to activate.
Note: When using keyboard shortcuts to move in a time ruler, make sure the panel you want is active. (Japanese-language
keyboards only) To use these keyboard shortcuts on a Japanese-language keyboard, make sure your keyboard is in direct
input mode, rather than Japanese input mode.
❖Do any of the following:
•To play, click the Play button , or press L or the spacebar. (To stop, click the Stop button or press K or the
spacebar. The button and the spacebar toggle between Play and Stop.)
•To play in reverse, press J.
•To play from the In point to the Out point, click the Play In To Out button .
•To play an entire clip or sequence repeatedly, click the Loop button , and then click the Play button . Click
the Loop button again to deselect it and prevent looping.
•To play from the In point to the Out point repeatedly, click the Loop button , and then click the Play In To Out
button . Click the Loop button again to deselect it and prevent looping.
•To play forward at increasing speeds, press L repeatedly. For most media types, clip speed increases from one to
two to three to four times.
•To play backward at increasing speeds, press J repeatedly. For most media types, backward clip speed increases
from one to two to three to four times.
•To advance one frame, hold down the K key and press the L key.
•To retreat one frame, hold down the K key and press the J key.
•To play forward in slow motion, press Shift+L.
•To play backwards in slow motion, press Shift+J.
•To play around the current time, from two seconds before the current-time indicator to two seconds after the
current-time indicator, Alt-click (Windows) or Option-click (Mac OS) the Play In To Out button. Pressing Alt
(Windows) or Option (Mac OS) changes the button to the Play Around button .
See Andrew Devis’ video tutorial on the Creative Cow website entitled, “Understanding the Source Panel tools” for
more information.
Play a sequence or clip with preroll and postroll pauses
You can preview a clip or sequence with preroll and postroll pauses.
1Do one of the following:
•Click on a Sequence tab to make a sequence active, and preview it in the Program monitor.
•Double-click a clip in the Source panel or in a Timeline to preview it in the Source monitor.
2Press Shift+spacebar.
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More Help topics
“Specify the duration for preroll and postroll pauses” on page 47
Jog or shuttle playback
❖Do one of the following:
•Drag the shuttle slider left to play backward, or right to play forward. Playback speed increases as you drag the slider
farther from its center position. Releasing the slider returns it to the center position and stops playback.
•Drag the jog disk left or right, past the edge of the controller if necessary. If you drag to the edge of the screen
without reaching the end of the clip or sequence, you can continue from the same time position by dragging from
the jog disk again.
Shuttle and jog controls
A. Shuttle Slider B. Jog Disk
Move to a different frame in the Source Monitor and Program Monitor
❖Do any of the following:
•To advance one frame, click the Step Forward button , or hold down the K key and tap the L key, or press the
Right Arrow key.
•To advance five frames, Shift-click the Step Forward button , or press Shift+ the Right Arrow key.
•To jump back one frame, click the Step Back button , or hold down the K key and tap the J key, or press the
Left Arrow key.
•To jump back five frames, Shift-click the Step Back button , or press Shift+ the Left Arrow key.
•To jump to the next marker, click the Go To Next Marker button in the Source Monitor.
•To jump to the previous marker, click the Go To Previous Marker button in the Source Monitor.
•To jump to a clip’s In point, select the Source Monitor, then click the Go To In Point button .
•To jump to a clip’s Out point, select the Source Monitor, then click the Go To Out Point button .
•Click the current time display of the monitor you want to cue, and type the new time. You don’t need to type colons
or semicolons. Numbers under 100 are interpreted as frames.
•To jump to the previous edit point in a sequence’s targeted audio or video track, click the Go To Previous Edit Point
button in the Program Monitor, or press Page Down with a Timeline panel or Program Monitor active.
•To jump to the next edit point in a sequence’s targeted audio or video tracks, click the Go To Next Edit Point button
in the Program Monitor, or press Page Up with a Timeline panel or Program Monitor active.
•To jump to the beginning of the sequence, select the Program Monitor or Timeline and press Home, or click the
Go To In Point button in the Program Monitor.
•To jump to the end of the sequence, select the Program Monitor or Timeline and press End, or click the Go To Out
Point button in the Program Monitor.
A B
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More Help topics
“Timeline panels” on page 136
Using the J, K, and L keys to shuttle video
You can quickly and accurately move through frames in a sequence using the J, K, and L keys. The J key always moves
the current-time indicator in reverse and the L key always moves it forward. The K key is a modifier and stop playback
key. Press J to move backward at normal speed, press J and K to move backward slowly, or press K and tap the J key to
move back a frame at a time. The K and L keys work in the same way to move forward. For more information about
using the J, K, and L keys for playback, see this video by Richard Harrington on the Creative Cow website.
If you require more finely tuned control with the J, K, and L keys, particularly to hear audio better, do the following:
•After shuttling forward with the K and L keys, press Shift+L to play forward slightly faster. Press Shift+L again to
play faster.
•After shuttling in reverse with the J and K keys, press Shift+J to play in reverse slightly faster. Press Shift+J again to
play faster in reverse.
•You can press Shift+L and Shift+J up to five times to fine-tune the speed of playback.
If you are playing back too quickly, press the opposite keyboard shortcut to slow playback. For example, if you were
playing back too quickly forward, press Shift+J to slow playback down by one increment.
Match a frame with its source
While editing in a Timeline panel, you can find the source frame for any frame in a sequence clip and display it in the
Source Monitor. Also, you can find the source frame for any frame in a nested sequence, display it in the Source
Monitor, and jump to its location in the source sequence.
1Click the header of the track where the sequence clip is located, to target the track.
If more than one track is targeted, Premiere Pro will match the frame in the highest targeted track.
2In a Timeline panel, position the current-time indicator over the desired frame in a clip.
Note: If the source clip for the frame in the sequence clip is already open in the Source Monitor or listed in the Source
menu, the Source Monitor will display the last frame you viewed in the clip. To match the frame, close the clip in the
Source Monitor before typing the Match Frame or Reveal Nested Sequence keyboard shortcut.
3Do one of the following:
•For a clip in a standard sequence, type the keyboard shortcut for Match Frame, M by default. In Adobe Premiere
Pro CS5.5 and later, you can also choose Sequence > Match Frame.
•For a clip in a nested sequence, type the keyboard shortcut for Reveal Nested Sequence, Shift-T by default.
Using the Waveform monitors and vectorscope
Premiere Pro has a vectorscope and waveform monitors (YC Waveform, YCbCr Parade, and RGB Parade) to help you
output a video program that meets broadcast standards and also assist you in making adjustments based on aesthetic
considerations, such as color corrections.
For decades, video production and duplication facilities have used waveform monitors and vectorscopes to accurately
evaluate video levels—specifically, color and brightness.
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A vectorscope measures the chrominance (color components) of a video signal, including hue and saturation. A
vectorscope maps a video’s color information onto a circular chart.
The traditional waveform monitor is useful in measuring the brightness, or luminance component, of a video signal.
In Premiere Pro, the waveform monitors can also display chrominance information. The waveform monitor works
something like a graph. The horizontal axis of the graph corresponds to the video image from left to right. Vertically,
the waveform displays the luminance levels, and optionally, the chrominance levels.
Andrew Devis shows hot to find and understand the Vectorscope in Premiere Pro in this video tutorial on the Creative
Cow website.
Andrew Devis shows hot to find and understand the YC Waveform Monitor in Premiere Pro in this video tutorial on
the Creative Cow website.
Jeff Sengstack explains how to work with the YC Waveform Monitor and the Vectorscope in his article, “Streamlining
Color Correction in Premiere Pro” on the Pro Video Coalition website.
Maxim Jago introduces the Waveform Monitor for color adjustments in Adobe Premire Pro in this video on the
video2brain website.
More Help topics
Vectorscope on Premiere Pro Wikia
View a scope
You can view a vectorscope, YC waveform, YCbCr Parade, and an RGB Parade scope either individually or grouped
in the Reference Monitor, Program Monitor, or Source Monitor.
1Depending on whether you want to view a scope for a master clip or sequence clip, do one of the following:
•Double-click the clip in the Project panel.
•In a Timeline panel, position the current-time indicator in the sequence you want.
2(Optional) Choose Reference Monitor from the Window menu if you selected a clip in a Timeline panel.
3Choose any of the following from either the Reference Monitor, Program Monitor, or Source Monitor menu:
All Scopes Displays the Vectorscope, YC Waveform, YCbCr Parade, and RGB Parade scopes in one monitor.
Vectorscope Displays a vectorscope for viewing the chrominance in the video.
YC Waveform Displays a waveform monitor for viewing luminance and chrominance information.
YCbCr Parade Displays a scope with luminance (Y) and color difference (Cb and Cr) information.
RGB Parade Displays a scope showing the red, green, and blue components in the video.
Vect/YC Wave/YCbCr Parade Displays the Vectorscope, YC Waveform, and YCbCr Parade scope in one monitor.
Vect/YC Wave/RGB Parade Displays the Vectorscope, YC Waveform, and RGB Parade scope in one monitor.
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Vectorscope
The Vectorscope displays a circular chart, similar to a color wheel, that shows the video’s chrominance information.
Saturation is measured from the center of the chart outward. Saturated, vivid colors produce a pattern some distance
from the center of the chart, while a black-and-white image produces only a dot at the center of the chart. The
particular color, or hue, of the image determines the direction (angle of the pattern). Small target boxes indicate
where fully saturated magenta, blue, cyan, green, yellow, and red (present in a color bars test pattern) should appear.
In NTSC video, chrominance levels should not exceed these target areas.
Vectorscope
A. Target boxes B. Image profile
The Vectorscope has the following controls:
Intensity Adjusts the brightness of the pattern display. It does not affect the video output signal.
75%
Default position. Use to check video input in which standard 75% intensity bars, like those in Premiere Pro, are used.
100% Shows the entire range of video signal chrominance. Use with video input containing 100% intensity bars.
More Help topics
“Color Correction effects” on page 352
YC Waveform
The YC Waveform displays a graph showing the signal intensity in the video clip. The horizontal axis of the graph
corresponds to the video image (from left to right) and the vertical axis is the signal intensity in units called IRE (named
for the Institute of Radio Engineers).
The YC Waveform displays luminance information as a green waveform. Bright objects produce a waveform pattern
(bright green areas) near the top of the graph; darker objects produce a waveform toward the bottom. For NTSC video
in the United States, luminance levels should range from 7.5 to 100 IRE (sometimes referred to as the legal broadcast
limit). Japan’s implementation of NTSC standards permits a luminance range from 0 to 100 IRE. Generally, luminance
and chroma values should be about the same and distributed evenly across the 7.5 to 100 IRE range.
The YC Waveform also displays chrominance information as a blue waveform. The chrominance information is
overlaid upon the luminance waveform.
You can specify whether the YC Waveform displays both luminance and chrominance information, or just luminance
information. For a video on reading a waveform monitor, see www.adobe.com/go/vid0238.
BA
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YC Waveform with the chroma control enabled
A. IRE units B. Luminance (green) waveform C. Chrominance (blue) waveform D. Range of signal components
The YC Waveform has the following controls:
Intensity Adjusts the brightness of the waveform display. It does not affect the video output signal.
Setup (7.5 IRE) Displays a waveform that approximates the final analog video output signal. Deselecting this option
displays the digital video information.
Chroma Displays both chrominance in addition to luminance information. Deselecting this option displays only the
luminance.
More Help topics
Reading a waveform monitor
YCbCr Parade
The YCbCr Parade scope displays waveforms representing levels of the luminance and color difference channels in the
video signal. The waveforms appear in a graph one after another.
The Intensity control adjusts the brightness of the waveforms. It does not affect the video output signal.
Note: Cb and Cr are the color difference channels in a digital video signal. Cb is blue minus luma and Cr is red minus
luma. Y represents luma.
YCbCr Parade scope
A. Values B. Y (luminance) waveform C. Cb waveform D. Cr waveform E. Range of signal components
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RGB Parade
The RGB Parade scope displays waveforms representing the levels of the red, green, and blue channels in a clip. The
waveforms appear in a graph one after another, in parade fashion. This scope is useful for viewing the distribution of
the color components in a clip. The levels of each color channel are measured proportionately to each other using a
scale of 0 to 100.
The Intensity control adjusts the brightness of the waveforms. It doesn’t affect the video output signal.
RGB Parade scope
A. Values B. R waveform C. G waveform D. B waveform E. Range of signal components
Using the Reference Monitor
The Reference Monitor acts like a secondary Program Monitor. You can use a Reference Monitor to compare different
frames of a sequence side by side, or to view the same frame of a sequence using different viewing modes.
You can cue the frame of a sequence displayed in the Reference Monitor independently from the Program Monitor.
This way, you can cue each view to a different frame for comparison—to use the color matching filter, for example.
Alternatively, you can gang the Reference Monitor and Program Monitor together, so that they both show the same
frame of a sequence and move in tandem. This is especially useful for color-correcting tasks. By setting the Reference
Monitor’s viewing mode to a waveform monitor or vectorscope, you can make adjustments to the color corrector or
any other video filter more effectively.
Using a Reference Monitor to aid in setting video levels
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You can specify the Reference Monitor’s quality setting, magnification, and viewing mode just as you would in the
Program Monitor. Its time ruler and viewing area bar also work the same. But because it’s for your reference and not
for editing per se, the Reference Monitor contains controls for cueing to frames, not for playback or editing. When you
gang the Reference Monitor and Program Monitor together, you can use the Program Monitor’s playback controls.
You may open only one Reference Monitor.
Andrew Devis shows how to correct brightness and contrast, and use of the Reference Monitor in this video on the
Creative Cow website.
Open a Reference Monitor
❖In the Window menu, choose Reference Monitor. The Reference Monitor opens in a separate panel. If you want,
you can drag the Reference Monitor’s tab into a drop zone next to the Source Monitor.
Gang the Reference Monitor and Program Monitor
You can gang the Reference Monitor and the Program Monitor so that both always monitor the same frame.
❖Do one of the following:
•In the Reference Monitor, click the Gang To Program Monitor button .
•In the Reference Monitor’s panel menu, choose Gang To Program Monitor.
•In the Program Monitor’s panel menu, choose Gang To Reference Monitor.
Both Monitors show the same frame. Moving the current-time indicator in either the Reference Monitor, the
Program Monitor, or the Timeline will move the current-time indicators in the other two to the same frame.
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Chapter 8: Editing sequences and clips
Creating and changing sequences
In Premiere Pro, you specify the settings for each sequence, trim your clips, and assemble clips in sequences.
Every Premiere Pro project can contain one or more sequences, and each sequence in a project can have settings
different from the settings for the others. For example, one project can contain one sequence optimized for 30-fps
widescreen DV assets, another for standard 24-fps DV assets, and still another for HDV footage.
You assemble and rearrange sequences in one or more Timeline panels, where their clips, transitions, and effects are
represented graphically. You can open a particular sequence on a tab in a Timeline panel among other sequences, or
keep it by itself in its own dedicated Timeline panel.
A sequence can consist of multiple video and audio tracks running parallel in a Timeline panel. Multiple tracks are
used to superimpose or mix clips. A sequence must contain at least one video track and one audio track.
Sequences with audio tracks must also contain a master audio track, where the output of regular audio tracks is
directed for mixing. Multiple audio tracks are used to mix audio. You can specify the type of audio channels supported
by each audio track and decide how they are sent to a Master audio track. To achieve even greater control over the
mixing process, you can create submix tracks.
Andrew Devis shows how to create a new sequence using a clip’s known dimensions in this video tutorial on the
Creative Cow website.
Andrew Devis shows how to create a new sequence from a clip’s dimensions by dragging a clip to the New Item button
in the Project panel in this video tutorial. The default scale to sequence size function is also discussed.
This chapter from the “Adobe Premiere Pro Classroom in a Book” explains how to set up projects, sequences, and
preferences when getting started with Premiere Pro.
Tracy Peterson provides a video tutorial that demonstrates several editing improvements in Premiere Pro CS5 on the
Adobe website.
See this video on the Creative Cow website by Andrew Devis for information about “Editing Source Footage with
Effects Already Applied.
For information about editing tools, see the chapter “Using editing tools: rolling, ripple, slip, slide, lift, and extract”
from Premiere Pro CS5 Classroom in a Book.
For more information about getting started with editing in Premiere Pro, see this video by Learn by Video and
video2brain by Maxim Jago.
For resources about getting started with editing in Premiere Pro, see this blog post by Kevin Monahan.
“FAQ: How do I choose the right sequence settings?”
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Timeline panels
Timeline panel
A. Sequence tabs B. Time ruler C. Video tracks D. Audio tracks
A single Timeline panel appears in a frame in the lower central portion of the screen when you first launch Premiere
Pro, open any of its default workspaces, or create a project. You can remove all sequences from a Timeline panel, or
add multiple sequences to it, each appearing as a tab within that Timeline panel. You can also open multiple Timeline
panels, each within its own frame, with each containing any number of sequences.
More Help topics
“Audio tracks in a sequence” on page 216
“Play video in the Source Monitor and Program Monitor” on page 127
Open additional Timeline panels
You can open more than one Timeline panel if you have more than one sequence in a project.
1Open more than one sequence. For more information about opening sequences see “Open a sequence” on page 173.
Each will appear in its own tab in the default Timeline panel.
2Drag a sequence tab and drop it into another docking area.
The sequence tab appears in a new Timeline panel.
Open a sequence in a Timeline panel
You can open one or more sequences in a Timeline panel.
❖In the Project panel, double-click the sequence you want to open.
Navigate in a sequence
A Timeline panel contains several controls for moving through the frames of a sequence.
A B
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Time navigation controls in a Timeline panel
A. Current-time display B. Play head and current-time indicator C. Work area bar D. Viewing area bar E. Time ruler F. Source track
indicators G. Zoom out H. Zoom slider I. Zoom in
Time ruler Measures sequence time horizontally. Tick marks and numbers indicating the sequence time are displayed
along the ruler and change according to the level of detail at which you view the sequence. By default these tick marks
and numbers are based on the timecode display style specified in the Display Format field of the New Sequence dialog
box (although you may toggle to a counting method based on audio samples). The time ruler also displays icons for
markers and the sequence In and Out points.
Current-time indicator (CTI) Indicates the current frame displayed in the Program Monitor. The current frame
displays in the Program Monitor. The current-time indicator is a light blue triangle in the ruler. A vertical line extends
from the current-time indicator to the bottom of the time ruler. You can change the current time by dragging the
current-time indicator.
Current time display Shows the timecode for the current frame in a Timeline panel. To move to a different time, click
in the time display and enter a new time, or place the pointer over the display and drag left or right. You can change
the display between timecode and the simple frame count by Ctrl-clicking (Windows) or command-clicking (Mac OS)
the current time in either a monitor or a Timeline panel.
Viewing area bar Corresponds to the visible part of the sequence in a Timeline panel. You can change the size and
position of the viewing area bar to quickly view different parts of the sequence. The viewing area bar is located just
above the time ruler.
Work area bar Specifies the area of the sequence that you want to preview or export. The work area bar is located in
the lower portion of the time ruler.
Zoom controls Change the scale of the time ruler to increase or decrease the number of frames visible within the
current viewing area. The zoom controls are located at the bottom left of a Timeline panel.
Source track indicator Represents a video or audio track of the clip in the Source Monitor. Place into the head of the
Timeline track where you want to insert or overwrite the source clip track.
In this Premiere Pro tutorial in the Creative Cow website, Richard Harrington gives some quick tips on how to navigate
the timeline quickly while controlling your video clips like a pro.
Position the current-time indicator in a Timeline panel
❖Do any of the following:
•In the time ruler, drag the current-time indicator or click where you want to position the current-time indicator.
•Drag in the current time display.
•Click in the current time display, type a valid time, and press Enter (Windows) or Return (Mac OS).
•Use any playback control in the Program Monitor.
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•Press the Left or Right Arrow key to move the current-time indicator in the direction you want. Press Shift while
pressing the arrow keys to move in increments of five frames.
Move the current-time indicator using timecode
❖Click the timecode value, type a new time, and press Enter (Windows) or Return (Mac OS). Do not use the number
pad on Mac OS. You can use any of the following shortcuts when entering timecode:
Omit leading zeros For example, 0;0;12;3 becomes 00;00;12;03.
Omit semicolons (NTSC) or colons (PAL) For example, 1213 becomes 00;00;12;13 for NTSC projects, and 00:00:12:13
for PAL projects.
Enter values that exceed the normal values For example, with 30 fps timecode, if the current-time indicator is at
00;00;12;23, and you want to move 10 frames ahead, you can change the frame number to 00;00;12;33. The current-
time indicator moves to 00;00;13;03.
Include a plus sign (+) or minus sign (–) A plus sign or minus sign before a number moves the current-time indicator
ahead or back a specified number of frames. For example, +55 moves the current-time indicator ahead 55 frames.
Add a period A period before a number specifies an exact frame number, rather than its timecode value. For example,
.1213 moves the current-time indicator to 00;00;40;13 in an NTSC project, and to 00:00:48:13 in a PAL project.
You can also position the Selection tool over the timecode value and drag to the left or right. The farther you drag, the
more quickly the timecode changes.
Snap to clip edges and markers
❖Shift-drag the current-time indicator in a Timeline panel.
Zoom into or out of a sequence in a Timeline panel
❖Do one of the following:
•To zoom in, select the Zoom tool , and then click or drag a marquee selection around the part of the sequence
you want to see in more detail. To zoom out, select the Zoom tool , and then Alt-click (Windows) or Option-
click (Mac OS) an area in a Timeline panel.
•To zoom in, drag the zoom slider to the right, or click the Zoom In button . To zoom out, drag the zoom slider
to the left, or click the Zoom Out button .
•To zoom in, drag the ends of the viewing area bar closer together. To zoom out, drag them farther apart.
•(Roman and Russian keyboards only) To zoom out so that the entire sequence appears in a Timeline panel, press
the backslash (\) key. To zoom in to the view you had before pressing the backslash key, press the backslash key
again.
Scroll through a sequence in a Timeline panel
❖With a Timeline panel active, press the Up Arrow key to move left and the Down Arrow key to move right. The
sequence will scroll left or right by the number of frames visible in the viewing area.
Work with tracks
The video and audio tracks in a Timeline panel are where you arrange clips, edit them, and add special effects. You can
add or remove tracks as needed, rename them, and determine which to affect by a procedure.
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More Help topics
“Fixed effects” on page 274
Add tracks
New video tracks appear above existing video tracks, and new audio tracks appear below existing audio tracks.
Deleting a track removes all clips in the track but does not affect source clips listed in the Project panel.
Note: You can add any number of tracks, limited only by your system’s resources.
1With a Timeline panel active, choose Sequence > Add Tracks.
2In the Add Tracks dialog box, do any of the following:
•To add tracks, type, or drag the hot text to, the number of tracks you want to add in the Add field for video, audio,
and audio submix tracks.
•To specify the placement of added tracks, choose an option from the Placement menu for each type of track added.
•To specify the type of audio or submix track you want to add, choose an option from the Track Type menu for audio
and audio submix tracks. (For more about audio channel types, see “Audio tracks in a sequence” on page 216.)
3Click OK.
Note: An audio track can accept only audio clips that use the matching channel type—mono, stereo, or 5.1. If you’re not
sure what kind of audio your clips use, select the clip in the Project panel and read its information in the preview area.
You can add a track as you add a clip to the sequence. See “Add a track while adding a clip” on page 176.
Andrew Devis shows how to add and remove tracks in this video tutorial on the Creative Cow website.
Delete tracks
You can delete one or more tracks at a time, whether video or audio.
1With a Timeline panel active, choose Sequence > Delete Tracks.
2In the Delete Tracks dialog box, check the box for each type of track you want to delete.
3For each checked item, specify which tracks you want to delete in its menu.
Rename a track
1Right-click (Windows) or Ctrl-click (Mac OS) the track's name and choose Rename.
2Type a new name for the track, and press Enter (Windows) or Return (Mac OS).
Specify the tracks to change with Sync Lock
You can determine which tracks will be affected when your perform an insert, ripple delete, or ripple trim operation
by enabling Sync Lock on those tracks. Tracks which have a clip that is part of the operation will always shift regardless
of their sync-lock state, but the other tracks will shift their clip content only if their sync lock is enabled. With an insert
edit, for example, if you want all the clips to the right of the edit on Video 1 and Audio 1 to shift to the right while
leaving all the clips on Audio 2 in place, enable Sync Lock on Video 1 and Audio 1.
❖Do one of the following:
•To enable Sync Lock for selected tracks, click the Toggle Sync Lock box at the head of each video and audio track
you want to be affected by the edit.
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•To enable Sync Lock for all tracks of a particular type, video or audio, Shift-click the Toggle Sync Lock box at the
head of any track of that type.
The Sync Lock icon will appear in the box, and Sync Lock will be enabled for those tracks.
Note: To disable Sync Lock on one or more tracks, click, or Shift-click for all tracks of a type, the Toggle Sync Lock box
again so that it contains no Sync Lock icon.
Andrew Devis shows how to use Sync Lock and track targeting in this video tutorial on the Creative Cow website.
Franklin McMahon shows a good application of Sync Lock in this video on the Layers Magazine website.
Prevent changes with Track Lock
Locking an entire track is useful for preventing changes to any clips on that track while you work on other parts of the
sequence. In a Timeline panel, a pattern of slashes appears over a locked track. Although clips in a locked track cannot
be modified in any way, they are included when you preview or export the sequence. If you want to lock both a video
track and a track with corresponding audio, lock each track separately. When you lock a target track, it is no longer
the target; source clips cannot be added to the track until you unlock it and target it again.
You can lock a track to prevent it from shifting when you perform insert edits.
❖Click in the Toggle Track Lock box to display the Lock icon next to the track name.
An unlocked track (top) and locked track (bottom)
Exclude tracks in a sequence
You can exclude video or audio clips in any track from previews and export. Clips in excluded video tracks appear as
black video in the Program Monitor and in output files. Clips in excluded audio tracks are not output to the Audio
Mixer, to the speakers, or to output files.
Note: Excluding a track with the Eye icon does not exclude it from outputs. If excluded tracks hold clips that run before or
after clips on non-excluded tracks, black video will appear before or after the last clips in the non-excluded tracks. To trim
this ending black video from the output files, set the In point and Out point as desired in the Export Settings dialog box.
❖Click to hide the Eye icon (for video) or the Speaker icon (for audio) at the left edge of the track. (Each icon
is a toggle switch. Click its box again to display the icon and include the track.)
Note: To exclude all video or all audio tracks, Shift-click to hide the Eye icon (for video) or the Speaker icon (for
audio). This excludes all tracks of the same type. (Each icon is a toggle switch. Shift-click its box again to display all the
icons and include the tracks.)
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Set track display
You can customize the tracks in a Timeline panel in several ways. You can expand or collapse tracks to display or hide
track controls. Choosing from several display options, you can control how video and audio clips appear on a track.
In addition, you can change the size of the header area or move the boundary between the video and audio tracks to
display more tracks of either type.
Expand and resize a track
You can expand a track to display track controls. Increase the height of a track to better see icons and keyframes or to
display larger views of video track thumbnails and audio track waveforms.
1To expand or collapse a track, click the triangle to the left of the track name.
2To resize the track, position the pointer in the track header area between two tracks so that the height adjustment
icon appears, and then drag up or down to resize the track below (for video) or the track above (for audio).
Collapsed tracks always appear at the same height and cannot be resized.
You can expand an audio track to use the audio fade line for either individual clips in that track or for the entire audio
track.
Set the display style of the video track
1Expand the track by clicking the triangle next to the track name.
2Click the Set Display Style button at the left corner below the track name, and choose an option from the menu:
Show Head Only Displays a thumbnail image at the beginning of the clips in the expanded track.
Show Frames Displays thumbnail images along the entire duration of the clips in the expanded track. The number of
thumbnail frames corresponds to the time units displayed in the time ruler.
Show Name Only Displays the name of clips in the expanded track, without thumbnail images.
Show Head And Tail Displays a thumbnail image at the beginning and end of clips in the expanded track.
Set the default keyframe display of video tracks
You can determine whether new video tracks show all keyframes, hide all keyframes, or show opacity handles, by
default when they are created.
1Select Edit >Preferences > General (Windows), or Premiere Pro > Preferences > General (Mac OS).
2In the New Timeline Video Tracks drop-down menu, select the option desired.
3Click OK.
Set the default keyframe display of audio tracks
You can determine whether new audio tracks hide all keyframes, or show Clip Keyframes, Clip Volume, Track
Keyframes, or Track Volume, by default when they are created.
1Select Edit >Preferences > General (Windows), or Premiere Pro > Preferences > General (Mac OS).
2In the New Timeline Audio Tracks drop-down menu, select the option desired.
3Click OK.
Set the display style of the audio track
1Expand the track by clicking the triangle next to the track name.
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2Click the Set Display Style button , and choose an option from the menu:
Show Waveform Displays audio waveforms in clips.
Show Name Only Displays the name of audio clips without waveforms.
Note: For information about viewing and adjusting keyframes in video and audio tracks, see “View keyframes and
graphs” on page 415.
Resize the track header section
❖Position the pointer over the right edge of the track header (where track names are listed) so that the resize icon
appears, and then drag the right edge.
The icons at the top of the track header limit its minimum width. The maximum width is about twice the minimum
width.
Adjust visible area of video and audio tracks
1Either in the track header area on the left or between the scroll bars on the right, position the pointer between the
Video 1 and Audio 1 tracks.
2When the height adjustment icon appears , drag up or down.
Create a sequence
In many cases, you want to create a sequence that matches the characteristics of the primary assets (clips) that you’ll
be editing. You can create a sequence that matches the characteristics of an asset by dragging the asset to the New Item
button at the bottom of the Project panel.
You can also create a sequence by using a sequence preset. The sequence presets included with Premiere Pro include
the correct settings for common types of assets. For example, if you have footage mostly in DV format, use a DV
sequence preset.
If you plan to specify lower quality settings for output (such as streaming web video), don’t change your sequence
settings. Instead, change your export settings later.
For information about learning the parameters of your assets, see “Selecting a sequence preset” on page 147.
When all the parameters of your assets do not match all the settings of any preset do one of the following. In the
Sequence Presets tab of the New Sequence dialog box,
•select a preset with most settings matching the parameters of the assets you want to edit, then select the General tab
(called the “Settings” tab in Adobe Premiere Pro CS5.5 and later), and customize the preset so that its settings match
the asset parameters exactly,
•without selecting a preset, select the General tab of the New Preset dialog box. Select Desktop from the Editing
Mode menu (called “Custom” in Adobe Premiere Pro CS5.5 and later), and customize the settings on the General
tab until they match the parameters of your assets.
If your computer has a capture card compatible with Premiere Pro, the Available Presets list shows presets optimized
for the card, in some cases.
The sequence settings must be correct when you create the sequence. Once a sequence is created, some sequence
settings, such as the timebase settings, are locked. This locking prevents unwanted inconsistencies that could result
from changing sequence settings later.
1Do one of the following:
•Select File > New > Sequence
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•In the Project panel, click New Item . Then select Sequence.
2On the Sequence Presets tab, select a preset from the Available Presets list.
3Type the name of the sequence, and then click OK.
In Premiere Pro CS5.5 and later, you can create a new sequence from a selected clip by one of the following methods:
•Drag and drop a clip onto the New Item button.
•Choose File > New > Sequence from Clip.
Note: When a merged clip is used to create a new Sequence from Clip (in Adobe Premiere Pro CS5.5 and later), there may
be empty stereo audio tracks, depending on the media format. You may delete these empty stereo audio tracks, if you wish.
Ever had some footage and weren’t sure which sequence preset to use? Now, there’s an easy trick featuring the New
Item button to get started editing natively. Karl Soule shows you how in this video tutorial.
Andrew Devis demonstrates how to create a sequence with settings that match those of a footage item in this video
tutorial on the Creative COW website.
“FAQ: How do I choose the right sequence settings?”
More Help topics
“Selecting a sequence preset” on page 147
Sequence presets and settings
All sequence settings apply to the whole sequence, and most cannot be changed after a sequence is created.
When creating a sequence, you can select from among the standard sequence presets. Alternatively, you can customize
a group of settings, and save the group in a custom sequence settings preset. If you want full control over almost all the
sequence parameters, start a new sequence and customize its settings.
After you begin working in a sequence, you can review sequence settings, but you can change only a few of them.
Choose Sequence > Sequence Settings to view the settings you can change.
Creating a sequence opens the New Sequence dialog box. The New Sequence dialog box contains three tabs, each with
a number of settings: Sequence Presets, General, and Tracks.
Andrew Devis demonstrates how to create a sequence with settings that match those of a footage item in this video
tutorial on the Creative COW website.
Robbie Carman explains how to customize sequence settings to speed up renders in this video tutorial.
“FAQ: How do I choose the right sequence settings?”
More Help topics
“Change sequence preview resolution settings” on page 148
Sequence Presets options
Available Presets are groups of sequence settings. Premiere Pro comes with several categories of sequence settings
presets installed: AVC-Intra, AVCHD, Digital SLR, DV-24p, DV-NTSC (North American standard), DV-PAL
(European standard), DVCPRO50, DVCPROHD, HDV, Mobile & Devices, XDCAM EX, XDCAM HD422, and
XDCAM HD. These contain the correct settings for the most typical sequence types. Use the AVC-Intra, DVCPRO50,
and DVCPROHD sequence settings presets to edit AVC-Intra or DVCPRO material shot on Panasonic P2 video
cameras. For DV25 material recorded in Panasonic P2 format, use a preset for DV-NTSC or DV-PAL, depending on
the television standard of the footage.
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For more information about international television standards, see the video tutorial, lynda.com Digital Video
Principles - Video standards.
Note: A number of sequence presets are excluded from the trial version of Premiere Pro. See “Premiere Pro trial versions”
on page 42. This is not true for Premiere Pro CS5.5, which has all of the codecs included in the full version so users of the
trial version will be able to import any file that can be imported using the full version.
General settings (CS5) - Settings (CS5.5 and later)
The settings on the General tab of the New Sequence dialog box control the fundamental characteristics of the
sequence. In Premiere Pro CS5.5 and later, this tab is called “Settings.”
Choose General settings that conform to the specifications for the type of output intended for your project. For
example, if your target output is DV NTSC, use the DV NTSC editing mode. Changing these settings arbitrarily often
results in a loss of quality.
Editing Mode Determines the following:
•the video format used for preview files and playback,
•the timebases available,
•the compression methods which appear in the Video Settings panel,
•the display formats available.
Choose an Editing Mode option that best matches the specifications of your target format, preview display, or capture
card.
The editing mode does not determine the format of your final movie. You specify output settings when you export.
In Premiere Pro CS5, the Desktop editing mode allows you to customize all of the other sequence settings. In Premiere
Pro CS5.5 and later, this editing mode is called “Custom.”
DV video and audio use standardized settings that are specified automatically when you select either DV editing mode.
When you use a DV editing mode, avoid changing the Timebase, Frame Size, Pixel Aspect Ratio, Fields, and Sample
Rate settings.
Note: (Windows only) To access the Uncompressed UYVY 422 8-Bit codec or the V210 10-bit YUV codec, select Desktop
for the Editing Mode.
Timebase Specifies the time divisions Premiere Pro uses to calculate the time position of each edit. In general, choose
24 for editing motion-picture film, 25 for editing PAL (European standard) and SECAM video, and 29.97 for editing
NTSC (North American standard) video. The frame rate of the video you play back or export from sequences is not
the same as its timebase. However, timebase and frame rate are often set to the same value. The options listed for
Timebase vary according to the editing mode you select.
Playback Settings For information about Playback Settings, see “Preview on a television monitor via camcorder or
deck” on page 208.
Frame Size Specifies the dimensions, in pixels, for frames when you play back sequences. In most cases, match the
frame size for your project to the frame size of your source files. Do not change the frame size to compensate for slow
playback. Instead, choose a different quality setting from the Project panel menu. Alternatively, you can adjust the
frame size of final output by changing export settings.
The maximum frame size for a sequence is 10,240x8,192. More information on maximum image sizes is found here.
Pixel Aspect Ratio Sets the aspect ratio for individual pixels. Choose Square Pixels for analog video, scanned images,
and computer-generated graphics, or choose the format used by your source. If you use a pixel aspect ratio different
from the pixel aspect ratio of your video, the video often gets rendered with distortion.
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Fields Specifies the field order, or which field of each frame is drawn first. If you work with progressive-scan video,
select No Fields (Progressive Scan). Many capture cards capture fields regardless of whether the source footage was
shot with progressive scan. (See “Interlaced video, noninterlaced video, and progressive scanning” on page 309)
Display Format (Video) Premiere Pro can display any of several formats of timecode. You can display the project
timecode in a film format, for example, if you are editing footage captured from film. You can display timecode in
simple frame numbers if your assets came from an animation program. Changing the Display Format option does not
alter the frame rate of clips or sequences—it changes only how their timecodes are displayed. The time display options
correspond to standards for editing video and motion-picture film. For Frames and Feet + Frames timecodes, you can
change the starting frame number to match the time-counting method of another editing system you use.
The options made visible in the Display Format field depend on the Editing Mode selected. You can choose from the
following Display Format options, depending on which editing mode is selected:
•30-fps Drop-Frame Timecode Reports time in hours, minutes, seconds, and frames, separating units with
semicolons. Drop-frame timecode assumes a rate of 30 frames per second (fps), but skips some numbers by design. To
accommodate the NTSC actual frame rate of 29.97 fps, drop-frame timecode skips, or drops, two frame numbers each
minute except every tenth minute. Using drop-frame timecode drops timecode numbers, not the actual frames of
video. Use drop-frame timecode for output to NTSC videotape.
•30-fps Non Drop-Frame Timecode Reports time in hours, minutes, seconds, and frames, separating units with
colons. It assumes a rate of 30 fps and does not drop frame numbers. Use for output to computer displays via the web
or CD-ROM.
•24-fps Timecode Reports time in hours, minutes, seconds, and frames; separating units with colons. Use for 24p
footage and to output to 24-fps formats for film and DVD distribution.
•25-fps Timecode Reports time in hours, minutes, seconds, and frames, separating units with colons. Use for output
to PAL videotape.
•Feet + Frames 16mm Reports time in feet and frames, assuming the frame rate of 16mm film: 40 frames per foot.
Use for output to 16mm film.
•Feet + Frames 35mm Reports time in feet and frames, assuming the frame rate of 35mm film: 16 frames per foot.
Use for output to 35mm film.
•Frames Reports time solely in a running count of frames. Does not assign measurements of either time or spatial
length. Use to output sequential stills such as those generated for an animation or DPX film editor.
Note: When working with NTSC video assets, use 30-fps drop-frame timecode. This format conforms with the timecode
base inherent in NTSC video footage and displays its duration most accurately.
Sample Rate (Audio) In general, higher rates provide better audio quality when you play back audio in sequences, but
they require more disk space and processing. Resampling, or setting a different rate from the original audio, also
requires additional processing time and affects the quality. Try to record audio at a high-quality sample rate, and
capture audio at the rate at which it was recorded.
Display Format (Audio) Specifies whether audio time display is measured using audio samples or milliseconds.
Display Format applies when Show Audio Time Units is selected in the Source Monitor or Program Monitor menu.
(By default, time is displayed in frames, but it can be displayed in audio units for sample-level precision when you are
editing audio.)
Video Previews settings Video Previews settings determine the file format, compressor, and color depth Premiere Pro
uses for preview files and playback of clips and sequences.
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Among the various options, you can reduce the frame size of previews. This reduction permits faster and easier
playback of formats with large frame sizes, such as HD and RED.
•Preview File Format Select a file format that gives the best quality previews while keeping rendering time and file
size within tolerances acceptable for your system. For certain editing modes, only one file format is available.
•Codec Specifies the codec used for creating preview files for the sequence.
(Windows only) The Uncompressed UYVY 422 8-bit codec and the V210 10-bit YUV codec match the specifications
for SD-SDI and HD-SDI video respectively. Select one of them if you intend to monitor or output to one of these
formats. To access either of these formats, first choose the Desktop Editing Mode.
Note: If you use a clip without applying effects or changing frame or time characteristics, Premiere Pro uses the original
codec of the clip for playback. If you make changes that require recalculation of each frame, Premiere Pro applies the codec
that you choose here.
•Width Specifies the frame width of video previews, constrained by the pixel aspect ratio of the original media.
•Height Specifies the frame height of video previews, constrained by the pixel aspect ratio of the original media.
•Reset Clears existing previews and specifies full size for all following previews.
•Maximum Bit Depth Maximizes the color bit depth, up to 32 bpc, to include in video played back in sequences. This
setting is often not available if the selected compressor provides only one option for bit depth. You can also specify an
8-bit (256-color) palette when preparing a sequence for 8-bpc color playback, such as when using the Desktop editing
mode for the web or for some presentation software. If your project contains high-bit-depth assets generated by
programs such as Adobe Photoshop, or by high-definition camcorders, select Maximum Bit Depth. Premiere Pro then
uses of all the color information in those assets when processing effects or generating preview files.
•Maximum Render Quality Maintains sharp detail when scaling from large formats to smaller formats, or from high-
definition to standard-definition formats. Maximum Render Quality maximizes the quality of motion in rendered
clips and sequences. Selecting this option often renders moving assets more sharply.
At maximum quality, rendering takes more time, and uses more RAM than at the default normal quality. Select this
option only on systems with sufficient RAM. The Maximum Render Quality option is not recommended for systems
with the minimum required RAM.
Maximum Render Quality often makes highly compressed image formats, or those containing compression artifacts,
look worse because of sharpening.
Note: For best results with Maximum Render Quality, select Memory from the Optimize Rendering For menu in
preferences. For more information, see “Optimize rendering for available memory” on page 50.
Save Preset Opens the Save Settings dialog box, where you can name, describe, and save your sequence settings.
Save and name your sequence settings even if you plan to use them in only one project. Saving settings creates a backup
copy of the settings to which you can revert in case someone accidentally alters the current sequence settings.
Tracks settings
Controls the number of video tracks and the number and type of audio tracks for new sequences you create.
Master Sets the default channel type for the Master track in new sequences to Mono, Stereo, 5.1 surround, or 16
Channel.
Note: If you must change sequence settings that are unavailable, you can create a sequence with the settings you want.
Then move the contents of the current sequence into it.
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Selecting a sequence preset
To ensure that a sequence is created to match the characteristics of an asset, drag the asset in the Project panel to the
New Item button at the bottom of the Project panel. This prevents many mistakes that are made when entering
sequence settings incorrectly or choosing the wrong sequence preset.
A sequence can contain different types of assets, in different formats, and with various different parameters. However,
Premiere Pro performs best when the settings for a sequence match the parameters of most of the assets used in that
sequence. To optimize performance and reduce rendering times, find out the following parameters for the primary
assets you want to edit before creating a sequence. After learning the asset parameters, you can create a sequence with
settings to match. Before capturing assets from a tape-based device, learn these parameters also, so that you can select
the correct capture settings.
•recording format (for example, DV, or DVCPRO HD)
•file format (for example, AVI, MOV, or VOB
•frame aspect ratio (for example, 16:9, or 4:3)
•pixel aspect ratio (for example, 1.0, or 0.9091)
•frame rate (for example, 29.97 fps, or 23.976 fps)
•time base (for example, 29.97 fps, or 23.976 fps)
•fields (for example, progressive or interlaced)
•audio sample rate (for example, 32 Hz, or 48 Hz)
•video codec
•audio codec
You can use the Properties panel to discover many of these parameters for your assets. See “Viewing clip properties”
on page 111. Alternatively, you can use a third-party application, such as the freeware, MediaInfo, or GSpot Codec
Information Appliance. To find the codecs used to generate a file, you can also choose Window > Show Movie
Inspector in Apple QuickTime Player.
Assets can use codecs not supported natively by Premiere Pro. Often, you can edit these assets after installing the
relevant codecs. However, beware of installing untested codecs that may themselves introduce severe problems with
your computer system.
More Help topics
“Viewing clip properties” on page 111
Troubleshoot file formats and codecs
“Set capture format, preferences, and tracks” on page 79
“File formats supported for import” on page 58
Create a custom sequence preset
To customize most sequence settings, you must start a new sequence, select an existing preset, and change its settings.
Every editing mode does not support every possible frame rate. To create a custom preset with, for example, a 23.976
fps frame rate, select “Desktop” as the Editing Mode (called “Custom” in Premiere Pro CS5.5 and later). Then, select
23.976 frames/second from the Timebase menu.
1Choose File > New > Sequence, or, in the Project panel, click the New Item button and select Sequence.
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2In the Sequence Presets tab of the New Sequence dialog box, select the preset that most closely matches your video
footage or the requirements of your capture card.
Note: If you plan to create a custom sequence with Desktop (CS5) or Custom (CS5.5 and later) settings (accessed in the
Editing Mode drop-down list), there is no need to select a preset before clicking the General (CS5) or Settings (CS5.5 and
later) tab.
3Modify the settings on the General or Tracks tabs to meet the needs of your project.
4Click Save Preset.
5Name the preset, and, if desired, describe it. Then click OK.
Change sequence settings
You can change some of the settings for an existing sequence. Note that, depending on the Editing Mode selected,
some of the settings will be fixed.
1Do one of the following:
•Select Sequence > Sequence Settings.
•In the Project panel, right-click a sequence, and select Sequence Settings.
2Select the desired settings on the General tab. For more information, see “Sequence presets and settings” on
page 143.
More Help topics
“Sequence presets and settings” on page 143
Change sequence preview resolution settings
You can choose the video preview format and resolution in the Sequence Settings dialog box. Choose a resolution
lower than the sequence frame size to play back previews in real time that the computer cannot play back at full frame
size. During editing, Premiere Pro renders all previews at the specified preview size and scales them to the frame size
of the sequence.
1Select the sequence for which you want to change preview settings. Then, select Sequence > Sequence Settings.
2In the Video Previews pane of the Sequence Settings dialog box, adjust the frame width and height values.
3(Optional) To restore the frame size back to the original frame size for that sequence preset, click Reset.
Note: Some sequence presets have only one file format and codec choice.
Create a widescreen sequence
You can edit widescreen footage shot in DV, HDV, or HD formats. To display and play back widescreen assets
correctly, you must set your sequence settings to accommodate widescreen assets.
1Select File > New > Sequence.
2Select a preset that matches your footage. Do one of the following:
•For DV footage, select one of the DV-NTSC or DV-PAL presets with Widescreen in its name. These use horizontal
pixels (with pixel aspect ratios of 1.2 for NTSC and 1.422 for PAL).
•For an HDV project, select an HDV preset using HD Anamorphic 1080 (pixel aspect ratio 1.333) or Square pixels
(pixel aspect ratio 1.0).
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•For an HD project, select one of the presets provided with your HD capture card.
3Enter a name in the Sequence Name field and click OK.
More Help topics
“Change sequence settings” on page 148
Create an HDV or HD sequence
You can edit HDV footage or HD footage in 720p, 1080p, or 1080i. When creating a new sequence for these formats,
select or create the preset that best matches the specifications of your source footage.
The DVCPROHD presets included with are for editing material recorded to MXF files with a Panasonic P2 camcorder.
Premiere Pro has presets also for AVCHD, XDCAM HD, and XDCAM EX. Additional HD sequence presets are
usually installed into Premiere Pro when an HD capture card that supports Premiere Pro is installed.
For HDV footage, create and save a custom preset with settings to match the settings of your footage. For more
information about creating custom sequence presets, see “Create a custom sequence preset” on page 147.
For best playback performance, it is sometimes helpful to render HD footage when you first place it into a sequence.
1Select File > New > Sequence.
To edit DVCPROHD 720p footage shot at 25fps (e.g. 25pN native mode footage from PAL versions of the Panasonic
HVX200 camera), choose the DVCPROHD 720p 50p preset. Then, select the General tab. Then, from the Timebase
drop-down menu, select 25.00frames/second.
The New Sequence dialog box opens with the Sequence Preset tab selected.
2Select a preset that matches your footage.
3(Optional) To set the number of channels in the Master audio track, select the Tracks tab. In the Master menu in
the Audio pane, select one of the following:
Mono Outputs a single mono channel.
Stereo Outputs two mono channels with stereo panning intact.
5.1 Outputs four mono channels respecting the Left-Front, Right-Front, Left-Rear, and Right-Rear panning.
4Enter a location and name for the project file and click OK.
Note: In Windows, you can create a custom project preset for previewing uncompressed 10-bit or uncompressed 8-bit footage.
For more information, see
“Create a sequence with uncompressed video playback
” on page 150 in Premiere Pro Help.
More Help topics
“Change sequence settings” on page 148
“Importing assets from tapeless formats” on page 65
“Export to Panasonic P2 format” on page 437
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Create a sequence with uncompressed video playback
For the highest quality previews of sequences on an SDI card or device connected to an external monitor, you should
use one of the uncompressed formats for preview files. Uncompressed 8-bit (4:2:2 YUV) is particularly suitable for
projects meant for SD output, while Uncompressed 10-bit (4:2:2 YUV) is best for projects meant for HD. Additionally,
with Uncompressed 10-bit (4:2:2 YUV) and high bit-depth color rendering Premiere Pro will make use of the color
information in 10-bit assets and will upsample other assets in a sequence to generate 10-bit preview files. Premiere Pro
delivers the best preview performance when using these preview file formats on a system with a supported SD-SDI or
HD-SDI card installed.
Both these uncompressed formats do subsample video files at 4:2:2 YUV, but unlike the other file formats available for
preview files, they do not then run the video data through a compressor. They are called uncompressed because they
do not add this second layer of compression, and thereby retain much higher color depth in the previews than the
compressed formats. As a consequence, uncompressed preview files can be quite a bit larger than compressed preview
files.
1Select File > New > Sequence.
2In the New Sequence dialog box, click the General tab.
3From the Editing Mode menu, choose Desktop.
4In the Timebase menu, choose the desired frame rate, such as 24, 25 or 29.97 frames/second.
5In the Video section, choose the desired settings for Frame Size, Pixel Aspect Ratio, Fields, and Display Format. For
example, 1920 x 1080, Square Pixels (1.0), No Fields (Progressive Scan), and 30 fps Drop-Frame Timecode.
6In the Audio section choose the desired settings for Sample Rate and Display Format.
7In the Video Previews section, choose one of these sets of preview file formats and codecs, depending on your
system:
•For Windows, choose Preview File Format: Microsoft AVI and Codec: None (alternatively choose Uncompressed
UYVY 422 8bit).
•For Mac OS, choose Preview File Format: QuickTime and Codec: None (alternatively choose Uncompressed YUV
10 bit 4:2:2 or Uncompressed YUV 8 bit 4:2:2).
You may see different file format and codec choices depending on your optional hardware capture/playback card.
8(Optional) Check the Maximum Bit Depth checkbox if your system supports 10-bit or greater formats.
9(Optional) If you plan to use uncompressed playback again, click Save Preset, give the preset a name and
description, and click OK.
10 Enter a name for the sequence and click OK.
Create a sequence for RED camera footage
1Select File > New > Sequence.
2On the Sequence Presets panel of the New Sequence dialog box, select a RED R3D preset that matches your footage.
3Enter a name in the Sequence Name field and click OK.
More Help topics
“Change sequence settings” on page 148
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24p sequences
About 24p footage and sequences
Footage acquired from a camcorder or by film transfer, at roughly 24 non-interlaced (progressive) fps is called 24p
footage. This footage emulates film in its picture quality and depiction of movement because the 24p frame rate is very
close to that of motion-picture film, and each frame is built from progressive lines (not from interlaced half-frame
fields). 24p formats have become popular among low-budget digital filmmakers because they lend a film look to its
subjects.
To create a DV 24p sequence in Premiere Pro, you select the DV-24p sequence preset that matches the format and
frame aspect ratio of your footage. You can import files and capture footage as usual.
Premiere Pro includes two alternate 24p pulldown schemes for DV 24p: Repeat Frame and Interlaced Frame. Both
options convert 24p footage so that it plays back at 29.97 fps, but there are subtle visual and performance differences
between them. You can select one of these options in the New Sequence settings when starting a new DV-24p
sequence, or change it in an existing sequence.
If you edit DV-24p footage in a sequence based on one of the standard Premiere Pro DV-NTSC presets, Premiere Pro
uses a 24p DV pulldown scheme to convert the footage to 29.97 fps interlaced video for playback to standard NTSC
devices. You would use this method, for example, to export your DV 24p movie to a standard NTSC format for
mastering to tape or broadcasting.
If you edit 24p footage in a sequence based on one of the DV-24p presets, Premiere Pro, by default, manages the 24p
pulldown scheme, so that the video can be exported for playback on 24p NTSC devices. This allows you to export the
movie to a file in a 24p format. You would use this method, for example, to export your movie to a DVD for playback
on DVD players and TV monitors that support 24p formats.
You can use the Adobe Media Encoder to export a 24p movie from Premiere Pro to Adobe Encore. You can open it in
Encore, author your DVD, then master and burn the project as a 24p MPEG-2 stream. The resulting DVD exhibits no
interlacing artifacts on 480p-capable (progressive-scan-capable) DVD players and televisions. Alternatively, you can
export a DV 24p project into a format, such as still-image sequences, appropriate for transfer to film.
Note: Premiere Pro accepts 24p and 24pA footage only from cameras using these schemes.
Not all 24p source media has a pulldown, nor does it necessarily require it. Many new formats are 24 progressive-
native, (24pn).” No pulldown scheme is applied to make them compatible with 30 fps video. Some P2 formats, all
XDCAM and XDCAM-EX formats, and most AVCHD 24p formats are progressive native.
About 3:2 and 24pA pulldown
When you transfer 24-fps film to 29.97-fps video, you use a process called 3:2 pulldown, in which the film frames are
distributed across video fields in a repeating 3:2 pattern. The first frame of film is copied to fields 1 and 2 of the first
frame of video, and also to field 1 of the second video frame. The second frame of film is then spread across the next
two fields of video—field 2 of the second video frame and field 1 of the third frame of video. This 3:2 pattern is repeated
until four frames of film are spread over five frames of video, and then the pattern is repeated.
The 3:2 pulldown process results in whole frames (represented by a W) and split-field frames (represented by an S). The
three whole video frames contain two fields from the same film frame. The remaining two split-field frames contain a
video frame from two different film frames. The two split-field frames are always adjacent to each other.
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The phase of 3:2 pulldown refers to the point at which the two split-field frames fall within the first five frames of the
footage. Phase occurs as a result of two conversions that happen during 3:2 pulldown: 24-fps film is redistributed
through 30-fps video, so each of four frames of 24-fps film is spread out over five frames of 30 (29.97)-fps video. First,
the film is slowed down 0.1% to match the speed difference between 29.97 fps and 30 fps. Next, each film frame is
repeated in a special pattern and mated to fields of video.
When you apply 3:2 pulldown to footage, one frame of the film (A) is separated into two or three interlaced video fields (B) which are grouped
into video frames containing two fields each.
It’s important to remove 3:2 pulldown from video footage that was originally film, so that effects you add synchronize
perfectly with the original frame rate of film. Removing 3:2 pulldown reduces the frame rate by 1/5: from 30 to 24 fps
or from 29.97 to 23.976 fps. Reducing the frame rate also reduces the number of frames you have to change.
Premiere Pro also supports Panasonic DVX100 24p DV camera pulldown, called 24p Advance (24pA). This format is
used by some cameras to capture 23.976 progressive-scan imagery using standard DV tapes.
For more information about 24p pulldown schemes, see the video tutorial, Digital Video Principles: Converting 24 fps
video, on the lynda.com Digital Video Principles - Converting 24 fps video.
Chris Meyer provides links to resources about pulldown in this article on the ProVideo Coalition website.
More Help topics
“Disable 24p pulldown to simulate film-video transfer” on page 153
Create a 24p sequence
1Select File > New > Sequence.
2From the Available Presets list on the Sequence Presets tab, choose the 24p preset that matches the frame aspect
ratio and audio sampling rate of most of your footage. 24p presets are located in the DV-24p, DVCPRO50 > 480i,
DVCPROHD > 1080i, and DVCPROHD > 720p folders.
3Select a location, type a name for your sequence, and click OK.
Note: If you capture 24p footage, Premiere Pro recognizes the footage as 24p and treats it accordingly, regardless of your
sequence settings.
Set 24p playback options
You set playback settings when you create a new sequence.
1Choose File > New >Sequence.
2In the New Sequence dialog box, click the General tab.
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A
B
WS S WW
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3Click Playback Settings.
4In the 24p Conversion Method pane, select one of the following options:
Repeat Frame (ABBCD) Duplicates frames where necessary to maintain 29.97 fps playback. This option uses fewer
CPU resources.
Interlaced Frame (2:3:3:2) Combines the frames in a telecine-like scheme to maintain 29.97 fps playback. This option
produces smooth playback but uses more CPU resources.
5Click OK in the Playback Settings dialog box, and click OK in the New Sequence dialog box.
Disable 24p pulldown to simulate film-video transfer
By default, Premiere Pro uses a 24p pulldown scheme to play back 24p DV footage at 29.97 fps in a project based on
one of the NTSC presets. You can disable the pulldown scheme to give your movie the look of a film transferred to
video or broadcast, without frame interpolation.
1Right-click (Windows) or Control-click (Mac OS) a 24p clip in the Project panel.
2Select Modify > Interpret Footage.
3Under Frame Rate, select Remove 24p DV Pulldown.
4Click OK.
Additionally, you can apply any of a number of third-party film-look plug-in effects to the master sequence. These
plug-ins can often perform telecine-style conversion, or add grain or color correction to simulate various film stocks.
Pay close attention to lighting and, during shooting, use tripods and do slow pans to create the appearance of using a
heavy film camera. Attention to these details gives your project more of a film look.
Display 24p source timecode
When you import 24p footage, Premiere Pro treats it as 23.976 fps progressive footage. Because of this, when you work
with 24p footage in a 24p project, the timecode is displayed as 24 fps. However, the camera records and logs 24p
footage in 30 fps non-drop-frame timecode. When you log 24p footage for capture, you log clips according to the
camera’s timecode count of 30 fps non-drop-frame timecode.
For example, a clip that you log for capture may have an In point of 00:01:00:28. However, as an offline clip in a 24p
project, the In point is shown as 00:01:00:23. In addition, mixing non-drop-frame footage with drop-frame footage can
cause larger differences in timecode display between the project and the clip, with minutes, seconds, and entire
durations seemingly out of sync. Be aware of these discrepancies as you edit.
If you use 30 fps non-drop-frame timecode for projects containing 24p footage, Premiere Pro drops every fifth frame
from the 24p footage timecode count. When you view the properties of your 24p clip, the frame rate is shown as 23.976,
but the timebase as 29.97. If you’d prefer to read a clip’s original timecode, do the following:
1Right-click (Windows) or Control-click (Mac OS) the clip in the Project panel.
2Select Modify > Interpret Footage > Use Frame Rate from File.
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Start a mobile device sequence
You can edit video for delivery to mobile phones, portable media players, and other portable devices. Selecting a
project preset that matches the requirements of the target device is the easiest way to get started. When you are done
editing your movie, use Adobe Media Encoder to encode it with the audio and video characteristics correct for the
target devices.
1Do one of the following:
•From the Welcome screen, click New Project.
•Select File > New > Project.
2In the New Project dialog box, click OK.
3In the New Sequence dialog box, select the Sequence Presets tab.
4Select the Mobile & Devices presets folder. Do one of the following:
•To edit a movie aimed exclusively at devices supporting 3GPP video at frame sizes of 176x144 or 88x72, select the
CIF, QCIF, QQCIF preset.
•To edit a movie for distribution on the web or on mobile devices that can display 4:3 video at frame sizes of 320x240
or 128x96, select the iPod, QVGA, Sub-QCIF preset.
5Enter a name in the Sequence Name field and click OK.
More Help topics
“Change sequence settings” on page 148
Using multiple sequences
A single project can contain multiple sequences. Different sequences within the same project can have different
settings. You select settings for each sequence when you create it, but you can change some of these settings after a
sequence is created.
•To switch sequences, in the Program Monitor or in the Timeline panel, click the tab of the sequence you want to
use. The sequence becomes the frontmost tab in both panels.
•To view a sequence in a separate Timeline panel, drag the Sequence tab away from the panel to an empty area. Ctrl-
drag (Windows), or Command-drag (Mac OS) to prevent the panel from docking.
•To open a sequence in the Source Monitor, press Ctrl/Command and double-click the sequence in the Project
panel. In the Timeline panel, press Ctrl/Command and double-click a nested sequence.
Nest sequences
You can nest sequences within sequences—to any depth—to create complex groupings and hierarchies. You can nest
a sequence into another having a different timebase, frame size, and pixel aspect ratio settings. A nested sequence
appears as a single, linked video/audio clip, even though its source sequence can contain numerous video and audio
tracks.
You can select, move, trim, and apply effects to nested sequences as you would to any other clip. Any changes you make
to the source sequence are reflected in any nested instances created from it.
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The ability to nest sequences enables you to employ a number of time-saving techniques and to create effects that
otherwise would be difficult or impossible:
•Reuse sequences. When you want to repeat a sequence—particularly a complex one—you can create it once, and
then simply nest it in another sequence as many times as you want.
•Apply different settings to copies of a sequence. For example, if you want a sequence to play back repeatedly but
with a different effect each time, just apply a different effect to each instance of the nested sequence.
•Streamline your editing space. Create complex, multilayered sequences separately; then add them to your main
sequence as a single clip. This not only saves you from maintaining numerous tracks in the main sequence, but also
potentially reduces the chances of inadvertently moving clips during editing (and possibly losing sync).
•Create complex groupings and nested effects. For example, although you can apply only one transition to an edit
point, you can nest sequences and apply a new transition to each nested clip—creating transitions within
transitions. Or you can create picture-in-picture effects, in which each picture is a nested sequence, containing its
own series of clips, transitions, and effects.
When nesting sequences, keep in mind the following:
•You cannot nest a sequence within itself.
•You cannot nest a sequence containing a 16-channel audio track.
•Actions involving a nested sequence may require additional processing time, because nested sequences can contain
references to many clips, and Premiere Pro applies the actions to all of its component clips.
•A nested sequence always represents the current state of its source. Changing the content of the source sequence is
reflected in the content of nested instances. Duration is not directly affected.
•A nested sequence clip’s initial duration is determined by its source. This includes empty space at the beginning of
the source sequence, but not empty space at the end.
•You can set a nested sequence’s In and Out points as you would other clips. Trimming a nested sequence does not
affect the length of the source sequence. Also, subsequently changing the source sequence’s duration does not affect
the duration of existing nested instances. To lengthen the nested instances and reveal material added to the source
sequence, use standard trimming methods. Conversely, a shortened source sequence causes the nested instance to
contain black video and silent audio (which you may need to trim off the nested sequence).
See this video tutorial on the Creative COW website for “Understanding Nesting: A key to Efficient Editing” by
Andrew Devis.
Maxim Jago explains nested sequences in this video from “Getting Started with Adobe Premiere Pro CS5” on the
Video2Brain website.
Maxim Jago explains and demonstrates nesting sequences in this video from “Adobe Premiere Pro CS5: Learn by
Video,” from Video2Brain.
Nest a sequence in another sequence
❖Drag a sequence from the Project panel or Source Monitor into the appropriate track or tracks of the active
sequence, or use any of the editing methods for adding a clip.
Note: You will not have to render audio before editing a nested sequence.
Create a nested sequence from a selection of clips
1In a sequence, select one or more clips that you want to send to a nested sequence.
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2Do one of the following:
•Select Clip > Nest.
•Right-click the selection, and select Nest.
Premiere Pro cuts the selected clips from the sequence, sends the selected clips to a new sequence, and nests the new
sequence in the original sequence, starting at the location of the first selected clip.
More Help topics
“Select one or more clips” on page 197
Open the source of a nested sequence
❖Double-click a nested sequence clip. The source of the nested sequence becomes the active sequence.
Reveal a source frame from a nested sequence
If you want to reveal a clip in a nested sequence (for example, to edit it), you can quickly open the source sequence at
the exact frame you want to reveal.
1In the Timeline panel, target the track in which a nested sequence is located by clicking the header of that track. If
you target multiple tracks, the targeted track that is on top is used to select the nested sequence.
2Drag the current-time indicator to the frame of the nested sequence that you want to reveal in its original sequence.
3Press Shift+T to open the source sequence in the Timeline panel, with the current-time indicator at the frame you
specified in the nested sequence.
4Double-click the clip where the current-time indicator rests to open the clip in the Source Monitor.
Attach closed caption files (CS5.5 and later)
You can attach a closed caption data file to a sequence and display the closed captions in the Program Monitor. The
attachable file types are .mcc and .scc for HDTV (CEA-708) and SD (CEA-608) respectively.
•Select the sequence, and then select Sequence > Closed Captioning > Attach File.
To display attached closed captions in the Program Monitor panel, go to the panel menu and select "Enable" under the
"Closed Captioning Display" option. To display closed captioning on external hardward, configure closed captioning
display in the hardware monitor’s settings.
For more informaiton about attaching a closed caption data file to a Premiere Pro sequence, see this video by
Video2Brain.
See this post on the Premiere Pro Work Area blog for more information about closed caption data and Premiere Pro.
More Help topics
Closed captioning basics (Adobe Encore Help)
Closed captioning on Wikipedia
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Editing multi-camera sequences
About multi-camera editing
You can use the Multi-Camera Monitor to edit footage from multiple cameras, simulating live camera switching. You
can edit footage from up to four cameras using this technique.
For a tutorial on how to synchronize and switch between multiple cameras, see
www.adobe.com/go/learn_dv_tutorial_multicam_en.
For a video tutorial on multi-camera editing, see www.adobe.com/go/vid0234.
Eddie Lotter provides a collection of tutorials and articles about multi-camera editing on the Premiere Pro Wiki
website.
Jon Barrie provides a video tutorial about multi-camera editing and synchronization on the Creative COW website.
Julio Roa provides a video tutorial about multicam editing in Premiere Pro CS5.
Jason Levine has a useful video about multicam workflow for Premiere Pro here.
Tips about the multicam edit tool, including audio limitations, usage of third party effects and built in transitions are
found in this video tutorial by Eran Stern.
To easily synchronize footage from all cameras, make sure each camera records a sync point using a clapper slate or
other technique. Keep each camera recording to maintain synchronization. After you capture the footage in Premiere
Pro, use the following workflow to edit the footage:
1. Add clips from multiple cameras to a sequence.
Stack the clips from each camera on separate tracks of a sequence. (See “Add clips for multi-camera editing” on
page 158.)
2. Synchronize the clips in the sequence.
Mark the sync point with numbered clip markers, or reassign the sync point for each camera to a specific timecode.
(See “Synchronize clips with markers” on page 158.)
3. Create the multi-camera target sequence.
The final edits are made in a target sequence. You create the target sequence by nesting the sequence of synchronized
clips into a new sequence. Then you enable the clip in the target sequence for multi-camera editing. (See “Create a
multi-camera target sequence” on page 159.)
4. Record the multi-camera edits.
In the Multi-Camera Monitor, you can view the footage of all four cameras simultaneously and switch between
cameras to choose footage for the final sequence. (See “Record multi-camera edits” on page 159.)
5. Adjust and refine edits.
You can rerecord the final sequence and substitute clips with footage from one of the other cameras. You can also edit
the sequence like any other sequence—using the standard editing tools and techniques, adding effects, or compositing
using multiple tracks. (See “Rerecord multi-camera edits” on page 160 and “Adjust multi-camera edits in a Timeline
panel” on page 160.)
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About the Multi-Camera Monitor
The Multi-Camera Monitor plays the footage from each camera and a preview of the final edited sequence. When you
record the final sequence, you click a camera preview to make it active and record footage from that camera. The active
camera is indicated by a yellow border when in playback mode and a red border when recording.
The Multi-Camera Monitor includes the standard playback and transport controls and keyboard shortcuts. The Play
Around button plays around the edit point in the preview display, including any preroll and postroll frames
specified in General Preferences.
Note: If the Multi-Camera Monitor displays the same frame in large previews on both the left and right side, the current
clip is either not a multi-camera clip or a multi-camera clip that is not enabled.
Display the Multi-Camera Monitor
❖Select the multi-camera target sequence in a Timeline panel, and then choose Multi-Camera Monitor from the
Window menu.
•To hide the recorded sequence preview and display only the camera previews, deselect Show Preview Monitor from
the Multi-Camera Monitor panel menu.
•To resize the Multi-Camera Monitor, drag an edge or corner.
Add clips for multi-camera editing
You can use any type of media in a multi-camera editing session, including footage from various cameras and from
still images. You assemble the media into a sequence of up to four video and four audio tracks. You can add more than
one clip to a track to accommodate the use of multiple tapes in a camera.
After the clips are assembled, you synchronize them and then create and enable the target sequence.
1Choose File > New > Sequence.
2Place clips from each camera on a separate track. Use video and audio tracks 1–4. You can edit the clips as
necessary.
Note: Video and audio clips placed above track 4 will not be available for multi-camera editing.
Synchronize clips with markers
Make sure that you’ve marked the sync points for each camera’s footage before you attempt to synchronize them. You
can mark the sync points by setting similarly numbered markers for each clip or by reassigning each clip’s timecode.
(See “Add markers” on page 210 and “Set timecode manually for a clip” on page 100.)
Note: Premiere Pro uses an overwrite edit when synchronizing clips. Take care not to overwrite adjacent clips if you have
multiple clips on the same track.
1Select the clips you want to synchronize.
2Target a track (by clicking its track header) to align the other clips to it.
For example, if you synchronize clips on their Out point, the end of each clip aligns with the Out point of the targeted
track. A clip will be trimmed if synchronization causes its In point to fall before the sequence zero point.
Note: If one track of a linked audio/video pair is unselected, the pair will become out of sync. Out-of-sync indicators will
appear on the clips.
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3Choose Clip > Synchronize, and then choose one of the following options:
Clip Start Synchronizes clips at their In points.
Clip End Synchronizes clips at their Out points.
Timecode Synchronizes clips to the specified timecode. If you use the hours value in source timecode as a camera
designator, select the Ignore Hours option to use only minutes, seconds, and frames to synchronize clips.
Numbered Clip Marker Synchronizes clips to the specified numbered clip marker. Choose the marker number to use
from the Marker menu.
You can also use the Synchronize command to sync several video clips on separate tracks or unlinked audio and video
tracks when you are not editing a multi-camera sequence.
Create a multi-camera target sequence
1Choose File > New > Sequence.
2Drag the sequence containing the multi-camera clips into a video track of the new sequence. (See “Nest sequences”
on page 154.)
3Select the video and audio tracks in the nested sequence, and then choose Clip > Multi-Camera > Enable. The
command is unavailable unless you have the video track selected.
4In the Multi-Camera Monitor, click the downward-pointing triangle next to Video 1 to open the Select Video Track
menu. Select the video track containing the multi-camera nested sequence. Then click the downward-pointing
arrow next to Audio 1 to open the Select Audio Track menu. Select the audio track containing the multi-camera
nested sequence.
More Help topics
Multi-camera editing tutorials on wikia
Record multi-camera edits
You record a multi-camera edit in the multi-camera target sequence you have already assembled. (See “Add clips for
multi-camera editing” on page 158.)
1Select the multi-camera target sequence in a Timeline panel, and then choose Multi-Camera Monitor from the
Window menu.
2In the Multi-Camera Monitor, click the Record On/Off Toggle button .
Note: You can also switch into record mode during playback by clicking a camera preview in the Multi-Camera Monitor.
3To record audio from the selected camera to the audio track, select Audio Follows Video in the Multi-Camera
Monitor panel menu. Deselect this option to record audio from the audio track selected in the source sequence.
Note: In order to retain audio from more than one track simultaneously, mix all the desired tracks to a single track in the
source sequence, select the resulting audio track, and deselect the Audio Follows Video option.
4Click the playback button in the Multi-Camera Monitor to start playing the video from all cameras.
The footage from the active camera is recorded in the multi-camera target sequence. A red border indicates the active
camera, and the large preview shows the content you are recording.
5To switch to another camera and record its content, click its small preview in the Multi-Camera Monitor.
You can switch cameras using a keyboard shortcut. The 1, 2, 3, and 4 keys correspond to each camera.
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6When you are done recording, click the Stop button or the Record button to get out of recording mode. You can
then use the playback controls to preview your sequence without recording over it.
The target sequence is updated to show the edit points where each camera switch occurs. Camera 1 is the default track
in the target sequence. No recording occurs, so no edit points are created until you switch cameras. Each clip in the
target sequence is labeled with the camera number (MC1, MC2).
Another method is to not use the Record button or play through the sequence, but to simply move the current-time
indicator to the frame you want and select a new camera.
More Help topics
“About multi-camera editing” on page 157
“Record audio from a microphone or another analog source” on page 232
Play nested multi-camera clips in the Program Monitor
1Right-click (Windows) or Ctrl-click (Mac OS) the nested multi-camera sequence in a Timeline.
2From the menu, select Multi-Camera, and make sure Enable is checked.
3Select Multi-Camera again, and select the camera desired for viewing in the Program Monitor.
Play clips in the Multi-Camera Monitor
1Select the track header of the video track containing the clips in the multicamera target sequence, and then select
Window > Multi-Camera Monitor.
2Do one of the following:
•Use the playback controls in the Multi-Camera Monitor.
•Use the playback keyboard shortcuts (spacebar, J, K, L).
A yellow border around a camera preview indicates the active camera. If you click a camera preview, the border turns
red and you’ll begin recording that camera footage to the sequence.
Note: The Multi-Camera Monitor previews the targeted video only. Effects applied to the target sequence don’t display in
the Multi-Camera Monitor, though effects applied to the source sequence do. To preview a multi-camera sequence with
target-sequence effects applied, as well as any additional video and audio tracks, preview it in the Program Monitor.
Rerecord multi-camera edits
1Position the current-time indicator before the edit you want to adjust.
2Start the playback in the Multi-Camera Monitor. When the playback reaches the spot you want to change, switch
the active camera by clicking the camera’s preview in the Multi-Camera Monitor.
Note: No recording occurs until you switch the active camera.
3When you are done editing, click the Stop Playback button in the Multi-Camera Monitor.
Adjust multi-camera edits in a Timeline panel
❖Do any of the following in the multi-camera target sequence:
•To replace a clip with footage from another camera, select a clip in a Timeline panel and choose Clip > Multi-
Camera > Camera [1,2,3,4].
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•Use any of the standard editing tools to make changes in a Timeline panel.
•Place the current-time indicator at the place in a Timeline where you want to replace a clip from one camera with
a clip from another. In the Multi-Camera Monitor, select the replacing camera preview.
Insert or overwrite clips in a multi-camera sequence
You can make edits to a multi-camera sequence from the original four camera clips. For example, if one camera
recorded a presenter and another recorded a screen of presentation slides, you can intersperse shots of the presentation
slides. You can use this technique as an alternative to rerecording sections of the multi-camera sequence.
1Double-click the multi-camera target sequence in a Timeline panel to open it in the Source Monitor.
Like the Multi-Camera Monitor, the Source Monitor displays footage previews of the original camera shots.
2Click the display for the footage you want to add to the sequence. The active display has a yellow border.
3Choose the clip source that you want to edit (video, audio, or both) and drag the clip to a Timeline panel, or use the
Insert or Overwrite buttons in the Source Monitor.
Creating and playing clips
In Premiere Pro, you create clips by importing files, duplicating clips, or making subclips. You create a clip instance
by using a clip in a sequence.
Source clips, clip instances, subclips, and duplicate clips
In Premiere Pro, a clip points to a source file. Trimming a clip, or editing it in any way, does not affect the source file.
For example, if you import a 30-minute file into Premiere Pro, you create a 30-minute clip that points to that source
file. If you trim the clip to a five-minute duration, the 30-minute source file remains on your hard disk, but the clip
refers only to a five-minute section of it. Premiere Pro stores information about clips in clip metadata fields in project
files, but stores information about source files in XMP metadata fields.
You can trim source clips, clip instances, subclips, or duplicate clips. You can trim all types of clips in sequences in
much the same way. The clip types differ in the following ways:
Source (master) clip The clip originally imported into the Project panel. It is listed in the Project panel only once by
default. If you delete a source clip from the Project panel, all of its instances are also deleted.
Clip instance A dependent reference to a source clip, used in a sequence. Each time you add a clip to a sequence, you
create another instance of the clip. A clip instance uses the name and source file reference used by its source clip. While
clip instances are not listed in the Project panel, they are differentiated in the Source Monitor menu if you open
instances there. The Source Monitor menu lists instances by name, sequence name, and In point.
Subclip A section of a master clip that references the master clip’s media file. Use subclips to reference discreet sections
of long master clips. (See “Creating subclips” on page 162.)
Duplicate clip An independent copy of a source clip, which you create manually using the Edit > Duplicate command.
You can also create a duplicate clip by importing the same file more than once. Unlike a clip instance, a duplicate clip
maintains its own reference to the original clip’s source file on disk and exists as an additional clip in the Project panel.
Premiere Pro does not delete a duplicate clip when you delete its original from the Project panel. Master and duplicate
clips can be renamed independently.
Franklin McMahon explains how to use subclips in this video from Layers Magazine.
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For more details, see Andrew Devis’ tutorial, “Subclips: What? Why? How?”
See also Andrew Devis’ tutorials, “Understanding the Source Panel tools.”
More Help topics
“Using clip metadata and file metadata” on page 114
Duplicate a clip
1In the Project panel, select a clip, and choose Edit > Duplicate.
2To rename the duplicate clip, select it, choose Clip > Rename, and type a new name for the clip.
You can also create a duplicate clip by copying and pasting it in the Project panel (or its folders), by Ctrl-dragging
(Windows) or Command-dragging (Mac OS) a clip in the Project panel.
Creating subclips
A subclip is a section of a master (source) clip that you want to edit and manage separately in your project. You can
use subclips to organize long media files.
You work with subclips in a Timeline panel as you do with master clips. Trimming and editing a subclip is constrained
by its start and end points. However, you can set new In and Out points for a subclip, as long as they fall between the
original In and Out points you set for the subclip when you create it from the master clip.
Subclips reference the master clip’s media file. If you delete a master clip or take it offline and keep its media on disk,
the subclip and its instance remain online. If you take the original media off disk, the subclip and its instances go
offline. If you relink a master clip, its subclips remain linked to the original media.
If you recapture or relink a subclip, it becomes a master clip, and all ties to the original media are broken. The
recaptured media includes the subclip’s referenced portion of the media only. Any instances of the subclip are relinked
to the recaptured media.
You cannot make the following types of clips into subclips:
•Selections of multiple clips
•Titles, still images, synthetic clips
•Sequence clips
•Grouped clips
To use a master clip and its subclips in another project, import the project that contains the clips.
In Premiere Pro CS5.5 and later, you can create a subclip from any merged clip in the same way you would any other
subclip. The Master Clip Start timecode is the earliest timecode of the component clips. The Master Clip End timecode
is the latest timecode of the component clips. The Convert to Master Clip checkbox is disabled.
More Help topics
“Source clips, clip instances, subclips, and duplicate clips” on page 161
Create a subclip from the Project panel
You can create a subclip from source clips or other subclips that are made up from a single media file.
1Double-click a clip in the Project panel to open it in the Source Monitor.
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2In the Source Monitor, set In and Out points for the subclip. Either or both the In point and Out point must differ
from the source clip In point and Out point.
3Do one of the following:
•Choose Clip > Make Subclip, enter a name for the subclip, and click OK.
•Ctrl-drag (Windows) or Command-drag (Mac OS) the clip to the Project panel. Type a name for the subclip, and
click OK.
The subclip appears in the Project panel with a Subclip icon , , , . The icon varies depending on the media type.
4(Optional) To retain the original In and Out points in the master clip, reset them in the Source Monitor while
previewing the master clip.
You can also convert a master clip into a subclip by selecting the source clip in the Project panel or Source Monitor,
choosing Clip > Edit Subclip, and setting media start and end times for the subclip.
Create a subclip from a Timeline panel
You can create subclips from a Timeline panel.
❖Do one of the following:
•Ctrl-drag (Windows) or Command-drag (Mac OS) a clip instance from a sequence into an open bin in a Project
panel. Type a name for the subclip, and click OK.
•Right-click a clip instance in a sequence, and select Make Subclip. Type a name for the subclip, and click OK.
Adjust media start and end times of a subclip
1Select the subclip in the Project panel.
2Choose Clip > Edit Subclip.
3Edit the Subclip Start and End timecode fields.
Note: If you select an instance of a subclip in the Project panel, you cannot set new Start and End points that lie within
the instance Start and End points. This limit prevents losing frames that are used in the sequence.
Convert a subclip to a master clip
1Select the subclip in the Project panel.
2Choose Clip > Edit Subclip.
The converted clip retains the master clip start and end times that are listed in the Edit Subclip dialog box.
3Select Convert To Master Clip, and then click OK.
Play back a clip in the Project panel
You can use the preview area at the top of a Project panel to preview individual clips.
1Select the clip.
2Press the Play button on the thumbnail viewer. The Play button becomes a Stop button. Press Stop to stop
playback. (Playing the clip in the thumbnail viewer does not affect Source Monitor views.)
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Synchronizing audio and video with Merge Clips (CS5.5
and later)
Premiere Pro CS5.5 and later and later features a new method for synchronizing audio and video called Merge Clips.
This will streamline the process by which users can sync audio and video which have been recorded separately (a
process sometimes called double-system recording). You’ll be able to select a video clip and synchronize it with up to
16 channels of audio by using the “Merge Clips” command. Clips which make up the merged clip are referred to as
“component clips.”
Clips may be merged by group selecting them in the either the Project panel or the Timeline. The Merge Clips
command may be invoked via either the Clip menu or a contextual menu. It is a contextual command, so more than
one clip must be selected in order to enable it.
You may merge one or multiple audio clips to a single video or AV clip. The total number of audio tracks permissable
in a merged clip is 16, including any combination of mono, stereo or surround 5.1 clips. A single mono clip counts as
one track, a single stereo counts as two tracks, a 5.1 clip counts as six tracks.
Note: Creating a merged clip does not replace or alter the source clip(s).
To see how to merge clips and synchronize audio and video tracks, see this video on the Video2Brain website, and this
video on the EventDV website.
In this video, Jason Levine shows how to use the Merge Clips command, as well as demonstrating a few other
improvements in Adobe Premiere Pro CS5.5 and later.
For details about merged clips and dual-system sound in Adobe Premiere Pro CS5.5 and later, see this blog post on the
Premiere Pro work area.
Luica Winters shows you how to use the new Merge Clips feature in Adobe Premiere Pro CS5.5 and later in this video
tutorial. You’ll learn how to synch audio and video ingested from different sources, as in professional DSLR-based
production.
Merge clips in the Project panel
To merge clips in the Project panel, do the following:
1Select the video clip you wish to merge audio clips to. Note that you can only have one video clip in any merged clip.
2
Shift or Control-click (Command-click for Mac OS) to select the audio-only clips you wish to merge with the video clip.
3Do one of the following:
•Choose Clip > Merge Clips
•Right-click (Control-click for Mac OS), and then choose Merge Clips from the shortcut menu.
The Merge Clips dialog launches. Choose from one of the following options for the point of synchronization:
•Based on the In point: For locating sync based on the In point, at the clap of the slate, for example.
•Based on the Out point: For locating sync based on the Out point, at the clap of the tail slate, for example.
•Based on matching timecode: For locating sync based on common timecode between the clips.
•Based on numbered clip markers: For locating a sync point based on a numbered clip marker in the middle of the
shot. This function is disabled unless all component clips have at least one numbered marker.
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Click OK. Your merged clip will now appear in the Project panel, with a name that matches the video clip, or the top-
most selected audio clip (based on current sort order in the bin) if there is no video. “- Merged” is appended to the end
of the new merged clip’s name. Users may rename this item, if necessary.
Note: Audio-only clips may be merged with other audio-only clips; a video clip is not a requirement for a merged clip.
Only one clip containing video may be used.
Merge clips in the Timeline panel
To merge clips in the Timeline panel, do the following:
❖Select the clips (if they are not already selected), and then do one of the following:
•Drag the component clips into the Project panel.
•Choose Clip > Merge Clips.
The Merge Clips dialog launches.
Click OK. Your merged clip will now appear in the Project panel.
Note: Clips that are merged in the Timeline are synchronized from Clip Start for each component clip. To merge clips
based on Clip End, Timecode, or Numbered Marker, use the synchronize function prior to merging the clips.
Synchronize clips in the Timeline panel
Synchronizing clips aligns multiple clips in the Timeline panel. After synchronizing the clips, you can create a merged
clip.
To synchronize clips in the Timeline panel, first edit the clips into the Timeline panel, and then do one of the following:
•Align the clips manually by dragging them into place until they are synchronized.
•Align the clips using the Synchronize function. To do so, do the following:
1Select the clips you wish to synchronize.
2Choose Clip > Synchronize.
The Synchronize dialog launches. Choose from one of the following options for the point of synchronization:
•Based on the Clip Start
•Based on the Clip End
•Based on matching timecode
•Based on numbered clip markers
Click OK. Your clips are now synchronized.
Editing with merged clips
In general, working with merged clips is much like working with any other clip. There are some workflow differences
that should be noted, however.
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Editing merged clips with gaps into the Timeline
There are implications to how merged clips behave when editing them into the timeline, specifically, if the clips contain
“gaps” in their component structure.
When there is another component clip available If an In or Out point is marked in a gap in the audio or video, and
there is another component clip available above or below that gap, a track is used for the gap when the merged clip is
edited into the Timeline.
When no component clip is available Note that it is possible to merge audio and video and have places in the merged
clip where there is no other component clip in the gap. If you have marked and In or Out point in a gap such as this,
you will receive a warning that states, “Invalid edit. No media present in source clip’s marked In/Out range” when
attempting to edit the merged clip into the Timeline. The “no drop” icon will appear if you attempt to drag and drop
the merged clip into the Timeline.
Note: Black will play for any gap in the video. Silence will play for the gap in audio, unless there is another component
audio clip available on another track.
Trimming merged clips
Trimming merged clips is much like trimming any other clip, save for the following exceptions:
•During trimming, the trim is applied equally to component clips, preserving any offsets.
•To trim the edge of a single component clip, users can temporarily break sync by holding down the Alt/Option
modifier while dragging.
•When trimming individual component clips, snapping occurs at the ends of other component when snapping is on.
•Normal trimming rules apply; a merged clip can only be trimmed to the point where there is at least one frame
remaining in any of the component clips.
Merged clips and the Metadata panel
When a merged clip is created, the metadata for each of the component clips is copied into the Metadata panel. There
are some differences for displaying metadata for a merged clip. They are as follows:
Viewing metadata You can view the metadata a single component clip. To view the metadata for a component clip,
choose the clip name from the File popup menu. Its metadata will appear in the metadata panel.
Entering metadata You can enter metadata to a component clip or for the entire merged clip.
•Set the File popup menu to the component clip you wish, and then enter metadata for the clip.
•Set the File popup menu to All Files, and then enter metadata for the merged clip. Any data entered into a property
will be entered into the XMP for each of the component files that make up the merged clip.
Note: The All Files display acts like a multiple clip selection, where <multiple values> is displayed when the property
values don’t match across the selection. Similarly to ta multiple selection, when the display mode is set to All Files, any
data entered into a property will be entered into the XMP of each componenet file that make up the merged clip.
Merged Clips limitations
•The Replace Footage command does not work.
•Attaching Adobe Story scripts, and then analyzing speech to text is not supported.
Note: If you attach an Adobe Story script to an audio clip prior to merging, then you can analyze speech to text after
merging them. Select either “All Files,” or the audio clip containing the script from the File pop-up menu in the
Metadata panel, and then click the Analyze button.
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•Full audio channel mapping control in the merged clip is not supported.
•Merged clip audio results in mono track audio only.
•Final Cut Pro XML and AAF interchange formats are not supported.
•Auto-sync using audio waveforms, free-run timecode, time-of-day timecode, AUX timecode, or separate audio
timecode is not supported.
•Reveal in Adobe Bridge is not supported.
•Once created, the merged clip cannot be re-synchronized, or adjusted. You must make a new merged clip.
•Adjusting contents of a merged clip is not supported. However, if a particular component clip is deleted, the merged
clip may be relinked.
•Merged clips or parts of previously merged clips cannt be used to remerge or make a new merged clip. Only
component clips may be used to create a merged clip.
Working with offline clips
An offline clip is either a clip that has been unlinked from its source file, or a logged clip that you still have to capture.
Offline clips contain information about the source files they represent, and they give you flexibility when actual files
are not available. If an offline clip appears in a Timeline panel, “Media Offline” appears in the Program Monitor and
in the track.
When you log clips from a tape, Premiere Pro automatically creates offline clips containing the exact information
required to capture the clips later. You can also create offline clips manually. Use offline clips in situations such as the
following:
•Clips are logged but not yet captured. Because offline clips behave like captured clips, you can organize the logged
offline clips in the Project panel. You can even lay out sequences with them in a Timeline panel before the offline
clips are captured. When the offline clips are captured (or located, if they are already captured but missing), they
replace the corresponding offline clips.
•You want to capture logged clips using device control or batch capturing. In Premiere Pro, a batch-capture list is a
set of offline clips; selecting specific offline clips sets them up for batch capturing.
•You want to recapture clips used in the project. Recapturing clips requires making the online clips offline by using
the Make Offline command.
•A source file is unavailable when you open a project, so that Premiere Pro can’t locate it automatically and you can’t
locate it manually. Premiere Pro provides Offline and Offline All buttons in this case.
Note: Online and offline clips in Premiere Pro are not related to the concepts of online and offline editing.
Create an offline clip
You can create an offline clip, that is, a placeholder clip for footage you capture later.
1
In the Project panel, click the New Item button at the bottom of the panel and choose Offline File from the menu.
The Offline File dialog box opens.
2For Contains, select whether you want to capture Video, Audio, or Audio And Video from the source footage.
3For Audio Format, select the format that matches the audio format of your source footage: Mono, Stereo, or 5.1.
4For Tape Name, type the name of the tape containing the source video for the offline clip.
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5For File Name, type the name of the file as you want it to appear on disk when you capture it using Premiere Pro.
If you’re creating an offline clip for a source file that is captured but isn’t on your computer yet, type the name of
that file.
6Fill in Description, Scene, Shot/Take, and Log Note as needed.
7Enter the timecode for the Media Start and Media End points. Set these points for the entire untrimmed clip,
including any extra handle frames you’ll need for editing and transitions.
Note: To be eligible for capture, an offline clip must contain at least a tape name, filename, and Media Start and Media
End settings.
In Premiere Pro CS5.5 and later, it is not possible to create an offline merged clip from scratch.
Edit an offline clip
You can edit an offline clip. You can give it new start and end points, tape name and filename, and a new audio format.
You can specify whether it contains audio only, video only, or audio and video. When an edited offline clip is placed
in sequences, it retains the updated settings. These updated settings also are used for subsequent batch capture.
1Do one of the following in a Project panel:
•Double-click the offline clip,
•Select the offline clip. Then choose Clip > Edit Offline.
You can assign a keyboard shortcut to the Clip > Edit Offline command.
The Edit Offline File dialog box opens.
2Edit settings as needed, and then click OK.
Note: You cannot edit ‘contains’ or ‘audio format’ for an offline clip if it is located in the timeline.
Relink an offline clip
You can link an offline clip to a source file, even to a source file different from the one from which the offline clip was
made. The linked source file appears anywhere the offline clip is used in a project. It is possible, for example, to edit an
online clip in a sequence, make its source offline, and link the offline clip to another source file. The new source appears
in the sequence wherever the original one did.
You can link offline clips to video files, audio files, and still-image files. However, you cannot link an offline clip to a
still-image sequence different from its original source file. Instead, import new still-image sequences, and place them
into timelines manually.
You can link an offline clip containing audio to a source file containing no audio. Premiere Pro deletes the audio track
in all instances of the relinked clip from the project.
Note: To link the audio of a new source file, the source file must have the same type of audio track as the offline clip. For
example, if the offline clip has a stereo audio track, you cannot link it to a source file with a monaural audio track.
1In the Project panel, select one or more offline clips.
2Choose Project > Link Media.
3Select the source file, and click Select.
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Note: If you selected more than one offline clip, the Link Media To dialog box appears in turn for each clip you selected.
The title bar of the dialog box gives the filename for each offline clip. Relink the correct source file to each offline clip. If
all of the offline clips selected point to media in the same folder, the Link MediaTo dialog asks for the first file, then links
the selected offline clips to all the files in the same folder as the file selected. If you link to a file from a different project,
and if that project has the same folder structure and folder names as the first project, the Link Media To dialog box asks
for the first file, and then links the selected offline clips to all the files in the other project.
4(Optional) If you selected a source file containing no audio to link to an offline clip containing audio, the Media
Mismatch dialog box appears. Do one of the following:
•To delete the audio track from all instances of the offline clip from the project click OK.
•To cancel linking to the source file, and retain the audio track in all instances of the offline clip, click Cancel.
In Premiere Pro CS5.5 and later, in the Project panel, you can choose Clip>Make Offline for any merged clip. When
making any merged clip offline, all component clips will also be become offline. However, you can use the Relink
command to link to the desired tracks, while leaving others offline.
Convert an online clip to an offline clip
1In the Project panel, select one or more online files.
2Choose Project > Make Offline.
3Select one of the following options:
Media Files Remain On Disk
Makes the selected files offline in the project but doesn’t erase the source files from the disk.
Media Files Are Deleted Makes the selected files offline in the project and erases the source files from the disk.
Note: If you recapture a clip using the same filename as a file remaining on disk, the original file is replaced. To preserve
original clips without changing their names, move them to another folder or disk, or specify different filenames for the
clips you recapture.
Modifying clip properties with Interpret Footage
You can modify the properties of a clip by selecting options in the Interpret Footage dialog box.
•For more information about using the Frame Rate options, see “Change the frame rate of a clip” on page 112.
•For more information about using the Field Order options, see “Change the field order of a clip” on page 311.
•For more information about using the Alpha Channel options, see “Alpha channels and mattes” on page 429.
Interpret footage
1In the Project panel, right-click (Windows) or Ctrl-click (Mac OS) the clip for which you want to change a property.
2Select Modify > Interpret Footage.
3Select the options desired, and click OK.
Andrew Devis has provided a video tutorial on Interpreting Footage on the Creative COW website.
For more information about Interpreting Footage, see this video tutorial from Learn by Video and video2Brain by
Maxim Jago.
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Creating special clips (synthetics)
Franklin McMahon created this video tutorial on synthetic media: transparent video, color bars and tone, and color
matte on the Layers Magazine website.
Create a counting leader (Windows only)
If you plan to create film output from a sequence, you may want to add a counting leader. A counting leader helps a
projectionist verify that audio and video are working properly and are synchronized. You can create and customize a
universal counting leader to add to the beginning of a project. The leader is 11 seconds long.
1In the Project panel, click the New Item button at the bottom of the Project panel and choose Universal
Counting Leader.
2In the New Universal Counting Leader dialog box, set Width, Height, Timebase, Pixel Aspect Ratio, and Sample
Rate to match these same settings for the sequence in which you will use the counting leader. Click OK.
3In the Universal Counting Leader Setup dialog box, specify the following options as needed:
Wipe Color Specifies a color for the circular one-second wipe area.
Background Color Specifies a color for the area behind the wipe color.
Line Color Specifies a color for the horizontal and vertical lines.
Target Color Specifies a color for the double circles around the numeral.
Numeral Color Specifies a color for the countdown numeral.
Cue Blip On Out Displays a small cue circle in the last frame of the leader.
Cue Blip On 2 Plays a beep at the two-second mark.
Cue Blip At All Second Starts Plays a beep at the beginning of every second during the leader.
4Click OK.
You can customize a counting leader clip by double-clicking it in the Project panel.
Create color bars and a 1-kHz tone
You can create a one-second clip containing color bars and a 1-kHz tone, as a reference for calibrating video and audio
equipment.
1In the Project panel, click the New Item button at the bottom of the Project panel and choose Bars And Tone.
2In the New Synthetic dialog box, set Width, Height, Timebase, Pixel Aspect Ratio, and Sample Rate to match these
same settings for the sequence in which you will use the bars and tone. Click OK.
Note: Some audio workflows must be calibrated at a specific tone level. The default level of the 1-kHz tone is -12 dB
referenced to 0 dBFS. You can customize the tone level to match your audio workflow by choosing Clip
> Audio Options >
Audio Gain with a clip selected. If you select the bars and tone clip in the Project panel, you set the default gain level for
new clip instances. If you select a clip in a Timeline panel, you change the level for that clip instance only.
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Create black video
Empty areas of a track appear black if no other visible clip areas are present on underlying video tracks. If necessary,
you can also create clips of opaque black video for use anywhere in a sequence. A black video clip behaves as a still
image. To create a clip of a different color, use a color matte. (See “Create a color matte” on page 171.)
1In the Project panel, click the New Item button at the bottom of the Project panel and choose Black Video.
2If necessary, in the New Black Video dialog box, set Width, Height, Timebase, and Pixel Aspect Ratio to match these
settings for the sequence in which you will use the black video clip. By default, the duration of the new clip is set to
five seconds. Click OK.
You can change the default duration of black video clips and other still image clips in the General pane of the
Preferences dialog box. For more information, see “Change the default duration for still images” on page 299.
Create a color matte
1In the Project panel, click the New Item button at the bottom of the Project panel and choose Color Matte.
2In the New Synthetic dialog box, set Width, Height, Timebase, and Pixel Aspect Ratio to match these settings for
the sequence in which you will use the color matte. Click OK.
3In the Color Picker, select a color for the color matte, and click OK.
More Help topics
“Select a color with the Adobe Color Picker” on page 321
Create a transparent video clip
Transparent Video is a synthetic clip just like Black Video, Bars and Tone, and Color Matte. It comes in handy when
you want to apply an effect that generates its own image and preserves transparency, such as the Timecode effect or
the Lightning effect. Think of Transparent Video as “Clear Matte.”
Eran Stern explains the purpose and use of transparent video clips in Adobe Premiere Pro in this video.
You cannot apply just any effect to Transparent Video—only those that manipulate the alpha channel. For example,
these are some of the effects you can use with a transparent video clip:
•Timecode
•Checkerboard
•Circle
•Ellipse
•Grid
•Lightning
•Paint Bucket
•Write-On
1In the Project panel, click the New Item button at the bottom of the Project panel and choose Transparent
Video.
2In the New Synthetic dialog box, set Width, Height, Timebase, and Pixel Aspect Ratio to match these settings for
the sequence in which you will use the transparent video. Click OK.
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3From the Project panel, drag the transparent video clip to the highest track in a sequence, stretch it as far as you
want, and apply an effect to it.
Some third-party lens flares and other effects that carry an alpha channel work with transparent video.
More Help topics
“Keying effects” on page 378
Adding clips to sequences
Adding clips to a sequence
You can add clips to a sequence in the following ways:
•Drag the clip from the Project panel or Source Monitor to a Timeline panel or the Program Monitor.
•Use the Insert and Overwrite buttons in the Source Monitor to add clips to a Timeline panel. Or use the keyboard
shortcuts associated with those buttons.
•Automatically assemble a sequence from the Project panel.
•In Premiere Pro CS5.5 and later, drag the clip from the Project panel, Source panel, or Media Browser into the
Program monitor.
An overwrite edit adds a clip by replacing any frames already in a sequence starting from the edit point and extending
for the length of the clip. Overwrite is the default method when dragging a clip to a sequence or when rearranging clips
in a sequence.
Adding a clip by overwriting existing clips
With an insert edit, adding a clip to the sequence forces any clips later in time to shift forward to accommodate the new
clip. When dragging a clip, press the Ctrl (Windows) or Command (Mac OS) key to shift into insert mode.
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Adding a clip by inserting it between clips
If one or more tracks is locked, an insert edit shifts clips in all unlocked tracks. To prevent an insert edit from shifting
clips in a track, lock the track. Alternatively, click the Sync Lock button in the header of every track you want to shift.
Open a sequence
❖In a Project panel, double-click a sequence.
The sequence opens in a Timeline panel.
Targeting tracks
A sequence may contain several video and audio tracks. When you add a clip to a sequence, it is important to assign
which track or tracks it is to be edited to. You can target one or more tracks, for both audio and video. Target tracks
depending on the editing method you use: editing from the Source Monitor, dragging, or copy/pasting to the timeline.
•In advance of making an insert or overwrite edit, you can map the tracks of a clip loaded in the Source Monitor to
one or more tracks of a sequence by dragging the source track indicator representing each of the source clip’s tracks
into one or more selected tracks of the sequence. Audio source track indicators can be placed only in audio tracks
matching the source clip’s channel configuration. For example, the audio track indicator for a stereo clip can be
placed only in a stereo track in a sequence. After the tracks are targeted, edit the clip by pressing the Insert or
Overwrite buttons (or use the shortcuts).
Highlighted source track indicators of video and audio tracks
•When you drag a clip to a sequence as an insert or overwrite edit by dragging, you target the track automatically by
dropping the clip into the track. You do not need to specify tracks in advance. A drag edit is an overwrite edit by
default. If you are performing an insert edit with the clip, press Ctrl (Windows) or Command (Mac OS) as you drag.
As you make the edit, triangles appear showing the affected tracks.
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Targeting a track while dragging a clip to a sequence
•When you add clips to a sequence by pasting, (or keyboard shortcuts), you must specify target tracks in advance.
You can target more than one video track or more than one audio track at a time. Also, you can choose to target a
video track only or an audio track only. Click the track or tracks you want to target in the track header area of a
Timeline panel. The track header area for a targeted track appears highlighted.
You can also assign keyboard shortcuts to some track targeting commands.
Highlighted track header of targeted video and audio tracks
If you overwrite a clip, only the clips in targeted tracks are affected, whether you drag the clip or use a Source Monitor’s
Overwrite button.
If you insert a clip, the clip goes into the targeted tracks, and clips in any unlocked tracks where the source clip lands
shift to accommodate the insertion. You can specify other tracks to also shift by enabling Sync Lock on them.
To insert a clip and not shift clips in other tracks, Ctrl-Alt-drag (Windows) or Command-Option-drag (Mac OS) the
clip into the track.
You can drag video clips to any video track; however, you can drag audio clips only to a compatible audio track. Audio
clips can’t be added to the master audio track or submix tracks, and they can be placed only on audio tracks of the
matching channel type: mono, stereo, or 5.1 (see “Audio tracks in a sequence” on page 216).
Clips with linked video and audio can be dragged to either a video or an audio track, but the clip’s video and audio
components appear separately, in the appropriate corresponding tracks.
Note: You can drag a clip to any unlocked, compatible track in a sequence, no matter which tracks are currently targeted.
You can’t target a locked track. Locking a target track deselects it as the target.
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For more information about targeting and patching tracks in Premiere Pro, see this video by Learn by Video and
Video2Brain by Maxim Jago.
Andrew Devis shows how to use Sync Lock and track targeting in this video on the Creative COW website.
Frank Rohmer provides a video tutorial on the Adobe website that explains mapping source tracks to target tracks.
Drag video and audio to a sequence
By default, when dropped into a sequence, the video and audio components of linked clips appear in corresponding
tracks (for example, Video 1 and Audio 1), unless the audio channel type of the clip is incompatible with the target
track. In this case, the linked audio appears in the next compatible track, or a compatible track is created automatically.
Note: An audio clip dragged to an incompatible track automatically shifts to the next compatible track, even if the track
is occupied by another audio clip. Therefore, take care not to disturb clips already in the sequence.
However, you can alter this behavior by holding the Shift key while you drag.
Note: For information about creating tracks that are compatible with your assets, see “Work with tracks” on page 138
and “Create a custom sequence preset” on page 147.
The Program Monitor can help you determine where to position a clip you’re adding to a sequence. During an
overwrite edit, it displays the frames in the sequence adjacent to the new clip’s head and tail. During an insert edit, it
displays the frames adjacent to the insertion point.
1(Optional) Open a clip in the Source Monitor, and mark its In and Out points. (See “Working with In and Out
points” on page 183.)
If you don’t want to set In and Out points, you can drag the clip directly from a bin or the preview thumbnail in the
Project panel.
2To make clip edges align when you drag them, make sure that the Snap button is active in a Timeline panel.
3Do one of the following:
•To drag the video and audio portions of a clip to specific tracks, drag the clip from the Source Monitor or Project
panel into a Timeline. When the video portion of the clip lies above the desired video track, press and hold Shift.
Continue holding shift, and drag downward past the bar separating video and audio tracks. When the audio portion
of the clip lies above the desired audio track, release the mouse and release Shift.
•To drag the video portion of a clip to the Video 1 track and the audio to any audio track, drag the clip from the
Source Monitor or Project panel past the line that separates the video tracks from the audio tracks. Drop the clip
above the audio track where you want the audio portion to land. The video portion of the clip will remain in the
Video 1 track, and the audio portion lands in the desired audio track.
•To perform an overwrite edit, drag the clip from the Source Monitor or Project panel to an appropriate track in a
Timeline panel at the point you want the clip to start. The destination area is highlighted, and the pointer appears
with the Overwrite icon .
•To perform an insert edit, Ctrl-drag (Windows) or Command-drag (Mac OS) the clip from the Source Monitor or
Project panel to an appropriate track in a Timeline panel at the point you want the clip to start. The destination area
is highlighted, and the pointer appears with the Insert icon . Arrows appear at the insertion point in all tracks.
•To perform an insert edit and shift only target tracks, Ctrl+Alt-drag (Windows) or Command+Option-drag (Mac
OS) the clip from the Source Monitor or Project panel to an appropriate track in a Timeline panel at the point you
want the clip to start. The destination area is highlighted, and the pointer appears with the Insert icon . Arrows
appear at the insertion point only in the tracks to which the clip is added.
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•(Roman keyboards only) To zoom into or out of a clip as you drop it into a Timeline panel, drag and press the equal
sign key (=) to increase the zoom factor or press the minus sign key (–) to decrease it. Do not use the keys on the
number pad.
The clip will land in a Timeline panel, and a Timeline panel will become active, making it easy to playback the clip just
added to the sequence.
Note: You can also drag, or Ctrl-drag (Windows) or Command-drag (Mac OS), a clip into the Program Monitor to
overwrite or insert a clip. Make sure the track you want is targeted in a Timeline panel and the current-time indicator is
at the location where you want to add the clip in the sequence. To prevent an insert edit from shifting clips in any track,
turn off Sync Lock for that track, or alternatively, lock the track.
More Help topics
“Targeting tracks” on page 173
“Adding clips to a sequence” on page 172
“Work with tracks” on page 138
“Create a custom sequence preset” on page 147
Drag video only or audio only to a sequence
You can add the video track, the audio tracks, or both types of tracks of a clip to a sequence. When you drag a clip from
the Project panel or from the main viewing area of the Source Monitor, you automatically add both types of tracks. If
you want to add only one type of track, add it from the Source Monitor.
1Double-click a clip in a Project panel or Timeline panel to open it in the Source Monitor.
2In the Source Monitor, do one of the following:
•To drag all audio and video tracks of the clip, drag from anywhere inside the main viewing area.
•To drag only the video track of the clip, drag from the Drag Video Only icon .
•
To drag only the audio tracks, first target in the Timeline panel the tracks you want to receive the clip audio tracks.
Then map the audio tracks you want to use to the target audio tracks. Then, drag from the Drag Audio Only icon .
Note: Drag Video Only and Drag Audio Only are not buttons. They are icons that provide a place to click when starting
the respective drag operations.
More Help topics
“Targeting tracks” on page 173
Add a track while adding a clip
❖Drag a clip from the Project panel or Source Monitor into the blank space above the topmost video track (for a video
or linked clip) or below the lowest audio track (for an audio or linked clip). Premiere Pro adds an audio track, a
video track, or both, depending on the content of the source clip.
Note: If the sequence doesn’t have an unlocked track of the correct media type (for example, a stereo audio track for a
stereo source clip), a new track is created to accommodate the clip.
More Help topics
“Work with tracks” on page 138
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Insert a clip into a sequence
1Double-click a clip in a Project panel or sequence to open it in the Source Monitor.
2Place the current-time indicator at the point in the sequence where you want to insert the clip.
3 In the Timeline panel, click the headers of the tracks where you want to insert the source clip’s components to
target them.
4Drag the source clip track indicators to the headers of the tracks where you want to insert the source clip’s
components.
5Click the Sync Lock box in the header of any track you want to shift as a result of the insertion.
Note: Any track that is either targeted or sync-lock-enabled will be affected by Insert; only non-targeted tracks with Sync
Lock disabled will be unaffected. If a track has no source track indicator, or if the track is not targeted but is operated on
because its Sync Lock is enabled, then an empty track background will be inserted on that track at the CTI for the duration
of the source clip
6In the Source Monitor, click the Insert button .
The audio and video components of the clip will be inserted into the tracks selected at the current-time indicator. Clips
to the right of its location on its own track and tracks with Sync Lock enabled will shift to the right by the length of the
inserted clip.
Need help understanding how to do an insert or overlay (overwrite) edit? Check out this video by Lynda.com and Chad
Perkins.
More Help topics
www.adobe.com/go/lrvid4072_pr
Improved track targeting
Overwrite a clip into a sequence
1Double-click a clip in a Project panel or sequence to open it in the Source Monitor.
2Place the current-time indicator at the point in the sequence where you want to overwrite the clip.
3Click the headers of the tracks where you want to overwrite the source clip components to target them.
4Drag the source clip track indicators to the headers of the tracks where you want to overwrite the source clip
components.
Note: During an overwrite edit, if a targeted track has no source track indicator, then an empty track background will be
inserted on that track for the duration of the source clip, removing any previous contents at that location
5In the Source Monitor, click the Overlay (called Overwrite in Premiere Pro CS5.5 and later) button .
The audio and video components of the clip will be overlaid onto the tracks selected at the current-time indicator.
Need help understanding how to do an insert or overlay (overwrite) edit? Check out this video by Lynda.com and Chad
Perkins.
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Insert or Overwrite by dragging a clip to the Program panel
In Adobe Premiere Pro CS5.5 and later, you can select and drag a clip from the Project panel, Source panel, or Media
Browser into the Program monitor. When doing so, an overlay appears in monitor to provide a visual depiction of
Overwrite versus Insert edits. A tool tip appears to describe the modifier key used to toggle between these different
types of edits. To perform an Insert or Overwrite edit by dragging a clip to the Program panel, do the following:
•Drag-and-drop to overwrite edit (default drag, no modifier).
•Drag-and-drop to Insert edit (hold down Cmd/Ctr key modifier).
The clip, or clips that can be dragged to the Program panel can either be from the Project panel, or the Media Browser.
They can be AV, video only, or audio only clips.
When a clip is dragged from the Project panel or the Media Browser into the Program monitor's video display area,
the Overwrite overlay appears by default when no modifier key is held down. A tool tip is displayed underneath the
clip's thumbnail image, to drop (mouse release) to create an overwrite edit, and that holding down the Cmd/Ctrl key
creates an insert edit instead.
Multiple clips dragged to the Program monitor do not display a multiple clip stack icon. The file stack clip icon does
not truly depict the number of clips being dragged.
When the modifier key is held down, the overlay updates to display the Insert edit overlay. You can toggle back and
forth between the Overwrite/Insert modes in the middle of the drag-and-drop action. Hold down the modifier key and
the overlay displays update.
Make three-point and four-point edits
The Source and Program Monitors provide controls to perform three-point and four-point edits—standard
techniques in traditional video editing.
In a three-point edit, you mark either two In points and one Out point, or two Out points and one In point. You don’t
have to actively set the fourth point; it’s inferred by the other three. For example, in a typical three-point edit you would
specify the starting and ending frames of the source clip (the source In and Out points), and when you want the clip
to begin in the sequence (the sequence In point). Where the clip ends in the sequence—the unspecified sequence Out
point—is automatically determined by the three points you defined. However, any combination of three points
accomplishes an edit. For example, sometimes the point where a clip ends in a sequence is more critical than where it
begins. In this case, the three points include source In and Out points, and a sequence Out point. On the other hand,
if you need the clip to begin and end at particular points in the sequence—say, perfectly over a line of voice-over
narration—you could set two points in the sequence, and only one point in the source.
Maxim Jago explains and demonstrates three-point edits in this video from “Adobe Premiere Pro CS5: Learn By
Video.”
In a four-point edit, you mark source In and Out points and sequence In and Out points. A four-point edit is useful
when the starting and ending frames in both the source clip and sequence are critical. If the marked source and
sequence durations are different, Premiere Pro alerts you to the discrepancy and provides alternatives to resolve it.
More Help topics
“Working with In and Out points” on page 183
Make a three-point edit
1In a Project panel, double-click a clip to open it in the Source Monitor.
2Click the headers of the tracks in a Timeline panel into which you want to add the clip to target them.
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3In the Timeline, drag the source track indicators to the headers of the tracks into which you want the clip
components to fall.
4In the Source and Program Monitors, mark any combination of three In and Out points.
5In the Source Monitor, do one of the following:
•To perform an insert edit, click the Insert button .
•To perform an overwrite edit, click the Overwrite button .
Make a four-point edit
1In a Project panel, double-click a clip to open it in the Source Monitor.
2Click the headers of the tracks in a Timeline panel into which you want to add the clip to target them.
3In the Timeline, drag the source track indicators to the headers of the tracks into which you want the clip
components to fall.
4Using the Source Monitor, mark an In point and an Out point for the source clip.
5In the Program Monitor, mark an In point and an Out point in the sequence.
6in the Source Monitor, do one of the following:
•To perform an insert edit, click the Insert button
•To perform an insert edit and shift clips in target tracks only, Alt-click (Windows) or Option-click (Mac OS) the
Insert button .
•To perform an overwrite edit, click the Overwrite button .
7If the marked source and program durations differ, select an option when prompted:
Change Clip Speed (Fit to Fill) Maintains the source clip’s In and Out points, but changes the clip’s speed so that its
duration matches the duration determined by the sequence In and Out points.
Trim Clip’s Head (Left Side) Automatically changes the source clip’s In point so that its duration matches the duration
determined by the sequence In and Out points.
Trim Clip’s Tail (Right Side) Automatically changes the source clip’s Out point so that its duration matches the
duration determined by the sequence In and Out points.
Ignore Sequence In Point Disregards the sequence In point you set, and performs a three-point edit.
Ignore Sequence Out Point Disregards the sequence Out point you set, and performs a three-point edit.
Add clips to a sequence automatically
You can quickly assemble a rough cut or add clips to an existing sequence. The clips added can include the default
video and audio transitions.
For a video tutorial that demonstrates the creation of a rough cut using the Automate To Sequence command, see the
Adobe website.
1Set In and Out points to define each clip’s starting and ending points.
2Arrange clips in the Project panel. You can add the clips to the sequence in either the order you select them, or in
the order that they are arranged in a bin in icon view. You can also add sequences or clips in nested bins.
You can arrange clips in a bin in storyboard fashion by setting the Project panel to icon view. (See “Change Project
panel views” on page 103.)
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3Select the clips in the Project panel. Either Ctrl-click (Windows) or Command-click (Mac OS) them in the order
you want or by dragging a selection marquee around them.
4In the Project panel, click the Automate To Sequence button .
5Set the following options in the Automate To Sequence dialog box, and then click OK:
Ordering Specifies the method used to determine the order of the clips when they are added to the sequence. If you
choose Sort Order, clips are added in the order they’re listed in the Project panel: from top to bottom in List view; or
from left to right, top to bottom in Icon view. If you choose Selection Order, clips are added according to the order in
which you selected them in the Project panel.
Placement Specifies how clips are placed in the sequence. If you choose Sequentially, clips are placed one after another.
If you choose At Unnumbered Markers, clips are placed at unnumbered sequence markers. Choosing At Unnumbered
Markers makes the Transitions options unavailable.
Method Specifies the type of edit to perform. Choose Insert Edit to add clips to the sequence starting at the sequence’s
current time using insert edits, which shift existing clips forward in time to accommodate the new material. Choose
Overwrite Edit to use overwrite edits, which allow the new material to replace clips already in the sequence.
Note: The Automate To Sequence command disregards target tracks and always uses the lowest available video and
audio tracks. For example, if Video1 and Audio1 are locked, it will automate to Video 2 and Audio 2, or the lowest audio
track with the correct channel type.
Clip Overlap Specifies the duration of the transition and how much to adjust the clips’ In and Out points to
compensate for it when Apply Default Audio Transition or Apply Default Video Transition is selected. For example,
a value of 30 frames trims the clips’ In and Out points 15 frames at each edit, where a 30-frame transition is added. The
default value of this option is 15 frames. A menu lets you set the units to frames or seconds.
Apply Default Audio Transition Creates an audio crossfade at each audio edit, using the default audio transition
(defined in the Effects panel). This option is available only when audio tracks are present in selected clips, and the
Placement option is set to Sequentially. It has no effect when the Clip Overlap option is set to zero.
Apply Default Video Transition Places the default transition (defined in the Effects panel) at each edit. This option is
available only when the Placement option is set to Sequentially, and has no effect when the Clip Overlap option is set
to zero.
Ignore Audio Ignores the audio in clips selected to be automated to the sequence.
Ignore Video Ignores the video in clips selected to be automated to the sequence.
The Adobe Tutorials website has this article has this article about the Automate to Sequence command and storyboard
style editing called "Edit Storyboard Style.”
For more information about creating slide shows by adding clips to a sequence automatically in Premiere Pro, see this
video by Video2Brain by Jan Ozer.
More Help topics
“Specify and apply default transitions” on page 334
Mixing clip types in a sequence
You can mix clips with different frame rates, frame aspect ratios, and frame sizes in the same sequence. For example,
if you drop an HD clip into a sequence in an SD project, the clip will be letter-boxed and scaled to the SD frame size
automatically. Similarly, if you drop an SD clip into a sequence in an HD project, the clip will be pillar-boxed
automatically.
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A render bar will appear above any clip in a Timeline panel with attributes not matching the sequence settings. The
render bar indicates that those clips will have to be rendered before final output. However, it doesn't necessarily
indicate these clips can't be previewed in real-time. If a yellow render bar appears above the clip, Premiere Pro can
probably play it back in real time without rendering. If, however, a red render bar appears above the clip, Premiere Pro
probably can not play it back in real time without rendering.
A clip with a frame rate different from the frame rate of the sequence will play back from a sequence at the frame rate
of the sequence.
Replace one clip with another in a Timeline
You can replace one clip in a Timeline panel with another from the Source Monitor or a bin, retaining any effects that
were applied to the original clip in a Timeline.
Using one of the following keyboard modifiers, drag a clip from the Project panel or Source Monitor onto a clip in a
Timeline panel:
•To use the In point of the new clip, Alt-drag (Windows) or Option-drag (Mac OS). You may use the In point of the
new clip, for example, if you have already trimmed it to start at the desired point of the action.
•To apply the In point of the original clip to the new clip, Shift-Alt-drag (Windows) or Shift-Option-drag (Mac OS).
You may apply the In point of the original clip to the new clip, for example, if the new clip was shot synchronously
with the original clip using another camera. In this case, applying the In point from the original clip will start the
new clip from the same point in the action.
In a Timeline, clip position and effects are preserved, and any effects that were applied to the original clip are applied
to the replacement clip.
You can also replace a clip in a Timeline by selecting it, selecting a replacement clip in a bin or the Source Monitor,
and then selecting Clip > Replace With Clip > [replacement type].
Here is a tutorial on using Match Frame with "Replace with Clip" by Clay Asbury.
Replace the source footage for a clip
You can replace the source footage for any clip in the Project panel. Replacing the source footage for a clip links it to
a new source file. All instances of the clip and its subclips are retained in the Project panel and Timeline, with their In
and Out points, and any applied effects, intact. However, the clip becomes linked to the replacement footage instead
of its original footage. You can easily replace, for example, placeholder footage with final footage, or footage with a
soundtrack in one language with identical footage with a different-language soundtrack, and keep all the same edits
that were made with the original footage.
1In the Project panel, select the clip for which you want new source footage.
2Select Clip > Replace Footage.
3In the Replace Footage For dialog box, browse to the file containing the replacement footage.
4To rename the clip with the replacement footage filename, check Rename Clip To Filename.
5Click Select.
Note: You cannot use the Edit > Undo command to undo a footage replacement. However, you can use the Clip > Replace
Footage command again to relink a clip to its original source file.
For more information about Replacing Source Footage, see this video from Learn By Video and Video2Brain by
Maxim Jago.
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Set or remove sequence In and Out points
You can use In and Out points in a sequence to help you place and rearrange clips.
Note: Sequence In and Out points are automatically removed when you perform a lift or extract edit from the Program
Monitor.
Set sequence In and Out points
1Navigate to the In point in a Timeline panel and click the Set In Point button in the Program Monitor.
2Navigate to the Out point in a Timeline panel and click the Set Out Point button .
You can move the In and Out points together without affecting the duration by dragging the In/Out Grip (textured
area at the center of the shaded span between the In and Out points) in the Program Monitor or Timeline panel.
Set sequence In and Out points around a selection
1In a Timeline panel, select one or more clips, or a gap, in the sequence.
2Choose Marker > Set Sequence Marker > In And Out Around Selection. This sets sequence In and Out points that
match the selection’s In and Out points.
The CS5 commands "Set Sequence Marker > In and Out Around Clip" and "Set Sequence Marker> In ahhnd Out
Around Selection" have been replaced by "Mark Clip" and "Mark Selection" respectively in CS5.5 and later.
This command is particularly useful when replacing or removing clips in the sequence using three- and four-point
editing methods. (See “Make three-point and four-point edits” on page 178.)
Remove sequence In and Out points
1Make sure that the sequence is open in the Program Monitor.
2Choose Marker > Clear Sequence Marker, and then choose an option to clear the In point, the Out point, or both.
You can also clear an In or Out point by Alt-clicking (Windows) or Option-clicking (Mac OS) the Set In button or
the Set Out button .
Set sequence start time
By default, each sequence’s time ruler starts at zero and measures time according to the timecode format you specified
in the Display Format field of the New Sequence dialog box General tab. However, you can change the starting time
of the sequence’s time ruler. For example, you may want to set the start time to match a master tape, which typically
begins at 00;58;00;00, to accommodate a two-minute leader before the standard program start time of 01;00;00;00.
❖In a Timeline panel menu, choose Sequence Zero Point (called Start Time in Premiere Pro CS5.5 and later), enter
a starting timecode, and click
OK. (The starting time must be a positive number.)
Trimming clips
Franklin McMahon shows Ripple Edit, Rolling Edit, Slip, and Slide tools in this video from the Layers Magazine
website.
This chapter from the “Adobe Premiere Pro CS5 Classroom in a Book” introduces the more advanced editing tools,
including tools for rolling, ripple, slip, slide, lift, and extract edits.
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For more information about trimming clips, see this excerpt from An Editor's Guide to Premiere Pro by Richard
Harrington, Robbie Carman and Jeff Greenberg.
Working with In and Out points
Setting a clip’s In and Out points is a process called trimming. You define the first frame you want to include in a
sequence by marking that frame as the clip’s In point. Then you define the last frame you want to include by marking
it as the Out point.
You can set In and Out points for a clip in the Source Monitor. After a clip is in a sequence, you can trim a clip’s In or
Out point by dragging its edge. Several specialized tools and techniques allow you to trim multiple edges at once,
reducing the number of steps involved and maintaining the integrity of the sequence.
You can perform trimming tasks to a range of selected clips or grouped clips just as you would a single clip. The range
or group acts as a single clip; you can trim its outer edges (the In point of the first clip and the Out point of the last
clip), but not the interior edges (the In and Out points of each clip in the selected range or group).
To fine-tune trim edits in a sequence, you can open the Trim Monitor. The Trim Monitor’s layout is similar to the
Source and Program Monitors, but the Trim Monitor controls are optimized for precisely adjusting a cut point
between clips in a sequence.
You can trim clips in the Speech Analysis pane of the Metadata panel, setting In points and Out points on selected
spoken words.
Similarly, you can set sequence In and Out points in the Program Monitor for adding clips to a sequence. Though they
serve different purposes, controls for setting and cueing In and Out points work the same in both monitors. (See Set
or remove sequence In and Out points.)
Scrub the waveform in the Source Monitor
❖In the Source Monitor, drag to the left or right anywhere on the waveform.
The current-time indicator appears where you click and the audio clip is played, forward or backward, at the speed at
which you drag across, or scrub, the clip.
Zoom in or out on a waveform in the Source Monitor
You can zoom into an audio waveform in the Source Monitor to better identify locations for markers, In points, or
Out points.
1Double-click an audio clip in the Project panel to open it in the Source Monitor.
2To zoom in horizontally, drag either end of the horizontal zoom bar that runs above the time bar in the Source
Monitor.
The waveform of all channels, and the time bar, will expand or contract horizontally.
3To zoom in vertically, do one of the following:
•To zoom in on a single channel, drag either end of the vertical zoom bar that runs next to the decibel ruler on the
right side of the Source Monitor.
•To zoom in on all channels simultaneously, Shift-drag either end of the vertical zoom bar that runs next to the
decibel ruler on the right side of the Source Monitor.
The waveform of one or all channels, and the decibel ruler, will expand or contract vertically.
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Return to default vertical zoom level
❖Double-click the vertical zoom bar.
Return to previous vertical zoom level
❖After returning to the default zoom level, double-click the vertical zoom bar.
Trim in the Source Monitor
The Source Monitor panel holds versatile tools for trimming clips. You can use them to set, move, or remove In and
Out points, cue the current-time indicator to any of these points, or preview the frames at their locations.
Andrew Devis gives an overview of editing and viewing assets in the Source Monitor in this video on the Creative Cow
website.
For more information about trimming clips in the Source monitor (panel), in this excerpt from An Editor's Guide to
Premiere Pro by Richard Harrington, Robbie Carman and Jeff Greenberg.
More Help topics
“Adding clips to sequences” on page 172
“Create split edits” on page 230
Open a clip in the Source Monitor
❖To open a clip in the Source Monitor, do one of the following:
•Double-click the clip in the Project panel,
•Double-click the clip in a Timeline panel.
Select a clip to view in the Source Monitor
You can open more than one clip at a time in the Source Monitor. However, you can view only one clip at a time.
1In the Source Monitor tab, click the downward-pointing triangle to open the tab menu.
2Select the name of the clip you want to view.
Note: You can assign keyboard shortcuts for selecting and closing clips in the Source Monitor.
Set In points and Out points in the Source Monitor
❖To set an In Point or Out point in the Source Monitor, do any of the following:
•To mark an In point, drag the playhead to the frame you want. Then click the Set In Point button .
•To mark an Out point, drag the playhead to the frame you want. Then click the Set Out Point button .
Move In point and Out point together
❖Do one of the following:
•For a video or audio clip, in the Source Monitor time ruler, drag the In/Out Grip (textured area at the center of the
shaded span between the In and Out points). Make sure that you drag the textured area; otherwise, you simply cue
the current-time indicator.
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Dragging the In/Out Grip for a video clip or track
•For an audio clip, drag the grey area between the In point and Out point above the waveform to the left or right.
Dragging the audio In/Out Grip for an audio clip or track
The In and Out points move together, keeping the duration between them constant.
This also works with sequence In and Out points using the Program Monitor or a Timeline panel.
View In and Out frames in the Source Monitor
After you set In and Out points in the Source Monitor, you can drag the area between the points to view the In point
frame and the Out point frames alongside each other in the Source Monitor. Viewing frames this way is useful when
you set In and Out points that are a specific duration and you want to locate a section of a clip that best fits within that
duration. It is also useful for making quick adjustments to In and Out points.
Note: Viewing in and out frames this way works only with clips that you’ve opened in the Source Monitor from a
sequence.
1Set the In and Out points.
2Drag the In/Out Grip (textured area at the center of the shaded span between the In and Out points).
Cue to an In point or Out point
You use the Source Monitor to cue a frame for a clip and the Program Monitor to cue the current frame for a sequence.
❖Do one of the following:
•To cue the current time to an In point, click the Go To In Point button .
•To cue the current time to an Out point, click the Go To Out Point button .
Note: To go to the next edit in any of the targeted tracks, click the Go To Next Edit Point button and, to go to the
previous edit in any of the targeted tracks, click the Go To Previous Edit Point button .
Remove source clip In point or Out point
1Double-click a source clip in a Project panel to open it in the Source Monitor.
Note: Timeline clip instances are not source clips. It is not possible to remove In points or Out points from timeline clips
which have been loaded in the Source monitor.
2Choose Marker > Clear Clip Marker and then choose an option to clear the In point, the Out point, or both.
You can also clear an In or Out point by Alt-clicking (Windows) or Option-clicking (Mac OS) the Set In Point button
or the Set Out Point button in the Source Monitor.
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Trim with Trim-in and Trim-out tools
You can change a clip’s In point or Out point by dragging its edge in a Timeline panel. As you drag, the current In or
Out point appears in the Program Monitor. A tool tip displays the number of frames that you are trimming: a negative
value if you are dragging the edge toward the beginning of the sequence and a positive number if you are dragging
toward the end of the sequence. You cannot trim past the original In and Out points of the source footage.
❖Click the selection tool and do one of the following:
•To edit the In point, drag the left edge of the clip once the Trim-in icon appears.
•To edit the Out point, drag the right edge of the clip once the Trim-out icon appears.
Note: To trim only one track of a linked clip, press Alt (Windows) or Option (Mac OS) as you click with a Trim icon. You
do not need to hold down the Alt (Windows) or Option (Mac OS) key once you initiate the trim. To ripple trim a clip,
press Ctrl (Windows) or Command (Mac OS) while dragging.
Trimming a clip
Trimming in this way affects only a single clip edge and doesn’t affect adjacent clips. To trim multiple edges at once or
to shift adjacent clips, see “Making rolling and ripple edits” on page 187 and “Make slip and slide edits” on page 191.
Press Ctrl (Windows) or Command (Mac OS) as you drag using the Selection tool to switch to the Ripple Edit tool.
Andrew Devis from Creative Cow demonstrates the Trim & Ripple Edit tools in this video on the Creative Cow
website.
Trim with the current-time indicator
You can set the In Point or Out Point of a clip in a sequence to the location of the current-time indicator, if you first
map two keyboard commands.
Note: This edit function creates a gap in your sequence.
Set keyboard commands to trim with the current-time indicator
1Select Edit > Keyboard Customization.
2Select [Custom] from the Set drop-down menu.
3Select Application from the drop-down menu of keyboard command types.
4Scroll down to Trim In Point To CTI and Trim Out Point To CTI.
5Set keyboard shortcuts for Trim In Point To CTI and Trim Out Point To CTI..
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Set In and Out Points with the current-time indicator
1Click the track head, in the area near the track title, of one or more tracks containing the clip or clips you want to
trim. This targets the track or tracks. You can target video tracks, audio tracks, or both.
2Drag the current-time indicator to the place where you want to set the In Point or Out Point of the clip or clips.
3Press the keyboard command you assigned to Trim In Point To CTI or Trim Out Point To CTI.
For more information about trimming with the current-time indicator (playhead), see this excerpt from An Editor's
Guide to Premiere Pro by Richard Harrington, Robbie Carman and Jeff Greenberg.
Trim with Speech Analysis
You can add In and Out points to speech analysis text to select a portion of a master clip. You can insert or overwrite
the selected portion directly from the Speech Analysis section of the Metadata panel.
1In the Speech Analysis section of the Metadata panel, select a word.
2Do one of the following:
•To set the word as an In point, click Set In (Mark In in Premiere Pro CS5.5 and later).
•To set the word as an Out point, click Set Out (Mark Out in Premiere Pro CS5.5 and later).
Premiere Pro sets In points at the beginnings of words, and Out points at the ends of words. Premiere Pro highlights
the range between the In point and Out point in the Speech Analysis section of the Metadata panel.
Making rolling and ripple edits
You can perform a rolling or ripple edit either directly on the tracks in a Timeline panel or using the Trim Monitor.
Andrew Devis demonstrates the Rolling Edit tool in a video tutorial on the Creative COW website.
Andrew Devis demonstrates the Ripple Edit tool in a video tutorial on the Creative COW website.
See Andrew Devis' tutorial on Creative Cow entitled, “Learning the Tools 5: The Trim Monitor.”
For more information about ripple and roll trims, see this excerpt from An Editor's Guide to Premiere Pro by Richard
Harrington, Robbie Carman and Jeff Greenberg.
More Help topics
“Work in the Trim Monitor” on page 193
About rolling and ripple edits
When you want to adjust the cut, or edit point, between two clips, use variations of simple trimming known as rolling
edits and ripple edits. By using specialized tools, you can make adjustments in a single action that would otherwise
require multiple steps to accomplish. When you perform ripple and rolling edits, the affected frames appear in the
Program Monitor side by side.
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Program Monitor and Timeline during a rolling edit
Rolling edit
A rolling edit trims an adjacent Out point and In point simultaneously and by the same number of frames. This
effectively moves the edit point between clips, preserving other clips’ positions in time and maintaining the total
duration of the sequence. Pressing Alt (Windows) or Option (Mac OS) when you begin to perform a rolling edit
ignores the link between video and audio (known as an L-cut or J-cut).
In this rolling edit, the edit point is dragged earlier in time—shortening the previous clip, lengthening the next clip, and maintaining the program
duration.
Ripple edit
A ripple edit trims a clip and shifts subsequent clips in the track by the amount you trim. Shortening a clip by ripple
editing shifts all clips after the cut back in time; conversely, extending a clip shifts the clips that follow the cut forward
in time. When you’re making a ripple edit, empty space on one side of the cut is treated as a clip and shifts in time just
as a clip would be. Pressing Alt (Windows) or Option (Mac OS) when you begin to perform a ripple edit ignores the
link between video and audio.
Make a rolling edit using the Rolling Edit tool
1Select the Rolling Edit tool .
2In a Timeline panel, drag left or right from the edge of the clip you want to change. The same number of frames
added to the clip are trimmed from the adjacent clip. Alt-drag (Windows) or Option-drag (Mac OS) to affect only
the video or audio portion of a linked clip.
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Timeline panel during (above) and after (below) a rolling edit
Make a rolling edit using the Trim Monitor
1In the Trim Monitor, click the Select Video Or Audio Track button and select the track you want to edit.
2Click in the Sync Lock box in the header of any track you want to shift when the rolling edit is made.
3In a Timeline, place the current-time indicator at the edit point. This will display the edit point in the Trim Monitor.
4Do any of the following:
•Position the pointer between the video images so that it changes into the Rolling Edit tool ; then drag left or
right.
•Drag the center timecode display left or right.
•Drag the center jog disk left or right.
•Click the timecode display between the views, type a valid timecode number to trim the edges of both clips to that
frame, and press Enter (Windows) or Return (Mac OS).
•Select the boxed number above the center jog disk, type a negative number to trim both clips left or type a positive
number to trim both clips right, and press Enter (Windows) or Return (Mac OS).
•Click the button that corresponds with the number of frames you want to edit. The –1 and –5 buttons trim both
clips left; +1 and +5 trim both clips right.
Note: The large trim offset number is 5 frames by default, but you can set it to any number by specifying a number in the
trim preferences. Choose Edit
> Preferences > Trim (Windows) or Premiere Pro > Preferences > Trim (Mac OS).
Make rolling edits with the current-time indicator
You can move the In point or Out point of a clip in a sequence to the current-time indicator or playhead, without
leaving gaps in the sequence. This type of editing is sometimes called extending an edit, or using extend edit
commands.
In Premiere Pro CS5, you first assign keyboard shortcuts in the Keyboard Customization dialog box. Then use the
designated keyboard commands to extend edits as rolling edits. The commands in the Keyboard customization are as
follows:
•Roll Previous Edit to CTI
•Roll Next Edit to CTI
These commands are available after you assign shortcuts to them from the Keyboard Customization dialog.
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In Premiere Pro CS5.5 and later, the names of the commands have been renamed to match the common industry
nomenclature, from “Roll Previous/Next Edit to CTI” to “Extend Previous/Next Edit to the Playhead”. The extend edit
commands are also in the Sequence menu by default.
Assign keyboard shortcuts for rolling edit commands in Premiere Pro CS5
1Select Edit > Keyboard Customization.
2In the Keyboard Customization dialog box, select Premiere Pro Factory Defaults in the Set menu.
3Select Application in the type menu.
4Scroll down the list of commands to Roll Previous Edit to CTI, and Roll Next Edit to CTI
5Set keyboard commands for Roll Previous Edit to CTI, and Roll Next Edit to CTI.
Make a rolling edit to the current-time indicator
1Click a track header to target the track containing the clip you want to trim.
2Drag the current-time indicator over the clip to the location in the sequence to which you want to extend the clip
In point or Out point.
3Do one of the following:
•To extend the clip’s In point to the current-time indicator, press the keyboard command you assigned to Roll
Previous Edit to CTI in Premiere Pro CS5. For Premiere Pro CS5.5 and later, choose Sequence > Extend
Previous Edit to Playhead or press E.
•To extend the clip’s Out point at the current-time indicator, press the keyboard command you assigned to Roll
Next Edit to CTI for Premiere Pro CS5. For Premiere Pro CS5.5 and later, choose Sequence > Extend Next Edit
to Playhead or press Shift+E.
Note: If there is not enough media to extend to the CTI, Premiere Pro extends the clip to the end of the available media.
Make a ripple edit using the Ripple Edit tool
1Select the Ripple Edit tool .
2In a Timeline panel, position the pointer over the In or Out point of the clip you want to change until the Ripple-
in icon or the Ripple-out icon appears, and drag left or right. Subsequent clips in the track shift in time to
compensate for the edit, but their durations remain unchanged. Alt-drag (Windows) or Option-drag (Mac OS) to
affect only the video or audio portion of a linked clip.
Timeline panel during (above) and after (below) a ripple edit
When using the Selection tool, you can toggle from the Trim-in or Trim-out icon to a Ripple edit icon by pressing the Ctrl
(Windows) or Command (Mac OS) key. Release Ctrl (Windows) or Command (Mac OS) to revert to the Selection tool.
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Make a ripple edit using the Trim Monitor
1In the Trim Monitor, click the Select Video Or Audio Track button and select the track you want to edit.
2Click in the Sync Lock box in the header of any track you want to shift when the ripple edit is made.
3In a Timeline, place the current-time indicator at the edit point. This will display the edit point in the Trim Monitor.
4Do any of the following:
•Position the pointer in the left or right image so that it becomes the Trim-out icon or Trim-in icon
respectively, and drag left or right to ripple-edit the corresponding clip.
•Drag the timecode display under the left or right image to trim the corresponding clip.
•Drag the left or right jog disk to trim the corresponding clip.
•Drag the Outgoing Out Point icon in the left view’s time ruler, or drag the Incoming In Point icon in the right
view’s time ruler.
•Drag the Out Shift or In Shift timecode number left or right to ripple-edit the corresponding clip.
•Click the left clip’s timecode display (for the left clip’s Out point) or the right clip’s timecode display (for the right
clip’s In point), type a valid timecode number to trim the corresponding clip to that frame, and press Enter
(Windows) or Return (Mac OS).
•Click the Out Shift display (for the left clip’s Out point) or the In Shift display (for the right clip’s In point), type a
negative number (to trim left) or a positive number (to trim right), and press Enter (Windows) or Return (Mac OS).
Franklin McMahon shows Ripple Edit, Rolling Edit, Slip, and Slide tools in this video on the Layers Magazine website.
Make slip and slide edits
Just as ripple and rolling edits allow you to adjust a cut between two clips, slip and slide edits are useful when you want
to adjust two cuts in a sequence of three clips. When you use the Slip or Slide tool, the Program Monitor displays the
four frames involved in the edit side by side, except when editing audio only.
Program Monitor and Timeline during a slide edit
Though Slip and Slide tools are typically employed on the center of three adjacent clips, each tool functions normally
even if the clip is adjacent to a clip on one side and blank space on the other.
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Make a slip edit
A slip edit shifts a clip’s In and Out points forward or backward by the same number of frames in a single action. By
dragging with the Slip tool, you can change a clip’s starting and ending frames without changing its duration or
affecting adjacent clips.
Franklin McMahon shows Ripple Edit, Rolling Edit, Slip, and Slide tools in this video on the Layers Magazine website.
Andrew Devis demonstrates the slip and slide tools and gives a simple way to remember which is which in this video
on the Creative COW website.
For more information about slipping and sliding clips, see this excerpt from An Editor's Guide to Premiere Pro by
Richard Harrington, Robbie Carman and Jeff Greenberg.
In this slip edit, a clip is dragged left, moving its source In and Out points later in time.
1Select the Slip tool .
2Position the pointer on the clip you want to adjust, and drag left to move the In and Out points later in the clip, or
drag right to move the In and Out points earlier in the clip.
Premiere Pro updates the source In and Out points for the clip, displaying the result in the Program Monitor and
maintaining the clip and sequence duration.
Make a slide edit
A slide edit shifts a clip in time while trimming adjacent clips to compensate for the move. As you drag a clip left or
right with the Slide tool, the Out point of the preceding clip and the In point of the following clip are trimmed by the
number of frames you move the clip. The clip’s In and Out points (and hence, its duration) remain unchanged.
In this slide edit, a clip is dragged left so that it starts earlier in the sequence, shortening the preceding clip and lengthening the following clip.
1Select the Slide tool .
2Position the pointer on the clip you want to adjust, and drag left to move the Out point of the preceding clip and
the In point of the following clip earlier in time, or drag right to move the Out point of the preceding clip and the
In point of the following clip later in time.
When you release the mouse button, Premiere Pro updates the In and Out points for the adjacent clips, displaying the
result in the Program Monitor and maintaining the clip and sequence duration. The only change to the clip you moved
is its position in the sequence.
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Making split edits
You can create a split edit by temporarily unlinking the video from the audio in adjoining clips, trimming their audio
separately from their video, and placing them in a sequence so that the video of one overlaps the audio of the other.
For more information about creating split edits, see this excerpt from An Editor's Guide to Premiere Pro by Richard
Harrington, Robbie Carman and Jeff Greenberg.
More Help topics
“Create split edits” on page 230
Work in the Trim Monitor
The Trim Monitor displays clip In and Out points at a cut so that you can see precisely which frames you are cutting.
The left monitor shows the clip to the left of the edit point, and the right monitor shows the clip to the right of it.
Here's a link to the section with the shortcuts for the Trim Monitor panel.
See Andrew Devis' tutorial “Learning the Tools 5: The Trim Monitor” on the Creative COW website.
See Andrew Devis' tutorial “Learning the Tools 1: Trim & Ripple Edit” on the Creative COW website.
Karl Soule shows how to use the Trim Monitor in Adobe Premiere Pro in this video tutorial.
Kevin Monahan explains trimming with keyboard commands in Adobe Premiere Pro in this blog post.
For more information about trimming clips in the Trim Monitor, see this excerpt from An Editor's Guide to Premiere
Pro by Richard Harrington, Robbie Carman and Jeff Greenberg.
This video by Paul Joy shows some of the shortcuts for the Trim Monitor, as well as making it clear that it's what
customers want to be taught about.
Open or close the Trim Monitor
•To open the Trim Monitor, select Window > Trim Monitor.
•To open the Trim Monitor, press the T key.
When you press the T key or invoke the menu command to open the Trim Monitor, the nearest edit will be selected
and the panel opens at the same time.
•To open the Trim Monitor in Adobe Premiere Pro CS5.5 and later, select Sequence > Trim Edit.
•To close the Trim Monitor, click the close box of the Trim Monitor.
Display the edit point you want to trim
1In the Trim Monitor, click the Select Video Or Audio Track button and select the track you want to edit.
2In the Trim Monitor, click the Go To Previous Edit Point or Go To Next Edit Point button. Continue
clicking until the Trim Monitor displays the frames on either side of the edit point you want to change.
Preview the edit in the Trim Monitor
•To preview the edit once, click the Play Edit button .
•To preview the edit repeatedly, click the Loop button .
Cancel an edit
❖Press Ctrl+Z (Windows) or Command+Z (Mac OS), or use the History palette.
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Set trim preferences
You can set the number of frames that are trimmed when you use the Multiple-Frame Trim-in button or the
Multiple-Frame Trim-out button .
❖Choose Edit > Preferences > Trim (Windows) or Premiere Pro > Preferences > Trim (Mac OS).
Working with clips in a sequence
Find a clip in any sequence with Clip Usage
Note: You can also see the number of times a clip has been used by making the Video Usage column visible in the Project
panel. For more information, see “Add a column” on page 104
.You can see whether any clip in the Project panel has been used in a project, the number of uses, and the location of
each use, with the Clip Usage menu. The Clip Usage triangle appears next to the thumbnail viewer only if the selected
clips has been used in a sequence.
1Select a clip in the Project panel.
2Toward the top of the project panel, next to the thumbnail for the clip, click the Clip Usage triangle on the Movie
line next to the pixel aspect ratio.
A popup menu will show the timecode location for the clip for any sequence in which it is used.
The locations of a clip in the Clip Usage menu of the Project panel
3Click the desired location.
The desired sequence panel will move forward and the current-time indicator will jump to the location of the clip.
View the source of a sequence clip in the Project panel
❖Right-click (Windows) or Ctrl-click (Mac OS) a clip in a sequence, and choose Reveal In Project.
Analyze speech for text XMP metadata
Adobe Premiere Pro and Soundbooth analyze spoken words and generate text metadata. You can edit and search text
metadata like any other metadata properties. You can then navigate to the times at which specific words are spoken,
to better align edits, advertising, and subtitles.
The speech analysis feature can use any of several language-specific and dialect-specific libraries, such as libraries for
Spanish and UK English.
To download more language-specific and dialect-specific libraries, see this link on the Adobe website.
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In Premiere Pro CS5.5 and later, the Speech Analysis feature is also available for clips when there is at least one
component audio clip in the merged clip. Users can choose to analyze all audio tracks in a merged clip, or a single one.
•To analyze speech in all tracks, do one of the following:
•Set the File pop up menu to “All Files”, and then click the Analyze button in the Speech Analysis section of the
Metadata panel.
•Select the merged clip, and then choose Clip > Analyze Content.
Note: You can analyze multiple merged clips, multiple clips, or a combination of both by selecting the clips, and
then choose Clip > Analyze Content.
•To analyze a specific track for speech, set the File pop up menu to the component audio clip you wish to analyze,
and then click the Analyze button in the Speech Analysis section of the Metadata panel.
Note: Useful results from speech analysis require good audio quality. Background noise significantly reduces accuracy.
To remove such noise, use the tools and processes in Soundbooth.
Dan Ebberts provides a tutorial on the Adobe website that demonstrates the use of XMP metadata features. The
tutorial shows how to convert speech to text metadata and create a simple video player with which you can navigate
to the places where words are spoken. Adobe provides another white paper and demonstration on the Adobe website
that shows an alternative method involving Soundbooth to accomplish a similar result.
For more information, see the video tutorial Using Speech Search to Speed Editing.
For a video demonstrating the use of script (screenplay) information from Adobe Story to improve the accuracy of
speech analysis, see the Adobe website.
Jeff Sengstack provides a video overview of a speech search workflow involving Adobe Story, OnLocation, Premiere
Pro, Encore, and Flash Player on the Lynda.com website.
This video from Video2Brain describes editing workflow in Premiere Pro using speech metadata from Adobe Story.
This video by Jason Levine shows an overview of Adobe Story and Premiere Pro integration.
For more information about how Adobe Premiere Pro CS5.5 and later integrates with Adobe Story, see this blog post
in the Premiere Pro work area.
Michael Hurwicz provides a video tutorial on the Creative COW website that shows embedding a transcript in a video
using CS5 Production Premium (Adobe Story, OnLocation, Premiere Pro, Soundbooth and Flash Professional).
Jeff Greenberg explains in the following video how to enhance the speech recognition with keywords and scripts.
More Help topics
Speech to text enhancements
Analyze speech to create text metadata
1Select a file or clip.
2At the bottom of the Metadata panel, click Analyze Speech, or Analyze (Adobe Premiere Pro).
3Set the Language and Quality options, and select Identify Speakers if you want to create separate speech metadata
for each person.
Note: Speech Search can use any of several language-specific and dialect-specific libraries, such as libraries for Spanish
and UK English.
4Click OK.
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The spoken words appear in the Speech Analysis section.
5To retain the speech metadata, save the project.
If you import files with a speech metadata intoAfter Effects, each word appears as a layer marker on layers based on
these footage items.
Navigate to a specific word in speech metadata
1In the Speech Analysis section, select the word.
Timecode In and Duration indicate the precise location and length of your selection.
2To hear the selection, click either Play or Loop Playback. (The latter option repeatedly plays the selected word, with
some preroll and postroll.)
Edit speech metadata
❖In the Speech Analysis section, do any of the following:
•To correct a word, click it, and type.
•To insert, delete, merge, cut, or copy words, right-click an existing word, and choose a command from the
context menu.
Copy text from speech metadata to the clipboard for use in a text editor
❖Right-click the transcript, and choose Copy All.
Improve speech analysis with reference scripts
Accuracy of the speech to text conversion depends on the clarity of the spoken words and the quality of the recorded
dialog. Dialog recorded in a noisy environment or with poor microphone placement cannot produce highly accurate
results even with a reference script. You can nevertheless use a reference script to improve speech analysis. A reference
script is a text document containing dialog similar to the dialog recorded in your assets.
There are two types of reference scripts:
•A script that contains similar dialog, but was not necessarily written for the current project. For example, a series
of medical training scripts for different products can be combined into a single text document. You can use this text
document as a reference script. With this type of reference script, speech analysis produces results more accurate
than it does when using only the default language models.
•A script that matches the recorded dialog. This type of reference script provides the highest accuracy possible. For
example, you can use the script that the talent read during the shoot as a reference script. Alternatively, you could
use a transcript typed from the assets for the purposes of close captioning.
Speech Analysis supports reference scripts only in the UTF-8 encoded text format, including Adobe Story scripts,
which have the .astx filename extension.
The closeness of the match between the embedded script text and the recorded dialog determines the accuracy of
matched-script text. If 100% accuracy is important, edit and revise the script text first. Ensure that the script matches
the recorded dialog before using it as a reference script.
Note: To make reference scripts available in Soundbooth, first complete the steps below in Adobe Premiere Pro.
1From the Reference Script menu in the Analyze Content dialog box, choose Add.
2In the displayed dialog box, browse to the reference script text or .astx file, select it, and click OK.
3In the Import Script dialog box, type a name for the reference script, and select the language of the script.
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Note: You can view the text of the file in a scrolling window.
4Select Script Text Matches Dialog only if the imported script covers the recorded dialog verbatim. For example, if
the reference script is the script from which the talent read their lines, select Script Text Matches Dialog. Select this
option even if the recorded dialog is shorter than what the script file covers.
5Click OK.
The Import Script dialog closes, and the reference script is selected in the Reference Script menu.
6Click OK.
Improve speech analysis with Adobe Story scripts (CS5.5 and later)
Speech analysis is more accurate if Adobe Story script data is associated with a clip. Adobe Premiere Pro automatically
uses the Adobe
Story script as a reference script. When Adobe Premiere Pro finds enough matches with the embedded
script, it replaces the analyzed speech text with the embedded script text. Adobe Premiere
Pro carries over the correct
spelling, proper names, and punctuation from the reference script, benefits that standard speech analysis cannot
provide.
To find and fix more errors, you can make side-by-side comparisons of the text of the Adobe Story script with the text
of the speech analysis. If a clip has a Story script attached to it, the script is displayed in the Embedded Adobe Story
Script view in the Speech Analysis section of the Metadata panel. Compare the script displayed in this view to the
results of the speech analysis displayed in the Analysis Text view below it.
Note: The Embedded Adobe Story Script view is read only. You can't perform editing operations in it.
To attach an Adobe Story script to a clip or clips:
1Match the scene number of the clips to the scene numbers in the Adobe Story script. Adobe Premiere Pro needs the
information so that it can match the clips to the correct scenes in the script. You can assign scene numbers to clips
in the Project panel or the Metadata panel.
2Select one or more clips in the Project panel, right-click and choose Attach Script File or select File > Adobe Story
> Attach Script file.
Note: An Adobe Story script cannot be attached to a Merged Clip. If, however, a Story script was attached to a component
clip prior to the merge, the merged clip may be analyzed using the previously attached Story script.
You can also import an Adobe Story script into OnLocation and then import the shots into Adobe Premiere Pro with
the script metadata. OnLocation produces a list of shot placeholders for each scene. Either record these shots using
OnLocation during production, or link the placeholder shots to their respective video files when you import the video
files into OnLocation. In either case, OnLocation embeds the text for each shot from the original script into the
metadata of the shot, and the information is retained when the shot is imported intoAdobe Premiere Pro.
Select one or more clips
When you want to perform an action that affects a clip as a whole, such as applying an effect, deleting a clip, or moving
a clip in time, first select the clip in a Timeline panel. The Tools panel contains selection tools that can handle various
selection tasks.
❖Do any of the following:
•To select a single clip, use the Selection tool and click a clip in a Timeline panel.
•To select only the audio or video portion of a clip, use the Selection tool and Alt-click (Windows) or Option-
click (Mac OS) that portion.
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•To select multiple clips by clicking, use the Selection tool and Shift-click each clip you want to select. (Shift-click
a selected clip to deselect it.)
•To select a range of clips, click in an empty area of the sequence under the time ruler, and then drag a rectangle
(marquee selection) that includes any part of the clips you want to select.
•To add or subtract a range of clips in the current selection, Shift-drag a marquee around clips. Shift-dragging a
marquee that includes unselected clips adds them to the current selection. Shift-dragging a marquee that includes
selected clips deselects them.
Selecting a range of clips by dragging a marquee
•To select all clips that exist on and after a certain time on one track, select the Track Select tool and click the
clip at the beginning of the time span you want to select. Shift-click with the tool to select clips in all tracks.
Selecting clips with the Track Select tool
•To select clips in a track independently of its linked video or audio, Alt-click (Windows) or Option-click (Mac OS)
using the Track Select tool .
Enable or disable a clip
You can disable a clip while you try out a different editing idea, or to shorten processing time when working on a
complex project. Disabled clips do not appear in the Program Monitor or in a preview or video file that you export. As
long as you have not locked the track containing a disabled clip, you can still make changes to it. If you want to disable
all clips on the same track, exclude the entire track instead. See “Targeting tracks” on page 173.
❖Select one or more clips in a Timeline panel and choose Clip > Enable. A check mark next to the command indicates
that the selected clips is enabled. Disabled clips appear dimmed in a Timeline panel.
Since it is a common duty for editors to enable and disable clips, it is recommended that you create a custom keyboard
shortcut for this task. See “Customize or load keyboard shortcuts” on page 451.
Group clips
You can group multiple clips so that you can move, disable, copy, or delete them together. Both audio and video tracks
of a linked clip are included when you group it with other clips.
You can’t apply clip-based commands, such as the Speed command, or effects to the group, though you can select
individual clips in the group and apply effects.
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You can trim the exterior edges of the group (the head of the first clip in a group or the tail of the last clip), but you
can’t trim any of the interior In and Out points.
•To group clips, select multiple clips, and choose Clip > Group.
•To ungroup clips, select a group clip, and choose Clip > Ungroup.
•To select one or more clips in a group of clips, Alt-click (Windows) or Option-click (Mac OS) a single clip in a
group. Shift+Alt-click (Windows) or Shift+Option-click (Mac OS) to select additional clips in a group.
Snap clips
To make it easier to align clips with one another or with particular points in time, you can activate the snap feature.
With Snap on, when you move a clip, it automatically aligns with, or snaps to, the edge of another clip, a marker, the
start or end of the time ruler, or the current-time indicator. When you drag a portion of a clip vertically into another
track, it will snap to its original time location in the new track. Snapping also helps to ensure you don’t inadvertently
perform an insert or overwrite edit when dragging. As you drag clips, a vertical line with arrows appears and indicates
when clips are aligned.
Enable and disable the snap feature
❖At the upper left of a Timeline panel under the Sequence tab, click the Snap button to select it. Click it again to
deselect it.
Snap a clip to a clip edge, marker, or current-time indicator
1Make sure that the Snap button is selected in a Timeline panel.
2Drag the edge of a clip close to the edge of another clip or a marker or the current-time indicator. A vertical line
appears when alignment occurs.
You can toggle the snap feature using a keyboard shortcut (S) even during an editing operation, such as moving or
trimming a clip.
Aligning clips with the snap feature enabled
Rearranging clips in a sequence
Move clips
You can place clips in playback order to create a sequence in a Timeline panel. You can also change the order of clips
once they are there, replace them, remove them, or insert additional clips.
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Move clips in a Timeline panel
You can drag a clip and place it in an empty spot or snap it to another clip. You can also insert and overwrite clips that
you move. Watch the translucent rectangle that represents the clip’s duration as you drag it. To move multiple clips,
select a range of clips, or move a group of clips. A tool tip displays the amount of time moved as you drag. The window
displays a negative number if you drag the clip toward the beginning of the sequence, and a positive number if toward
the end.
Overwrite is the default mode and is indicated by the Overwrite icon when dragging clips. Pressing Ctrl (Windows)
or Command (Mac OS) as you drop a clip performs an insert edit. The Insert icon appears when you drag clips
while pressing Ctrl (Windows) or Command (Mac OS).
By default, you can change the track location of either portion of a clip, audio or video, by dragging that portion. The
other portion will remain in its original track. You can change this behavior, however, either by pressing Shift while
you drag, or by dragging vertically across the bar that separates the video tracks from the audio tracks. When you drag
a part of a clip vertically into a new track, it will snap to its original time location in the new track, if Snap is turned on.
❖Do one of the following:
•To move the audio portion of a clip to a different track, drag the audio portion of the clip vertically to the
destination audio track.
•To move the video portion of a clip to a different track, drag the video portion of the clip vertically to the destination
video track.
•To move the video portion of a clip to Video 1 and move the audio portion to a different audio track, drag the video
portion downward past the bar separating video and audio tracks. The video portion will remain in Video 1 while
the audio portion will land in the audio track where you drop it.
•To move the audio portion of a clip to Audio 1 and move the video portion to a different video track, drag the audio
portion upward past the bar separating video and audio tracks. The audio portion will remain in Audio 1 while the
video portion will land in the video track where you drop it.
•To place the video and audio portions of a clip into tracks you specify, drag the video portion to the destination
video track. Press and hold Shift. This will pin the video portion to the specified video track. Continue holding Shift
and drag downward past the bar separating video and audio tracks. Release the mouse and release Shift when the
audio portion of the clip lies over the destination audio track.
•To overwrite other clips, drag one or more clips and drop them on the track where the other clips are located.
•To move only one track of a linked clip, press Alt (Windows) or Option (Mac OS) and drag the part of the clip,
audio or video, you want to move. You do not need to hold the Alt (Windows) or Option (Mac OS) key after you
initiate the edit. The video and audio will lose sync.
•To insert, drag one or more clips, and press Ctrl (Windows) or Command (Mac OS) as you release the mouse
button and drop the clip or clips into a new location. Clips in all tracks to the right of the drop point shift to the
right of the inserted clips. A gap remains in the track from which you move the inserted clips.
Move clips using the keypad
You can change the position of a clip in a sequence by typing the number of frames that you want to move.
1Select the clip in the sequence.
2Using your numeric keypad with Num Lock on, type + (plus) and the number of frames that you want to move the
clip to the right, or type - (minus) and the number of frames you want to move the clip to the left. Then, press Enter
(Windows) or Return (Mac OS).
If any gaps exist between clips, those gaps are filled first. Then, the selected clip overwrites adjacent clips by the
remaining number of frames.
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Move clips to a different track
❖Drag the audio portion or video portion of a clip up or down into the track you want. Only the portion of the clip
you drag will move into a new track.
Note: When dragging audio, you can drop it into the next compatible track, or if one doesn’t exist (for example, if you are
dragging stereo audio and only a mono track exists), a new one is created.
Rearrange clips in a Timeline panel
A useful variation of insert and overwrite edits in a Timeline panel is known as the rearrange edit. A rearrange edit
extracts a clip and inserts it into its new location. However, only clips in the destination track are shifted; clips in other
tracks are not affected. This technique lets you quickly change the order of clips in a sequence, a task that would
otherwise require additional steps. When you perform a rearrange edit, the Rearrange icon appears.
❖Drag a clip; then press Ctrl+Alt (Windows) or Command+Option (Mac OS) as you drop it to a new location.
As you press Ctrl+Alt (Windows) or Command+Option (Mac OS), the Rearrange icon appears. Releasing the clip
performs an insert edit that shifts clips in the destination tracks only.
Split or cut one or more clips with the Razor tool
You can use the Razor tool to cut a clip into two clips, or to cut across clips in several tracks at once. Splitting a clip
creates a new and separate instance of the original clip, and any linked clips. The resulting clips are full versions of the
original clip, but with different In and Out points.
❖Do any of the following:
•To split a single clip or linked clip, select the Razor tool , and click the point in the sequence where you want to
split the clip.
•To split only the audio or video portion of linked clips, Alt-click (Windows) or Option-click (Mac OS) with the
Razor tool.
•To split clips on targeted tracks, click the headers of the desired tracks to target them. Position the current-time
indicator where you want to split the clip or clips, and choose Sequence > Razor Tracks (called Add Edit in CS5.5
and later). Alternatively, press Ctrl+K (Windows), or Command+K (Mac OS).
•To split clips on all except locked tracks, lock any track containing a clip that you don’t want to split. Choose
Sequence > Razor All Tracks (called Add Edit to All Tracks in CS5.5 and later). Press Ctrl+Shift+K (Windows), or
Command+Shift+K (Mac OS). You can also Shift-click with the Razor tool to split all tracks at the same point in a
Timeline panel.
If you want to change effect settings over time, don’t split the clip; you can apply keyframes to a single clip instead.
Remove clips from a sequence
❖To remove entire clips, select one or more clips in the sequence and press Delete.
Lift and paste frames
You can remove or lift frames from a specified area of one or more tracks in a sequence, leaving a gap in their place.
You specify the area with sequence In and Out points. If only a part of a clip appears between the sequence In and Out
points, that part will be lifted from the sequence while the rest of the clip will remain. You can then paste the lifted
frames anywhere in a sequence.
1Use the controls in the Program Monitor to specify sequence In and Out points.
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2In the Timeline, click the headers of the tracks from which you want to lift frames to target them.
3In the Program Monitor, click the Lift button .
The frames that are lifted are placed on the system clipboard.
4Click the header of the track into which you want to paste the lifted frames to target it.
5Move the current-time indicator to the location where you want to paste the lifted frames.
6Select Edit > Paste.
More Help topics
“Set or remove sequence In and Out points” on page 182
Extract and paste frames
You can extract frames from a specified area of one or more tracks in a sequence, leaving no gap in their place. You
specify the area with a sequence In Point and Out point. If only part of a clip appears between the sequence In point
and Out point, Premiere Pro will extract only that part of the clip from the sequence, letting the rest of the clip remain.
After extracting, you can paste the extracted frames anywhere in a sequence.
1Use the controls in the Program Monitor to specify sequence In and Out points.
2In the Timeline, click the headers of the tracks from which you want to extract frames to target them.
3Click the Sync Lock boxes in the headers of all tracks you want to shift when the gap is closed. The clips in tracks
where Sync Lock is disabled will not shift.
4In the Program Monitor, click the Extract button .
The frames that are extracted are placed on the system clipboard.
5Click the header of the track into which you want to paste the extracted frames to target it.
6Move the current-time indicator to the location where you want to paste the extracted frames.
7Select Edit > Paste.
More Help topics
“Set or remove sequence In and Out points” on page 182
“Delete clips and close gaps simultaneously” on page 202
Delete clips and close gaps simultaneously
When you delete a clip, you can close the gap it leaves behind at the same time. This is called a ripple delete.
1In the sequence, select the clip or clips you want to delete. To select more than one clip, Shift-click the clips or drag
a marquee over them.
2Select Edit > Ripple Delete.
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Delete gaps between clips
When you delete space between clips in a Timeline, all clips in all unlocked tracks shift according to the duration of
the gap. To prevent a track from shifting during a ripple delete (or any insert or extract edit), lock the track.
Alternatively, turn off Sync Lock on those tracks that you don't want to shift.
❖In a Timeline, do one of the following:
•Right-click (Windows) or Ctrl-click (Mac OS) the gap between two clips, and choose Ripple Delete.
•Select the gap between two clips, and choose Edit > Ripple Delete.
•Select the gap between two clips, and press Delete.
•To find more gaps in the sequence, see “Find gaps in sequences and tracks” on page 203.
If the ripple delete command fails, you may need to lock tracks that contain confilicting clips along the edit point.
To delete gaps between multiple clips, see this video tutorial by Ann Bens.
Find gaps in sequences and tracks
You can find gaps of at least one frame in a sequence or a particular track of a sequence. Choose Sequence > Go To
Gap and then choose one of the following options:
Next in Sequence Finds the next gap to the right of the CTI that spans all tracks.
Previous in Sequence Finds the next gap to the left of the CTI that spans all tracks.
When one or more tracks are targeted, you can also choose one of the following options:
Next in Track Finds the next gap to the right of the CTI on the selected tracks.
Previous in Track Finds the next gap to the left of the CTI on the selected tracks.
The CTI moves to the position of the next or previous gap. The zoom level of the Timeline does not change, even if
the gap is not visible at the current magnification.
Note: Once Premiere Pro finds the last gap, choosing Next In Sequence, or Next in Track does nothing. Similarly, once
Premiere Pro finds the first gap, choosing Previous In Sequence, or Previous in Track does nothing.
Franklin McMahon demonstrates a few features for preparing a movie for export and review, including the “go to gap”
command in this video on the Layers Magazine website.
Copy and paste at the current-time indicator
You can copy and paste one or more clips at a time. The relative spacing (both horizontal spacing in time, and vertical
spacing in tracks) of clips is maintained. You paste and paste insert copies of clips into tracks you first target, at any
new current-time indicator locations.
1Select one or more clips in the sequence, and choose Edit > Copy.
2Click one or more tracks you want to target in the track header area of a Timeline panel.
3In the Timeline panel, position the current-time indicator at the point in the sequence where you want to paste a
copy of the clips.
4Do one of the following:
•To overwrite the pasted clips, choose Edit > Paste.
•To insert the pasted clips, choose Edit > Paste Insert.
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The clip or clips are pasted into the sequence, and the current-time indicator jumps to the end of the pasted clip or
clips.
More Help topics
“Targeting tracks” on page 173
“Copy and paste clip effects” on page 280
Delete all clips on one track
1Select the Track Select tool .
2Do one of the following:
•To delete both the audio and video of linked clips, click the first clip in the track.
•To delete only one track’s clips and not the linked counterparts, Alt-click (Windows) or Option-click (Mac OS) the
track’s clips.
3Press Delete.
Note: You can also delete a track along with everything it contains. See “Work with tracks” on page 138.
Rendering and previewing sequences
Premiere Pro attempts to play back any sequence in real time and at full frame rate. Premiere Pro usually achieves this
for all sections that either need no rendering or for which Premiere Pro already has rendered preview files. However,
real-time, full frame-rate playback is not always possible for complex sections without preview files: unrendered
sections.
To play back complex sections in real time and at full frame rate, you may have to first render preview files for those
sections. Premiere Pro marks unrendered sections of a sequence with colored render bars. A red render bar appearing
in the time ruler of a sequence indicates an unrendered section that probably must be rendered in order to play back
in real time and at full frame rate. A yellow render bar indicates an unrendered section that probably does not need to
be rendered in order to play back in real time and at full frame rate. Regardless of their preview quality, sections under
either red or yellow render bars should be rendered before you export them to tape. A green render bar indicates a
section that already has rendered preview files associated with it.
Sequences refer to preview files in much the same way as source media. If you move or delete preview files in the
Windows or Mac file browser rather than the Project panel, you’ll be prompted to find or skip the preview files the
next time you open the project.
You can customize a sequence preset to allow previewing of uncompressed 10-bit or uncompressed 8-bit footage. For
more information, see “Create a sequence with uncompressed video playback” on page 150.
FAQ "Why is there a red or yellow bar in my sequence?"
See this article for details about what red, yellow, and green render bars mean and how they relate to playback and
rendering previews.
See this blog post for information about RED Rocket support in Premiere Pro CS5 (5.0.2), which acclerates processing
of RED (R3D) media.
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More Help topics
“Change sequence settings” on page 148
“Source Monitor and Program Monitor overview” on page 122
Define the work area for rendering
❖Do any of the following:
•Drag the work area bar over the section you want to preview. Make sure that you drag the work area bar from its
textured center; otherwise you cue the current-time indicator instead.
Grabbing the work area bar (above) and dragging it over the section to preview (below)
•Drag the work area markers (at either end of the work area bar) to specify the beginning and end of the work area.
Dragging the work area markers to expand the work area
•Position the current-time indicator, and press Alt+[ (Windows) or Option+[ (Mac OS) to set the beginning of the
work area.
•Position the current-time indicator, and press Alt+] (Windows) or Option+] (Mac OS) to set the end of the work area.
•Double-click the work area bar to resize it to either the width of the time ruler, or the length of the entire sequence,
whichever is shorter. To define the whole sequence as the work area, the whole sequence must be visible in the
Timeline panel.
Note: Position the pointer over the work area bar to display a tool tip that shows the work area bar’s start timecode, end
timecode, and duration.
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Render a preview file for a section of a sequence
You can render any part of a sequence that falls under a red render bar.
1Set the work area bar over the area you want to preview.
2Choose Sequence, and select one of the following:
Render Effects In Work Area Renders the sections of the video tracks lying within the work area containing a red
render bar. Alternatively, press Enter.
Render Entire Work Area Renders the sections of the video tracks lying within the work area containing either a red
render bar or a yellow render bar.
Render Audio Renders a preview file for the sections of the audio tracks lying within the work area.
Note: You can set Premiere Pro to render the audio tracks whenever you render the video tracks. For more information,
see “Render audio when rendering video” on page 206.
The rendering time depends on your system resources and the complexity of the segment.
To maximize the quality of motion in rendered preview files, check the Maximum Render Quality option in Sequence
Settings. For more information, see “General settings (CS5) - Settings (CS5.5 and later)” on page 144.
Render audio when rendering video
By default, Premiere Pro does not render audio tracks when you select either Sequence > Render Effects In Work Area,
or Sequence > Render Entire Work Area. However, playback may suffer when the data throughput of your disk drive
cannot sustain the flow when mixing multiple channels of audio and audio in a complex sequence. You can change
this default so that Premiere Pro automatically renders audio previews whenever it renders video previews.
1Select Edit > Preferences > General (Windows) or Premiere Pro > Preferences > General (Mac OS).
2Select or deselect Render Audio When Rendering Video.
3Click OK.
More Help topics
“Optimize rendering for available memory” on page 50
Work with preview files
When you render previews, Premiere Pro creates files on your hard disk. These preview files contain the results of any
effects that Premiere Pro processed during a preview. If you preview the same work area more than once without
making any changes, Premiere Pro instantly plays back the preview files instead of processing the sequence again.
Premiere Pro stores the preview files in a folder you can specify. Similarly, preview files can save time when you export
the final video program by using the processed effects already stored.
Note: Adobe Media Encoder does not automatically use Premiere Pro preview files for encoding. To make use of the
Premiere Pro preview files, you must select the Use Previews option in Adobe Media Encoder for each encoding process.
To further save time, Premiere Pro maintains existing preview files whenever possible. Preview files move along with
their associated segment of a sequence as you edit your project. When a segment of a sequence is changed, Premiere
Pro automatically trims the corresponding preview file, saving the remaining unchanged segment.
When completely done with a project, delete preview files to save disk space.
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More Help topics
“Change sequence preview resolution settings” on page 148
“Specify scratch disks to improve system performance” on page 47
Use preview files when rendering
❖In the Export Settings dialog box, check Use Previews.
Delete preview files
1With a Timeline panel active, do one of the following:
•To delete the render files only for a range of clips, adjust the Work Area bar so that it spans only the desired range.
Then, choose Sequence > Delete Work Area Render Files. Those preview files which have any part of their
associated clip within the work area will be deleted.
• To delete all the render files for a sequence, choose Sequence > Delete Render Files.
You can set a keyboard shortcut for Delete Render Files and Delete Work Area Render Files.
2When you are prompted, click OK.
Play a sequence from start to finish
❖In the Program Monitor, click the Play In To Out button .
Scroll a sequence during preview
You can set an option to automatically scroll a sequence when it is wider than the visible area in its Timeline panel.
1Choose Edit > Preferences > General (Windows) or Premiere Pro > Preferences > General (Mac OS). Type the
desired lengths in the Preroll and Postroll fields.
2Choose an option from the Timeline Playback Auto-Scrolling menu:
No Scroll Sequence doesn’t scroll.
Page Scroll Sequence scrolls through the visible area of a Timeline panel a page at a time. This is the option set by
default.
Smooth Scroll Current-time indicator stays in the center of the visible area while the sequence scrolls under it.
Previewing on a television monitor
You can display the sequence on any monitor connected to your computer. Previewing on a television monitor
requires video hardware that provides an appropriate video port for the monitor.
Previewing on a television monitor via video card
Some video cards and operating system software products support a television monitor independent of the computer
desktop. Others support a second computer monitor that is contiguous with the computer desktop so that it can also
function as additional space for the application. See the documentation that came with your video card and operating
system.
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More Help topics
“Set up a DV or HDV system” on page 42
Preview on a television monitor via camcorder or deck
If you’re editing a DV project, you can preview the sequence on a television monitor via your IEEE 1394 connection
and camcorder or video deck.
Note: You may not be able to preview on a TV monitor via camcorders or decks in HDV mode. Set these, instead, to DV
or Auto mode.
1Make sure that the monitor is connected to the DV camcorder or deck and that the camcorder or deck is connected
to your computer.
2(For camcorder setup only) Set the camcorder to output to the monitor. Some devices detect this automatically,
while others require you choose a menu option.
3In the Source Monitor or Program Monitor, click the panel menu button to the upper right, select Playback
Settings, and choose the desired options from the following.
Desktop Video Display During Playback Specifies whether or not to play back to the Program Monitor. Deselect this
option to play back only through the external monitor specified in the External Device option. If the External Device
option is set to None, Desktop Video is selected to ensure playback to the Program Monitor.
External Device Sets an external device through which to play back video.
Aspect Ratio Conversion Determines how pixel aspect ratio is converted for DV projects.
Desktop Audio Sets audio playback to the computer
External Device Audio Sets audio playback to a connected external audio device.
Export: External Device Enables export to tape for the specified device. This option doesn’t affect playback to an
external device during export.
Disable Video Output When Premiere Pro is in the Background Disables video to the external monitor if Premiere Pro
is not the active application on your desktop.
24p Conversion Method Specifies the conversion method for 24p footage. See “Set 24p playback options” on page 152.
There can be a slight delay between the playback on the desktop and the playback on a television via a
camcorder/VCR. If the video and audio seem out of sync, try to preview both video and audio through the same device.
Ensure that Adobe video applications use the same cached files
Adobe video applications can automatically insert a unique document ID into each imported file. These unique IDs
ensure that each application accesses the same cached previews and conformed audio files, preventing additional
rendering and conforming.
❖In the Media section of the Preferences dialog box (or the Metadata section for Soundbooth), select Write XMP IDs
To Files On Import.
This setting is global—a change in one Adobe video application affects all the others. This setting also results in new
file modification dates when IDs are initially inserted.
To save rendering time when transferring a project to another computer, move both cached and original files.
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Correcting mistakes
Correct mistakes
In case you change your mind or make a mistake, Premiere Pro provides several ways to undo your work. You can
undo only those actions that alter the video program; for example, you can undo an edit, but you cannot undo scrolling
in a window.
❖Do one of the following:
•To undo the most recent change, choose Edit > Undo. (You can sequentially undo as many as 32 recent changes
made to the project in any Premiere Pro panel.)
•To jump to a specific state of the project since the project was opened, select an item in the History panel.
•To undo all changes made since the last time you saved the project, choose File > Revert.
•To undo changes made before the last time you saved a project, try opening a previous version of your project in
the Premiere Auto-Save folder, and then choose File > Save As to store the project in a location outside of the
Premiere Auto-Save folder. The number of previous versions saved depends on the Auto Save preference settings.
•To stop a change that Premiere Pro is processing (for example, when you see a progress bar), press Esc.
•To close a dialog box without applying changes, click Cancel.
•To set all values in an applied effect back to the default values, click the Reset button for the effect in the Effect
Controls panel.
More Help topics
“Change sequence settings” on page 148
“Open a project” on page 53
History panel
Use the History panel to jump to any state of the project created during the current working session. Each time you
apply a change to some part of the project, the new state of that project is added to the panel. You can modify the
project from the state you select. History states aren’t available for actions within the Capture panel.
The following guidelines can help you with the History panel:
•Program-wide changes, such as changes to panels, windows, and preferences, are not changes to the project itself
and so are not added to the History panel.
•After you close and reopen the project, the previous states are no longer available in the History panel.
•The oldest state is at the top of the list, and the most recent one is at the bottom.
•Each state is listed with the name of the tool or command used to change the project as well as an icon representing
the tool or command. Some actions generate a state for each panel affected by the action, such as the Titler. Actions
you perform in such a panel are treated as a single state in the History panel.
•Selecting a state dims those below it, to indicate which changes will be removed if you work from the project at that
state.
•Selecting a state and then changing the project removes all subsequent states.
❖Do any of the following:
•To select a state, click the name of the state in the History panel.
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•To navigate in the History panel, drag the panel’s slider or scroll bar; or choose Step Forward or Step Backward from
the panel menu.
•
To delete a project state, select the state. Then choose Delete from the panel menu or click the Delete icon and click OK.
•To clear all states from the History panel, choose Clear History from the panel menu.
Remove alerts with the Events panel
Premiere Pro Events lists warnings, error messages, and other information you can use to identify and troubleshoot
problems, particularly those associated with plug-ins and other components from third-party developers. An alert icon
, , on the status bar notifies you of an error. Double-clicking the icon opens the Events panel, and clearing
the associated item from the Events panel removes the icon from the status bar.
1Do either of the following:
•Double-click the alert icon in the status bar.
•Choose Window > Events.
2Do any of the following:
•To learn more about an item in the list, select it and click Details.
•To clear the events list, click Clear All.
Working with markers
Add markers
Markers indicate important points in time and help you position and arrange clips. You could use a marker to identify
an important action or sound in a sequence or clip. Markers are for reference only and do not alter the video.
You can use sequence markers to specify cue points for FLV files. You can also use sequence markers to specify a URL
to send a user to a web page. Premiere Pro also provides Adobe Encore chapter markers that you can add to a sequence
to specify scenes, or a menu structure for sequences that you export to Encore. (See “Add Encore chapter markers” on
page 215.)
You can add markers to a sequence, to a source clip, or to an instance of a clip in a sequence. When you are marking
editing points, whether you add markers to a clip or sequence depends on your workflow.
Each sequence and each clip can individually contain up to 100 numbered markers (labeled from 0 to 99) and as many
unnumbered markers as you want.
Markers appear in the time ruler of the Source and Program monitors as small icons. Clip markers also become icons
within the clip as it appears in a Timeline panel, and sequence markers appear in the sequence’s time ruler.
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Marker icons in a Timeline panel
A. Sequence marker B. Clip marker C. Encore chapter marker
When setting markers (as with In and Out points), make sure that you’re working with the version of the clip you want.
Markers added to a source clip (opened from the Project panel) also appear in the clip when you add it to the sequence.
Changing markers in a source clip does not affect individual instances of the clip already in a sequence. For a video on
working with markers, see www.adobe.com/go/vid0255.
Franklin McMahon has this video tutorial on using clip markers.
See this tutorial by Andrew Devis from Creative Cow on using markers to pace your editing.
Richard Harrington provides a video tutorial on the Creative COW website that demonstrates placement of markers
for synchronizing edits to audio.
Robbie Carman explains how to use markers to mark beats and words to aid you in aligning and trimming clips in this
video from Peachpit TV for Video.
More Help topics
Metadata and markers
“Add comments, chapters, and links to sequence markers” on page 213
Working with markers and cue points
Add an unnumbered clip marker
1Do one of the following:
•To add a marker to a source clip, double-click the clip in the Project panel to open it in the Source Monitor.
•To add a marker to a clip in a sequence, double-click the clip to open it in the Source Monitor.
2In the Source Monitor, move the current-time indicator to the location where you want to set the marker.
3Do one of the following:
•Click the Set Unnumbered Marker button .
•Select Marker > Set Clip Marker > Unnumbered.
Add an unnumbered sequence marker
1In a Timeline panel, move the current-time indicator to the location where you want the marker.
2Do one of the following:
•Click the Set Unnumbered Marker button in the Program Monitor or a Timeline panel . (Double-click the Set
Unnumbered Marker button to open the Marker dialog box as you set it.)
•Select Marker > Set Sequence Marker > Unnumbered.
To insert unnumbered markers while a clip or sequence plays, press the asterisk key (*) on the numeric keypad
whenever you want to insert a marker.
A B C
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Add a numbered marker
1Do one of the following:
•To set a clip marker, open a clip in the Source Monitor or select the clip in a Timeline panel.
•To set a sequence marker, select the Program Monitor or Timeline panel.
2Move the current-time indicator to where you want to set the marker.
3Choose Marker > Set Clip Marker or Marker > Set Sequence Marker, and choose an option in the submenu:
Next Available Numbered Sets a numbered marker using the lowest unused number.
Other Numbered Opens a dialog box in which you can specify any unused number from 0 to 99.
Create markers in the Effect Controls panel
In the Effect Controls panel, you can view all of the sequence markers that you created in a Timeline panel. You can
also add markers to your sequence to designate where you would like to place effects and see the markers as you work
in the Effect Controls panel. In addition, you can create and manipulate sequence markers directly in the Effect
Controls panel.
1Drag the current-time indicator to the place where you want to create a marker.
2Right-click (Windows) or Control-click (Mac OS) in the timeline ruler, choose Set Sequence Marker, and then
choose the type of marker you want to set.
Find, move, and delete markers
You can find markers by using the marker navigation tools. You can move them from their original locations by
dragging them, or you can delete them altogether.
Go to a clip marker in the Source Monitor
1Open a clip in the Source Monitor.
2In the Source Monitor, do one of the following:
•Click the Go To Previous Marker button .
•Click the Go To Next Marker button .
Go to a clip or sequence marker in a Timeline panel
❖Do one of the following:
•To cue the current-time indicator to a clip marker, select the clip in the sequence and choose Marker > Go To Clip
Marker > [marker].
•To cue the current-time indicator to a sequence marker, select the Program Monitor or Timeline panel, choose
Marker > Go To Sequence Marker > [marker].
Move a marker
❖Do one of the following:
•To move a clip marker in a clip that’s in a sequence, open the clip in the Source Monitor and drag the Marker icon
in the Source Monitor’s time ruler. (You can’t manipulate clip markers in a Timeline panel directly.)
•To move a sequence marker, drag the marker in a Timeline panel or the Program Monitor’s time ruler.
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Dragging a marker in the Source or Program Monitor’s time ruler moves the corresponding marker icon in a Timeline
panel.
Note: Sequence markers in a nested sequence appear as clip markers (with a slightly different color) in the parent sequence
and in the Source Monitor. To adjust a nested marker, open the nested sequence in a Timeline panel, and then drag the
marker.
Delete a marker
1Do one of the following:
•To delete a clip marker, select the clip in the sequence, and cue the current-time indicator to the clip marker.
•To delete a sequence marker, make sure that no clips are selected in the sequence, and cue the current-time
indicator to the sequence marker.
2Choose Marker > Clear Clip Marker or Marker > Clear Sequence Marker, and choose an option from the submenu:
Current Marker Deletes the marker at the current time.
All Markers Deletes all markers in either the clip or sequence (depending on the view you’re using).
Numbered Deletes a numbered marker from a list of all numbered markers.
Note: You can’t remove a sequence marker by dragging it away from the time ruler.
Add comments, chapters, and links to sequence markers
You use the Marker dialog box to navigate through sequence markers and Encore chapter markers, and to read or add
data to them.
1In a Timeline panel, double-click a sequence marker, or Encore chapter marker, to open the Marker dialog box.
You can open the Marker dialog box when you set the marker by double-clicking the Set Encore Chapter Marker
button , or Set Unnumbered Marker button in a Timeline panel.
2Set any of the following options:
Name Type a name for the marker.
Duration Drag the duration value or click the value to highlight it, type a new value, and press Enter/Return. When
using markers for URL links and chapter markers, you can set sequence markers to be longer than one frame in
duration. You might do this, for example, when setting markers in Premiere Pro that you will convert to cue points in
FLV files. In a Timeline panel, a thin white bar extends from the right side of a sequence marker icon to indicate its
duration.
Comments Type a comment you want associated with the marker.
Encore Chapter Marker Check this box if you want to make the marker an Encore chapter marker.
Web Link Check this box if you want to make the marker a hyperlink.
URL This field is enabled only when Web Link is checked. Enter the address of the web page you want to open.
Note: A sequence marker can contain a web address (URL). When the movie is included in a web page and the marker
is reached in the movie, the web page automatically opens. Web links work only with supported formats such as
QuickTime.
Frame Target This field is enabled only when Web Link is checked. Enter the target frame for a web page if using an
HTML frameset.
Flash Cue Point Check this box to make the marker a cue point in Adobe Flash.
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Type This field is enables only if Flash cue Point is selected. Check Event to create a Flash Cue Point marker that will
trigger an event. Check Navigation to create a Flash Cue Point marker that will be used for navigation only.
Plus and Minus buttons Click Plus (+) to add a Flash cue point, and to give it a name and value. Click Minus (-) to
remove a Flash Cue point.
Name This field is enabled only if Flash Cue Point is selected. Type a name for your Flash cue point.
Value This field is enabled only if Flash Cue Point is selected. Type a value for your Flash cue point.
3To enter comments or specify options for other sequence markers, click Prev or Next.
Note: DVD authoring programs such as Encore adhere to DVD guidelines that restrict the proximity of chapter links.
When setting markers for use as chapter links, make sure to space them at least 15 frames apart, or by the amount
required by your authoring software. Otherwise, your authoring program may move the chapter links automatically.
Read marker comments in tool tips
Once a marker is set, hovering over it in the time ruler produces a tool tip which displays the marker information. You
can quickly scan marker contents without opening the Marker dialog box.
The sequence marker tool tip displays the following information on up to four items:
•Marker name (optional, shown only if entered)
•Timecode start (always displayed)
•Duration (optional, shown only if the marker has a duration)
•Comment text (optional, shown only if entered)
Note: When the Show Audio Time Units option is selected, the tool tips show marker location and duration in audio time
units instead of timecode units.
Sharing markers with After Effects, Encore, and Flash
You can share markers between Premiere Pro, Adobe Encore, and Adobe Flash in any of the following ways.
•When you import a Premiere Pro project into After Effects, After Effects converts the sequence markers to
composition markers.
•When you copy a sequence from a Premiere Pro Project panel and paste it into After Effects, the resulting
composition keeps the sequence markers as composition markers, and the clip markers as layer markers. The copy-
and-paste operation therefore preserves the markers in the way you would expect.
•When you export a sequence from Premiere Pro through Adobe Media Encoder into a container format, such as
AVI, the sequence markers are saved into the file as XMP temporal metadata. When you use the video file as the
source for a layer, After Effects converts these sequence markers to layer markers.
•When you create an After Effects composition through Dynamic Link in Premiere Pro, After Effects does not
preserve the sequence markers and clip markers.
•Encore chapter markers added to a sequence in Premiere Pro will appear as chapter markers in Encore when the
host clip is exported from Premiere Pro using the File > Adobe Dynamic Link > Send To Encore command.
•Sequence markers in clips exported from Premiere Pro appear as cue points in Adobe Flash projects if they contain
text in their Chapter fields. The cue point data in the Chapter field of a sequence marker in Premiere Pro will be
encoded as XML. For the XML protocol required, see Flash Help.
Note: You must add text to a chapter marker in Adobe Premiere Pro for that chapter marker to appear as a cue point
in Adobe Flash projects.
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More Help topics
Working with markers and cue points
Add Encore chapter markers
You can add Encore chapter markers to any sequence in Premiere Pro. Encore reads these markers as chapter points
when you export the sequence to Encore using File > Adobe Dynamic Link > Send To Encore. In Encore, you can link
chapter points to buttons in menus. Also, viewers can use the chapter advance buttons on their DVD remote controls
to navigate through chapter points.
Premiere Pro automatically places an Encore chapter marker, labeled Chapter 1, at the beginning of each sequence you
create. You can rename this chapter marker in Encore.
You can name Encore markers as you place them. The name you enter in Premiere Pro appears as the label for a button
in the main menu or scenes menu in Adobe Encore.
Note: Encore no longer imports Premiere Pro sequence markers as chapter points. For projects created with earlier
versions of Premiere Pro, replace sequence markers with Encore chapter markers if you want to retain those chapter
points in discs made from the project.
1In a Timeline panel, move the current-time indicator to the location where you want to set the marker.
Note: In Encore, the Play button on each main menu template automatically links to the start point of the time ruler. You
need not place a marker there unless you want it listed in the scenes menu.
2Click the Set Encore Chapter Marker button .
To quickly place a marker, right-click (Windows) or Control-click (Mac OS) in the time ruler. Choose the type of
marker you want to set at the current-time indicator.
3In the time ruler, double-click the Encore Chapter Marker you created.
The Marker dialog box opens.
4Type a name for the marker. Keep the name short so that it fits in the menu and does not overlap another button.
(You can adjust the name later, in Encore.)
5Click OK.
More Help topics
“Sharing markers with After Effects, Encore, and Flash” on page 214
“Send a sequence to Encore to create a DVD, Blu-ray Disc, or SWF” on page 442
“Create a dynamically linked composition from Adobe Premiere Pro or Encore” on page 39
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Chapter 9: Editing Audio
Overview of audio and the Audio Mixer
In Premiere Pro, you can edit audio, add effects to it, and mix as many tracks of audio in a sequence as your computer
system can handle. Tracks can contain mono, stereo, or 5.1 surround channels.
To work with audio, you must first import it into a project or record it directly to a track. You can import audio clips
or video clips that contain audio.
After the audio clips are in a project, you can add them to a sequence and edit them just like video clips. You can also
view the waveforms of audio clips and trim them in the Source Monitor before adding the audio to a sequence. You
can adjust volume and pan/balance settings of audio tracks directly in the Timeline or Effect Controls panels, and you
can use the Audio Mixer to make mixing changes in real time. You can also add effects to audio clips in a sequence. If
you are preparing a complex mix with many tracks, consider organizing them into submixes and nested sequences.
If you have Adobe Soundbooth, you can use the Edit In Soundbooth command to send an audio file to Adobe
Soundbooth for advanced editing. In Premiere Pro CS5.5 and later, you can use the Edit in Audition command.
Maxim Jago presents "Working with Audio in Premiere Pro", from Premiere Pro CS5 for Avid Editors.
Audio tracks in a sequence
A sequence can contain any combination of the following audio tracks:
Mono (monophonic) Contains one audio channel.
Stereo Contains two audio channels (left and right).
5.1 Contains three front audio channels (left, center, and right), two rear or surround audio channels (left and right),
and a low-frequency effects (LFE) audio channel routed to a subwoofer speaker.
You can add or delete tracks at any time. Once a track is created, you can’t change the number of channels it uses. A
sequence always contains a master track that controls the combined output for all tracks in the sequence. The master
track’s format, the number of audio tracks in a sequence, and the number of channels in the audio tracks is specified
in the Tracks panel of the New Sequence dialog box.
A sequence can contain two types of audio tracks. Regular audio tracks contain actual audio. Submix tracks output the
combined signals of tracks or sends routed to it. Submix tracks are useful for managing mixes and effects.
Although each sequence is created with the designated number of audio tracks in a Timeline panel, Premiere Pro
automatically creates new audio tracks when you drop an audio clip below the last audio track in a Timeline panel.
This feature is useful if the number of audio clips that you’re stacking exceeds the number of available tracks in a
sequence, or if the number of channels in an audio clip doesn’t match the number of channels in the default audio
tracks. You can also add tracks by right-clicking a track header and choosing Add Tracks, or by choosing Sequence >
Add Tracks.
FAQ: "Why does audio not go to the track where I drop it?"
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More Help topics
“Review project settings” on page 52
“Work with submixes” on page 245
“Work with tracks” on page 138
Channels in audio clips
Clips can contain one audio channel (mono), two audio channels—left and right (stereo), or 5 audio surround
channels with a low-frequency effects audio channel (5.1 surround). Although a sequence can accommodate any
combination of clips, all the audio is mixed to the track format (mono, stereo, or 5.1 surround) of the master track.
Premiere Pro lets you change the track format (the grouping of audio channels) in an audio clip. For example,
sometimes you may want to apply audio effects differently to the individual channels in a stereo or 5.1 surround clip.
You can change the track format in stereo or 5.1 surround clips so that the audio is placed on separate mono tracks
when the clips are added to a sequence.
Note: You can change a master clip’s track format only before you add an instance of the clip to a sequence.
Premiere Pro also lets you remap the output channels or tracks for a clip’s audio channels. For example, you can remap
the left channel audio in a stereo clip so that it’s output to the right channel.
More Help topics
“View audio data” on page 218
“Break a stereo track into mono tracks” on page 224
“Mapping source and output audio channels” on page 221
Mixing audio tracks and clips
Mixing is blending and adjusting the audio tracks in a sequence. Sequence audio tracks can contain many audio clips,
and the audio tracks of video clips. Actions you perform when mixing audio can be applied at various levels within a
sequence. For example, you can apply one audio level value to a clip and another value to the track that contains the
clip. In addition, a track that contains the audio for a nested sequence may already contain volume changes and effects
applied to the tracks in the source sequence. Values applied at all of these levels are combined for the final mix.
You can modify an audio clip by applying an effect to the clip or to the track that contains the clip. Consider applying
effects in a planned, systematic way to avoid redundant or conflicting settings on the same clip.
Chris and Trish Meyer provide an overview on the Artbeats website of how to mix and time multiple audio tracks for
maximum clarity and story-telling impact.
More Help topics
“Record audio from a microphone or another analog source” on page 232
Processing order for audio
As you edit sequences, Premiere Pro processes audio in the following order, from first to last:
•Gain adjustments applied to clips by using the Clip > Audio Options > Audio Gain command.
•Effects applied to clips.
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•Track settings, which are processed in the following order: Pre-fader effects, pre-fader sends, mute, fader, meter,
post-fader effects, post-fader sends, and then pan/balance position.
•Track output volume from left to right in the Audio Mixer, from audio tracks to submix tracks, ending at the master
track.
Note: You can modify the default signal path with sends or by changing a track’s output setting.
More Help topics
“Route tracks with sends” on page 246
Making quick audio adjustments
Although Premiere Pro includes a full-featured audio mixer, there are times when you may not need many of the
options. For example, you might be creating a rough cut from video and audio captured together from DV footage,
output to stereo tracks. In such a case, follow these guidelines:
•Start with the Master meters and volume fader in the Audio Mixer. If the audio is too far below 0 dB or too high
(the red clipping indicator appears), adjust the level of clips or tracks as needed.
•To temporarily silence a track, use the Mute Track button in the Audio Mixer or the Toggle Track Output icon
in a Timeline panel. To temporarily silence all other tracks, use the Solo button in the Audio Mixer.
•When making audio adjustments of any kind, determine whether the change should be applied to the entire track
or to individual clips. Audio tracks and clips are edited in different ways.
•Use the Show/Hide Tracks command in the Audio Mixer menu to display only the information you want to see
and save screen space. If you aren’t using effects and sends, you can hide them by clicking the triangle at the left
edge of the Audio Mixer.
More Help topics
“Adjusting gain and volume” on page 235
“Mix tracks in the Audio Mixer” on page 239
View audio data
To help you view and edit the audio settings of any clip or track, Premiere Pro provides multiple views of the same
audio data. You can view and edit volume or effect values for either tracks or clips in the Audio Mixer or in a Timeline
panel. Make sure that the track display is set to Show Track Keyframes or Show Track Volume.
In addition, audio tracks in a Timeline panel contain waveforms, which are visual representations of a clip’s audio over
time. The height of the waveform shows the amplitude (loudness or quietness) of the audio—the larger the waveform,
the louder the audio. Viewing the waveforms in an audio track is helpful for locating specific audio in a clip.
To view a waveform, expand the audio track by clicking the triangle next to the audio track name.
Click triangle to expand audio track to view audio waveform, track name, and rubberband.
More Help topics
“Audio Mixer overview” on page 219
“Timeline panels” on page 136
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View audio clips
You can view an audio clip’s Volume, Mute, or Pan time graphs and its waveform in a Timeline panel. You can also
view an audio clip in the Source Monitor, which is useful for setting precise In and Out points. You can also view
sequence time in audio units instead of frames. This setting is useful for editing audio at smaller increments than
frames.
❖Do any of the following:
•To view the audio waveform of a clip in a Timeline panel, click the triangle to the left of the audio track name and
click the Set Display Style icon under the Toggle Track Output icon . Then choose Show Waveform.
•To view an audio clip in the Source Monitor when the clip is in a Timeline panel, double-click the clip.
•To view an audio clip in the Source Monitor when the clip is in the Project panel, double-click the clip, or drag the
clip to the Source Monitor. If a clip contains video and audio, you can view its audio in the Source Monitor by
clicking the Output button and selecting Audio Waveform.
View time in audio time units
❖In the Audio Mixer, Program Monitor, Source Monitor, or Timeline panel, choose Show Audio Time Units from
the panel menu.
To see more volume detail when viewing an audio waveform in a Timeline panel, increase the track height. To see
more time detail, view time in audio units.
Audio Mixer overview
In the Audio Mixer, you can adjust settings while listening to audio tracks and viewing video tracks. Each Audio Mixer
track corresponds to a track in the timeline of the active sequence and displays the timeline audio tracks in an audio
console layout. Each track is labeled near the top of the Audio Mixer, and you can rename a track by double-clicking
its name. You can also use the Audio Mixer to record audio directly into a sequence’s tracks.
Audio Mixer
A. Pan/balance control B. Track Input Channel C. Mute Track/Solo Track/Enable Track For Recording buttons D. VU meters and faders
E. Track Output Assignment F. Clipping indicator G. Master VU meter and fader
By default, the Audio Mixer displays all audio tracks and the master fader, and the VU meters monitor output signal
levels. The Audio Mixer represents the tracks in the active sequence only, not all project-wide tracks. If you want to
create a master project mix from multiple sequences, set up a master sequence and nest other sequences within it.
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Audio mixer playback controls
A. Go To In Point B. Go To Out Point C. Play/Stop Toggle D. Play In To Out E. Loop F. Record
The Audio Master Meters panel duplicates the audio display of the Audio Mixer Master Meters. You can open a separate
Audio Master Meters panel and dock it anywhere in your workspace. The Audio Master Meters panel allows you to
monitor audio even when the full Audio Mixer is not visible or when the Master Fader section is scrolled out of view.
Audio Mixer
A. Timecode B. Automation Mode C. Effects D. Sends E. Effect or Send option F. Window menu G. In/out program duration H. Track
name
More Help topics
“Record audio from a microphone or another analog source” on page 232
Modify the Audio Mixer
❖Choose any of the following from the Audio Mixer menu:
•To display or hide specific tracks, choose Show/Hide Tracks, use the options to mark the tracks you want to see and
click OK.
•To display hardware input levels on the VU meters (not track levels in Premiere Pro), choose Meter Input or inputs
Only. If this option is chosen, you can still monitor audio in Premiere Pro for all tracks that aren’t being recorded.
•To display time in audio units instead of video frames, choose Show Audio Time Units. You can specify whether
to view samples or milliseconds by changing the Audio Display Format option in the General tab of the Project
Settings dialog box. The Show Audio Time Units option affects the time displays in the Audio Mixer, Source panel,
Program panel, and Timeline panel.
•To display the Effects And Sends panel, click the Show/Hide Effects And Sends triangle along the left side of the
Audio Mixer.
Note: If you can’t see all the tracks, resize the Audio Mixer or scroll horizontally.
•To add an effect or send, click the Effect Selection or Send Assignment Selection triangle in the Effects And Sends
panel. Then choose an effect or send from the menu.
Monitor specific tracks in the Audio Mixer
❖Click the Solo Track button for the corresponding tracks.
Only the tracks with the Solo Track button enabled are monitored during playback.
Note: You can also silence a track using the Mute Track button.
A B C D E F
A
C
B
D
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Open the Audio Master Meters panel
❖Choose Window > Audio Master Meters.
Customize a VST effect in an options window
1Apply a VST plug-in effect to a track in the Audio Mixer.
2Double-click the effect in the Effects And Sends panel.
Premiere Pro opens a separate VST editing window.
3Customize the effect with the option controls.
Working with clips, channels, and tracks
Mapping source and output audio channels
Mapping the audio channels in clips determines the type and number of audio tracks in which they appear in a
sequence. Also, mapping channels determines their destination channels within the master track, and therefore in the
final output file. For example, if you map channels 1 and 2 in a stereo clip to the Left-Front and Right-Front channels
in a 5.1-channel master track, the two source channels appear as a single 5.1-channel track when placed into a
sequence. They feed the Left-Front and Right-Front channels of the master track. When the final output is played
through a 5.1-channel surround sound system, the original two channels play through the Left-Front and Right-Front
speakers, respectively.
To learn more about mapping audio channels, see the video tutorial, Audio Channel Mapping In Premiere Pro CS3
on the Creative COW website.
Karl Soule shows how to map audio channels in Premiere Pro in this video tutorial. This video is for editors dealing
with footage using split-mono tracks (voice on one track, ambient sound on another). This quick tutorial on audio
channel mapping is a must-see.
By default, clip audio channels are mapped to the master track when they are captured or imported into a project. You
can specify how Premiere Pro maps them by selecting a Default Track Format in the Source Channel Mapping pane
of the Audio Preferences dialog box (Audio Channels in Premiere Pro CS5.5 and later). You can also change how clip
audio channels are mapped after importing them into a project.
Finally, you can specify which output channels Premiere Pro uses to monitor each audio channel. For example, you
can monitor the left channel of stereo tracks through the left-front speaker of your computer speaker system. Set this
default in the Audio Output Mapping Preferences dialog box.
More Help topics
“Audio Preferences” on page 16
“Audio Output Mapping preferences” on page 17
Map source audio channels on import
You can specify how Premiere Pro automatically maps clip audio channels to audio tracks and the Master Track on
import or capture.
1Select Edit > Preferences > Audio (Windows), or Premiere Pro > Preferences > Audio (Mac OS).
2
In the Audio Tracks section of the Audio Preferences dialog box, select a format from the Default Track Format menu.
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3Click OK.
Change the source audio channel mapping for one or more clips
1Select one or more clips containing audio in the Project panel and choose Clip > Modify > Audio Channels.
Note: If you select more than one audio clip, make sure that the track format is the same for all the selected clips.
2In the Audio Channels pane of the Modify Clip dialog box, do any of the following:
•Select a format from the Track Format list.
•To enable or disable an audio channel, select or deselect the Enable option for a source channel. When you add a
clip to a sequence, Premiere Pro adds only the enabled channels to a Timeline panel.
•To map a source channel to a different output track or channel, drag a track or channel icon to another source
channel row. This step swaps the output channels or tracks for the two source channels.
Note: When you view a clip with remapped source channels in a Timeline panel, the tracks appear in ascending order.
However, the mapping determines their associated source channels.
•To map less than six source channels to the output channels in 5.1 surround audio, drag the channel icon to another
source channel row. Alternatively, click the 5.1 Channel icon until the source channel is mapped to the desired
output channel.
3To preview the audio in a channel, select the source channel and click the Playback button or use the slider.
4Click OK.
In Premiere Pro CS5.5 and later, you cannot modify audio channels of a merged clip. They must be mono by default.
However, you can still reorder and enable/disable all of the available audio channels from the component clips.
More Help topics
“Break a stereo track into mono tracks” on page 224
“Use a mono clip as stereo” on page 225
“Fill Left effect, Fill Right effect” on page 410
Map P2 clip audio for export to P2
You can export audio in P2 sequences back to their original four channels if you map clip audio channels to 5.1
channels correctly. You can export to four channels, for example, if you want to transfer your final output file back to
P2 media. Map the channels in your P2 clips before placing them into a sequence, and before using the File > Export
To Panasonic P2 command.
Note: If you leave P2 clips at their default mono channel mapping, use them in a sequence with a 5.1 master track, and
export that sequence to P2, the exported file contains audio only in the third and fourth channels.
1Import the clips into a P2 project containing a sequence with a 5.1 master track.
2In the Project panel, select the clip or clips you want to map.
3Select Clip > Modify > Audio Channels.
4Under Track Format, click 5.1.
5If necessary, click the 5.1 channel icons until they map the four source channels in this way:
•Ch. 1 to Left-Front Channel.
•Ch. 2 to Right-Front Channel.
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•Ch. 3 to Left-Rear Channel.
•Ch. 4 to Right-Rear Channel.
6Click OK.
Map sequence audio channels to audio output device hardware channels
You can specify the channel in a target hardware audio device for each channel in a sequence Master track. You map
channels in the Audio Output Mapping pane of the Preferences dialog box. Premiere Pro plays each sequence channel
through the hardware channel you specify. For example, your project could have a 5.1-channel sequence, but your
system hardware might support only two channels. You could specify which of the two hardware channels carries each
of the six sequence channels.
16-channel sequences, however, remain mapped to 16 output channels if the selected hardware device has fewer than
16 channels. For example, the selected device could have only two channels. You could then map only the first two
channels of a 16-channel sequence to the two hardware channels.
Note: In the Audio Output Mapping pane, you can map sequence channels to any supported hardware device installed
in your computer, not only the device currently activated. However, you see and hear the channel mapping you specify
for a device only when the device is activated. Mapping sequence audio channels to the device does not activate the device.
To activate an audio hardware device, select it in Audio Hardware preferences. For more information, see “Audio
Hardware Settings (Windows only)” on page 46.
To map sequence channels for a hardware device, you first select the device in the Map Output For menu. The list
below the Map Output For menu shows the hardware channels supported by the device chosen. You then map
sequence channels to each hardware channel using channel tiles.
For example, if you choose a third-party 16-channel audio device, the list shows 16 hardware channels. If you choose
a stereo device, the list shows only two hardware channels. Tiles to the right of each channel name in the list represent
the three types of sequence channels you can map to that hardware channel: stereo, 5.1, and 16-channel.
By default, Premiere Pro selects Premiere Pro WDM Sound (Windows), or Built-In (Mac OS) as the device. However,
if your computer has a supported third-party audio device installed, it appears in the Map Output For menu. Select the
third-party device to make its supported channels appear in the list.
1Choose Edit > Preferences > Audio Output Mapping (Windows) or Premiere Pro > Preferences > Audio Output
Mapping (Mac OS).
2In the Preferences dialog box, from the Map Output For menu, choose the driver for the device desired. By default,
Premiere Pro selects Premiere Pro WDM Sound (Windows) or Built-In (Mac OS).
3Drag the desired sequence channel tile into line with the desired hardware channel in the list.
4Click OK.
Audio channel icons
These icons appear on the Audio Channels tab of the Modify Clip dialog box, and in the Audio Output Mapping dialog box.
The following icons indicate channel mapping for stereo mixes:
Left stereo channel
Right stereo channel
The following icons indicate channel mapping for 5.1 surround mixes:
Left front channel
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Right front channel
Left surround channel
Right surround channel
Center front channel
Low frequency effects channel
Extract audio from clips
You can extract audio from clips and generate new audio master clips in a project. The original master clips are
preserved. Any source channel mappings, gain, speed, duration, and interpret footage adjustments in the original
master clips are applied to the new, extracted audio clips.
1In the Project panel, select one or more clips containing audio.
2Choose Clip > Audio Options > Extract Audio.
Premiere Pro generates new audio files containing the extracted audio, with the word “Extracted” added to the end of
the filenames.
Render and replace audio
You can select an audio clip in a sequence and generate a new audio clip that replaces the one you selected. The new
audio clip contains any editing and effects you applied to the original sequence clip. If you trimmed the original
sequence clip, the new clip contains only the trimmed audio instead of the entire audio of the original master clip.
1Select an audio clip in a sequence.
2Choose Clip > Audio Options > Render And Replace.
A new audio clip is created and replaces the selected audio clip. The master clip (either audio clip or video clip
containing audio) in the Project panel is untouched.
Break a stereo track into mono tracks
The Breakout To Mono command creates mono audio master clips from a clip’s stereo or 5.1 surround audio channels.
Breaking out a stereo clip results in two mono audio master clips—one for each channel. Breaking out a 5.1 surround
clip results in six mono audio master clips—again, one for each channel. Premiere Pro preserves the original master
clip. The Breakout To Mono command does not create new files, only new master clips with appropriate source
channel mapping.
1In the Project panel, select a clip containing stereo or 5.1 surround audio.
2Choose Clip > Audio Options > Breakout To Mono.
The resulting audio master clips are given filenames reflecting the name of the original clip, followed by the channel
names. For example, when Premiere Pro creates two audio master clips from a stereo audio clip named Zoom, it names
them Zoom Left and Zoom Right.
The Breakout To Mono command does not create linked clips. To create mono clips that are linked, use the Source
Channel Mappings command.
Note: The Breakout To Mono command works on items in the Project panel, not on clips in a sequence in the Timeline
panel.
See Andrew Devis' tutorial “Changing Audio From Stereo to Dual Mono” on the Creative COW website.
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More Help topics
“Change the source audio channel mapping for one or more clips” on page 222
“Fill Left effect, Fill Right effect” on page 410
“Use a mono clip as stereo” on page 225
“Linking multiple audio clips” on page 225
Break all stereo tracks into mono tracks
Premiere Pro can automatically break out individual stereo and surround channels to discrete monaural clips as each
clip is captured or imported.
1Choose Edit > Preferences > Audio (Windows) or Premiere Pro > Preferences > Audio (Mac OS).
2In the Source Channel Mapping area, choose Mono from the Default Track Format menu.
3Click OK.
Use a mono clip as stereo
You may sometimes find it useful to use a mono audio clip as a stereo clip. Using the Modify Clip dialog box, you can
apply a mono clip to a pair of left and right stereo channels.
1In the Project panel, select a mono clip.
2Choose Clip > Modify > Audio Channels.
3In the Modify Clip dialog box, select Mono As Stereo, and then click OK.
Important: You can apply the Modify Clip command to a mono clip only in the Project panel, before the clip appears in
a Timeline panel. You can’t convert a clip instance to stereo when it’s used in a mono audio track.
More Help topics
“Change the source audio channel mapping for one or more clips” on page 222
“Break a stereo track into mono tracks” on page 224
“Fill Left effect, Fill Right effect” on page 410
Placing sound from one channel of a stereo clip into both channels
If you have a stereo clip with sound recorded in only one channel, or if you have a stereo clip that has sound in one
channel that you want to replace with the sound from the other channel, you can use source clip channel mapping, the
Fill Left audio filter, or the Fill Right audio filter.
More Help topics
“Change the source audio channel mapping for one or more clips” on page 222
“Fill Left effect, Fill Right effect” on page 410
Linking multiple audio clips
You can link one video clip to multiple audio clips and you can link multiple audio clips together. When you link audio
clips in a sequence, you link only the instances of the master clips. The original master audio clips in the Project panel
are untouched.
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Linked clips remain synchronized as you move them or trim them in a Timeline panel. You can apply audio effects,
including Volume and Panning effects, to all channels in the linked clips. If you make an edit that moves one of the
linked clips without moving the others, out-of-sync indicators appear.
Indicators appear when linked clips are no longer synchronized.
You can display and trim a multi-clip link in the Source Monitor. To view a track in the multi-clip link, choose from
the Track menu. You can view and play only one channel at a time in the Source Monitor. If the linked clips contain
markers, the Source Monitor timeline displays markers only for the displayed track. If the Source Monitor displays a
multi-clip link from the Project panel, you can use the Overlay (or Overwrite in Premiere Pro CS5.5 and later) or Insert
buttons to add the linked clips to separate tracks in a Timeline panel.
Choosing track of multi-clip link in Source Monitor
The Effect Controls panel displays all the video and audio tracks in a multi-clip link with the applied effects grouped
together by track. You can apply effects from the Effects panel to a specific group in the Effect Controls panel.
Effects applied to audio tracks in multi-clip link displayed in Effect Controls panel
More Help topics
“Link audio clips” on page 227
“Edit a multi-clip link in the Source Monitor” on page 227
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Link audio clips
The audio clips must have the same channel type and each clip must be on a different track. If clips are already linked,
such as an audio clip linked to a video clip, they must be unlinked before you can create a multi-clip link.
1If necessary, select each linked video and audio clip, and choose Clip > Unlink. In Adobe Premiere Pro CS5.5 and
later, you may select multiple clips, and choose Clip > Unlink.
2Do one of the following:
•
Shift-click to select each audio clip on separate tracks in a Timeline panel. You may also shift-click to select a video clip.
•Shift-click to select more than one audio clip on separate tracks in a Timeline panel.
All audio clips must have the same track format (mono, stereo, or 5.1 surround).
3Choose Clip > Link.
More Help topics
“Group clips” on page 198
“Link and unlink video and audio clips” on page 229
Edit a multi-clip link in the Source Monitor
1In a Timeline panel, double-click a linked clip.
2Choose a track from the Track menu to display a specific channel.
3(Optional) Specify the In and Out points for a track.
Specifying the In and Out points for a specific track applies the same amount of trimming to the In and Out points of
the other linked tracks. The In and Out points of linked tracks with different durations will be different. The In and
Out points of linked clips are the same only if they have identical durations.
More Help topics
“Linking multiple audio clips” on page 225
Editing audio in a Timeline panel
Set sample-based audio In and Out points
In and Out points are set at time-base divisions—that is, between video frames. Although frame-based edits are usually
adequate for audio as well, some audio edits require greater precision. For example, you may want to place an In point
between two words in a sentence, but the tiny division between words doesn’t conveniently fall between frames.
Fortunately, digital audio isn’t divided into frames, but into audio samples, which occur far more frequently. By
switching the Source Monitor’s or sequence’s time ruler to audio samples, you can set more precise audio In and Out
points.
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Source Monitor set to display audio units for more precise editing of an audio clip
More Help topics
“Trim with Trim-in and Trim-out tools” on page 186
Switch a time ruler to audio units in the Source or Program Monitor
❖In the Source or Program Monitor panel menu, choose Show Audio Time Units.
Navigate audio in sample view
1Switch the time ruler in the Source Monitor or Timeline panel to audio units.
2To navigate, do one of the following:
•Drag the current-time indicator in the time ruler to navigate smoothly through the clip.
•Click the Step Forward or Step Back buttons to move the current-time indicator one audio sample at a time.
3To zoom in or out, drag either end of the viewing area bar in the time ruler of the Source Monitor or Timeline panel.
Trim audio in sample view in a Timeline panel
1In a Timeline panel menu, choose Show Audio Time Units. The time rulers in a Timeline panel and Program
Monitor switch to a sample-based scale.
2If necessary, expand the audio track containing the clip you want to edit, click the Set Display Style button , and
choose Show Waveform.
3View the audio In point or Out point of the clip you want to edit in detail by dragging the zoom slider to the right.
4Trim the clip by doing one of the following:
•To adjust the In point, position the pointer over the left edge of the clip’s audio so that the trim head tool
appears, and drag left or right.
•To adjust the Out point, position the pointer over the right edge of the clip’s audio so that the trim tail icon
appears, and drag left or right.
5Use the waveform display or play the audio to make sure that you adjusted the In and Out points properly.
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Link and unlink video and audio clips
In the Project panel, clips that contain both video and audio appear as a single item, represented by . When you add
the clip to the sequence, however, the video and audio appear as two objects, each in its appropriate track (provided
you specified both the video and audio sources when adding the clip).
The video and audio portions of the clip are linked so that when you drag the video portion in a Timeline panel, the
linked audio moves with it, and vice versa. For this reason, the audio/video pair is called a linked clip. In a Timeline
panel, each part of the linked clip is labeled with the same clip name, which is underlined. The video is marked [V] and
the audio is marked [A].
Ordinarily, all editing functions act on both parts of a linked clip. When you want to work with the audio and video
individually, you can unlink them. When you do, you can use the video and audio as though they were not linked; even
the clip names no longer appear underlined or bear the [V] and [A] labels. Even so, Premiere Pro keeps track of the
link. If you relink the clips, they indicate whether they have been moved out of sync, and by how much. You can have
Premiere Pro automatically resynchronize the clips.
You can also create a link between previously unlinked clips. This is particularly useful if you need to synchronize
video and audio that were recorded separately.
Note: You can link video only to audio—you cannot link a video clip to another video clip. You can link a video clip to
multiple audio clips, or multiple audio clips together.
Here is a video tutorial from Andrew Devis on unlinking audio & video to edit them separately (J & L cuts).
For more information about linking and unlinking clips, see this excerpt from An Editor's Guide to Premiere Pro by
Richard Harrington, Robbie Carman and Jeff Greenberg.
More Help topics
“Linking multiple audio clips” on page 225
Link or unlink video and audio
1Do the following in a Timeline:
•To link video and audio, Shift-click a video and audio clip, or a series of audio clips to select them, and then choose
Clip > Link.
•To unlink video and audio, select a linked clip and choose Clip > Unlink.
•To unlink video and audio from multiple clips, select the clips and choose Clip > Unlink (new in Premiere Pro
CS5.5).
Note: In Premiere Pro CS5, after unlinking a clip, audio and video remains selected. To move or trim either audio or
video, you must first deselect the either clip. In Premiere Pro CS5.5 and later, after unlinking a clip, video remains selected
while audio becomes deselected.
2(Optional) To use a set of linked clips multiple times, create a nested sequence from the set of synchronized clips,
and place the nested sequence in other sequences as desired. For more information, see “Create a nested sequence
from a selection of clips” on page 155.
Edit tracks of linked clips individually
❖In a Timeline, Alt-click/Option-click either part of a linked clip, and then use any editing tool. When you have
finished editing the clip, you can reselect (click) the clip to edit it as a linked clip again. Alt/Option-dragging audio
or video works well for adjusting a split edit.
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Automatically synchronize clips that were moved out of sync
1Right-click/Control-click the number that appears at the In point in a Timeline panel of the out-of-sync video or
audio clip. (The number indicates the amount of time the clip is out of sync with its accompanying video or audio
clip.)
2Choose one of the following options:
Move Into Sync Shifts the selected video or audio part of the clip in time to restore sync. Move Into Sync moves the
clip without regard to adjacent clips and overwrites any clips to regain sync.
Slip Into Sync Performs a slip edit to restore sync without moving the clip’s position in time.
For information about synchronizing multiple clips with each other for a multi-camera edit, see “Synchronize clips
with markers” on page 158.
More Help topics
“Synchronize clips with markers” on page 158
“Create a nested sequence from a selection of clips” on page 155
Create split edits
Ordinarily, you set one In point and one Out point for a source clip. Even if it’s a linked clip (a clip containing video
and audio tracks), In and Out points apply to both tracks of the clip. Set in a sequence, the audio and video of the
standard clip appear at the same time. Sometimes you want to set the video and audio In or Out points independently,
however, in order to create split edits (also known as L-cuts and J-cuts). When placed in a sequence, a clip trimmed for
a split edit will have its audio appear before its video, or its video before its audio.
A. Clip trimmed for J-cut B. Clip trimmed for L-cut
Create a split edit
1If necessary, click the triangle to the left of each track name in a Timeline panel to expand the audio tracks you want
to adjust.
2Select one of the clips involved in the split edit, and choose Clip > Unlink. Repeat for the other clip.
3Select the Rolling Edit tool from the Tools panel.
4Starting at the audio edit point between the two clips, drag left or right.
Note: If nothing happens, make sure that before you start dragging, you position the pointer over the visible audio edit
point, not over an applied audio transition.
A common editing technique is to Alt/Option-drag a clip’s audio or video to quickly adjust a split edit. It’s a lot faster
than going to a menu to unlink a clip.
AB
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Set source In and Out points for a split edit
Although it’s common to create split edits after clips are assembled into a rough cut, it’s possible to trim clips for split
edits in the Source Monitor before adding them to the sequence.
1Open a clip in the Source Monitor, and set the current time to the frame you want to set as a video or audio In or
Out point.
2In the Source Monitor, choose Marker > Set Clip Marker, and select Video In, Video Out, Audio In, or Audio Out.
3Set the remaining video and audio In and Out points. (When you add the clip to a sequence, the video portion starts
and ends at different times than the audio.)
Recording audio
You can record to an audio track in a new sequence or record to a new audio track in an existing sequence. The
recording is saved as an audio clip that’s added to your project.
Before recording audio, make sure that your computer has sound inputs. Premiere Pro supports ASIO (Audio Stream
Input Output) devices (Windows) and Core Audio devices (Mac OS). Many devices have connectors for connecting
speaker, microphone cables, and breakout boxes.
If your computer has an ASIO or Core Audio device for connecting sound input devices, make sure that the sound
device settings and input volume level options are properly set. Refer to your operating system’s Help for details.
In Premiere Pro, set the default device options in the Audio Hardware Preferences for specifying the input channel
used when recording.
Once you connect input devices and make all preliminary settings, you can use the Audio Mixer in Premiere Pro to
record audio. Use controls in the Audio Mixer to adjust the monitoring levels. An audio clip is created from the
recording and is added to both the Timeline and Project panels.
See Andrew Devis tutorials “Audio Recording 1: Setting Up to Record Narration” and “Audio Recording 2: Recording
Narration.”
Capturing analog audio
If you want to use audio that isn’t yet in digital form (for example, from an analog cassette or a live microphone), you
need to digitize it through an audio or audio/video digitizer/capture card.
The quality of digitized audio and the size of the audio file depend on the sample rate (the number of samples per
second) and bit depth (the number of bits per sample) of the digitized audio. Also, stereo audio requires twice as much
disk space as mono audio. These parameters, controlled in the Capture section of the Project Settings dialog box,
determine how precisely the analog audio signal is represented in digital form. Higher sample rates and bit depths
reproduce sound at higher levels of quality, but with correspondingly larger file sizes. Capture audio at the highest
quality settings your computer can handle, even if those settings are higher than the settings you’ll specify for final
export or playback. This provides headroom, or extra data, that helps preserve quality when you adjust audio gain or
apply audio effects such as equalization or dynamic range compression/expansion. Although the DV format can
record two independent stereo audio pairs, Premiere Pro can capture only one stereo pair. It may be possible to select
either stereo pair 1, stereo pair 2, or a mix of both, depending on the DV hardware you use. For details, see the
documentation for the DV hardware.
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Set the location for captured audio
1Choose Project > Project Settings > Scratch Disks.
2For Captured Audio, select a location and click OK.
Preparing the audio input channel for recording
When you enable recording for a track, the track can record from the Default Device channel specified in the Audio
Hardware section of the Preferences dialog box. This dialog box includes the ASIO Settings button (Windows only),
which you use to enable audio inputs connected to the computer. Submix and master tracks always receive audio from
tracks within the sequence, so recording and track input options are unavailable for them.
More Help topics
“Specify the default audio device” on page 46
“Specify ASIO device settings (Windows only)” on page 47
Record audio from a microphone or another analog source
1Make sure that you have specified the Input audio device. For more information, see “Specify the default audio
device” on page 46.
2Make sure that the input device (microphone or other audio device) is connected properly to the computer or
sound card.
If recording from a microphone, check the documentation for your computer or sound card to determine whether the
microphone jack is for a monaural or stereo microphone. Use the appropriate microphone for the jack. Noise, the loss
of a channel, intermittent sound, and no sound all can result from plugging a mono microphone into a stereo jack or a
stereo microphone into a mono jack.
3If recording from a microphone, turn off your computer speakers to prevent feedback and echo.
4(Optional) If necessary, add an audio track to a Timeline appropriate for the number of channels you will record.
For example, if you’re recording voice with a single monaural microphone, you should record to a mono audio
track. See “Work with tracks” on page 138. A track will appear in the Audio Mixer for each track you add to a
Timeline.
5In the Audio Mixer, click the Enable Track For Recording icon for the track you added for your audio device.
6Choose the recording input channel from the Track Input Channel menu.
Note: The Track Input Channel menu appears after you click the Enable Track For Recording icon.
7Repeat steps 3 and 4 as necessary if you’re recording to multiple tracks.
8(Optional) Create a new sequence.
Note: It’s also possible to record to an existing sequence. Doing so is useful for recording voice-overs. You can record your
voice while watching the playback of the sequence. When you record voice-overs to an existing sequence, it’s good practice
to click the Solo Track icon
in the Audio Mixer for the track that you’re recording to. Clicking the icon mutes the other
audio tracks.
9(Optional) Select the audio track that you want to record to.
10 (Optional) Adjust the levels on the input device to achieve the proper recording level.
11 Select Meter Input(s) Only in the Audio Mixer panel menu to meter only the sound card’s inputs.
12 Click the Record button at the bottom of the Audio Mixer to enter Record mode.
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Audio Mixer recording controls
A. Record Enable button for track B. Record button for Audio Mixer
13 Test the input levels by playing a selection from the analog source, or by having the narrator speak into the
microphone. Watch the Audio Mixer level meters to ensure that the input levels for record-enabled tracks are high
but not clipping.
14 (Optional) When you finish testing, deselect Meter Input(s) Only in the Audio Mixer panel menu to meter the
project’s audio tracks also.
15 Click the Play button to start recording.
16 If necessary, adjust the track volume slider up (louder) or down (quieter) as you record to maintain the monitor
level you want.
The red indicators at the top of the VU meters light up if the audio is clipped. Make sure that the audio level isn’t loud
enough to cause clipping. Generally, loud audio registers near 0 dB, and quiet audio registers around -18 dB.
17 Click the Stop icon to stop recording.
The recorded audio appears as a clip in the audio track and as a master clip in the Project panel. You can always select
the clip in the Project panel and rename or delete it.
More Help topics
“Specify the default audio device” on page 46
“Audio Hardware preferences” on page 17
Troubleshoot analog capture problems in Premiere Pro
Premiere Pro Wikia: Setting up a USB microphone for use with Premiere Pro on Windows XP
“Specify scratch disks to improve system performance” on page 47
A
B
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Mute input during recording
Muting input can prevent feedback or echo when the computer is connected to speakers.
1Choose Edit > Preferences > Audio (Windows) or Premiere Pro > Preferences > Audio (Mac OS).
2Select Mute Input During Timeline Recording.
Adjusting volume levels
Monitor volume level from Timeline, or Program Monitor
You can monitor audio levels for clips in a Timeline panel.
1If the Audio Master Meters panel is not open, select Window > Audio Master Meters.
2Select the Program Monitor or a Timeline panel.
3Do one of the following:
•Press Space,
•In the Program Monitor, click the Play Stop Toggle (Space) button .
The Audio Master Meters panel displays the audio level for the Timeline.
Monitor volume level while capturing
You can monitor audio levels while capturing DV or HDV footage.
1If the Audio Master Meters panel is not open, select Window > Audio Master Meters.
2Capture video from a DV or HDV source.
The Audio Master Meters panel displays the audio level for the captured footage.
Specify whether to play audio while scrubbing
By default Premiere Pro plays the audio when you scrub any clip or sequence containing audio in the Source Monitor,
Program Monitor, or a Timeline. You can change this setting, if you prefer silent scrubbing.
1Select Edit > Preferences > Audio (Windows), or Premiere Pro > Preferences > Audio (Mac OS).
You can assign a keyboard shortcut to the Preferences > Audio command. See “Finding and customizing keyboard
shortcuts” on page 451.
2Check or deselect Play Audio While Scrubbing, depending on the option desired.
3Click OK.
More Help topics
“Finding and customizing keyboard shortcuts” on page 451
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Adjusting gain and volume
Gain generally refers to the input level or volume in clips. Volume generally refers to the output level or the volume in
sequence clips or tracks. You can set gain or volume levels to make levels more consistent among tracks or clips, or to
change the volume of a track or clip. Keep in mind, however, that if the level of an audio clip was set too low when it
was digitized, increasing the gain or volume might simply amplify noise. For best results, follow the standard practice
of recording or digitizing source audio at the optimum level; this practice allows you to concentrate on adjusting track
levels.
You use the Audio Gain command to adjust the gain level for one or more selected clips. The Audio Gain command
is independent of the output level settings in the Audio Mixer and Timeline panels, but its value is combined with the
track level for the final mix.
You can adjust the volume for a sequence clip in the Effect Controls or Timeline panels. In the Effect Controls panel,
you use the same methods to adjust the volume that you use to set other effect options. It’s often simpler to adjust the
Volume effect in a Timeline panel.
You control track output levels in the Audio Mixer or a Timeline panel. Although you control track levels primarily
through the Audio Mixer, you can also do so using audio track keyframes in a Timeline panel. Because track keyframes
represent mixer automation settings, they affect output only if automation is set to Read, Touch, or Latch.
In Premiere Pro CS5.5 and later, the Audio Gain dialog applies the same gain to each of the component audio clips in
a merged clip. If individual audio channels need to be adjusted separately, the user can use the clip volume
rubberbands on the component clips.
You can adjust the master volume control for an entire sequence with the Normalize Master Track command.
Normalize one or more clips
1Do one of the following:
•You can adjust the gain of a master clip so that all instances of the clip added to a Timeline panel have the same gain
level. Select the master clip in the Project panel.
•To adjust the gain of just one instance of a master clip already in a sequence, select the clip in a Timeline panel.
•To adjust the gain of more than one master clip or clip instance, select the clips in a Project panel or sequence. In a
sequence, Shift-click the clips to select them. In a Project panel, Shift-click to select contiguous clips, or Ctrl-click
(Windows) or Command-click (Mac OS) to select non-contiguous clips.
2Choose Clip > Audio Options > Audio Gain.
The Audio Gain dialog box opens and Premiere Pro automatically calculates the peak amplitude of the selected clips,
reporting the calculated value in the Peak Amplitude field. Once calculated, this value is stored for the selection. You
can use this value as a guide for the amount to adjust gain.
3Select one of the following, set its value, and then click OK:
Set Gain To The default value is 0.0 dB. This option allows the user to set gain to a specific value. This value is always
updated to the current gain, even when the option is not selected and the value appears dimmed. For example, when
the second option, Adjust Gain By, is used to adjust the gain by -1 dB, the Set Gain To value would also update to show
the resulting gain level. When the Audio Gain dialog is opened for selected clips that have already had their gain
adjusted, the current gain value is displayed in this field.
Adjust Gain By The default value is 0.0 dB. This option allows the user to adjust gain by + or - dB. Entering a value
other than zero in this field automatically updates the Set Gain To dB value to reflect the actual gain value applied to
the clip.
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Normalize Max Peak To The default value is 0.0 dB. Users can set this to any value below 0.0 dB. For example, a user
may want to allow for headroom and set this to -3 dB. This normalization option adjusts the maximum peak amplitude
in the selected clips to the user-specified value. For example, a clip with a peak amplitude of -6 dB will have its gain
adjusted by +6 dB if Normalize Max Peak To is set to 0.0 dB. For a multiple-clip selection, the clip with the maximum
peak will be adjusted to the user-specified value, while the other clips will be adjusted by the same amount, preserving
their relative gain differences. For example, assume clip one has a peak of -6 dB, and clip two has a peak of -3 dB. Since
clip two has the greater peak value, it will be adjusted by +3 dB to boost it to the user-specified gain of 0.0 dB, while
clip one also will be adjusted by +3 dB, boosting it to -3 dB, and preserving the gain offset between the two clips in the
selection.
Normalize All Peaks To The default value is 0.0 dB. Users can set this to any value below 0.0 dB. For example, a user
may want to allow for headroom and set this to -3 dB. This normalization option adjusts the peak amplitude in the
selected clips to the user-specified value. For example, a single clip with a peak amplitude of -6 dB will have its gain
adjusted by +6 dB if Normalize All Peaks To is set to 0.0 dB. For a multiple-clip selection, each clip in the selection
would have its gain adjusted by amounts necessary to boost them all to 0.0 dB.
Peak Amplitude The highest point of the audio waveform of a clip. This item is disabled when multiple clips are
selected and will display a “-”.
Robbie Carman explains normalizing, compression and limiting action in Adobe Premiere Pro in this Peachpit TV for
Video episode.
More Help topics
“Normalize the Master track” on page 236
“Volume effect” on page 414
“Channel Volume effect” on page 406
Normalize the Master track
You can set the peak volume level for the master track of a sequence. Premiere Pro automatically adjusts the fader for
the whole master track upward or downward. The loudest sound in the track achieves the value specified. Premiere
Pro scales any keyframes on the master track upward or downward, in proportion to the adjustment made in overall
volume.
Note: Adobe Premiere Pro does not allow a volume adjustment that would raise the peak higher than 0 dB.
1Select the sequence you want to normalize.
2Select Sequence > Normalize Master Track.
3In the Normalize Track dialog box, type an amplitude value in the dB field.
4Click OK.
More Help topics
“Normalize one or more clips” on page 235
www.adobe.com/go/lrvid4073_pr
“Volume effect” on page 414
“Channel Volume effect” on page 406
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Adjust volume with keyframes
You can adjust the volume level of a whole clip or track, or have the volume change over time using the rubber band
(level line) in an audio track of a Timeline panel.
1Expand the audio track view by clicking the triangle next to the audio track name.
2In the audio track header, click the Show Keyframes button , and choose one of the following from the menu:
Show Clip Keyframes Lets you animate audio effects for a clip, including Volume Level.
Show Clip Volume Lets you change only a clip’s Volume Level.
Show Track Keyframes Lets you animate many audio track effects, including Volume, Mute, and Balance.
Show Track Volume Lets you change only a track’s volume level.
3If one of the Keyframes settings is selected, do one of the following:
•If Show Clip Keyframes is selected, choose Volume > Level from the pop-up menu at the head of the clip in the
audio track.
•If Show Track Keyframes is selected, choose Track > Volume from the pop-up menu at the head of the clip in the
audio track.
Volume adjustment is enabled by default.
Note: When you have audio keyframes displayed, you cannot move the audio clip to a different position in a Timeline.
Hide the keyframes or collapse the track to move audio clips.
4Use either the Selection tool or the Pen tool to move the Volume level line up (increase volume) or down (decrease
volume).
Changing volume over time with keyframes
If you want the Volume effect to change over time, place the current-time indicator at the location for each change.
Then, click the Add/Remove Keyframe button in the audio track header, and drag the keyframe up (louder) or
down (quieter).
In Adobe Premiere Pro CS5, Ctrl+click (Windows), or Command+click (Mac OS) the rubber band line with the
Selection tool to set a keyframe. Once you let go of the modifier key, you can adjust the keyframe.
Alternatively, use the Pen tool and Ctrl+click (Windows), or Command+click (Mac OS) the rubber band line to set a
keyframe for each change. In this case, it is not necessary to move the current-time indicator. However, it is helpful to
use the current-time indicator as a guide.
In Adobe Premiere Pro CS5.5 and later, click the rubber band line to set a keyframe with the Pen tool for each change.
A modifier key is not needed. You can also Ctrl+click (Windows), or Command+click (Mac OS) a keyframe with the
Selection tool to adjust a keyframe.
Franklin McMahon shows how to add audio effect presets and animate audio levels in this video on the Layers
Magazine website.
More Help topics
“Adjusting gain and volume” on page 235
“Select keyframes” on page 420
“Add keyframes” on page 419
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Apply a volume level to several clips
1In the Timeline, adjust the volume of a single clip to the desired level.
2Choose Edit > Copy.
3Drag a marquee over the other clips you want to change.
4Choose Edit > Paste Attributes.
Note: This procedure pastes all effects and attributes of the first clip selected, not just its volume settings.
Adjust volume in Effect Controls
1Select an audio clip in a sequence.
2In the Effect Controls panel, click the triangle next to Volume to expand the effect.
3Do any of the following:
•Enter a value for the level. A negative value decreases the volume level and a positive value increases the volume
level. A value of 0.0 represents the original clip’s volume level without adjustment.
•Click the triangle next to Level to expand the effect options, and then use the slider to adjust the volume level.
A keyframe is automatically created at the beginning of the clip’s timeline in the Effect Controls panel.
4(Optional) To change the Volume effect over time, move the current-time indicator and adjust the volume level
graph in the Effect Controls panel.
Each time you move the current-time indicator and make an adjustment, a new keyframe is created. You can also
adjust the interpolation between keyframes by editing the keyframe graph. Repeat as needed.
More Help topics
“Modify keyframe values” on page 420
Set track volume in the Audio Mixer
❖In the Audio Mixer, adjust the track’s volume setting.
Note: You can use this procedure when automation isn’t applied to a track. If levels vary over time because track
automation keyframes are already applied, you may be able to adjust the track level uniformly by sending it to a submix
and setting the submix level.
Mute a track in the Audio Mixer
❖Click the track’s Speaker icon in the Audio Mixer.
Note: Muting doesn’t affect pre-fader items such as effects and sends. Also, the state of the Mute Track button is subject
to the automation settings in effect. If you want to silence track output completely, click the track’s Speaker icon in a
Timeline panel.
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Mix tracks in the Audio Mixer
You can set volume levels of two or more audio tracks, relative to one another, using the Audio Mixer. For example,
you can raise the volume of a narrator’s voice on one audio track while simultaneously decreasing the volume of the
background music on another track. Also, you can raise or lower the overall volume level of the complete mix, which
contains the audio from all tracks selected. The Audio Mixer lets you make these adjustments in real time while you
listen to playback from desired tracks. By default, the Audio Mixer volume adjustments made for each audio track are
saved in Track Volume keyframes visible on that track in a Timeline panel. Volume adjustments made for the whole
mix are saved in Track Volume keyframes visible in the Master audio track in a Timeline panel.
1Select a sequence that contains audio in two or more audio tracks.
2Select Window > Workspace > Audio.
The Audio Mixer panel appears in the central drop zone, with each audio track of a Timeline panel assigned to its own
bus on the mixer.
3Choose Latch, Touch, or Write for all the tracks in the Audio Mixer you wish to modify.
4In a Timeline panel, for each audio track, click the Show Keyframes button . Then choose Show Track
Keyframes, or Show Track Volume from the drop-down menu.
5Toward the bottom left of the Audio Mixer panel, click the Play button to play the sequence and monitor its
audio.
6Move the volume slider for any audio track up or down to increase or decrease its volume as you monitor the sound.
7Move the volume slider for the Master track up or down to increase or decrease the volume of the whole mix as you
monitor the sound.
Track Volume keyframes appear in each of the tracks for which you made volume adjustments, including the Master
track.
More Help topics
“Select keyframes” on page 420
“Delete keyframes” on page 420
Recording audio mixes
Using the Audio Mixer, you can apply changes to audio tracks as a sequence plays back. You can instantly hear the
results of any changes you make. You can control the volume, pan, and mute settings of a track or its sends. You can
control all effect options for track effects, including the bypass setting.
The Audio Mixer records the changes as track keyframes in the audio tracks. It doesn’t make changes to the source
clips.
It’s best to make adjustments to multitrack sequences one track at a time. Ride the controls on one track while playing
a sequence. Then play it again from the beginning while riding the controls on another track. The changes you made
to the first track are preserved if you set the track’s automation setting to Off or Read.
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Record changes to sound tracks
Each channel of the Audio Mixer corresponds to an audio track in the Timeline. You can use the controls in each
Audio Mixer channel to record changes to its corresponding audio track. For example, to vary the volume level of clips
in the Audio 1 track, use the Volume slider in the Audio 1 channel of the Audio Mixer.
1In a Timeline panel or Audio Mixer panel, set the current time to the point where you want to start recording
automation changes.
Note: In the Audio Mixer, you can set the current time at the top left corner of the panel.
2In the Audio Mixer, choose an automation mode from the Automation Mode menu at the top of each track you
want to change. To record changes, choose a mode other than Off or Read. (See “Audio Mixer automation modes”
on page 240)
3(Optional) To protect the settings of a property during the Write automation mode, right-click (Windows) or
Control-click (Mac OS) an effect or send and then choose Safe During Write from the menu.
4In the Audio Mixer, do one of the following:
•To start automation, click the Play button in the Audio Mixer.
•To play the sequence in a continuous loop, click the Loop button .
•To play from the In point to the Out point, click the Play In To Out button .
5As the audio plays back, adjust the options of any automatable property.
6To stop automation, click the Stop button .
7To preview changes, change the current time to the beginning of your changes, and click the Play button
8To view the keyframes you created, do the following:
aClick the Show Keyframes button at the head of the audio track you changed, and select Show Track Keyframes.
bClick the clip header toward the top left of an audio clip you changed, and choose from the drop-down menu the
type of change you recorded. For example, if you changed the volume, choose Track > Volume.
This step will show the keyframes you recorded with the Audio Mixer along the yellow change line. You can edit these
keyframes like any others in the Timeline.
Preserve a track property while recording an audio mix
You can preserve the settings of a property while recording an audio mix, preventing a selected property from being
edited. It protects that property across all tracks in a sequence.
❖In the Effects And Sends panel for a track, right-click (Windows) or Control-click (Mac OS) an effect or send and
choose Safe During Write from the menu.
Note: Use the Audio Mixer to automate track properties only, not clip properties. You can edit clip keyframes by selecting
the clip and using the Effect Controls panel or Timeline panel.
Audio Mixer automation modes
Automation modes are set in the menu at the top of each track. For example, drag a track’s volume fader or pan control
during playback. When you replay the audio with the track’s automation menu set to Read, Touch, or Latch, Premiere
Pro plays back the track with the adjustments you made. As you make adjustments in channels of the Audio Mixer,
Premiere Pro applies the changes to their respective tracks by creating track keyframes in a Timeline panel. Conversely,
audio track keyframes you add or edit in a Timeline panel set values (such as fader positions) in the Audio Mixer.
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For each audio track, the selection in the automation options menu determines the track’s automation state during the
mixing process:
Off Ignores the track’s stored settings during playback. Off allows real-time use of Audio Mixer controls without
interference from existing keyframes. However, changes to the audio track aren’t recorded in Off mode.
Read Reads the track’s keyframes and uses them to control the track during playback. If a track has no keyframes,
adjusting a track option (such as volume) affects the entire track uniformly. If you adjust an option for a track that’s
set to Read automation, the option returns to its former value (before the current automated changes were recorded)
when you stop adjusting it. The rate of return is determined by the Automatch Time preference.
Write Records adjustments you make to any automatable track settings that aren’t set to Safe During Write, and
creates corresponding track keyframes in a Timeline panel. Write mode writes automation as soon as playback starts
without waiting for a setting to change. You can modify this behavior by choosing the Switch To Touch After Write
command from the Audio Mixer menu. After playback stops or a playback loop cycle is completed, the Switch To
Touch After Write command switches all Write mode tracks to Touch mode.
Latch Identical to Write, except that automation doesn’t start until you begin adjusting a property. The initial property
settings are from the previous adjustment.
Touch Identical to Write, except that automation doesn’t start until you begin adjusting a property. When you stop
adjusting a property, its option settings return to their previous state before the current automated changes were
recorded. The rate of return is determined by the Automatch Time audio preference.
For Automation modes in this video on the Layers Magazine website, and this thread on Adobe forums.
See this video tutorial about understanding automation modes by Andrew Devis on the Creative COW website.
Robbie Carman explains how to use automation modes in Adobe Premiere Pro's audio mixer in this episode of
Peachpit TV for Video.
Set Automatch Time for Touch mode and Read mode
When you stop adjusting an effect property in Touch mode, the property returns to its initial value. This is also the
case while in Read mode if a keyframe exists for the affected parameter. The Automatch Time preference specifies the
time for an effect property to return to its initial value.
Automating audio changes in the Audio Mixer can create more keyframes than necessary in the audio track, causing
a degradation in performance. To avoid creating unnecessary keyframes, thereby ensuring both quality interpretation
and minimal performance degradation, set the Automation Keyframe Optimization preference. In addition to the
other benefits, you can edit individual keyframes much easier if they are assembled less densely in the track.
1Choose Edit > Preferences > Audio (Windows) or Premiere Pro > Preferences > Audio (Mac OS).
2Enter a value for Automatch Time and then click OK.
More Help topics
“Audio Preferences” on page 16
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Specify automated keyframe creation
Automating audio changes in the Audio Mixer can create more keyframes than necessary in the audio track, degrading
performance. To avoid creating unnecessary keyframes, thereby ensuring both quality interpretation and minimal
performance degradation, set the Automation Keyframe Optimization preference. In addition to providing other
benefits, this preference makes editing individual keyframes easier because they are less densely arranged on the
keyframe graph. For information about the Linear Keyframe Thinning and Minimum Time Interval Thinning
options, see “Audio Preferences” on page 16.
1Choose Edit > Preferences > Audio (Windows) or Premiere Pro > Preferences > Audio (Mac OS).
2In the Automation Keyframe Optimizations pane, select Linear Keyframe Thinning, Minimum Time Interval
Thinning, or both.
3Click OK.
More Help topics
“Audio Preferences” on page 16
Panning and balancing
By default, all audio tracks output to the sequence master audio track. However, you can also create submix tracks.
You can output audio from any track to a submix track. You can then out put audio from a submix track to a Master
Track. You can use an audio track as an input for a submix track or for the Master Track. You can use a submix track
as an output for an audio track and as an input for a Master Track. Different tracks in the same sequence can have
different numbers of channels. For example, you can send the output from a monaural audio track to a stereo submix
track, and then send the output from the stereo submix track to a 5.1-channel Master Track.
If the number of channels differs between an input track and its output track, you determine how much each of the
channels in the input track feeds each of the channels in its output track. For example, you can send 80 percent of the
signal from a monaural audio track to the left channel of a stereo submix track, and 20 percent to the right channel.
This is balancing. You balance the audio to a stereo output track with Left/Right Pan dials in the Audio Mixer. You
balance the audio to a 5.1 output track with 5.1 Panner controls in the Audio Mixer.
In the Audio Mixer, a Left/Right Pan dial appears in a track only when you select a stereo track as the output for the
track. A 5.1 Panner control appears in a track only when you select a 5.1-channel track as the output for the track. The
relation between the number of channels in an audio track and the number of channels in the output track (often the
master track) determines whether the pan and balance options are available for an audio track.
Panning is the moving of audio from one output channel to another, over time. For example, if a car drives from the
right side of a video frame to the left, you can pan the channel containing the car audio so that it begins on the right
side of the screen and ends on the left.
Note: If necessary, you can balance a clip by applying the Balance audio effect. Do so only after you determine that track
balancing isn’t sufficient.
In the Audio Mixer, the number of level meters in a track indicates the number of channels for that track. The output
track is displayed in the Track Output Assignment menu at the bottom of each track. The following rules determine
whether a track’s audio can be panned or balanced in its output track:
•When you output a mono track to a stereo or 5.1 surround track, you can pan it.
•When you output a stereo track to a stereo or 5.1 surround track, you can balance it.
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•When the output track contains fewer channels than in the other audio tracks, Premiere Pro downmixes the audio
to the number of channels in the output track.
•When an audio track and the output track are mono or when both tracks are 5.1 surround, panning and balancing
aren’t available. The channels of both tracks correspond directly.
While the master audio track is the default output track, a sequence can also include submix tracks. Submix tracks
can be both an output destination of other audio tracks and an audio source to the master track (or other submix
tracks). Therefore, the number of channels in a submix track affects the pan or balance controls available in tracks
that output to it, and the number of channels in the submix output track affect whether panning or balancing is
available for that submix track.
Panning and balancing in the Audio Mixer
The Audio Mixer provides controls for panning and balancing. A round knob appears when a mono or stereo track
outputs to a stereo track. You rotate the knob to pan or balance audio between the left and right output track channels.
A square tray appears when a mono or stereo track outputs to a 5.1 surround track. The tray depicts the two-
dimensional audio field created by 5.1 surround audio. You slide a puck within the tray to pan or balance audio among
the five speakers, which are represented by pockets around the edge of the tray. The tray also includes controls for
adjusting a 5.1 surround audio track’s center channel percentage and subwoofer volume. No pan control appears if a
track outputs to a submix or master track that contains the same number of channels or fewer; therefore, a pan or
balance control is never available for a 5.1 surround track. A master track doesn’t contain a pan or balance control
because it’s never routed to another track. However, panning or balancing an entire sequence is possible when you use
the sequence as a track in another sequence.
You can vary the pan setting over time in the Audio Mixer, or in a Timeline panel by applying keyframes to a track’s
Pan options.
Panning and balancing controls
A. Stereo pan/balance knob B. 5.1 surround pan/balance tray C. Center percentage
For best results monitoring pan or balance settings, make sure that each of the computer or audio card’s outputs is
connected to the correct speaker, and make sure that positive and negative wires are connected consistently across all
speakers.
A CB
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Pan or balance a stereo track
❖In the Audio Mixer, do one of the following:
•Drag the pan control knob or the value below the knob.
•Click the value below the pan control knob, type a new value, and press Enter (Windows) or Return (Mac OS).
Pan or balance a 5.1 surround track
1In the Audio Mixer, click and drag the puck anywhere within the tray. To snap the puck to a left, right, or center
channel, drag the puck to a pocket along the edge of the tray.
2Adjust the center channel percentage by dragging the center percentage knob.
3If needed, adjust the LFE (subwoofer) channel level by dragging the knob above the Bass Clef icon .
More Help topics
5.1 Surround Sound Mixing
Pan or balance a 16-channel track
When you select a sequence containing a 16-channel master audio track, Direct Output Assignment buttons appear
above the sliders for each track in the Audio Mixer. Click each of these buttons to assign each track channel to a
destination channel in the master track.
Note: One Direct Output Assignment button appears in each track for every channel within that track. For example, a
monaural track has a single Direct
Output Assignment button, while a 5.1 track has six Direct Output Assignment
buttons.
Selecting channel 12 for the output from the left-front channel of a 5.1 audio track
A. Direct Output Assignment buttons for a stereo track B. Direct Output Assignment buttons for a monaural track C. Direct Output
Assignment buttons for a 5.1 surround track
1If the Audio Mixer is not open, select Window > Audio Mixer, and select the desired 16-channel sequence.
Direct Output Assignment buttons show to which Master track channel Premiere Pro automatically assigned the
channels of the initial tracks. As you create additional tracks, Premiere Pro automatically assigns their channels to
channel 1, 1-2, or 1-6 in the 16-channel Master track, depending on the number of channels within the new track.
BA C
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2In the Audio Mixer, for each channel in a track, click the Direct Output Assignment button, and select one of the
16 channels in the Master track as the destination for that channel.
Note: You cannot assign track sends to the Master track in a 16-channel sequence.
Pan or balance a track in a Timeline panel
1In a Timeline panel, if necessary, expand a track’s view by clicking the triangle next to the track name.
2Click the Show Keyframes button , and choose Show Track Keyframes from the menu.
3Click Track:Volume at the top left of the track and then choose Panner > Balance or Panner > Pan from the menu.
(For 5.1 surround audio, choose the dimension you want to edit from the Panner menu.)
4(Optional) If you want to adjust the pan or balance effect over time, move the current-time indicator and click the
Add/Remove Keyframe icon .
5Use the Selection tool or the Pen tool to adjust the level.
6(Optional) If you’re adjusting the pan or balance effect over time, repeat steps 4 and 5 as necessary.
Advanced mixing
Work with submixes
A submix is a track that combines audio signals routed to it from specific audio tracks or track sends in the same
sequence. A submix is an intermediate step between audio tracks and the master track. Submixes are useful if you want
to work with a number of audio tracks in the same way. For example, you can use a submix to apply identical audio
and effect settings to three tracks of a five-track sequence. Submixes can help make the best use of your computer’s
processing power by allowing you to apply one instance of an effect instead of multiple instances.
Like audio tracks that contain clips, submixes can be mono, stereo, or 5.1 surround. Submixes appear as fully
functional tracks in both the Audio Mixer and a Timeline panel—you can edit submix track properties just as you edit
a track containing audio clips. However, submixes are different from audio tracks in the following ways:
•Submix tracks can’t contain clips, so you can’t record to them. Therefore, they don’t contain any recording or
device input options or clip editing properties.
•In the Audio Mixer, submixes have a darker background than other tracks.
•In a Timeline panel, submixes don’t have a Toggle Track Output icon or a Display Style icon .
Create a submix in a Timeline panel
1Choose Sequence > Add Tracks.
2Specify options in the Audio Submix Tracks section, and then click OK.
Simultaneously create a submix and assign a send
1If necessary, display the effects/sends panel in the Audio Mixer by clicking the triangle to the left of an automation
option’s menu.
2Choose Create Mono Submix, Create Stereo Submix, or Create 5.1 Submix from any of the five sends list menus in
the Audio Mixer.
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Choosing submix type in Audio Mixer
Route a track’s output to a submix
❖In the Audio Mixer, select the submix name from the track output menu at the bottom of the track.
Route tracks with sends
Each track contains five sends, located in the Effects And Sends panel in the Audio Mixer. Sends are often used to route
a track’s signal to a submix track for effects processing. The submix can return the processed signal to the mix by
routing it to the master track, or it can route the signal to another submix. A send includes a level knob that controls
the ratio of the send track volume to the submix volume. This value is called the wet/dry ratio, with “wet” referring to
the effects-processed submix signal and “dry” referring to the signal from the send track. A wet/dry ratio of 100%
indicates that the wet signal is output at full strength. The submix volume affects the wet signal, and the send track’s
volume affects the dry signal.
A send can be applied pre-fader or post-fader, and the outcome is that the track audio is sent either before or after the
track’s volume fader is applied. With a pre-fader send, adjusting the track fader doesn’t affect the output level from the
send. A post-fader send maintains the wet/dry ratio, fading the wet and dry signals simultaneously as you adjust the
send track’s volume.
Note: You cannot assign a track send to the Master track in a 16-channel sequence.
More Help topics
“Routing track output” on page 248
Send a track to a submix
1(Optional) To display the Effects And Sends panel in the Audio Mixer, click the Show/Hide Effects And Sends
triangle at the left side of the Audio Mixer.
2In the Effects And Sends panel, do one of the following:
•
To send to an existing submix, click a Send Assignment Selection triangle and choose a submix name from the menu.
•To create and send a new submix, click a Send Assignment Selection triangle and choose one of the following:
Create Mono Submix, Create Stereo Submix, or Create 5.1 Submix.
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Sends
A. Name of submix assigned to send, and Send Assignment menu B. Send mute C. Control knob for selected send property D. Send Properties
menu
Edit Send settings
1(Optional) To display the Effects And Sends panel in the Audio Mixer, click the Show/Hide Effects And Sends
triangle at the left of the Audio Mixer.
2In the Effects And Sends panel, click the Send Assignment Selection triangle and choose a send from the menu.
3(Optional) Choose the send property you want to edit from the Selected Parameter menu below the selected send
property control.
Choosing from Selected Parameter menu
4Change the value of the property using the control knob above the Send Assignment Properties menu at the bottom
of the sends list.
Work with sends
1(Optional) To display the Effects And Sends panel in the Audio Mixer, click the Show/Hide Effects And Sends
triangle at the left side of the Audio Mixer.
A
C
D
B
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2Do any of the following:
•To designate a send as a pre-fader or post-fader, right-click (Windows) or Control-click (Mac OS) a send and
choose Pre-Fader or Post-Fader from the context menu.
•To mute a send, click the Send Mute button next to the send control knob for the selected send property.
•To delete a send, choose None from the Send Assignment Selection menu.
Downmixing to fewer channels
Whenever you route track output to a track or device with fewer channels, Premiere Pro must downmix the audio to
the number of channels in the destination track. Downmixing is often practical or necessary because a sequence’s
audio may be played back on audio gear supporting fewer audio channels than the original mix. For example, you
might create a DVD with 5.1 surround audio, but some customers may use speaker systems or televisions that support
only stereo (2 channels) or mono (1 channel). However, downmixing can also occur in a project when you assign track
output to a track that has fewer channels. Premiere Pro provides a 5.1 Mixdown Type option that lets you choose how
to translate 5.1 surround audio into stereo or mono audio. You can choose from various combinations of Front
channels, Rear channels, and the LFE (low-frequency effects, or subwoofer) channel.
Change 5.1 audio to stereo or mono
1Choose Edit > Preferences > Audio (Windows) or Premiere Pro > Preferences > Audio (Mac OS).
2Choose a 5.1 Mixdown Type from the menu, and click OK.
Note: To preserve the integrity of left/right channel assignments, you can avoid using downmix options that include the
LFE channel.
Routing track output
By default, track output is routed to the master track. You can also route the complete track signal to a submix track
or master track by using the Track Output Assignment menu at the bottom of each track in the Audio Mixer. The
output signal contains all properties specified for that track, including automation, effects, pan/balance, solo/mute,
and fader settings. In the Audio Mixer, all submixes are grouped to the right of all audio tracks. You can output a track
to any submix, but to prevent feedback loops, Premiere Pro allows a submix to be routed only to a submix to the right
of it, or to the master track. The output menu lists only the tracks that follow these rules.
Note: It’s possible to create a send/return arrangement with an effects submix.
More Help topics
“Route tracks with sends” on page 246
Route or turn off track output
❖Do any of the following:
•To route track output to another track, select a submix or Master from the Track Output Assignment menu at the
bottom of each track in the Audio Mixer.
•To completely turn off track output, click the Toggle Track Output icon to hide the speaker icon for a track in
a Timeline panel. This setting causes the track to output no signal but doesn’t change its signal routing.
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Editing audio in Adobe Soundbooth
Adobe Soundbooth lets you use advanced techniques to edit audio. If you have installed Adobe Soundbooth, you can
apply the Edit In Adobe Soundbooth command to an audio clip.
Selecting an audio-only master clip, subclip, or clip instance in a timeline, and choosing Edit In Soundbooth > Edit
Source File opens the source file in Soundbooth. If an In/Out range was marked in Premiere Pro, these markers
become visible in Soundbooth. When the file is saved in Soundbooth, the original file on disk is overwritten and all
instances of the master clip, its subclips and track items are updated automatically to reflect the changes. The changes
cannot be undone.
Selecting an audio-only or A/V master clip, subclip, or clip instance in a timeline, and choosing Edit In Soundbooth >
Extract Audio extracts the audio, and generates a new project item. Edits are made to this copy in Soundbooth. The
original master clip is preserved in the project and on disk.
Note: The Edit In Adobe Soundbooth command isn’t available for Adobe Dynamic Link clips.
An example of editing audio in Adobe Soundbooth is found in this video.
See this video tutorial on Audio Editing Basics for Premiere Pro and Soundbooth by Andrew Devis from the Creative
Cow website.
Edit audio in Adobe Soundbooth
1In the Project panel or Timeline panel, select a clip containing audio.
2Select Edit > Edit In Adobe Soundbooth, and choose one of the following:
Edit Source file lets Soundbooth record changes to the source file on which the master clip is based, and any sub-clips
and clip instances based on that master clip. Edit Source File works on audio-only clips, not those containing video.
Render And Replace renders a new audio clip that you edit in Adobe Soundbooth. The edited clip replaces the original
clip in a Timeline panel; the original master clip in the Project panel remains untouched. Effects or markers applied to
the original sequence clip are inherited by the edited clip. The new file appears in the Project panel in Premiere Pro.
Extract Audio copies the audio from the source clip into a new file that you can edit in Soundbooth. The new file
appears in the Project panel in Premiere Pro and opens in Adobe Soundbooth.
Note: Extract Audio doesn’t replace the original audio in a video master clip. If you add the video master clip to a
sequence and you want the edited audio to accompany the video, you need to unlink and delete the audio from the master
clip, and then link the remaining video with the edited audio.
3Edit and save the clip in Soundbooth.
4Return to Premiere Pro. The audio file remains open in Soundbooth until you close it.
Undoing edits made in Adobe Soundbooth
In the Project panel, the Undo command deletes an extracted audio clip that has been edited in Soundbooth. For a clip
in a sequence, the Undo command reverses the Render And Replace actions by returning the original audio clip to the
sequence. In this case, the newly created audio file isn’t deleted from the Project panel.d
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Editing and mixing audio in Adobe Audition
Adobe Audition lets you use advanced post-production techniques to create and edit audio. If you have installed
Adobe Audition, you can apply the Edit In Adobe Audition command to an audio clip. If you are using Adobe
Premiere Pro CS5.5 and later, you can send an entire sequence to Adobe Audition.
When you apply the Edit In Audition command to an audio clip, the audio is extracted and the edits are made to a new
clip containing the extracted audio. The audio in the original master video clip is preserved.
When applying the Edit In Audition command to clips in a sequence, Adobe Premiere Pro renders the audio into a
new audio clip that is imported into Adobe Audition. When saved, the edited clip replaces the original clip in the
Adobe Premiere Pro Timeline panel. The original master clip in the Project panel is untouched. Effects or markers
applied to the original sequence clip are preserved in the edited clip.
Note: The Edit In Audition command is not available for Adobe Dynamic Link clips.
For more information about Premiere Pro CS5.5 and Adobe Audition, see this video by Video2Brain.
Jason Levine gives an overview of the Premiere Pro and Audition workflow in this video.
For more details about Premiere Pro CS5.5 integration with Audition CS5.5, see this blog post on the Premiere Pro
work area.
Here is an excellent collection of tutorials on how to use Adobe Audition.
Here is a video tutorial by Andrew Devis on the Creative COW website showing how to get audio into Audition. Also
shown is how to level speech in Audition so that the quiet bits of speech can be raised up automatically to ensure that
all the audio can be clearly heard.
Edit audio in Adobe Audition (CS5.5)
1In a Project or Timeline panel, select a clip containing audio.
2Select Edit > Edit In Adobe Audition > Clip.
3Edit and save the clip in Adobe Audition.
4Return to Adobe Premiere Pro.
The file remains open in Audition until you close it, so you can repeat steps 3-4 for further audio editing.
From the Project panel, the Undo command deletes the extracted audio clip that’s been edited in Adobe Audition. For
a clip in a sequence, the Undo command reverses the render and replace actions by returning the original audio clip
to the sequence. In this case, the newly created audio file is not deleted from the Project panel.
Export sequence tracks to Adobe Audition (CS5.5)
Adobe Premiere Pro CS5.5 and later and Adobe Audition CS5.5 and later directly exchange audio between sequences
and multitrack sessions. Any sequence markers appear in Audition, and separate tracks can be retained for maximum
editing flexibility.
The applications exchange sequences and sessions using a shared XML format, exported to a folder that contains any
referenced audio files.
1Choose Edit > Edit in Adobe Audition > Sequence.
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2Specify a name and path for the exported sequence folder, and set the following options:
Selection Choose Entire Sequence to include the full timeline duration, or Work Area to include the time range
specified by the work area bar.
Audio Handles For trimmed audio, specifies the number of seconds to include beyond trim handles. Including
additional audio provides more flexibility for fades and editing.
Export Preview Video Includes a DV preview file that you can visually reference while mixing audio. The frame rate
matches the sequence rate where possible, or the closest frame rate available for DV format.
Note: Rendering the video preview can require a large amount of time and disk space.
Render Audio Clip Effects Permanently applies audio effects from Adobe Premiere Pro to the exported clip. Select
this option if you are confident that effect settings are final. For maximum flexibility, deselect it, and apply effects
in Adobe Audition.
Send Clip Volume Keyframe Metadata Includes these keyframes so you can adjust them in Adobe Audition, rather
than applying them to rendered audio.
Open in Adobe Audition Automatically opens the sequence in Adobe Audition. Deselect this option if you plan to
mix the audio later or transfer it to a different machine.
Editing audio clips in Adobe Audition (CS5.5)
After you send your sequence to Adobe Audition, you will need to edit the audio clips. For more information about
how to edit the audio clips, see Edit audio clips from Adobe Premiere Pro CS5.5 or After Effects.
Export a multitrack mix to Adobe Premiere Pro
Once audio editing and mixing is complete, send (or “round-trip”) the multitrack mix back to Adobe Premiere Pro
CS5.5 and later. To do this, see Export a multitrack mix to Premiere Pro CS5.5 in Adobe Audition Help.
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Chapter 10: Titling and the Titler
Creating and editing titles
The Titler is a versatile tool enabling you to create, not just titles and credits, but animated composites as well.
The Titler is a collection of related panels. You can close the panels within the Titler without closing the Titler. You
can dock the panels to each other or to other parts of the interface. When the panels are not docked to the main
workspace, they appear over the other panels, or float.
You can load more than one title into the Titler. You can choose the title you want to view by choosing its name in the
Title tab menu. You can reopen a title when you want to change it or to duplicate it and base a new version on it.
For a video tutorial introducing the Titler, see the Adobe website.
For instructions on creating new titles based on existing titles, and on creating new templates, see the video tutorial
Working With Custom Titles by Jon Barrie on the Creative COW website.
Philip Hodgetts provides tips for getting the best results when creating text or vector graphics for video in this article
on the Creative COW website.
For additional tips, see "Best practices for text and vector graphics for video" in After Effects Help.
Maxim Jago explains and demonstrates how to create and composite titles in a video from “Adobe Premiere Pro CS5:
Learn By Video” from Video2Brain.
Create new titles
Create a title from scratch, or use a copy of an existing title as a starting point.
Create a title
1Do one of the following:
•Choose File > New > Title.
•Choose Title > New Title and then choose a title type.
•In the Project panel, press the New Item button and choose Title.
2Specify a name for the title and click OK.
3Use the text and shape tools to create a file or to customize a template.
4Close the Titler or save the project to save the title.
Note: Titles are added to the Project panel automatically and are saved as part of the project file.
Maxim Jago explains and demonstrates how to create and composite titles in a video from “Adobe Premiere Pro CS5:
Learn By Video” from Video2Brain.
Clay Asbury created this video tutorial on creating titles in Premiere Pro.
Create a title based on the current title
1In the Titler, open or select the title on which you want to base a new title.
2In the Title Quick Properties panel, click New Title Based On Current Title .
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3In the New Title dialog box, enter a name for the new title and click OK.
4Change the new title as desired.
5Close the Titler or save the project to save the title.
Open, import, or export a title
Open a title for editing
❖Double-click the title in the Project panel or in a Timeline panel.
Note: Titles open in the Titler, not the Source Monitor.
Import a title file
You can import a title file as you would any other source file.
1Choose File > Import.
2Select a title and click Open.
Note: In addition to importing Premiere Pro titles and Premiere Elements titles with the .prtl extension, you can import
titles with the .ptl extension, created in earlier versions of Adobe Premiere. The imported titles become part of the current
project file.
Export a title as an independent file
You can export titles as independent files that use the .prtl filename extension.
1In the Project panel, select the title you want to save as an independent file.
2Choose File > Export > Title.
3Specify a name and location for the title and click Save.
About safe margins in the Titler
The title-safe and action-safe margins in the drawing area of the Titler designate the safe zones. These margins are
enabled by default.
Safe zones are useful when you edit for broadcast and videotape. Most TVs overscan the picture. Overscanning places
the outer edges of the picture outside the viewing area. The amount of overscanning is not consistent across TVs. To
ensure that everything fits within the area that most TVs display, keep text within the title-safe margins. Keep all other
important elements within the action-safe margins.
Note: If you are creating content for the web or for CD, the title-safe and action-safe margins do not apply to your project.
The entire image is displayed in these media.
Choose, create, and import title templates
The title templates included with Premiere Pro provide numerous themes and preset layouts that make it quick and
easy to design a title. Some templates include graphics pertinent to certain subjects, such as new-baby or vacation
themes. Others include placeholder text that you can replace to create credits for your movie. Some templates have
transparent backgrounds, represented by dark gray and light gray squares. You can see your video beneath the title.
Other templates are opaque.
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You can easily change any element in the template by selecting the element and either deleting it or overwriting it. You
can also add elements to the template. After you modify the template, you can save it as a title file for use in current
and future projects. Alternately, you can save any title you create as a template.
You can also import title files from another Premiere Pro project as templates. If you share templates between
computers, make sure that each system includes all the fonts, textures, logos, and images used in the template.
If you do not have title templates, see this document. Although it says the document is for Encore, it also applies to
Premiere Pro. After following instructions, your title templates will be restored.
Note: When you apply a new template, its content replaces any content currently in the Titler.
Note: Before Premiere Pro 2.0, Premiere Pro saved all titles as independent files separate from the project file. You can
import titles created in older versions of Premiere Pro just as you import any footage. When you save the project, the
imported titles are saved with the project.
Andrew Devis shows how to use, customize, and save title templates in this video tutorial on the Creative COW
website.
Load a template for a new title
1Choose Title > New Title > Based On Template.
2Click the triangle next to a category name to expand it.
3Select the template, and then click OK.
Import a saved title file as a template
1With a title open, choose Title > Templates.
2Choose Import File As Template from the Templates panel menu.
3Select a file, and click Open (Windows) or Choose (Mac OS). You can import only Premiere Pro title files (.prtl) as
templates.
4Give the template a name and then click OK.
Set or restore a default template
1With a title open, click the Templates button and select a template.
•To set the selected template as the default template, choose Set Template As Default Still from the Templates panel
menu. The default template loads each time you open the Titler.
•To restore the default set of templates, choose Restore Default Templates from the Templates panel menu.
2Click OK.
Rename or delete a template
❖With a title open, click the Templates button and select a template.
•To rename the selected template, choose Rename Template from the Templates panel menu. Type a name in the
Name box, and click OK.
•To delete a template, choose Delete Template from the Templates menu, and then click OK.
Note: If you delete a template using this procedure, it is removed from the hard disk.
Create a template from an open title
1With a title open, click the Templates button .
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2Click the Templates menu button . Choose Import Current Title As Template.
3Enter a name for the title template, and then click OK.
Import a title template from Resource Central
You can import title templates from Resource Central into the Project Panel for use in Premiere Pro projects.
1If the Resource Central panel is not already open, select Window > Resource Central.
2In the Resource Central panel, click Templates.
3Click the downward-pointing arrow to the right of the name of the desired template to download it.
When Premiere Pro finishes downloading the template, a green check mark appears to the lower-right of the
template thumbnail.
4Drag any template that has been downloaded from the Resource Central panel and drop it into the Project panel.
You can not drag a template from the Resource Central panel until Premiere Pro has downloaded it.
Show video behind the title
You can view a frame of footage in the drawing area as you create the title. Viewing the frame helps you place elements
in your title. The video frame is for your reference only; it is not saved as part of the title.
Use the timecode controls in the Titler to specify the frame you want to display. The Titler displays the frame under
the current-time indicator in the active sequence. Setting the frame in the Titler also moves the current-time indicator
in the Program Monitor and Timeline panel. Moving the current-time indicator in the Program Monitor or Timeline
panel changes the frame displayed in the Titler.
If you want to superimpose a title over another clip, add the title to the track directly above the clip. The title’s
background becomes transparent, revealing the image of clips in lower tracks.
❖In the Titler panel, select Show Video.
•
To change the frame interactively, drag the time value next to Show Video until the frame is visible in the drawing area.
•To display the frame by specifying its timecode, click the time value next to Show Video and enter the frame’s
timecode in the active sequence.
Note: The Show Video value uses the same time display format specified in the project settings. For example, if 30-fps
Drop-Frame Timecode is specified in Project Settings, 30-fps Drop-Frame Timecode is displayed in Show Video.
Creating and formatting text in titles
Enter text in titles
When adding text to a title, you can use any font on your system, including Type 1 (PostScript), OpenType, and
TrueType fonts. Installing Premiere Pro (and other Adobe applications) adds fonts to the shared Adobe resources.
You can insert special characters, such as the © symbol, into point text or paragraph text. Copy the characters from a
word processor or from the Character Map accessory (Windows only) and paste them into the correct text location in
the Titler.
You can copy and paste formatted text objects between the Premiere Pro Titler and other applications such as After
Effects, Photoshop, Encore, and Illustrator.
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Depending on the tool you choose in the Titler, you can create point text or paragraph text. When you create point
text, you specify an insertion point where you want to begin typing. Typing continues on a single line unless you enable
the word wrap feature. Word wrap continues the text on a new line when it reaches the edge of the title-safe area. When
you create paragraph text, you specify a text box in which the text fits. The text in a text box wraps automatically within
the borders of the box.
Dragging the corner handle of a point-text object scales the text, Dragging the corner of a text box reflows the text it
contains. If a text box is too small to contain the characters you type, you can resize it to reveal the hidden text. Text
boxes that contain hidden characters have a plus sign (+) on the right side of the box.
You can also create path text. Instead of following a straight baseline, path text follows a curve you create.
Text can be oriented horizontally or vertically along its baseline or path.
Andrew Devis provides a video tutorial on the Creative COW website that demonstrates formatting and styling text
in the Titler.
More Help topics
“Transform objects in titles” on page 266
“Format text in titles” on page 257
Type text without boundaries
1Open the Title Tools panel.
•To type horizontal text, click the Type tool .
•To type vertical text, click the Vertical Type tool .
2In the drawing area, click where you want to begin, and then type the text.
Note: By default, text does not wrap. To make it wrap when it reaches the title-safe margin, choose Title > Word Wrap.
When Word Wrap is deselected, press Enter (Windows) or Return (Mac OS) to begin a new line.
3When you finish typing, choose the Selection tool and click outside the text box area.
Wrap text automatically
You can set the titler to wrap text within the title safe area automatically.
❖Select Title > Word Wrap.
Type horizontal or vertical text in a text box
1Open the Titler Tools panel.
•To type horizontal text, click the Area Type tool .
•To type vertical text, click the Vertical Area Type tool .
2In the drawing area, drag to create a text box.
3Type the text. The text wraps when it reaches the boundaries of the text box.
4When you finish typing, choose the Selection tool and click outside the text box.
Note: Resizing the text box resizes only the visible area of the box. The text remains the same size.
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Type text along a path
1In the Titler, click the Path Type tool or the Vertical Path Type tool . Using the path type tools is similar to
drawing with Pen Tool.
2In the drawing area, click where you want the text to begin.
3Click or drag to create a second point.
4Continue clicking until you create the path shape you want.
5Type the text. When you type, the text begins along the top or right edge of the path. If necessary, adjust the path
by dragging the object anchor points.
Note: Resizing the text box created in this mode resizes only the visible area; the text remains the same size.
6When you finish, choose the Selection tool and click outside the text box.
Edit and select text
❖Using the Selection tool, double-click the text at the point you want to edit or begin a selection. The tool changes
to the Type tool, and a cursor indicates the insertion point.
•To move the insertion point, click between characters or use the Left Arrow and Right Arrow keys.
•To select a single character or group of contiguous characters, drag from the insertion point cursor to highlight the
characters.
You can format selected text using controls in the Titler main panel, the Title Properties panel, or menu commands.
To format an entire text or graphic object, click the object and then modify its properties.
Format text in titles
Some object properties—such as fill color and shadow—are common to all objects you create in the Titler. Other
properties are unique to text objects. Controls for font, font style, and type alignment are in the Titler panel above the
drawing area. Other options are available in the Title Properties panel and the Title menu of the main menu bar.
At any time, you can change the fonts that you use for your titles. The Font Browser displays all of your installed fonts
using a set of default characters, which you can customize.
When you choose a font in the Font Browser, it immediately applies to your title. The Font Browser remains open so
that you can preview another font.
Note: If you share title files with other users, make sure that their computers have the fonts that you used to create the
shared title.
Specify a font
❖Select the text and do one of the following:
•Choose Title > Font and choose a font from the menu.
•In the Title Properties panel, click the Font Family triangle to open the drop-down menu, and select a font.
Change the letters that appear in the Font Browser
When you open the drop-down menus for Font Family and Font Style, the Font Browser appears, showing example
characters set in the various available fonts. You can determine which characters are used in the Font Browser.
1Select Edit > Preferences > Titler (Windows), or Premiere Pro > Preferences > Titler (Mac OS).
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2Type the characters you would like displayed for Style Swatches (limit of two) and the Font Browser (limit of six)
into their respective fields.
3Click > OK.
Change the font size
❖Select the text and do one of the following:
•Choose Title > Size and choose a font size.
•Change the Font Size value in the Title Properties panel.
Change text orientation
1Select a text object.
2Choose Title > Orientation and select either Horizontal or Vertical.
Specify text properties
When you select any object in a title, its properties are listed in the Title Properties panel. Adjusting values in the panel
alters the selected object. Text objects possess unique properties, such as leading and kerning.
Note: Some text properties are not listed in the Title Properties panel. For example, you can set font, font style, and type
alignment either in the Titler panel or in the Title menu. The Title menu also includes options for orientation, word wrap,
tabs, and inserting a logo into a text box.
1Select the text object or range of text you want to modify.
2In the Title Properties panel, click the arrow next to Properties, and set values. Some of the options include:
Font Specifies the font applied to the selected text object. To view a font in its typeface, use the Font Browser.
Font Size Specifies the font’s size, in scan lines.
Aspect Specifies the horizontal scale of the selected font. This value is some percentage of the font’s natural aspect
ratio. Values less than 100% narrow the text. Values above 100% widen the text.
Leading Specifies the amount of space between lines of type. For roman type, leading is measured from the baseline
of one line of type to the baseline of the next line. For vertical text, leading is measured from the center of one line of
type to the center of the next line. In the Titler, the baseline is the line underneath the text. You can apply more than
one leading amount within the same paragraph. However, the largest leading value in a line of type determines the
leading value for that line.
Note: To turn the text baselines on or off, choose Title > View > Text Baselines. Text baselines appear only when you select
the text object.
Kerning Specifies the amount of space you add or subtract between specific character pairs. The value indicates the
percentage of character width between the character pairs. Place the cursor at the point where you want to adjust
kerning.
Tracking Specifies the amount of space between a range of letters. The value indicates the percentage of character
width between the specified range of characters. The direction of the text tracking is based on the justification of the
text. For example, center-justified text tracks from the center. Adjusting the tracking is useful when your contiguous
text has thick strokes that cause the characters to blend into each other, making them hard to read. Adjust the tracking
for all the text in a text box by selecting the text box and changing the Tracking value. You can also adjust the tracking
between specific contiguous characters by selecting only those characters and changing the Tracking value.
Baseline Shift Specifies the distance of the characters from the baseline. Raise or lower the selected type to create
superscripts or subscripts. Changing the Baseline Shift value affects all characters. Adjust the baseline shift for all the
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text in a text box by selecting the text box and changing the value. Adjust the baseline shift between specific contiguous
characters by selecting only those characters and changing the value.
Slant Specifies the slant of an object, in degrees.
Small Caps When selected, specifies that all selected objects appear in uppercase.
Small Caps Size Specifies the size of the small caps as some percentage of regular height. Adjusting this value changes
the size of all characters in the text object except for the leading character. A Small Caps value of 100% sets the text to
all capitals.
Underline When selected, specifies that the selected text is underlined. This option is not available for text on a path.
Work with paragraph text
Tools in the Titler make it possible to quickly resize and align paragraph text.
Change paragraph justification
❖Select a paragraph text object, and at the top of the Titler panel:
•To justify text to the left of its text box, click Left .
•To center the text in its text box, click Center .
•To justify text to the right side of its text box, click Right .
Reflow paragraph text
❖Select a paragraph text object.
•Drag any handle of the paragraph text’s bounding box to resize the box.
Create tab stops in titles
You can apply tabs in a text box in much the same way as you would in a word-processing program. Tabs are especially
useful in creating professional-looking rolling credits. You can set multiple tabs within a text box and press the Tab
key to move the cursor to the next available tab stop. You can specify a different justification option at each tab stop.
Note: Tabs work exclusively to align the characters within text objects. To align entire text or graphic objects, use the Align
command.
Set and adjust a tab stop
1Select a text box.
2Choose Title > Tab Stops.
3Align the “0” line in the Tab Stops ruler with the left edge of the selected text box.
4Click the tab ruler above the numbers to create a tab. Drag the tab stop to adjust its position. As you drag, a yellow
vertical line, or tab marker, indicates the tab’s position in the selected text box.
•To create a tab stop with left-justified text, click the Left Justify tab marker .
•To create a tab stop with center-justified text, click the Center tab marker .
•To create a tab stop with right-justified text, click the Right Justify tab marker .
5Click OK to close the Tab Stops dialog box. The selected text box contains the tab stops you specified.
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Note: To make tab markers visible whenever selected (rather than only when the Tab Stops dialog box is open), choose
Title
> View > Tab Markers.
Delete a tab stop
❖In the Tab Stops dialog box, drag the tab up, down, or off the tab ruler.
Drawing shapes in titles
Create shapes
You can use the drawing tools in the Titler to create various shapes, such as rectangles, ellipses, and lines. The Titler
includes standard pen tools that resemble pen tools used in Illustrator and Photoshop.
Jon Barrie shows how to use the Titler in Adobe Premiere Pro to create feathered masks in this video on the Creative
Cow website.
Titler tools panel
A. Pen Tool B. Rectangle C. Clipped Corner Rectangle D. Wedge E. Ellipse F. Rounded Corner Rectangle G. Rounded Rectangle H. Arc
I. Line
❖Select a shape tool.
•Shift-drag to constrain the shape’s aspect ratio.
•Alt-drag (Windows) or Option-drag (Mac OS) to draw from the center of the shape.
•Shift+Alt-drag (Windows) or Shift+Option-drag (Mac OS) to constrain the aspect ratio and draw from the center.
•Drag diagonally across the corner points to flip the shape diagonally as you draw.
•Drag across, up, or down to flip the shape horizontally or vertically as you draw.
To flip the shape after you’ve drawn it, use the Selection tool to drag a corner point in the direction you want it to flip.
Change the shape of a graphic object or a logo
1Select one or more objects or logos in a title.
B
A
C
D
E
F
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2In the Title Properties panel, click the triangle next to Properties to expand its list, and then choose an option from
the Graphic Type menu.
Note: When you change shapes, the original object anchor points often are lost. To reveal the object anchor points before
or after changing the shape, select the object with the Selection tool.
Draw straight segments with Pen Tool
Draw straight lines by clicking Pen Tool in the drawing area. Pen Tool creates object anchor points connected by
straight segments.
1Select Pen Tool.
2Position the tip of the pen point where you want the straight segment to begin, and click to define the first object
anchor point. The object anchor point remains selected (solid) until you add the next point.
Note: The first segment you draw is not visible until you click a second object anchor point. Also, if lines extend from either
side of the point, you’ve accidentally dragged Pen Tool; choose Edit
> Undo and click again.
3Click again where you want the segment to end. (Shift-click to constrain the segment’s angle to multiples of 45°.)
Pen Tool creates another object anchor point.
4Continue clicking Pen Tool to create additional straight segments. The last object anchor point you add appears as
a large square, indicating that it is selected.
5Complete the path by doing one of the following:
•To close a path, click the initial object anchor point. A circle appears underneath the pen pointer when it is directly
over the initial object anchor point.
•To leave the path open, Ctrl-click (Windows) or Command-click (Mac OS) anywhere away from all objects, or
select a different tool in the Tools panel.
Draw curves with Pen Tool
Draw curved segments by dragging the object anchor points with Pen Tool. When you use the Selection tool to select
an object anchor point connecting curved segments, the segments display direction lines, which end in direction points.
The angle and length of the direction lines determine the shape and size of the curved segments. Moving the direction
lines reshapes the curves. A smooth point always has two direction lines that move together as a single, straight unit.
When you drag the direction point of either direction line on a smooth point, both direction lines move
simultaneously. Pen Tool maintains a continuous curve at that object anchor point. In comparison, a corner point can
have two, one, or no direction lines, depending on whether it joins two, one, or no curved segments, respectively.
Corner point direction lines maintain the corner by working independently of one another. When you drag a direction
point on a corner point’s direction line, the other direction line, if present, does not move. Direction lines are always
tangent to (perpendicular to the radius of) the curve at the object anchor points. The angle of each direction line
determines the slope of the curve. The length of each direction line determines the height, or depth, of the curve.
1Select Pen Tool.
2Position the cursor where you want the curve to begin. Hold down the mouse button.
3Drag to create direction lines that determine the slope of the curve segment you’re creating. In general, extend the
direction line about one third of the distance to the next object anchor point you plan to draw. Shift-drag to
constrain the direction line to multiples of 45 °.
4Release the mouse button.
Note: The first segment is not visible until you create the second object anchor point.
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5Position Pen Tool where you want the curve segment to end.
•To create a C-shaped curve, drag in a direction opposite to the direction that you dragged to create the previous
object anchor point.
Drawing second point in curves
A. Starting to drag second smooth point B. Dragging away from previous direction line, creating C-shaped curve C. Result after releasing mouse
button
•To create an S-shaped curve, drag in the same direction that you dragged to create the previous object anchor point.
Drawing S curves
A. Starting to drag new smooth point B. Dragging in same direction as previous direction line, creating S-shaped curve C. Result after releasing
mouse button
6Continue dragging Pen Tool from different locations to create additional points.
•To close the path, position Pen Tool over the first object anchor point. Click or drag to close the path.
•To leave the path open, Ctrl-click anywhere away from all objects or select the Selection tool.
Adjust object anchor points and curves
The Titler includes tools for modifying existing paths. You can add or delete object anchor points on a path. You can
also move object anchor points, and manipulate their direction lines to change the curve of adjacent line segments.
You can specify not only the path’s thickness but also the shape of each of its ending points. You can also specify its
caps, and its corners, or joins.
Add an object anchor point to a path
1Select the path.
2Select Add Anchor Point Tool .
•To add an object anchor point without creating or manually adjusting a curve, click where you want to add an
object anchor point.
•To add an object anchor point and simultaneously move the new point, drag a spot on a path.
Delete an object anchor point
1Select the path containing the object anchor point.
2Select Delete Anchor Point Tool .
B CA
A B C
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3Click the point that you want to delete.
Adjust an object anchor point
1Select the path containing the object anchor point.
2Select Pen Tool .
3Position the cursor over the point. When the cursor becomes an arrow with a square next to it, drag the object
anchor point to adjust it.
Convert object anchor points from one type to another
You can change the type of object anchor point you have created for a segment.
1Select the path you want to modify.
2Select Convert Anchor Point Tool and position the cursor over the object anchor point that you want to convert.
•To convert a corner point to a smooth point, drag a direction point out of the corner point.
•To convert a smooth point to a corner point without direction lines, click the smooth point.
•To convert a corner point without direction lines to a corner point with independent direction lines, first drag a
direction point out of a corner point. Dragging a direction point makes it a smooth point with direction lines.
Release the mouse button, and then drag either direction point.
•To convert a smooth point to a corner point with independent direction lines, drag either direction point.
Note: To temporarily change Pen Tool into Convert Anchor Point Tool, position Pen Tool over an object anchor point,
and press the Alt key (Windows) or the Option key (Mac OS).
Change the curve of a segment
1Select the path you want to modify.
2Select Pen Tool and drag a segment to change its curve.
Note: Dragging a segment changes the curve by adjusting the direction lines at each end of the segment by the same
amount. This technique can change a straight segment into a curved one.
Set options for open and closed Bezier shapes
❖Select a line or an open or closed Bezier shape, and in the Title Properties panel, specify any of the following options:
Graphic type Adjusts open and closed Bezier shapes to standard shapes. Graphic type can also change a closed Bezier
shape to an open one and vice versa. Graphic type must be set to “Filled Bezier” to add fill to a closed shape. For more
about adding fill to a closed shape, see “Set a fill for text and objects” on page 267.
Line Width Specifies the path width, in pixels.
Cap Type Specifies the type of cap placed at the end of the paths. The Butt option caps paths with square ends. The
Round option caps paths with semicircular ends. The Square option caps paths with square ends that extend half the
line width beyond the end of the line. This option makes the weight of the line extend equally in all directions around
the line.
Join Type Specifies how the ends of adjoining path segments are joined. The Miter option joins path segments using
pointed corners. The Round option joins path segments using rounded corners. The Bevel option joins path segments
using squared corners.
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Miter Limit Specifies the point at which the join type switches from mitered (pointed) to bevel (square). The default
miter limit is 4. At the default, the join type switches from miter to bevel when the length of the point is four times the
stroke weight. A miter limit of 1 results in a bevel join.
Note: You can apply the options described above to shapes you create with Pen Tool or Line tool. You can apply an inner
or outer stroke to any text or graphic object.
Add images to titles
Use the Titler to place images in a title, such as adding a logo graphic. You can either add the image as a graphic
element or place it in a text box to become part of the text. The Titler accepts both bitmap images and vector-based
artwork (such as art created with Adobe Illustrator). However, Premiere Pro rasterizes vector-based art, converting it
to a bitmap version in the Titler. By default, an inserted image appears at its original size.
More Help topics
“Add a texture for text or object” on page 268
Place a logo in a title
1Choose Title > Logo > Insert Logo.
2Drag the logo to where you want it. If necessary, you can adjust the size, opacity, rotation, and scale of the logo.
Note: Insert a logo if you want the image to become part of the title file. If you want to use an image or moving video as
a background only, superimpose the title over a clip of the image or video.
Place a logo in a text box
1Using a type tool, click where you want to insert the logo.
2Choose Title > Logo > Insert Logo Into Text.
Return a logo to its original size or aspect ratio
❖Select the logo and choose either Title > Logo > Restore Logo Size or Title > Logo > Restore Logo Aspect Ratio.
Working with text and objects in titles
Change the stacking order of objects in titles
An object is any shape or text box you create in the Titler. When you create objects that overlap each other, you can
control their stacking order in the Titler.
1Select the object you want to move.
2Choose Title > Arrange and then choose one of the following:
Bring To Front Brings the selected object to the top of the stacking order.
Bring Forward Switches the selected object with the object directly in front of it.
Send To Back Moves the selected object to the bottom of the stacking order.
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Send Backward Switches the selected object with the object directly behind it.
Note: If your text or shape elements are densely stacked, selecting an element within the stack is difficult. You can use the
Title
> Select command to navigate easily through the stacked elements to reach the target element.
Align and distribute objects in titles
The Title Actions panel includes buttons to arrange objects in the drawing area. You can align, center, and distribute
objects along horizontal or vertical axes.
Title Actions Panel
A. Horizontal alignment buttons B. Vertical centering button C. Horizontal distribution buttons D. Vertical alignment buttons E. Horizontal
centering button F. Vertical distribution buttons
Center objects in titles
1In the Titler, select one or more objects.
2In the Title Actions panel, click the button for the type of centering you want.
Note: You can center objects using the Title > Position command and selecting the option you want. Additionally, you
can choose Title
> Position > Lower Third to position the selected object along the bottom edge of the title-safe margin.
To center an object both horizontally and vertically within the drawing area, click both centering buttons.
Align objects in titles
An alignment option aligns selected objects to the object that most closely represents the new alignment. For example,
for right alignment, all selected objects align to the selected object that is farthest to the right.
1In the Titler, select two or more objects.
2In the Title Actions panel, click the button for the type of alignment you want.
Distribute objects in titles
A distribution option evenly spaces selected objects between the two most extreme objects. For example, for a vertical
distribution option, the selected objects are distributed between the highest and lowest selected objects.
When you distribute objects of different sizes, the spaces between objects vary. For example, distributing objects by
their centers creates equal space between the centers—but different-sized objects extend by different amounts into the
space between objects. To create uniform spacing between selected objects, use the Horizontal Even Spacing or
Vertical Even Spacing option.
1In the Titler, select three or more objects.
2In the Title Actions panel, click the button for the type of distribution you want.
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Transform objects in titles
You can adjust an object’s position, rotation, scale, and opacity—attributes collectively referred to as transform
properties. To transform an object, drag it to the drawing area, choose a command from the Title menu, or use controls
in the Title Properties panel.
Adjust an object’s opacity
1Select an object or group of objects.
2Do one of the following:
•In the Transform section of the Title Properties panel, adjust the Opacity value.
•Choose Title > Transform > Opacity, type a new Opacity value, and click OK.
Note: The opacity property setting adjusts the opacity of objects within a title. You can set the overall opacity of the entire
title in the sequence as you would that of any video clip, using effects.
Adjust the position of objects
1Select an object, or Shift-click to select multiple objects.
2Do one of the following:
•In the drawing area, drag any of the selected objects to a new position.
•Choose Title > Transform > Position and type new X and Y Position values; then click OK.
•In the Transform section of the Title Properties panel, enter values for X Position and Y Position.
•Use the arrow keys to nudge the object in 1-pixel increments, or press Shift+arrow key to nudge the object in 5-
pixel increments.
•Choose Title > Position and choose an option to center the selected object or align its bottom edge with the bottom
of the title-safe margin.
Scale objects
❖Select an object, or Shift-click to select multiple objects.
•To scale the width, drag any object’s left or right handles in the drawing area.
•To scale the height, drag the object’s top or bottom handles in the drawing area.
•To constrain the object proportions, Shift-drag the corner and side handles.
•To scale and constrain the aspect ratio, Shift-drag any object’s corner handles.
•To scale from the center, Alt-drag (Windows) or Option-drag (Mac OS) any object’s corner handles.
•
To set scale values in terms of percentages, choose Title > Transform > Scale, specify the values you want, and click OK.
•To set scale values in terms of pixels, specify values for Width and Height in the Title Properties panel.
Note: Dragging the handles of a text object created with the Horizontal Type or Vertical Type tool changes its font size.
If the scaling is not uniform, the text’s aspect value also changes.
Change the rotation angle of objects
1Select an object, or Shift-click to select multiple objects.
2Do one of the following:
•In the drawing area, place the cursor just outside any object’s corner points. When the cursor becomes the Rotate
icon , drag in the direction you want to adjust the angle. Shift-drag to constrain the rotation to 45° increments.
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•Select the rotation tool and drag any object in the direction you want.
•Choose Title > Transform > Rotation, type a new Rotation value, and click OK.
•Enter a value for Rotation in the Title Properties panel, or expand the Rotation category heading and drag the angle
control.
Distort an object or multiple objects
1Select the object, or Shift-click to select multiple objects.
2In the Properties section of the Title Properties panel, click the triangle next to Distort to show its X and Y options.
Adjust the X value to distort the text along the x axis. Adjust the Y value to distort along the y axis.
Note: Distort affects an entire graphic object’s horizontal (X) or vertical (Y) aspect. However, it affects each character in
a text object individually.
Fills, strokes, and shadows in titles
Set a fill for text and objects
An object’s fill property defines the area within the contours of the object. Fill specifies the space inside a graphic
object, or within the outline of each character of a text object. You can fill an entire object or individual letters of type.
Note: If you add a stroke to an object, the stroke also includes a fill (see “Add a stroke to text or object” on page 269).
1Select the object you want to fill.
2In the Title Properties panel, click the triangle next to the Fill category and select the box next to the Fill category
to set an option. Some options include:
Fill Type Specifies whether and how color is applied within the contours of text or graphic object.
Color Determines the color of the fill. Click the color swatch to open a color picker, or click the eyedropper to sample
a color from anywhere on the screen. Color options vary according to the Fill Type specified.
Opacity Specifies the fill’s opacity, from 0% (transparent) to 100% (opaque). Set the opacity of an object’s fill color to
set the opacity of individual objects in a title. To set the opacity of the title as a whole, add it to a track in the Timeline
above another clip. Adjust opacity as you would for any other clip.
Fill type options
Solid Creates a fill of uniform color. Set options as desired.
Linear Gradient or Radial Gradient Linear Gradient creates a linear, two-color gradient fill. Radial Gradient creates a
circular, two-color gradient fill.
The Color option specifies the beginning and ending gradient colors, which are displayed, respectively, in the left and
right boxes, or color stops. Double-click a color stop to choose a color. Drag the color stops to adjust the transition
smoothness between the colors.
The Color Stop Color option and the Color Stop Opacity option specify the color and opacity of the selected color stop.
Click the triangle above the color stop you want to define and adjust as necessary. The Angle option (available for
Linear Gradient only) specifies the angle of the gradient. The Repeat option specifies the number of times to repeat the
gradient pattern.
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4-Color Gradient Creates a gradient fill composed of four colors, with a color emanating from each of the object’s
corners.
The Color option specifies the color that emanates from each corner of the object. Double-click a box at any of the
corners to choose a color for that corner.
The Color Stop Color option and the Color Stop Opacity option specify the color and opacity of the lower-right corner.
To select a color, do one of the following:
•Click the Color Stop Color palette to open the Color Picker. Then, select a color.
•Click the Color Stop Color eyedropper, and click any color on the screen.
Bevel Adds a beveled edge to the background. Balance option specifies the percentage of the bevel that the shadow
color occupies.
Eliminate Specifies that no fill or shadow is rendered.
Ghost Specifies that the shadow is rendered, but not the fill.
Eliminate and Ghost work best with objects that have shadows and strokes.
Add a sheen
Add a sheen to any object’s fill or stroke. A sheen resembles a streak of colored light across the surface of an object.
You can adjust a sheen’s color, size, angle, opacity, and position.
1Select the object.
2Select Sheen in the Title Properties panel.
3Click the triangle next to Sheen and set its options.
Note: If the object’s texture obscures the sheen, deselect the Texture option in the Title Properties panel.
Add a texture for text or object
You can map a texture to any object’s fill or stroke. To add a texture, specify a vector or bitmap file (for example, an
Adobe Photoshop file), or use one of several textures included with Premiere Pro.
1Select the object.
2In the Title Properties panel, click the triangle next to Fill or Strokes, then click the triangle next to Texture to reveal
the options.
3Click the Texture box.
4Do one of the following:
•Click the Texture swatch and select any image file on the hard disk.
•Browse to Program Files/Adobe/Premiere Pro [version]/Presets/Textures (Windows) or
Applications/Adobe/Premiere Pro [version]/Presets/Textures (Mac OS) and select a texture. Then click Open
(Windows) or Choose (Mac OS).
5To specify how the texture scales, aligns, and blends with its associated object, set any of the remaining options:
Flip With Object Flips the texture horizontally and vertically when the object is flipped (by dragging the object anchor
points over each other).
Rotate With Object Rotates the texture in sync with the object.
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Scaling Object X, Scaling Object Y Specifies how the texture is stretched along the x or y axis when applied to the
object. The Texture option doesn’t stretch the texture but applies it to the face of the object from the upper left corner
to the lower right corner. The Clipped Face option stretches the texture so that it fits the face, minus the area covered
by any inner strokes. The Face option stretches the texture so that it fits the face exactly. The Extended Character
option considers strokes when calculating the area over which the texture is stretched. For example, if you have a large,
20-pixel outer edge, the texture is stretched beyond the extents of the face. However, the texture is clipped to the face
and only the extents are adjusted.
Scaling Horizontal, Scaling Vertical Stretches the texture to the specified percentage. A single value can produce
different results depending upon other scaling choices you make. The range is from 1% to 500%; the default is 100%.
Scaling Tile X, Scaling Tile Y Tiles the texture. If the object is not tiled in a given direction, blank (alpha = 0) is used.
Alignment Object X, Alignment Object Y Specifies to which part of the object the texture aligns. Screen aligns the
texture to the title and not the object, letting you move the object without moving the texture. Clipped Face aligns the
texture to the clipped area face (face minus the inner strokes). Face aligns the texture to the regular face and does not
consider the strokes in the extent calculation. Extended Character aligns the texture to the extended face (face plus the
outer strokes).
Alignment Rule X, Alignment Rule Y Aligns the texture to the top left, center, or bottom right of the object specified by
Object X and Object Y.
Alignment X Offset, Alignment Y Offset Specifies the horizontal and vertical offsets (in pixels) for the texture from the
calculated application point. This application point is calculated based on the Object X/Y and Rule X/Y settings. The
range is –1000 to 1000, with a default of 0.
Blending Mix Specifies the ratio of texture to regular fill that is rendered. The control’s range is –100 to 100. A value
of –100 indicates that no texture is used and the gradient dominates. A value of 100 uses only the texture. A value of 0
uses both aspects of the object equally. Blending Mix also determines how the key of the ramp (set with the Fill Key
option) and texture (set with the Texture Key option) are used.
Alpha Scale Readjusts the alpha value for the texture as a whole. This option allows you to easily make the object
transparent. If the alpha channel is properly ranged, this option acts like a transparency slider.
Composite Rule Specifies which channel of an incoming texture is used to determine the transparency. In most cases,
the alpha channel is used. However, if you use a black-and-red texture, you could impose transparency in the red areas
by specifying the red channel
Invert Composite Inverts the incoming alpha values. Some textures have the alpha range inverted. Try this option if
the area that is supposed to appear solid is transparent.
Note: To remove a selected object’s texture, deselect Texture in the Title Properties panel.
Add a stroke to text or object
You can add an outline, or stroke, to your objects. You can add both inner strokes and outer strokes. Inner strokes are
outlines along the inner edge of your objects, and outer strokes are outlines along the outer edge. You can add up to
12 strokes to each object. After you add the stroke, you can adjust its color, fill type, opacity, sheen, and texture. By
default, strokes are listed and rendered in the order you create them; however, you can easily change that order.
1Select the object.
2In the Properties section of the Title Properties panel, expand the Strokes category.
3Click Add next to either Inner Stroke or Outer Stroke.
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4Set any of the following options:
Type Specifies the type of stroke you apply. Depth creates a stroke that makes the object appear to extrude. Edge
creates a stroke that encompasses the entire inner or outer edge of the object. Drop Face creates a copy of the object,
which you can later offset and apply values to.
Size Specifies the size of the stroke, in scan lines. This option is not available for the Drop Face stroke type.
Angle Specifies the offset angle of the stroke, in degrees. This option is not available for the Edge stroke type.
Magnitude Specifies the height of the stroke. This option is available only for the Drop Face stroke type.
Fill Type Specifies the type of fill for the stroke. All the fill types, including Sheen and Texture, work exactly like the
Fill options.
Select and deselect stroke options to experiment with various combinations.
Change the listing order of strokes
1Select an object containing multiple strokes.
2In the Title Properties panel, select the stroke you want to move.
3Choose Move Up to move up the selected stroke one level in the list, or choose Move Down to move the selected
stroke one level down in the list.
Delete strokes from an object or text
1Select an object containing one or more strokes.
2In the Titler, do one of the following:
•To delete strokes from an object, select the object.
•To delete strokes from text, click the Type Tool , and then drag to select the text.
3In the Title Properties panel, click the triangle next to Strokes to expand the category.
4Expand Inner Strokes, Outer Strokes, or both.
5Select either Inner Stroke or Outer Stroke.
6Click Delete.
Create a drop shadow
Add drop shadows to any object you create in the Titler. The various shadow options give you full control over color,
opacity, angle, distance, size, and spread.
1Select an object.
2In the Title Properties panel, select Shadow.
3Click the arrow next to the Shadow option to set any of the values including:
Distance Specifies the number of pixels that the shadow is offset from the object.
Size Specifies the size of the shadow.
Spread Specifies how far the alpha channel boundaries of the object are extended before blurring. Spread is useful on
small, thin features such as cursive descenders or ascenders on typeface, which tend to disappear if you apply a
significant blur.
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Titler text styles
You can save a combination of color properties and font characteristics as a style, for later use. You can save any
number of styles. Thumbnails of all saved styles appear in the Title Styles panel, so you can quickly apply your custom
styles across projects. Premiere Pro also includes a set of default styles.
By default, Premiere Pro stores all saved styles as style library files that use the .prsl file extension. When you save a
style library, you are saving the entire set of styles that are displayed in the Titler.
The preset style library is stored in the following location:
•(Windows) Program Files/Adobe/Premiere Pro [version]/Presets/Styles
•(Mac OS) Applications/Premiere Pro [version]/Presets/Styles
Custom styles are stored in the following location:
•(Windows) My Documents/Adobe/Premiere Pro/[version]/Styles
•(Mac OS) Documents/Adobe/Premiere Pro/[version]/styles
If you share styles, make sure that the fonts, textures, and background files used are available on all systems.
The Current Style thumbnail always shows the properties that you have applied to the currently selected element.
Modify the style swatch display
The Title Styles panel displays the default style library as well as style swatches you create or load. The display defaults
to show large swatches of sample text with the loaded style applied. However, you can choose to view your styles in
small swatches or by the style name only.
❖In the Title Styles panel menu, choose one of the following:
Text Only Displays only the style name.
Small Thumbnails Displays only small swatches of sample text objects with the styles applied to them.
Large Thumbnails Displays only large swatches of sample text objects with the styles applied to them.
Change the default characters in swatches
You can change the default characters that appear on the style swatches.
1Choose Edit > Preferences > Titler (Windows), or Premiere Pro > Preferences > Titler (Mac OS).
2In the Style Swatches box, type up to two characters that you would like to appear on the style swatches.
3Click OK.
Create a style
1Select an object that has the properties you want to save as a style.
2Do one of the following:
•From the Title Styles panel menu, choose New Style.
•Right-click (Windows) or Control-click (Mac OS) in the Title Styles panel, and choose New Style.
3Type a name for the style and click OK. Depending upon the display option you select, either a swatch displaying
the new style or the new style name appears in the Title Styles panel.
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Apply a style to an object
1Select the object to which you want to apply the style.
2In the Title Styles panel, click the style swatch that you want to apply.
To prevent the font type in the style from being applied to the font in your title, Alt-click (Windows) or Option-click
(Mac OS) the style swatch.
Specify the characters in the Title Styles panel
You can specify the characters that are shown in the Title Styles panel.
1Select Edit > Preferences > Titler (Windows), or Premiere Pro > Preferences > Titler (Mac OS).
2Type the characters you want to appear in the Title Styles panel into the Style Swatches field (limit of two).
3Click OK.
Delete, duplicate, or rename, a style
❖In the Title Styles panel, do any of the following:
•To delete a style, select it, and then choose Delete Style from the Title Styles panel menu.
Note: This procedure deletes only the swatch or name from the display area. The style remains in the library. Use the
Append Style Library, Reset Style Library, or Replace Style Library command to display the style library again.
•To duplicate a style, select it, and choose Duplicate Style from the Title Styles panel menu. A duplicate of the
selected style appears in the Title Styles panel.
•To rename a style, select it, and choose Rename Style from the Title Styles panel menu. Type a new name, up to 32
characters, in the Rename Style dialog box, and click OK.
Manage style libraries
After you create a style, you can save it in a collection, or style library, with other styles. By default, the styles you create
appear in the current style library, but you can create new libraries in which to save styles. For example, you can delete
the current library display, create new styles as you work, and then save those styles in their own library.
❖In the Title Styles panel, do any of the following:
•To restore the default style libraries, choose Reset Style Library from the Styles menu.
•To save a style library, choose Save Style Library from the Styles menu. All styles visible in the Styles section are
saved. Specify a name and location for the style library file and click Save. Premiere Pro saves style library files with
the extension .prsl.
•To load a saved style library, select Append Style Library from the Title Styles panel menu. Then browse to the style
library, select it, and click Open (Windows), or Choose (Mac OS).
•To replace a style library, choose Replace Style Library from the Title Styles panel menu. Browse to the style library
that you want to use as a replacement, select it, and click Open (Windows), or Choose (Mac OS).
Rolling and crawling titles
Though static titles, graphics, and logos suffice for some projects, many others require titles that move across the
screen. (Titles that move vertically over the footage are called rolls. Titles that move horizontally are called crawls.)
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Note: The length of the title clip in a Timeline panel determines the speed of the roll or crawl. The more you increase the
title clip length, the slower the movement.
Create a rolling or crawling title
1Do one of the following:
•To create a rolling title, choose Title > New Title > Default Roll.
•To create a crawling title, choose Title > New Title > Default Crawl.
2Create the text and graphic objects for the rolling or crawling title. Use the Titler panel scroll bar to view offscreen
areas of the title. When the title is added to the sequence, the offscreen areas roll or crawl into view.
For rolling credits, create a long text box using the Area Type tool, and use alignment, tabs, and leading to adjust the
formatting.
3In the Titler panel, click the Roll/Crawl Options button .
4Specify the appropriate Direction and Timing options, and then click OK.
Note: You can specify a direction for crawling titles only.
Andrew Devis has this video tutorial on creating rolling titles.
Phil Hawkins goes step by step to show how to create and work with rolling credits in this Premiere Pro tutorial video.
Roll/Crawl Timing options
Start Off Screen Specifies that the roll begins out of view and scrolls into view.
End Off Screen Specifies that the roll continues until the objects are out of view.
Preroll Specifies the number of frames that play before the roll begins.
Ease-In Specifies the number of frames through which the title rolls at a slowly increasing speed until the title reaches
the playback speed.
Ease-Out Specifies the number of frames through which the title scrolls at a slowly decreasing speed until the roll
completes.
Postroll Specifies the number of frames that play after the roll completes.
Crawl Left, Crawl Right Specifies the direction in which the crawl moves.
Convert a title to another type
1In the Titler Panel, select the text box you want to convert, and click the Roll/Crawl options button.
2For Title Type, specify the type of title you want, and if necessary, specify Timing options.
3Click OK.
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Chapter 11: Effects and transitions
About effects
Premiere Pro includes a variety of audio and video effects that you can apply to clips in your video program. An effect
can add a special visual or audio characteristic or provide an unusual feature attribute. For example, an effect can alter
the exposure or color of footage, manipulate sound, distort images, or add artistic effects. You can also use effects to
rotate and animate a clip or adjust its size and position within the frame. You control the intensity of an effect by the
values that you set for it. You can also animate the controls for most effects using keyframes in the Effect Controls
panel or in a Timeline panel.
You can create and apply presets for all effects. You can animate effects using keyframes and view information about
individual keyframes directly in a Timeline panel.
For lists and descriptions of the effects and transitions, see “Effects and transitions list” on page 339 and “Audio effects
and transitions list” on page 404.
Fixed effects
Every clip you add to a Timeline panel has Fixed effects pre-applied, or built in. Fixed effects control the inherent
properties of a clip and appear in the Effect Controls panel whenever the clip is selected. You can adjust all of the Fixed
effects in the Effect Controls panel. However, the Program Monitor, Timeline panel, and Audio Mixer also provide
controls that are often easier to use. The Fixed effects include the following:
Motion Includes properties that allow you to animate, rotate, and scale your clips, adjust their anti-flicker property, or
composite them with other clips. (To adjust the Motion effect in the Program Monitor, see “Adjust position, scale, and
rotation” on page 293 and “Animate motion in the Program Monitor” on page 295.)
Opacity Lets you reduce the opacity of a clip for use in such effects as overlays, fades, and dissolves.
Time Remapping Lets you slow down, speed up, or reverse playback, or freeze a frame, for any part of a clip. Provides
fine control for the acceleration or deceleration of these changes.
Volume Controls the volume for any clip that contains audio. (For information about adjusting the Volume effect, see
“Adjust volume with keyframes” on page 237, “Adjust volume in Effect Controls” on page 238, “Set track volume in
the Audio Mixer” on page 238, “Adjusting gain and volume” on page 235“Normalize one or more clips” on page 235,
and “Normalize the Master track” on page 236.)
Because Fixed effects are already built in to each clip, you need only adjust their properties to activate them.
Premiere Pro renders Fixed effects after any Standard effects that are applied to the clip. Standard effects are rendered
in the order in which they appear, from the top down. You can change the order of Standard effects by dragging them
to a new position in the Effect Controls panel, but you can’t reorder Fixed effects.
If you want to change the render order of Fixed effects, use Standard effects instead. Use the Transform effect in place
of the Motion effect. Use the Alpha Adjust effect in place of the Opacity effect, and the Volume effect in place of the
fixed Volume effect. While these effects are not identical to the Fixed effects, their properties are equivalent.
See these video tutorials on Fixed Effects by Andrew Devis on the Creative COW website. Tutorial 1. Tutorial 2.
Note: The In these videos the effects are referred to as Transform effects, he means fixed effects. For more about Transform
effects, see “Transform effects” on page 399.
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Standard effects
Standard effects are additional effects that you must first apply to a clip to create a desired result. You can apply any
number or combination of Standard effects to any clip in a sequence. Use Standard effects to add special characteristics
or to edit your video, such as adjusting tone or trimming pixels. Premiere Pro includes many video and audio effects,
which are located in the Effects panel. Standard effects must be applied to a clip and then adjusted in the Effect
Controls panel. Certain video effects allow direct manipulation using handles in the Program Monitor. All Standard
effect properties can be animated over time using keyframing and changing the shape of the graphs in the Effect
Controls panel. The smoothness or speed of the effect animation can be fine-tuned by adjusting the shape of Bezier
curves in the Effect Controls panel.
Note: The effects listed in the Effects panel depend on the actual effect files in the language subfolder of the Premiere Pro
Plug-ins folder. You can expand the repertoire of effects by adding compatible Adobe plug-in files or plug-in packages
available through other third-party developers.
Clip-based and track-based effects
All video effects—both Fixed and Standard effects—are clip-based. They alter individual clips. You can apply a clip-
based effect to more than one clip at a time by creating a nested sequence.
Audio effects can be applied to either clips or to tracks. To apply track-based effects, use the Audio Mixer. If you add
keyframes to the effect, you can then adjust the effect either in the Audio Mixer or a Timeline panel.
Effect plug-ins
In addition to the dozens of effects included with Premiere Pro, many effects are available in the form of plug-ins. You
can purchase plug-ins from Adobe or third-party vendors, or acquire from other compatible applications. For
example, many Adobe After Effects plug-ins and VST plug-ins can be used in Premiere Pro. However, Adobe officially
supports only plug-ins that are installed with the application.
Any effect is available to Premiere Pro when its plug-in file is present in the common Plug-ins folder:
•(Windows) Program Files\Adobe\Common\Plug-ins\<version>\MediaCore
•(Mac OS) /Library/Application Support/Adobe/Common/Plug-ins/<version>/MediaCore
Using the installer for a plug-in is the best way to make sure the plug-in and its related files are installed in the right
place.
When you open a project with references to missing effects, Premiere Pro does the following:
•tells you which effects are missing
•marks the effects as offline
•performs any rendering without the effects
For a current list of third-party plug-ins, see the Adobe website.
Toolfarm provides a list of third-party plug-ins for Adobe Premiere Pro.
For information about the Premiere Pro Developer Center (SDK resources for plug-in development), see the Adobe
website.
Clay Asbury presents this video tutorial on using the Pop & HSL Tool in Looks 2 (Magic Bullet Suite 11).
Note: To edit a project containing add-on plug-ins on more than one computer, install the plug-ins on all the computers.
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GPU-accelerated effects
Some effects can take advantage of the processing power of a certified graphics card to accelerate rendering. This
acceleration of effects using CUDA technology is a component of the high-performance Mercury playback engine in
Premiere Pro.
For Premiere Pro system requirements, including a list of graphics cards that are certified as providing CUDA
acceleration of effects in Premiere Pro, see the Adobe website. For lists of various categories of hardware compatible
with Adobe Premiere Pro, see the Adobe website.
For instructions on filtering the effects in the Effects panel so that you can easily find the accelerated effects, see “Filter
effects by type” on page 278.
Jeff Sengstack provides detailed tips for optimizing a computer system and Premiere Pro for performance on the
Adobe website.
Information about whether a clip can be processed by the CUDA hardware acceleration portion of the Mercury
Playback Engine depends on the dimensions of image and on the available GPU memory. For details, see this page on
Todd Kopriva’s Premiere Pro work area blog.
The CUDA processing features of the Mercury Playback Engine also speed up and improve some things other than
effects, including scaling. See this page on Todd Kopriva’s Premiere Pro work area blog for details.
This forum post goes into detail about what the Mercury Playback Engine is and how Premiere Pro CS5 uses CUDA.
For a summary of updates to CUDA acceleration in Premiere Pro CS5.5 and later, see this video by Video2Brain.
This article on the Adobe website provides details about the Mercury Playback Engine and CUDA and answers
frequently asked questions.
See this page for more information about CUDA processing in Premiere Pro CS 5.5 and later.
Note: On Mac OS, CUDA acceleration features require Mac OS X v10.6.3 or later.
Disable or enable GPU acceleration of effects
1Choose Project > Project Settings > General.
2In the Video Rendering And Playback section, select the appropriate renderer: Mercury Playback Engine GPU
Acceleration or Mercury Playback Engine Software Only.
List of GPU accelerated effects in Premiere Pro CS5
Here is a list of the effects and transitions that can be accelerated by CUDA in Adobe Premiere Pro CS5, Adobe
Premiere Pro CS5 (5.0.3) and Adobe Premiere Pro CS5.5 and later.
•Alpha Adjust
•Basic 3D
•Black & White
•Brightness & Contrast
•Color Balance (RGB)
•Color Pass (Windows only)
•Color Replace
•Crop
•Drop Shadow
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•Edge Feather
•Extract
•Fast Color Corrector
•Gamma Correction
•Garbage Matte (4, 8, 16)
•Gaussian Blur
•Horizontal Flip
•Levels
•Luma Corrector
•Luma Curve
•Noise
•Proc Amp
•RGB Curves
•RGB Color Corrector
•Sharpen
•Three-way Color Corrector
•Timecode
•Tint
•Track Matte Key
•Ultra Keyer
•Video Limiter
•Vertical Flip
•Cross Dissolve
•Dip to Black
•Dip to White
List of GPU accelerated effects in Premiere Pro CS5.5 and later
Here is a list of the additional effects and transitions that can be accelerated by CUDA in Adobe Premiere Pro CS5.5
and later.
•Directional Blur
•Fast Blur
•Invert
•Additive Dissolve
•Film Dissolve
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High-bit-depth effects
Premiere Pro includes some video effects and transitions that support high-bit-depth processing. When applied to
high-bit-depth assets, such as v210-format video and 16-bit-per-channel (bpc) Photoshop files, these effects can be
rendered with 32bpc pixels. The result is better color resolution and smoother color gradients with these assets than
would be possible with the earlier standard 8 bit per channel pixels. A 32-bpc badge appears to the right of the
effect name in the Effects panel for each high-bit-depth effect.
To enable high-bit-depth rendering for these effects, select the Maximum Bit Depth video rendering option in the New
Sequence dialog box.
For instructions on filtering the effects in the Effects panel so that you can easily find high-bit-depth effects. See “Filter
effects by type” on page 278.
Note: 32-bpc effects render at 32 bits per channel only when every effect in the render pipeline is a 32-bpc effect. If you
place an 8-bpc effect into a sequence that contains a 32-bpc effect, Premiere Pro renders all the effects in the sequence at
8 bits.
Karl Soule explains high-bit-depth effects and YUV effects in a pair of articles on the Adobe website:
•"What is YUV?"
•"Understanding color processing: 8-bit, 10-bit, 32-bit, and more"
Applying, removing, finding, and organizing effects
Find and group effects
Standard effects are listed in the Effects panel and are organized into two main bins, Video Effects and Audio Effects.
Within each bin, Premiere Pro lists effects by type in nested bins. For example, the Blur and Sharpen bin contains
effects that defocus an image, such as Gaussian Blur and Directional Blur.
Find audio effects in bins named for the type of audio clips they support: mono, stereo, or 5.1.
You can also locate an effect by typing the effect name in the Contains box.
To open the Effects panel, choose Window > Effects, or click the Effects tab.
Karl Soule explains the meanings of the icons for 32-bit (32-bpc) and YUV effects in a pair of articles on the Adobe
website:
•"What is YUV?"
•"Understanding color processing: 8-bit, 10-bit, 32-bit, and more"
Filter effects by type
Three buttons appear under the search field toward the upper left of the Effects panel. These buttons act as filters for
three types of effects:
• accelerated effects (See “GPU-accelerated effects” on page 276.)
• 32-bit Color effects (See “High-bit-depth effects” on page 278.)
• YUV effects
When you toggle one of these buttons on, only effects and transitions of its type are shown in the list of effects below.
You can toggle one or more of these buttons to filter the list of effects for any combination of attributes.
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Note: Acceleration is available for an accelerated effect only when a supported video card is installed. If a supported video
card is not installed, the Accelerated Effects filter button still functions. The Accelerated Effects badge is shown in a
disabled state to indicate that acceleration is not available.
Create bins of favorite effects
1In the Effects panel, click the New Custom Bin button , or choose New Custom Bin from the Effects panel
menu. A new Custom bin appears in the Effects panel. You can rename it.
2Drag effects to the Custom bin. A copy of the effect is listed in the Custom bin. You can create additional Custom
bins, which are numbered.
3To rename the custom bin, click the existing name to select the folder, click it again to select the name field, and
type the new name.
Remove a Custom bin
1In the Effects panel, select a Custom bin and do one of the following:
•Click the Delete Custom Items button .
•Choose Delete Custom Items from the Effects panel menu.
•Press Delete.
•Press Backspace.
Note: You can remove Custom bins only from the Effects panel.
2Click OK.
Apply effects to clips
You can apply one or more Standard effects to a clip by dragging effect icons from the Effects panel to a clip in a
Timeline panel. Alternatively, select the clip and drag the effect icon to the Effect Controls panel. You can apply the
same effect multiple times, using different settings each time.
You can apply Standard effects to more than one clip at a time by first selecting all the clips you want to affect.
You can also temporarily disable any effect, which suppresses the effect without removing it, or you can remove the
effect completely.
To view and adjust effects for a selected clip, use the Effect Controls panel. Alternatively, you can view and adjust
effects for a clip in a Timeline panel by expanding its track and selecting the proper viewing options.
By default, when you apply an effect to a clip, the effect is active for the duration of the clip. However, you can make
an effect start and stop at specific times or make the effect more or less intense by using keyframes.
1Do one of the following:
•To apply one or more effects to a single clip, select and drag the effects to the clip in the Timeline.
•To apply one or more effects to more than one clip, first select the clips. Control-click (Windows) or Command-
click (Mac OS) each of the desired clips in the Timeline. Then, drag one effect or a selected group of effects to any
of the selected clips.
To apply an audio effect, drag the effect to an audio clip or the audio portion of a video clip. You cannot apply audio
effects to a clip when Show Track Volume or Show Track Keyframes is enabled for the Audio track.
If the clip is selected in a Timeline panel, you can drag the effect directly to the Effect Controls panel.
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2In the Effect Controls panel, click the triangle to show options for any effect, and then specify the option values.
More Help topics
“Viewing and adjusting effects and keyframes” on page 281
Copy and paste clip effects
You can easily copy and paste effects from one clip to one or more other clips. For example, you can apply identical
color correction to a series of clips shot in similar lighting conditions. You can copy effects from a clip in one track of
a sequence and paste them onto clips in another track. You do not have to target the destination track.
You can copy and paste individual effects in the Effect Controls panel. You can also copy all effect values (including
keyframes for Fixed and Standard effects) from a clip in any sequence. You can paste these values to another clip in
any sequence using the Paste Attributes command. With Paste Attributes, effects intrinsic to the source clip—Motion,
Opacity, Time Remapping, and Volume—replace those effects in the destination clips. All other effects (including
keyframes) are added to the list of effects already applied to the destination clips.
If the effect includes keyframes, these keyframes appear at comparable positions in the target clip, starting at the
beginning of the clip. If the target clip is shorter than the source clip, keyframes are pasted beyond the target clip Out
point. To view these keyframes, move the clip Out point to a time later than the location of the keyframe, or deselect
the Pin To Clip option.
Note: You can also copy and paste keyframes from one effect parameter to another compatible effect parameter. See
“Copy and paste keyframes” on page 422.
1In a Timeline panel, select the clip that contains the effect or effects you want to copy.
2(Optional) To select one or more effects to copy, in the Effect Controls panel, select the effect you want to copy.
Shift-click to select multiple effects. To select all effects, skip this step.
3Choose Edit > Copy.
4In a Timeline panel, select the clip to which you want to paste the effect and choose one of the following:
•To paste one or more effects, choose Edit > Paste.
•To paste all effects, choose Edit > Paste Attributes.
More Help topics
“Viewing and adjusting effects and keyframes” on page 281
Remove selected effects from a clip
1Select the clip in a Timeline panel. To make sure that only one clip is selected, click an empty space in the Timeline,
then click the clip. Click a spot in the time ruler above the selected clip to move the current-time indicator to that
location.
2In the Effect Controls panel, select the effect or effects you want to remove. To select more than one, Ctrl-click
(Windows), or Command-click (Mac OS) the effects.
Note: You cannot remove Fixed effects: Motion, Opacity, Time Remapping, or Volume.
3Do one of the following:
•Press Delete or Backspace.
•Choose Remove Selected Effect from the Effect Controls panel menu.
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Remove all effects from a clip
1Select the clip in a Timeline panel. To make sure that only one clip is selected, click an empty space in the Timeline,
then click the clip. Click a spot in the time ruler above the selected clip to move the current-time indicator to that
location.
2Do one of the following:
•From the Effect Controls panel menu, choose Remove Effects
•Select Clip > Remove Effects
•Right-click a clip in a Timeline panel, and select Remove Effects.
3in the Remove Effects dialog box, select the types of effects you want to remove, and click OK.
All selected applied effect types are removed from the clip and all selected intrinsic effects are returned to their default
settings.
Disable or enable effects in a clip
❖Select one or more effects in the Effect Controls panel, and do one of the following:
•Click the Effect button to disable effects.
•Click an empty Effect button box to enable effects.
•Deselect or select the Effect Enabled command in the Effect Controls panel menu.
You can create a custom keyboard shortcut for the Effect Enabled command. This will toggle an effect on and off. See
“Customize or load keyboard shortcuts” on page 451
Viewing and adjusting effects and keyframes
The Effect Controls panel lists all the effects that are applied to the currently selected clip. Fixed effects are included
with every clip: the Motion, Opacity, and Time Remapping effects are listed in the Video Effects section and the
Volume effect is listed in the Audio Effects section. The Volume effect is included only for audio clips or video clips
with linked audio.
You can quickly optimize the interface for effects editing by selecting the Effects workspace. Choose Window >
Workspace > Effects.
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Effect Controls panel
A. Sequence name B. Clip name C. Show/Hide Timeline View button D. Timeline view E. Effect Controls panel menu F. Current -time
indicator
By default, the timeline view is hidden, but you can show it by clicking the Show/Hide Timeline View button .
Widen the Effect Controls panel, if necessary, to activate this button.
You can click the triangle to expand an effect property to display the Value graph and Velocity graph.
When a clip is selected in a Timeline panel, the Effect Controls panel automatically adjusts the zoom level of its
Timeline view. It centers icons for the clip In point and Out point. You can view the timeline beyond the clip In point
and Out point by deselecting Pin To Clip in the Effect Controls panel menu. The Effect Controls panel also includes
controls for playing and looping audio clips. The keyframe area lies under the time ruler. The keyframe area is where
you can set keyframes for the value for each effect property at a particular frame.
Effect Controls panel
A. Current time B. Zoom controls C. Play Only The Audio For This Clip D. Toggle Looping Audio Playback E. Effect values
More Help topics
“Modify keyframe values” on page 420
“Apply effects to clips” on page 279
“Customize or load keyboard shortcuts” on page 451
“Add markers” on page 210
View effects in the Effect Controls panel
❖In the Effect Controls panel, do any of the following:
•To view all effects applied to a clip, select the clip in a Timeline panel.
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Note: It is not necessary to position the current-time indicator over a clip to activate the Effect Controls panel.
•To expand or collapse video or audio effects headings, click the Show/Hide button in the heading. When the arrows
are pointing up , the heading is expanded to reveal all the effects in that section. When the arrows are pointing
down , the heading is collapsed.
•To expand or collapse an effect or its properties, click the triangle to the left of an effect heading, property group name,
or property name. Expanding an effect heading reveals property groups, and properties, associated with that effect.
For example, Three-Way Color Corrector is an effect heading. Tonal Range Definition is a property group. Shadow
Threshold is a property. Expanding an individual property reveals a graphical control, such as a slider or dial.
•To reorder the effects, drag an effect name to a new location in the list. A black line appears while you drag when
the effect is above or below another effect. When you release the mouse, the effect appears in the new position.
Note: Fixed effects (Motion, Opacity, Time Remapping, and Volume) cannot be reordered.
•To show the timeline beyond a clip’s In and Out points, deselect Pin To Clip from the Effect Controls panel menu.
The areas of the timeline beyond the selected clip’s In and Out points appear in gray. When Pin To Clip is selected,
only the timeline between the clip’s In and Out points appear.
•To play audio in the selected clip, click the Play Audio button . This control is only available if the selected clip
contains audio.
View keyframes for an effect property in the Timeline panel
❖Do any of the following:
•Click the Show Keyframes button in the track header of a video or audio track, and choose one of the keyframe
options from the Show Keyframes menu.
•Right-click (Windows) or Control-click (Mac OS) the clip containing the keyframe properties you want to view.
Choose Show Clip Keyframes, and then choose the effect containing the keyframes you want to view.
Adjust or reset controls in the Effect Controls panel
❖Do any of the following:
•To change a property value, place the pointer over the underlined value, and drag to the left or right.
•Click the property value, enter a new value, and press Enter (Windows) or Return (Mac OS).
•Expand the property by clicking the triangle next to the property name (if available), and then drag the slider or
angle control (depending on the property).
•To set an angle, drag inside the angle control area, scrub the underlined text, or select the underlined text and enter
a value.
Once you have clicked inside the angle control, you can drag outside it to quickly change the values.
•To set a color value using an Eyedropper tool, click the desired color anywhere on the computer screen. By default,
the Eyedropper tool selects a one pixel area. Ctrl-clicking (Windows) or Command-clicking (Mac OS) an
Eyedropper tool samples a 5 x 5 pixel area.
•To set a color value using the Adobe Color Picker, click the color swatch, select a color in the Adobe Color Picker
dialog box, and then click OK.
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•To reset an effect’s properties to their default settings, click the Reset button next to the effect. All properties
that don’t contain keyframes are reset to their default values. If a property contains keyframes, that property is reset
to the default at the current time only. Keyframes that occur at the current time are reset to the default value. If no
keyframes occur at the current time, new keyframes are created using the default values.
If you accidentally click Reset, restore your work by choosing Edit > Undo.
Applying effects to audio
Premiere Pro includes VST (Virtual Studio Technology) audio plug-ins designed to alter or enhance the properties of
audio clips. Most of these effects are available for mono, stereo, and 5.1 clips, and can be applied to either clips or
tracks, unless specified otherwise. If you have Adobe Soundbooth installed, Premiere Pro automatically locates,
recognizes, and uses the VST effects from that program as well.
Note: Each audio effect includes a bypass option that allows you to turn the effect on or off as specified by the keyframes
that you set.
In Premiere Pro CS5.5 and later, audio effects are now combined into a single, unified effect and displayed in a flat list
inside the Audio Effects folder. When you apply an audio effect, Premiere Pro automatically applies the correct effect
type (Mono, Stereo, or 5.1) to that clip. For a list and descriptions of the available audio effects, see “Audio effects” on
page 404.
Details, tutorials, and resources about changes regarding unified audio effects in Premiere Pro CS5.5 and later are
found in this blog post.
Certain effects have restrictions, and can be used only on certain track types. (For example, the Balance effect can be
applied to stereo tracks only, not mono, or 5.1). The following effects have this restriction:
•Balance (Stereo only)
•Channel Volume (Stereo and 5.1 only)
•Fill Left (Stereo only)
•Fill Right (Stereo only)
•Swap Channels (Stereo only)
Note: Presets for unified audio effects can be created from single or multiple audio effects.
These Premiere Pro tutorial videos by Phil Hawkins at Infinite Skills go through a few of the most common audio
presets and effects.
See this video tutorial on applying audio effects in Premiere Pro by Andrew Devis on the Creative COW website.
Applying audio effects in the Audio Mixer
In the Audio Mixer, track effect options are controlled after an effect is selected in the Effects And Sends panel. If the
Effects And Sends panel isn’t visible, display it by clicking the Show/Hide Effects And Sends triangle on the left side of
the Audio Mixer. The Effects And Sends panel contains Effect Selection menus to apply up to five track effects.
Premiere Pro processes effects in the order they are listed and feeds the result of an effect into the next effect in the list;
therefore, changing the order can change the results. The effects list also provides full control over VST plug-ins you’ve
added. Effects applied in the Audio Mixer can also be viewed and edited in a Timeline panel.
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An effect can be applied pre-fader or post-fader. The difference is whether the effect is applied before or after the
application of the track’s fader. Effects are pre-fader by default.
In the Audio Mixer, effect options that change over time can be recorded using the automation options or specified in
a Timeline panel by using keyframes.
Audio effects
A. Name of applied effect, and effect menu B. Effect bypass C. Control knob for selected effect property D. Effect properties menu
If you plan to use the same effect repeatedly, consider conserving system resources by sharing effects through a submix.
Create a submix, apply the effect to the submix, and use sends to route tracks to the submix for effects processing.
More Help topics
“Route tracks with sends” on page 246
“Work with submixes” on page 245
Apply a track effect in the Audio Mixer
1(Optional) To display the Effects And Sends panel in the Audio Mixer, click the Show/Hide Effects And Sends
triangle at the left of the Audio Mixer.
2In the track that you want to apply an effect, click the Effect Selection triangle and choose an effect from the menu.
Consider planning the order of track effects before applying them because you can’t drag an effect to a different
position in the Effects And Sends panel.
3If needed, choose the effect parameter you want to edit from the menu at the bottom of the Effects And Sends panel.
4Use the controls above the parameter menu to adjust the effect options.
Note: For certain VST plug-in effects, you can adjust the effect options in a separate panel containing option controls.
Double-click the track effect name to open a VST editor panel.
Adjust audio track effects in a Timeline
You can adjust the fixed audio Track or Panner effects either by manipulating the track keyframes rubber-band, or by
using the controls in the Audio Mixer.
1In a Timeline panel, expand the view of an audio track containing a clip, if necessary, by clicking the triangle next
to the track name.
2Click the Show Keyframes button , and choose Show Track Keyframes from the menu.
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3Click the menu at the top left corner of the clip in the audio track (it appears with Track:Volume as the default
selection); then choose the effect name and property from the menu. Pre-fader effects appear at the top of the menu;
post-fader effects appear at the bottom. Any numbers in the effect names refer to their position in the track effects
list, their rendering order.
4Use the Pen tool to adjust the level uniformly (if keyframes haven’t been added) or to add or edit keyframes.
Copy and paste track effects
You can copy track effects from one section of a track and paste them into another. When pasted, the track effect
keyframes land in the track from which they were copied, at the location of the current-time indicator. Targeting tracks
does not affect where the pasted keyframes land.
1In a Timeline, select one or more track keyframes to copy. To select more than one Shift-click on each keyframe,
or drag a marquee around neighboring keyframes.
2Select Edit > Copy.
3Place the current-time indicator at the location where you want to paste the keyframes.
4Select Edit > Paste.
Designate a track effect as pre-fader or post-fader
❖In the Effects And Sends panel of the Audio Mixer, right-click (Windows) or Control-click (Mac OS) an effect and
choose Pre-Fader or Post-Fader.
Remove or bypass a track effect in the Audio Mixer
❖In the effects list in the Audio Mixer, do one of the following:
•To remove a track effect, click the triangle to the right of the effect you want to remove, and choose None.
•To bypass a track effect, click the Effects Bypass button near the bottom of the effects list until it appears with a
slash.
Working with VST effects
Premiere Pro supports the Steinberg VST (Virtual Studio Technology) audio plug-in format so that you can add VST
audio effects from third-party vendors. Premiere Pro includes VST plug-in effects that are available in both the Audio
Mixer and the Effect Controls panel. Track-based VST plug-ins may provide additional controls. Apply VST effects
the same way you apply other audio effects to tracks or clips.
In the Effects And Sends panels of the Audio Mixer, VST effects appear in the Effect Selection menus. In the Effects
panel, they appear in the Audio Effects bin so you can apply them to individual clips. In most cases, VST effects appear
in the Audio Effects bin and track type that corresponds to the number of channels the effect supports. For example,
stereo VST effects appear in the Audio Mixer track effect menus for stereo tracks only, and in the Stereo bin in the
Audio Effects bin in the Effects panel. After you apply any VST effect, you can open a window with all of its controls.
You can leave multiple VST editor windows open as long as you want, such as when automating effects, but Premiere
Pro closes all VST editor windows when you close the project.
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If you previously installed a VST-compatible application other than Premiere Pro, Premiere Pro finds VST effects in
the VST folder that already exists. Inside the Plug-ins folder of the Premiere Pro application folder, there is also a VST
Plugins folder with plug-ins that are used only by Premiere Pro. The locations where Premiere Pro searches for VST
plug-ins are as follows.
•HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\VST\VSTPluginsPath (Windows)
•C:\Program Files\Steinberg\VSTPlugins (Windows)
•System HD/Library/Audio/Plug-ins/VST (Mac OS)
•System HD/<user>/Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/VST (Mac OS)
Regarding If you already have an audio application installed, there should be a VST plug-ins location in the registry
stored here: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\VST\VstPluginsPath Premiere Pro should use the path
specified by that registry key. 
It should be set to something like this location: [Program
Files]\Steinberg\VstPlugins\
Note: When you use a VST effect not provided by Adobe, the specific control layout and results of the plug-in are the
responsibility of the plug-in manufacturer. Adobe
Premiere Pro only displays the controls and processes the results.
Adjust a VST effect in a VST Editor panel
The Audio Mixer lets you open a VST editor panel, for certain VST effects, to adjust the effect options.
Note: You can’t open a VST editor window from the Effect Controls panel.
1If necessary to display the Effects and Sends panel, click the Show/Hide Effects And Sends triangle on the left side
of the Audio Mixer.
2In the Effects And Sends panel, click one of the downward-pointing triangles in the Effect Selection section, and
select the name of an effect.
3Double-click the effect name.
The VST editor panel opens. This panel can be docked or grouped like any other panel.
4In the VST editor window, specify the options.
Note: The option controls for VST plug-in effects are also available at the bottom of the Effects And Sends panel.
VST Editor panel for DeNoiser effect
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Select a preset for a VST effect
❖Right-click (Windows) or Control-click (Mac OS) the effect name in the Effects And Sends panel of the Audio
Mixer, and choose a preset listed at the bottom of the menu.
Note: If an effect doesn’t support presets, Default is the only choice. Default resets all option values for the effect.
Working with audio transitions
You can apply crossfades for audio transitions between clips. An audio fade is analogous to a video transition. For a
crossfade, you add an audio transition between two adjacent audio clips on the same track. To fade in or fade out, you
add a crossfade transition to either end of a single clip. Premiere Pro includes three types of crossfade: Constant Gain,
Constant Power, and Exponential Fade.
For descriptions of the available crossfades, see “Audio crossfade transitions” on page 414.
Specify the default audio transition
1Right-click (Windows) or Control-click (Mac OS) either Constant Gain or Constant Power in the Effects panel.
2Choose Set Selected As Default Transition from the context menu.
Set the default duration for audio transitions
1Choose Edit > Preferences > General (Windows) or Premiere Pro > Preferences > General (Mac OS).
2In the Preferences dialog box, enter a value for the Audio Transition Default Duration.
Crossfade between audio clips
1If necessary, click the triangle to the left of each track name in a Timeline panel to expand the audio tracks that you
want to crossfade.
2Make sure that the two audio clips are adjacent, and that both clips are trimmed.
3Do one of the following:
•To add the default audio transition, move the current-time indicator to the edit point between the clips, and choose
Sequence > Apply Audio Transition.
•To add an audio transition other than the default, expand the Audio Transitions bin in the Effects panel and drag
the audio transition to a Timeline panel, on the edit point between the two clips you want to crossfade.
More Help topics
“Clip handles and transitions” on page 331
Fade in or fade out clip audio
1Make sure that the audio track is expanded in a Timeline panel. If necessary, click the triangle to the left of the track
name to expand the audio tracks that you want to crossfade.
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2Do any of the following:
•To fade in a clip’s audio, drag an audio transition from the Effects panel to a Timeline panel so that it snaps to the
In point of the audio clip. You can also select the applied transition in a Timeline panel. Then, in the Effect Controls
panel choose Start At Cut from the Alignment menu.
•To fade out a clip’s audio, drag an audio transition from the Effects panel to a Timeline panel so that it snaps to the
Out point of the audio clip. You can also select the applied transition in a Timeline. Then, in the Effect Controls
panel, choose End At Cut from the Alignment menu.
Use any of the three types of audio crossfade transitions to fade in or fade out.
Adjust or customize an audio transition
❖Do any of the following:
•To edit an audio transition, double-click the transition in a Timeline panel and adjust the transition in the Effect
Controls panel.
•To customize the rate of an audio fade or crossfade, adjust the clip’s audio volume keyframe graph instead of
applying a transition.
More Help topics
“Adjusting gain and volume” on page 235
Effect presets
Effect presets
In the Effects panel, the Presets bin contains presets for popular effects. You can save time by using a preset made for
a specific purpose, rather than configuring an effect yourself. For example, if you want a clip to blur in quickly, you
could apply the Fast Blur effect and set keyframes for it manually. You save time, however, by instead applying the Fast
Blur In preset.
You can customize individual effect settings and save them as presets. You can then apply the presets to other clips in
any project. When you save an effect as a preset, you also save the keyframes you created for the effect. You create effect
presets in the Effect Controls panel and Premiere Pro stores them in the root Presets bin. You can organize them within
the Presets bin using the nested preset bins. Premiere Pro also ships with several effect presets, located in the
application’s Presets folder.
To view the properties of an effect preset, select the preset in the Effects panel, and choose Preset Properties from the
Effects panel menu.
If you apply a preset to a clip and the preset contains settings for an effect that is already applied to the clip, Premiere
Pro modifies the clip using the following rules:
•If the effect preset contains a fixed effect—motion, opacity, time remapping, or volume—then the action replaces
the existing effect settings.
•If the effect preset contains a standard effect, the effect is added to the bottom of the current list of effects. However,
if you drag the effect into the Effect Controls panel, you can place the effect anywhere in the hierarchy.
An example of using Effect Presets is found in this video tutorial.
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More Help topics
“Find and group effects” on page 278
Create and save an effect preset
1In a Timeline, select the clip that uses one or more effects with the settings that you want to save as a preset.
2In the Effect Controls panel, select one or more effects you want to save. Ctrl-click (Windows), or Command-click
(Mac OS) effects to select more than one.
3Click the panel menu icon to the upper right of the Effect Controls panel to open the panel menu.
4Choose Save Preset
5In the Save Preset dialog box, specify a name for your preset. If desired, enter a description.
6Select one of the following preset types. These types specify how Premiere Pro handles keyframes when you apply
a preset to a target clip.
Scale Scales the source keyframes proportionally to the length of the target clip. This action deletes any existing
keyframes on the target clip.
Anchor To In Point Retains the original distance from the clip In point to the first effect keyframe. If the first keyframe
is 1 sec. from the In point of the source clip, this option adds the keyframe at 1 sec. from the In point of the target clip.
This option also adds all other keyframes relative to that position, without any scaling.
Anchor To Out Point Retains the original distance from the clip Out point to the last effect keyframe. If the last
keyframe is 1 sec. from the Out point of the source clip, this option adds the keyframe at 1 sec. from the Out point of
the target clip. This option also adds all other keyframes relative to that position, without any scaling.
7Click OK.
Premiere Pro saves the selected effects, including their keyframes, to the new preset.
Apply an effect preset
You can apply an effect preset containing settings for one or more effects to any clip in a sequence.
❖In the Effects panel, expand the Presets bin, and do one of the following:
•Drag the effect preset onto the clip in a Timeline panel.
•Select the clip in a Timeline panel, and then drag the effect preset into the Effect Controls panel.
If you dragged the preset onto the clip in a Timeline panel the drop destination is determined as follows:
•If the Timeline has no clips selected, then the preset is applied to the clip targeted by the drop.
•If the Timeline has clips selected, but the clip targeted by the drop is not part of that selection, then the selected clips
are deselected. The targeted clip and any linked track items become selected. The preset is applied to the targeted
clip and linked track items.
•If the Timeline has clips selected, and the clip targeted by the drop is part of that selection, then the preset is applied
to all selected clips. The preset does not affect linked clips that are not selected.
If you dragged the preset into the Effect Controls panel the drop destination is determined as follows:
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Work with a custom bins and preset bins
Use custom bins to store your favorite effects, transitions, and presets in one place. You can create any number of
custom and preset bins. As a result, you can also use the bins to reorganize the effects, transitions, and presets into
categories that are intuitive to you or more appropriate for your project workflow.
You create and store custom and preset bins in the Effects panel. New preset bins reside inside the root Presets bin. Though
you cannot drag them from the Presets bin, you can create and arrange them within that bin in any hierarchy you like.
You can place custom bins at the top of the Effects panel hierarchy, or you can nest them within other custom bins.
Note: If you have placed the same item in several different custom bins, and you delete that item from one bin, Premiere
Pro deletes each occurrence of the item from the custom and preset bins, and deletes each item from all clips that it affects.
1In the Effects panel, do one of the following:
•To create a custom bin, click the New Custom Bin button , or choose New Custom Bin from the Effects panel menu.
•To create a presets bin, choose New Presets Bin from the Effects panel menu. Premiere Pro nests each new presets
bin in the root Presets bin.
•To nest a new custom or presets bin, select the bin into which you want to place the new bin, and then create a
custom or presets bin.
•To rename a bin, select the bin, then click the bin name, and then type a new name and press Enter (Windows) or
Return (Mac OS). Skip steps 2 and 3.
•To delete a bin or an item in a bin, select the bin or bin item, and then click the Delete Custom Items button at
the bottom of the Effects panel. Skip steps 2 and 3.
2Locate the effect, transition, or preset that you want to store in the bin. You may need to resize the panel so that you
can see both the item and the bin.
3Drag the item to the bin. Premiere Pro creates a shortcut to the item.
Creating common results
This section contains procedures for achieving of some of the most popular results with Premiere Pro. You can find
procedures for achieving many other results with Premiere Pro Community Help search.
Destination
type
Result
Video track item
only
Audio effects in preset are ignored.
Audio track item
only
Video effects in preset are ignored.
Both video and
audio track items
If you insert the preset into one of the audio
tracks, then the audio effects are inserted at
the targeted position. Adobe
Premiere Pro
appends the video effects to the end of the
effects list for the video track item.
Both video and
audio track items
If you insert the preset into the video track,
then the video effects are inserted at the
targeted position. Adobe
Premiere Pro
appends the audio effects to the end of the
effects for each linked audio track item.
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Fade in video
1To fade a video clip in, or fade up from black, select a clip in a Timeline panel.
2Do one of the following:
•apply a dissolve transition to the beginning of the clip,
•keyframe the opacity of the clip to start at zero and increase to 100%.
More Help topics
“Apply a transition between two clips” on page 333
“Specify clip opacity in a Timeline panel” on page 431
Picture-in-picture (PIP) and split screen
You can use the Position and Scale controls of the Motion effect to create a picture-in-picture (PIP).
See the video tutorial Picture-in-Picture and Split-Screen Effects in Premiere Pro CS3 on the Digital Media Net
website.
In this Premiere CS5.5 video tutorial at Infinite Skills, Phil Hawkins shows how to create a reusable Picture-in-Picture
effect.
Dennis Radeke shows you how to make a picture-in-picture effect in this video tutorial on AdobeTV.
Zoom and pan a still image
The technique of zooming and panning still images has also come to be known as “the Ken Burns effect”, since
documentarian Ken Burns has made extensive use of it.
For a tutorial on zooming and panning still images, see The Ken Burns Effect on the Digital Video Editing blog.
In this Adobe Premiere Pro tutorial, Andrew Devis shows you how to pan and zoom in Premiere Pro like a
professional. Learn proper key-frame interpolation so that the movement is smooth.
Place lightning over part of a clip
You can make lightning appear over only part of an original clip.
1Place a Transparent Video clip in a video track above the original clip.
2Apply the Lightning effect to the Transparent Video clip.
3Trim the Transparent Video clip to the duration needed for the appearance of lightning.
More Help topics
“Create a transparent video clip” on page 171
“Lightning effect” on page 374
Create a Jacob’s Ladder
You can create a Jacob’s Ladder effect. The lightning bolt snaps back to a position along the start line after it has been
pulled in a given direction.
1Apply the Lightning effect to a clip.
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2In the Effect Controls panel, click the triangle next to Lighting to expose the Lightning controls.
3Experiment with different combinations of settings for these three controls.
•Stability
•Pull Force
•Pull Direction
A Stability value that is too low doesn’t allow the lightning to be stretched into an arc before it snaps back. A value that
is too high lets the lightning bolt bounce around.
More Help topics
“Lightning effect” on page 374
Make reverb ring out
With the Reverb effect, you can make the audio of a clip ring out, that is make the last sound of the clip continue
ringing past the end of the sound itself.
1Extend the Out point of the clip to the duration at which you want the ringing to end.
2At the end of the last sound you want heard, drop the volume to zero.
3Apply the Reverb effect.
More Help topics
“Reverb effect” on page 413
Motion: position, scale, and rotate a clip
Adjust position, scale, and rotation
Use the Motion effect to position, scale, or rotate a clip within the video frame. To animate clips, you must set
keyframes for Motion properties.
By default, each clip that you add to a Timeline panel has the Motion effect applied as a fixed effect. You can view and
adjust the Motion effect properties in the Effect Controls panel by clicking the triangle next to the Motion name.
Motion properties can be directly manipulated in the Program Monitor or using the controls in the Effect Controls
panel. Motion properties can be controlled with Bezier handles.
By default, a clip appears at 100% of its original size in the center of the Program Monitor. Position, scale, and rotation
values are calculated from the clip anchor point, which lies at the clip’s center by default.
Because the Position, Scale, and Rotation properties are spatial in nature, it’s easiest to adjust them directly in the
Program Monitor. When you click the Transform icon next to the Motion effect in the Effect Controls panel,
handles appear on the clip in the Program Monitor that let you directly manipulate the clip and adjust the Motion
effect properties. Although the clip anchor point also appears in the Program Monitor, it can be adjusted only in the
Effect Controls panel. However, the Program Monitor updates any changes to the clip anchor point as you make them.
Standard effects that allow direct manipulation of clips in the Program Monitor include all the Generate effects,
Corner Pin, Crop, Garbage Matte, Lighting Effects, Mirror, Transform, Twirl, and more. This capability is indicated
by the Transform icon
next to the effect name in the Effect Controls panel.
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You can adjust the position, scale, and rotation of a clip and Lighting Effects lights by directly manipulating handles
in the Program Monitor. You can also adjust the properties using the controls in the Effect Controls panel.
Note: Direct manipulation is also available for the following effects: Corner Pin, Crop, Garbage Matte, Mirror,
Transform, and Twirl.
1Select a clip in a Timeline panel, and move the current-time indicator to a location of a frame within the clip.
Ensure that the Uniform Scale checkbox of the Motion effect is deselected.
2Do one of the following:
•(Lighting Effects only) Apply the Lighting Effects to the clip and then click the Transform icon next to
Lighting Effects in the Effect Controls panel.
•(Motion effect only) Click the clip in the Program Monitor or click the Transform icon next to Motion in the
Effect Controls panel.
The handles and clip anchor point appear in the Program Monitor.
3In the Program Monitor, do any of the following:
•To position a clip or lighting effect, click in the clip or effect outline and drag to reposition it. Don’t drag a handle
to reposition the clip or lighting effect.
•To scale freely, drag a corner handle.
•To scale along one dimension only, drag a side (not a corner) handle.
•To scale proportionally, Shift-drag a corner handle.
Note: When using the Motion effect to scale a clip, scaling images over 100% can make them look blocky or pixelated.
•To rotate a clip or effect, position the pointer slightly outside any of the handles, so that the pointer changes into
the Rotate icon and drag. Shift-drag constrains the rotations to 45° increments. For the Motion effect, you can
also drag in a circular motion until the clip rotates the number of times you want to create multiple rotations.
•To update only the wireframe outline of the frame, Alt-drag (Windows) or Option-drag (Mac OS) any handle. This
may give faster results for clips with large dimensions or for slow systems.
To animate the motion, scaling, or rotation over time, set keyframes as you manipulate the clip or effect in the
Program Monitor.
Details of scaling in Premiere Pro CS5 and later, plus some other information about CUDA processing.
Andrew Devis shows panning, zooming, and using the Corner Pin effect in this video tutorial.
Franklin McMahon provides a video tutorial on the Layers Magazine website that shows how to use the Motion effect
to move, scale, and animate clips.
More Help topics
“Animate motion in the Program Monitor” on page 295
Scale assets
When you drag an asset into a sequence, by default Premiere Pro preserves its frame size and centers the asset in the
program frame. Alternatively, you can automatically scale imported assets to the project’s default frame size. You can
rescale the asset without distortion if its pixel aspect ratio has been interpreted correctly.
Scale assets manually
1Drag the asset into a sequence and select the asset.
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2Open the Effect Controls panel.
3Click on the arrow next to the Motion effect to reveal the motion controls.
4Click on the arrow next to the Scale control within the Motion effect to reveal the Scale slider.
5Move the Scale slider left or right to decrease or increase the size of the frame.
Scale assets to frame size
1Right-click (Windows), or Control-click (Mac OS) an asset in a Timeline.
2Select Scale To Frame Size.
Andrew Devis explains how the 'Default Scale to Frame Size' preference works in this video tutorial.
Scale assets automatically
1Choose Edit > Preferences > General (Windows) or Premiere Pro > Preferences > General (Mac OS).
2Select Default Scale To Frame Size.
3Click OK.
Animate motion in the Program Monitor
You can create animations, insets, and split screens by manipulating a clip directly in the Program Monitor and setting
keyframes for the Motion effect. By adjusting a clip’s position and scale in the Program Monitor, you reveal clips in
the tracks below it and can create interesting compositions.
When you animate a clip’s position, the clip’s motion is represented by a motion path in the Program Monitor. Small
white Xs represent keyframed positions, dotted lines represent positions at interpolated frames, and the circular clip
anchor point symbol represents a spot in the clip, its center by default, at the current frame. The spacing between dots
indicates the speed between keyframes: wide spacing shows fast motion, while tightly spaced dots show slower motion.
For more information about adding motion to clips in Premiere Pro, see this video by Learn by Video and Video2Brain
by Jan Ozer.
Clip in Program Monitor showing a motion path with fast motion (left) compared to slow motion (right)
To quickly apply Motion effect changes to a sequence clip, you can click the image in the Program Monitor and begin
manipulation (without first clicking the Transform icon next to the Motion effect in the Effect Controls panel). If you
adjust the position of the image, you can further refine its movement by using the Bezier keyframes.
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More Help topics
“Adjust position, scale, and rotation” on page 293
“About interpolation” on page 424
“Control change using Bezier keyframe interpolation” on page 425
“Adding, navigating, and setting keyframes” on page 415
Videomaker Tips & Tricks: Creating a [photo] montage in Premiere Pro
Animate a clip in the Program Monitor
When the Motion effect is selected in the Effect Controls panel, you can manipulate a clip in the Program Monitor.
Create an animation by setting keyframes for one or more of the Motion effect’s properties (for example, Position).
1Select a clip in a Timeline panel.
2Do one of the following:
•Select the Motion effect in the Effect Controls panel.
•Click the image in the Program Monitor.
•Click the Transform icon next to Motion in the Effect Controls panel.
Handles appear around the clip’s perimeter in the Program Monitor.
Note: If you don’t see the clip handles, change the Zoom Level in the Program Monitor to a smaller percentage so that the
gray work area around the video frame appears.
3Move the current-time indicator to the frame where you want to start the animation—any frame between the clip’s
current In point to its Out point.
4In the Effect Controls panel, expand the Motion effect and click the Toggle Animation button next to each
property you want to define at that point in time. A Keyframe icon appears at the current-time indicator for that
property.
5In the Program Monitor, change the keyframe value by positioning the pointer near any of the clip’s eight square
handles to use any of the following pointer tools:
•The selection pointer to set the position value.
•The rotate pointer to set the rotation value.
•The scale pointer to set the scale value.
Note: If clip handles disappear, reselect the Motion effect in the Effect Controls panel.
6Move the current-time indicator in either the Timeline or the Effect Controls panel to the time at which you want
to define a new value for the property (and thereby a new keyframe).
7Manipulate the clip in the Program Monitor to set a new value for each property for which you set keyframes in
step 3. A new Keyframe icon appears in the Effect Controls panel at the current-time indicator.
8Repeat steps 5 and 6 as needed.
When you animate a clip, it can be useful to reduce the Program Monitor’s magnification level. This way, you can see
more of the pasteboard area outside the visible area of the screen and can use it to position the clip off screen.
9In the Effect Controls panel, drag the Bezier handle for a Position, Scale, Rotation, or Anti-flicker Filter property
keyframe to control the acceleration of change for that property.
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Change Position keyframes in a motion path
You can change the value of a Position keyframe, and thereby adjust your motion path, simply by dragging the Position
keyframe (indicated by a white X) in the Program Monitor.
1Select a clip that has Motion effect keyframes.
2In the Effect Controls panel, click the Transform icon next to Motion. The clip’s motion path appears in the
Program Monitor.
3Do any of the following:
•To move an existing keyframe, drag the keyframe handle in the Program Monitor.
•To create a new position keyframe, set the current-time indicator between existing keyframes and drag the clip in
the Program Monitor to the desired location. A new keyframe appears in the Effect Controls panel, the Program
Monitor, and in the clip in the Timeline panel.
Note: This procedure changes the position value at a keyframe. To change the timing of keyframes, move Keyframe icons
in the Effect Controls panel.
Move a clip along a curve
You can move a clip along a curve using Bezier handles in the Program Monitor.
1Select a clip in a Timeline panel.
2Move the current-time indicator in either a Timeline panel or the Effect Controls panel to the time where you want
to start the animation—any frame between the clip’s current In point and its Out point.
3Click the triangle next to the Motion control in the Effects Controls panel.
4Click the Toggle Animation button next to the Position control to set the first keyframe.
5Drag the current-time indicator in either a Timeline panel or the Effect Controls panel to the frame where you want
to end the animation.
6In the Program Monitor, drag the clip to the location where you want the clip at the end of its movement.
A motion path appears in the Program Monitor connecting the start and end points of the clip’s motion. Small Bezier
handles appear near either end of this motion path.
7Drag either or both of the Bezier handles in any direction to create curves in the motion path.
8In the Effect Controls panel, right-click (Windows) or Control-click (Mac OS) a Position keyframe.
9Select a type of acceleration from either the Temporal Interpolation or the Spatial Interpolation menu.
10 Drag the current-time indicator to the first keyframe and press Enter (Windows) or Return (Mac OS) to preview
the motion of the clip.
Adjust or animate clip anchor points
By default, a clip anchor point is set at the exact center of a clip. You can change the position of a clip in relation to its
frame or motion path, however, by moving the clip anchor point. Further, you can change the location of the clip
anchor point over time, allowing the clip to move in relation to its frame or motion path. Animating the clip anchor
point can be used, for example, to create an image-panning effect.
1In a Timeline panel, place the current-time indicator at the beginning of a clip.
2Click on the clip in the Program Monitor.
The clip anchor point becomes visible at the center of the clip.
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The clip anchor point in the Program Monitor
3Select the Effect Controls tab, and, if necessary, click the triangle next to the Motion heading to open the Motion
controls.
4Drag the anchor point horizontal control to the left (decreasing the number value) to offset the anchor point to the
left of the clip, or drag it to the right (increasing the number value) to offset it to the right.
5Drag the anchor point vertical control to the left (decreasing the number value) to offset the anchor point toward
the top of the clip, or to the right (increasing the number value) to offset it toward the bottom.
6Click the Add/Remove Keyframe button to set the keyframe.
7(Optional) To change the location of the clip anchor point over time, move the current-time indicator in the Effect
Controls panel or in a Timeline panel to a different point in time. Change the horizontal and vertical anchor
controls to new values.
Another keyframe marks the location of the clip anchor point at the selected frame.
8(Optional) To set the rate of the change in the anchor point location, drag the handles in the anchor point Velocity
graph.
Eliminate flicker
Thin lines and sharp edges in images sometimes flicker when shown on interlaced displays, such as many TV screens.
The Anti-flicker Filter control, located in the Effect Controls tab > Motion effect, can reduce or eliminate this flicker.
As you increase its strength, more flicker is eliminated, but the image also becomes softer. You may need to set it
relatively high for images with lots of sharp edges and high contrast.
1Select a clip in a Timeline panel, and click the Effect Controls tab.
2Click the triangle next to the Motion heading to open the Motion controls.
3Click the triangle next to the Anti-flicker Filter heading.
4Drag the Anti-flicker Filter slider to the right to increase the strength of the filter.
5Press the spacebar to preview the clip. Increase the filter strength if flicker is still visible, or decrease it if the image
is too soft.
You can change the intensity of the Anti-flicker Filter over the duration of a clip by setting Anti-flicker Filter keyframes
at different values.
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More Help topics
“Choose fields in the Source and Program Monitors” on page 126
Duration and speed
View the total duration of selected clips
1Make sure that the Info panel is visible. If it is not, choose Window > Info.
2In either the Project panel or Timeline panel, select the clips for which you want to know the total duration. The
Info panel displays the number of items selected and the total duration of those items. This information is useful if
you want to paste clips into a specific area and need to know the exact duration of the target area or of the source
clips.
Note: If you select contiguous clips in the Project panel, the Info panel displays the total duration of all the clips you select.
However, if you select noncontiguous clips in a sequence, the Info panel displays the duration as a range, from In point
of the first clip you selected, to the Out point of the last clip you selected. For the purpose of copying and pasting, the
duration of a particular range is more important than the sum of all the clips’ durations. If you copy and paste a
noncontiguous group of sequence clips, the pasted clips will occupy the range noted on the Info panel and the areas that
you did not select will be empty.
Change the default duration for still images
1Choose Edit > Preferences > General (Windows) or Premiere Pro > Preferences > General (Mac OS).
2For Still Image Default Duration, specify the number of frames you want as a default duration for a still image.
Note: Changing the default duration of still images does not affect the duration of still images that are already part of a
sequence or that have already been imported. You will have to re-import the images after you change the default duration
to get a different duration for the images.
Change speed and duration for one or more clips
The speed of a clip is the playback rate compared to the rate at which it was recorded. Initially, a clip plays back at its
normal, 100% speed. (Even if the frame rate of the source footage doesn’t match that of the sequence, the sequence
automatically reconciles the difference. It plays back the clip at its proper speed.)
In a Timeline panel, clips with speed changes are indicated with a percentage of the original speed.
Changing clip speed omits or repeats the source frames during playback, thereby making the clip play faster or slower.
A change in speed results in a corresponding change in duration, unless the clip is simultaneously trimmed. You can,
for example, ungang speed from duration in the Clip Speed/Duration dialog box. Then, when you increase the speed,
Premiere Pro uses more of the clip to fill the duration between the In point and the Out point. When you decrease the
speed, Premiere Pro uses less of the clip to fill the duration.
You can ungang speed and duration with more than one clip selected. Then, you can change the duration of the clips.
For example, you can change the speeds only enough to make all the clips last the same duration.
When you change the speed of a clip containing interlaced fields, you can adjust how Premiere Pro treats the fields.
Consider making this adjustment especially when the speed drops below 100% of the original speed. (See “Create
interlaced or non-interlaced clips” on page 310.)
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You can use frame blending to smooth the appearance of a speed effect that changes the time or frame rate of a clip.
To enable frame blending, choose Clip > Video Options > Frame Blend. For more information about frame blending,
see “Blend frames for smooth motion” on page 306.
The duration of a clip is the length of time it takes to play from the In point to the Out point. You can set a duration
for video or audio clips, letting them speed up or slow down to fill the duration. You can do the same for still-image
clips, but without the changes in speed.
You can change the speed and duration for one or more clips at a time.
You can also set clip speed to fill a duration by performing a four-point edit.
1In a Timeline panel or Project panel, select one or more clips. Shift-click to select clips in a Timeline panel or a
contiguous group in a Project panel. Ctrl-click (Windows) or Command-click (Mac OS) clips to select a non-
contiguous group of clips in a Project panel. To change speed or duration of all the clips in a bin in the Project panel
and its nested bins, select the bin. The change does not affect non-media clips, such as Sequences and offline clips,
in the bin.
2Choose Clip > Speed/Duration.
3Do any of the following:
•To change the duration without changing the speed of the selected clips, click the gang button so that it shows a
broken link . Unganging also allows you to change the speed without changing the duration.
The speed remains at the percentage set while you trim the clip or clips. Alternatively, the duration remains at the
percentage set while you change the speed of the clip or clips.
•To play the clips backward, check Reverse Speed.
•To keep the audio at its current pitch while the speed or duration changes, check Maintain Audio Pitch.
•To keep the clips following the changing clips adjacent to them, click Ripple Edit, Shifting Trailing Clips. (This
option is available only when changing the speed or duration of clips in a Timeline panel.)
4Click OK.
Chad Perkins and Lynda.com provides a video tutorial detailing how to change the speed of a clip in Premiere Pro CS5.
Change clip speed and duration with the Rate Stretch tool
You can change a clip’s speed to fit a duration.
❖Select the Rate Stretch tool , and drag either edge of a clip in a Timeline panel.
Changing clip speed using the Rate Stretch tool
See this video tutorial by Andrew Devis on the razor and rate stretch tools.
Author Phil Hawkins also shows how to use the Rate Stretch tool in this Premiere CS5 tutorial video at Infinite Skills.
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Change clip speed and duration with Time Remapping
You can change the speed of the video portion of a whole clip. You can use Time Remapping to create slow motion
and fast motion effects in which the rate of speed varies.
1In the track header of the video track containing the desired clip, click the Show Keyframes button. If it is not
selected, select Show Keyframes.
2Click the Clip Effect menu triangle, and choose Time Remapping > Speed. (The Clip Effect menu triangle appears
next to the filename of every clip in a video track. If it is hard to see, zoom in to make enough room in the clip to
display it.)
A horizontal rubber band that controls the speed of the clip appears across the center of the clip.
3Drag the rubber band upward or downward to increase or decrease the speed of the clip. A tool tip appears showing
the change in speed as a percentage of the original speed.
The playback speed of the video portion of the clip changes and its duration expands or contracts depending on
whether its speed is increased or decreased. The audio portion of the clip remains unchanged by Time Remapping,
although it remains linked to the video portion.
Note: When you lengthen a clip in a sequence by slowing its speed, it will not overwrite an adjacent clip. Instead, the clip
expands until it touches the edge of the adjacent clip. Adobe
Premiere Pro then pushes remaining frames into the tail of
the lengthened clip. To recover these frames, create a gap after the clip and trim its right edge to reveal them.
Franklin McMahon provides a video tutorial demonstrating time remapping on the Layers Magazine website.
Vary changes to speed or direction with Time Remapping
You can speed up, slow down, play backward, or freeze video portions of a clip using the Time Remapping effect. Using
speed keyframes, you can change speed numerous times within the same clip. Take a clip of a man walking, for
example. You can show him moving forward quickly, slowing suddenly, stopping mid-step, and even walking
backward, before resuming his forward motion. Unlike Clip Speed/Duration which applies a constant speed across the
entire clip, Time Remapping allows you to vary the speed throughout the clip. Also, you can ease in or ease out speed
changes.
You can apply time remapping only to instances of clips in a Timeline panel, not to master clips.
When you vary the speed of a clip with linked audio and video, the audio remains linked to the video, but remains at
100% speed. The audio does not remain synchronized with the video.
You create variable speed changes by applying speed keyframes. You can apply speed keyframes in the Effect Controls
panel, or in a clip in a Timeline panel. Applying speed keyframes in either location is like keyframing Motion, Opacity,
or any other keyframe effect, with one notable difference: a speed keyframe can be split to create a transition between
two different playback speeds. When first applied to a track item, any change in playback speed on either side of a speed
keyframe is instantaneous at that frame. When the speed keyframe is dragged apart and spread out beyond one frame,
the halves form a speed change transition. Here, you can apply linear or smooth curves to ease in or ease out the change
between playback speeds.
For a video tutorial about variable speed changes, see the Adobe website.
For a video tutorial about time remapping, see the Creative COW website.
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Footage is displayed at constant speed in one direction.
Time-remapping distorts time for range of frames within clip.
Note: It is best to apply time remapping controls to a clip in its own video track, or at least one not followed immediately
by other clips. Slowing any portion of a clip makes the duration of that clip longer. If a second clip immediately follows
the lengthened clip in the video track, the lengthened clip is automatically trimmed where the second clip begins. To
recover the frames trimmed from the lengthened clip, click the Track Select tool, Then Shift-drag the second clip toward
the right to make room. All clips lying to the right move to the right. Click the Selection Tool, then drag the right edge of
the lengthened clip to the right, exposing its trimmed frames.
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More Help topics
Slow motion and time remapping
“Add markers” on page 210
Creative COW: Time Remapping In Premiere Pro CS3
Vary change to clip speed
1In a Timeline panel, click the Clip Effect menu and choose Time Remapping > Speed. (The Clip Effect menu
appears next to the filename of every clip in a video track. Zoom in, if necessary, to make enough room in the clip
to display the menu.)
A horizontal rubber band that controls the speed of the clip appears across the center of the clip. The clip is shaded in
contrasting colors above and below the 100% speed demarcation. A white speed-control track appears in the upper
portion of the clip, just below the clip title bar.
Choosing Time Remapping > Speed from a video effect control
2Ctrl-click (Windows) or Command-click (Mac OS) at least one point on the rubber band to set a keyframe. Speed
keyframes appear near the top of the clip, above the rubber band in the white speed-control track. Speed keyframes
can be split in half, acting as two keyframes for marking the beginning and end of a speed-change transition.
Adjustment handles also appear on the rubber band, in the middle of the speed-change transition.
Moving a speed keyframe up or down. Note its separable halves.
A. Speed keyframe B. Rubber band
3Do one of the following:
•Drag the rubber band on either side of the speed keyframe up or down to increase or decrease the playback speed
of that portion. (Optional) Press Shift while dragging to limit the speed change values to 5% increments.
•Shift-drag the speed keyframe to the left or right to change the speed of the portion to the left of the speed keyframe.
Both the speed and duration of the segment change. Speeding up a segment of a clip makes the segment shorter, and
slowing down a segment makes it longer.
4
(Optional) To create a speed transition, drag the right half of the speed keyframe to the right, or the left half to the left.
A gray area appears between the halves of the speed keyframe, indicating the length of the speed transition. The rubber
band forms a ramp between the two halves, indicating a gradual change in speed occurring between them. A blue curve
control appears in the gray area. If the blue curve control does not appear automatically, click in the gray area.
Note: If the blue curve control does not appear, click in the gray area.
A B
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Blue curve control in gray area between halves of a speed keyframe
5(Optional) To change the acceleration or deceleration of the speed change, drag either of the handles on the curve
control.
The change of speed eases in or eases out according to the curvature of the speed ramp.
Dragging a curve control handle to ease in a speed change
6(Optional) To revert a transition speed change, select the unwanted half of the speed keyframe, and press Delete.
Note: Speed and Velocity values for the Time Remapping effect are shown in the Effect Controls panel for reference only.
You cannot edit these values directly there.
Move an unsplit speed keyframe
❖In a Timeline, Alt-click (Windows) or Option-click (Mac OS) the unsplit speed keyframe, and drag it into its new
position.
Move a split speed keyframe
❖In the white control track area of the clip, drag the grey-shaded area of the speed transition into its new position.
Play a clip backward, then forward
1In a Timeline panel, click the Clip Effect menu and choose Time Remapping > Speed. (The Clip Effect menu
appears next to the filename of every clip in a video track. Zoom in, if necessary, to make enough room in the clip
to display the menu.)
A horizontal rubber band that controls the speed of the clip appears across the center of the clip. The clip is shaded in
contrasting colors above and below the 100% speed demarcation. A white speed control track appears in the upper
portion of the clip, just below the clip title bar.
2Ctrl-click (Windows) or Command-click (Mac OS) on the rubber band to create a speed keyframe .
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3Ctrl-drag (Windows) or Command-drag (Mac OS) a speed keyframe (both halves) to the place where you want the
backward motion to end. A tool tip shows the speed as a negative percentage of the original speed. The Program
monitor displays two panes: the static frame where you initiated the drag, and a dynamically updating frame that
reverse playback returns to before switching to forward speed. When you release the mouse button to end the drag,
an additional segment is added for the forward playback portion. The new segment has the same duration as the
segment you created. An additional speed keyframe is placed at the end of this second segment. Left-pointing angle
brackets appear in the speed-control track, indicating the section of the clip playing in reverse.
The segment plays backward at full speed from the first keyframe to the second. Then, it plays forward at full speed
from the second to the third keyframe. Finally, it returns to the frame at which the backward motion began. This effect
is called a palindrome reverse.
You can create a segment that plays in reverse and doesn't return to forward playback. Use the Razor tool or the Trim
tool to remove the segment of the clip with the forward playback section.
Keyframes, left-pointing angle brackets, and rubber band in a palindrome reverse
4(Optional) You can create a speed transition for any part of the change in direction. Drag the right half of a speed
keyframe to the right, or the left half to the left.
A gray area appears between the halves of the speed keyframe, indicating the length of the speed transition. The rubber
band forms a ramp between the two halves, indicating a gradual change in speed occurring between them. A blue curve
control appears in the gray area.
Blue curve control in gray area between the halves of a speed keyframe
5(Optional) To change the acceleration or deceleration of any part of the directional change, drag either of the
handles on the curve control.
The change of speed eases in or eases out according to the curvature of the speed ramp.
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Dragging a curve control handle to ease in a speed change
Remove the Time Remapping effect
You cannot toggle the Time Remapping effect on and off like other effects. Enabling and disabling Time Remapping
affects the duration of the clip instance in a Timeline. In effect, Time Remapping performs an edit. However, you can
use the Toggle Animation control in the Effect Controls panel.
1Click the Effect Controls tab to make this panel active.
2Click the triangle next to Time Remapping to open it.
3Click the Toggle Animation button next to the word Speed, to set it to the off position.
This action deletes any existing speed keyframes, and disables Time Remapping for the selected clip.
Note: To re-enable Time Remapping, click the Toggle Animation button back to the on position. You cannot use Time
Remapping with this button in the off position.
Blend frames for smooth motion
Motion in a clip may appear jerky when you change the speed of a clip or output to a different frame rate. Turn frame
blending on to create new interpolated frames that smooth the motion. Frame blending operates only when there is a
mismatch between sequence and clip frame rates.
When frame blending is turned off, Premiere Pro duplicates frames to create the necessary interpolated frames. When
frame blending is turned on, Premiere Pro averages the frames to create the necessary interpolated frames.
Frame blending is off by default.
❖Choose Clip > Video Options > Frame Blend.
Freeze a frame
You can freeze one frame of a clip, either for a set time or for the entire duration of the clip (as if you imported the
frame as a still image). If you freeze a frame for only a portion of the clip, you can also create a speed transition to or
from the freeze frame.
Franklin McMahonhas this video tutorial on freezing a frame using the Frame Hold command and changing speed &
duration for an entire clip.
Freeze a frame for a portion of a clip
1In a Timeline panel, click on the Clip Effect menu and choose Time Remapping > Speed. (The Clip Effect menu
appears next to the filename of every clip in a video track. You might have to zoom in to make enough room in the
clip to display it.)
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Choosing Time Remapping > Speed from a video effect control
A horizontal rubber band that controls the speed of the clip appears across the center of the clip. The clip is shaded in
contrasting colors above and below the 100% speed demarcation. A white speed-control track appears in the upper
portion of the clip, just below the clip title bar.
2Ctrl-click (Windows) or Command-click (Mac OS) on the rubber band to create a speed keyframe .
3Ctrl+Alt-drag (Windows) or Option+Command-drag (Mac OS) the speed keyframe to the place at which you want
the freeze frame to end.
Note: Be sure to drag the rubber band horizontally, not vertically as you do with other keyframes.
A second keyframe is created at the place where you dropped the keyframe. The inner half keyframes, the hold
keyframes, take on a squared appearance as compared with regular speed keyframes. You cannot drag a hold keyframe
unless you create a speed transition for it. Vertical tic marks appear in the speed control track to indicate the segment
of the clip that is playing freeze frames.
Squared speed keyframes and vertical tic marks indicating the freeze-frame section of a clip
4(Optional) To create a speed transition to or from the freeze frame, drag the left half of the speed keyframe on the
left to the left, or the right half of the speed keyframe on the right to the right.
A gray area appears between the halves of the speed keyframe, indicating the length of the speed transition. The rubber
band forms a ramp between the two halves, indicating a gradual change in speed occurring between them.
After you create a speed transition, you can drag a hold keyframe. Dragging the first hold keyframe slips it to a new
media frame on which to hold. Dragging the second only alters the duration of the held frame.
5(Optional) To make the blue curve control appear, click the gray area in the speed control track between the
keyframe halves.
Blue curve control in gray area between halves of a freeze frame speed keyframe
6(Optional) To change the acceleration or deceleration of the speed change, drag either of the handles on the curve
control.
The change of speed eases in or eases out according to the curvature of the speed ramp.
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Dragging a curve control handle to ease in a speed change to a freeze frame
Freeze a video frame for the duration of a clip
You can freeze on the clip’s In point, Out point, or at marker 0 (zero), if present.
1Select a clip in a Timeline panel.
2To freeze a frame other than the In or Out point, open the clip in the Source Monitor, and set Marker 0 (zero) to
the frame you want to freeze.
3Choose Clip > Video Options > Frame Hold.
4Select Hold On, and select the frame you want to hold from the menu.
5Specify the following options as necessary, and then click OK:
Hold Filters Prevents keyframed effect settings (if any are present) from animating during the duration of the clip.
Effect settings use the values at the held frame.
Deinterlace Removes one field from an interlaced video clip and doubles the remaining field, so that field artifacts
(such as combing) are not apparent in the freeze frame.
Note: If you set the hold frame on an In or Out point, changing the edit point doesn’t change the freeze frame. If you set
the hold on Marker 0, moving the marker changes the frame displayed.
More Help topics
“Export a still image” on page 441
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Interlacing and field order
Interlaced video, noninterlaced video, and progressive scanning
Interlaced scanning of interlaced video fields compared with progressive scanning of noninterlaced video frame.
A. For interlaced video, entire upper field (odd-numbered lines) is drawn to screen first, from top to bottom, in one pass. B. Next, entire lower
field (even-numbered lines) is drawn to screen, from top to bottom, in one pass. C. For noninterlaced video, entire frame (all lines in counting
order) is drawn to screen, from top to bottom, in one pass.
Interlacing is a technique developed for transmitting television signals using limited bandwidth. In an interlaced
system, only half the number of horizontal lines for each frame of video are transmitted at a time. Because of the speed
of transmission, the afterglow of displays, and the persistence of vision, the viewer perceives each frame in full
resolution. All of the analog television standards use interlacing. Digital television standards include both interlaced
and noninterlaced varieties. Typically, interlaced signals are generated from interlaced scanning, whereas
noninterlaced signals are generated from progressive scanning.
Chris Pirazzi provides technical details of fields and interlacing on Lurker's Guide to Video website.
Trish and Chris Meyer provide various materials about interlacing, field order, field dominance, field rendering, and
separating fields:
•article (PDF) introducing interlacing and field separation on the Artbeats website
•article introducing interlacing and field order on the ProVideo Coalition website
•article clarifying meanings of the terms field order and field dominance on the ProVideo Coalition website
•video overview of fields and interlacing on the Lynda.com website
•For information about exporting a PsF (progressive segmented frame) video file from Premiere Pro via Adobe
Media Encoder, see this thread on the Premiere Pro user-to-user forum.
•More about PsF video.
More Help topics
“Choose fields in the Source and Program Monitors” on page 126
A
B
C
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About field dominance and field reversal
Fields in a clip can become reversed from the state in which they were originally acquired in any of the following ways:
•The video capture card used to capture the footage is set to the field dominance opposite that of the source device,
•The editing or animation software that last rendered the clip had the field dominance set opposite that of the
original clip,
•The clip is set to play backward.
Create interlaced or non-interlaced clips
Ordinarily, individual interlaced fields aren’t apparent to a viewer. However, playing a clip in slow-motion, creating a
freeze frame, or exporting a field as a still image can make a single field distinguishable. For these purposes, it is
sometimes preferable to deinterlace the image—that is, replace pairs of consecutive interlaced fields with single non-
interlaced frames. Premiere Pro can generate these new non-interlaced frames from the fields in one or two source
frames.
One unwanted interlacing artifact arises from a mismatch between the field order of a clip, and that of a sequence. Field
order specifies whether the field of odd-numbered lines (the upper field) or the field of even-numbered lines (the lower
field) is drawn first. For example, placing a clip with upper field order in a sequence using lower field order could result
in jerky playback. You can correct this problem by reversing the field order of the clip so that it matches that of the
project. You use the Reverse Field Dominance option to reverse the field order.
1Select a clip in a Timeline panel or in the Project panel. Choose Clip > Video Options > Field Options.
2Select Reverse Field Dominance to change the order in which the clip fields play back.
3For Processing Options, select one of the following choices:
None Doesn’t apply any of the Processing Options. Selecting this option does not disable Reverse Field Dominance,
if that option is checked.
Interlace Consecutive Frames Converts each pair of consecutive progressive-scan (non-interlaced) frames into the
two interlaced fields of a single frame. This also results in the clip running at twice its original frame rate. This option
is useful for interlacing clips created by animation applications not capable of generating interlaced frames. Ideally,
you could use it to convert 60-fps progressive-scan animations into 30-fps interlaced video.
Always Deinterlace Converts interlaced fields into non-interlaced, progressive-scan, frames. This option is useful for
clips you want to play in slow motion or in freeze frame. This option discards one field (retaining the dominant field
specified for the project in the Fields setting in the New Sequence dialog box, General tab). Then it interpolates the
missing lines based on the lines of the dominant field.
Note: In a sequence with No Fields (Progressive Scan) selected in the Fields menu, Always Deinterlace retains the upper
field. However, in this type of sequence, if you also select Reverse Field Dominance, Always Deinterlace retains the lower
field.
Flicker Removal Prevents thin horizontal details in an image from flickering by slightly blurring the two fields
together. An object as thin as one scan line flickers because it can appear only in every other field. This option blurs
consecutive lines 50%; it does not deinterlace the clip. It is especially useful for graphics containing thin horizontal
lines.
4Click OK.
To improve the appearance of video when the clip speed is not 100%, turn on frame blending. Choose Clip > Video
Options > Frame Blend.
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More Help topics
“Blend frames for smooth motion” on page 306
“Change sequence settings” on page 148
“Choose fields in the Source and Program Monitors” on page 126
Change the field order of a clip
In the Project panel, you can change the field order of all instances of a clip in all sequences of a project.
1In the Project panel, right-click the clip for which you want to change the field order.
2Select Modify >Interpret Footage.
3Choose the desired Field Order option.
4Click OK.
Color correction and adjustment
Jeff Sengstack provides an overview of color correction and enhancement on the Pro Video Coalition website.
This blog post contains a compilation of color correction and color grading tutorials from Robbie Carman, Jeff
Sengstack, Jarle Leirpoll, Karl Soule and Andrew Devis.
For a video and print tutorial about correcting color, see the Adobe website.
Karl Soule on Three-Way Color Corrector and color correction in this video on AdobeTV.
Maxim Jago explains how to correct color and exposure in a video from “Adobe Premiere Pro CS5: Learn By Video”
from Video2Brain.
Steve Hoeg, software engineer for Adobe Premiere Pro, explains how colors are processed within Premiere Pro,
including how and when colors are converted between RGB and YUV color models in this forum post.
Jeff Sengstack explains the Premiere Pro, color correction workflow in this movie from his lynda.com tutorial --
Premiere Pro: Color Correction and Enhancement.
Here's a link to a tutorial on www.premierepro.net that shows advanced color grading in Premiere Pro CS5.5.
Editor and colorist, Robbie Carman, explains color correction and grading techniques for Premiere Pro in this
workshop presented by Adobe.
Adjusting color and luminance
In video, color correction encompasses adjusting both the hue (color or chroma) and luminance (brightness and
contrast) in an image. Adjusting the color and luminance in video clips can create a mood, eliminate a color cast in a
clip, correct video that’s too dark or too light, or set the levels to meet broadcast requirements or to match color from
scene to scene. Effects can also adjust the color and luminance to emphasize or de-emphasize a detail in a clip.
You can find the color- and luminance-adjusting effects in the Color Correction bin inside the Video Effects bin.
Although other effects also adjust color and luminance, the Color Correction effects are designed for making very fine
color and luminance corrections.
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You apply the Color Correction effects to a clip the same way you apply all Standard effects. The effect properties are
adjusted in the Effect Controls panel. The Color Correction effects and other color effects are clip-based. However, you
can apply them to multiple clips by nesting sequences. For information about nesting sequences, see “Nest sequences”
on page 154.
Jeff Sengstack explains how to analyze clips for tonality issues in this lynda.com video from his tutorial -- Premiere
Pro: Color Correction and Enhancement.
Note: For more information, see “Broadcast Colors effect” on page 353.
You can use the Broadcast Colors effect to adjust a clip’s colors to broadcast standards.
When correcting color, it’s useful to use the Vectorscope or waveform scopes (YC Waveform, RGB Parade, and YCbCr
Parade) to help you analyze the chroma and luminance in a clip. You can view a scope in a separate Reference Monitor
that’s ganged to the Program Monitor so that you can check your video levels as you make adjustments.
For information about scopes, see “Using the Waveform monitors and vectorscope” on page 129.
Correcting exposure: Overexposed image with the waveform in the upper limits of the IRE scale (left) and corrected image with the waveform
within 7.5 to 100 IRE (right)
More Help topics
“Fast Color Corrector effect” on page 356
Correct video color, easily
“Luma Corrector effect” on page 358
“Luma Curve effect” on page 359
“RGB Color Corrector effect” on page 360
“RGB Curves effect” on page 361
“Three-Way Color Corrector effect” on page 363
“Video Limiter effect” on page 365
Set up a Color Correction workspace
The following is a suggested procedure for setting up your color correction workspace. It’s meant only as a starting
point so you can configure the workspace to suit your style of working.
1(Optional) Connect a calibrated NTSC or PAL monitor to your computer. If you’re creating video for broadcast,
viewing the video on an NTSC or PAL monitor is essential for the most accurate preview.
2Choose Window > Workspace > Color Correction.
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To see a before and after comparison of your color correction, you can either display the master clip in the Source
Monitor for comparison with the Program Monitor, or you can select the Split Screen Preview option in the Color
Correction effects.
3Make sure that the Draft Quality is not chosen in the Program Monitor menu. If possible, choose Highest Quality.
If your computer performance suffers, then choose Automatic Quality instead.
4(Optional) Choose Reference Monitor from the Window menu. Move the Reference Monitor where you can see it
and the Program Monitor easily.
Note: By default, the Gang To Program Monitor option is enabled in the Reference Monitor menu.
5Choose any of the following scopes from the Reference Monitor menu:
Note: You can also display a scope in the Program Monitor instead of the Reference Monitor.
Vectorscope Displays a circular chart, similar to a color wheel, that shows the video’s chrominance information. The
Vectorscope is very useful when making color adjustments.
YC Waveform Displays the luminance (represented as green in the waveform) and chrominance (represented as blue)
values in your clip.
YCbCr Parade Displays waveforms representing levels of the luminance and color difference channels in the digital
video signal. Users comfortable with viewing YUV waveforms might consider using this scope when making color and
luminance adjustments.
RGB Parade Displays waveforms representing the levels of the red, green, and blue channels in a clip. This graph is best
for comparing the relationship between the three channels.
All Scopes Displays all scopes in one monitor.
Vect/YC Wave/YCbCr Parade Displays the Vectorscope, YC Waveform, and YCbCr Parade in one monitor.
Vect/YC Wave/RGB Parade Displays the Vectorscope, YC Waveform, and RGB Parade in one monitor.
Phil Hawkins offers a hands-on introduction to the color correction workspace in this tutorial video at Infinite Skills.
Apply the Color Correction effects
The following procedure is a general overview of applying the Color Correction effects. See the following sections in
this chapter for making adjustments using the specific controls.
1Set up your workspace for color correction. If possible, make sure a calibrated NTSC or PAL monitor is connected
to your computer.
2Apply one of the Color Correction effects to the clip in a Timeline panel.
Note: If the clip is already selected in a Timeline panel, you can drag the effect to the Video Effects area of the Effect
Controls panel.
3In the Effect Controls panel, expand the Color Correction effect.
4Move the current-time indicator to a frame that provides the best example of colors that need to be adjusted.
5(Optional) Do any of the following to set preview options when correcting color:
•To view only the luminance values in a clip, choose Luma from the Output menu. This option only affects the
preview in the Program Monitor, it doesn’t remove the color from the video.
•To display a before and after view of the clip in one monitor, select the Show Split View option. You can specify
whether the split view is horizontal or vertical by choosing from the Layout menu. You can also adjust the relative
proportion of the before and after views.
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6(Optional) Use the Tonal Range Definition control to define the shadow, midtone, and highlight areas in the clip.
You can choose Tonal Range from the Output menu to view the tonal ranges you defined. Once defined, choose
from the Tonal Range menu to restrict the color corrections to a specific tonal range. See also “Define the tonal
ranges in a clip” on page 323.
Note: Only the Luma Corrector, RGB Corrector, and Three-Way Color Corrector effects let you apply adjustments to a
specific tonal range.
7(Optional) Click the triangle to expand the Secondary Color Correction controls if you want to correct the exposure
for a specific color or range of colors. Use the Eyedropper tool or the other Secondary Color Correction controls to
specify the colors to correct. See also “Specify a color or range of colors to adjust” on page 324.
Note: All Color Correction effects have Secondary Color Correction controls except the Fast Color Corrector effect and
Video Limiter effect.
8Do any of the following:
•To adjust color balance and saturation using color wheels, adjust the Hue Balance and Angle wheels or numeric
controls in the Fast Color Corrector or Three-Way Color Corrector effect. See also “Color balance, angle, and
saturation controls” on page 316.
•To adjust luminance or color using a curve control, use the curve adjustments in the Luma Curve or RGB Curves
effect. See also “Adjust color and luminance using curves” on page 318.
•To adjust luminance by setting the black, gray, and white levels, use the levels controls in the Fast Color Corrector
or the Three-Way Color Corrector effect. See also “Adjust luminance using levels” on page 320.
•See “Luma Corrector effect” on page 358 and “RGB Color Corrector effect” on page 360.
To adjust luminance or color using numeric controls, use the controls in the Luma Corrector or RGB Color Corrector
effect.
Use keyframing to animate your color correction adjustment. This is especially useful when the lighting changes in a
clip. See also “Adding, navigating, and setting keyframes” on page 415.
9(Optional) Apply the Video Limiter effect after you’ve made your color corrections to make the video signal
conform to broadcast standards while preserving as much of the image quality as possible. It’s recommended to use
the YC Waveform scope to make sure the video signal is within the 7.5 to 100 IRE levels.
See “Video Limiter effect” on page 365.
Quickly remove a color cast
The Fast Color Corrector and the Three-Way Color Corrector effects have controls to quickly balance colors so the
white, grays, and black are neutral. The adjustment that neutralizes the color cast in a sampled area is applied to the
entire image. This can remove the color cast in all colors. For example, if an image has an undesirable bluish cast, when
you sample an area that should be white, the White Balance control adds yellow to neutralize the bluish cast. This
yellow adjustment is added to all the colors in the scene, which should remove the color cast in the entire scene.
1Select the clip in a Timeline panel and apply either the Fast Color Corrector or the Three-Way Color Corrector
effect. See also “Adjust luminance using levels” on page 320.
2In the Effect Controls panel, click the triangle to expand the Fast Color Corrector or the Three-Way Color
Corrector controls.
3(Optional) Select the Show Split View option if you want to view a before and after comparison of your adjustment
in the Program Monitor. You can specify whether the split view is horizontal or vertical by choosing from the
Layout menu. You can also adjust the relative proportion of the before and after views.
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4Select the White Balance eyedropper and click to sample an area in the Program Monitor. It’s best to sample an area
that is supposed to be white.
If you only want to affect one color or a specific range of colors in the clip, use the Secondary Color Correction controls
in the Three-Way Color Corrector.
5(Optional for the Three-Way Color Corrector only) Do any of the following:
•To color balance by neutralizing a medium-gray area of the image, select the Gray Balance eyedropper and click an
area that’s supposed to be a medium gray.
•To color balance by neutralizing a black area in the image, select the Black Balance eyedropper and click an area
that’s supposed to be black.
The Gray Balance control adjusts the sampled area to become a neutral gray and the Black Balance control adjusts the
sampled area to become a neutral black. Like using the White Balance control, these adjustments affect all the colors
in the clip.
Note: You can also click the color swatch next to the eyedroppers and use the Adobe Color Picker to select a sample color.
More Help topics
“Specify a color or range of colors to adjust” on page 324
“Fast Color Corrector effect” on page 356
“Three-Way Color Corrector effect” on page 363
Make quick luminance corrections
The Fast Color Corrector and the Three-Way Color Corrector effects have automatic controls for making quick
adjustments to the luminance in a clip. For a video on correcting color and luminance with the Fast Color Corrector,
see the Adobe website.
1Select the clip in a Timeline panel and apply either the Fast Color Corrector or the Three-way Color Corrector. See
also “Apply effects to clips” on page 279.
2In the Effect Controls panel, click the triangle to expand the Fast Color Corrector or the Three-way Color Corrector
controls.
3(Optional) Select the Show Split View option if you want to view a before and after comparison of your adjustment
in the Program Monitor. You can specify whether the split view is horizontal or vertical by choosing from the
Layout menu. You can also adjust the relative proportion of the before and after views.
4Click any of the following buttons to quickly adjust the luminance to broadcast standards:
Auto Black Level Raises the black levels in a clip so the darkest levels are above 7.5 IRE. A portion of the shadows is
clipped and the intermediate pixel values are redistributed proportionately. As a result, using Auto Black Level lightens
the shadows in an image.
Auto Contrast Applies both the Auto Black Level and Auto White Level simultaneously. This makes the highlights
appear darker and shadows appear lighter.
Auto White Level Lowers the white levels in a clip so the lightest levels do not exceed 100 IRE. A portion of the
highlights is clipped and the intermediate pixel values are redistributed proportionately. As a result, using Auto White
Level darkens the highlights in an image.
More Help topics
Correct video color, easily
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Color balance, angle, and saturation controls
The Fast Color Corrector and the Three-way Color Corrector effects offer Hue Balance and Angle color wheels and a
Saturation control for balancing color in your video. Color balance is just what its name implies, balancing the red,
green, and blue components to produce the desired color of white and neutral grays in the image. Depending on the
desired effect, you may not want the color balance in a clip to be completely neutral. Perhaps you want an intimate
family scene to have a warm (reddish) color cast or maybe the scene in your crime documentary requires a cool
(bluish) color cast.
When making adjustments with the color wheel and Saturation control, it’s useful to open a Reference Monitor to
view the Vectorscope ganged to the composite video in the Program Monitor.
The color wheel adjustments offer the following adjustments:
Hue Angle Rotates the color toward a target color. Moving the outer ring to the left rotates the colors toward green.
Moving the outer ring to the right rotates the colors toward red.
Balance Magnitude Controls the intensity of the color introduced into the video. Moving the circle out from the center
increases the magnitude (intensity). The intensity can be fine-tuned by moving the Balance Gain handle.
Balance Gain Affects the relative coarseness or fineness of the Balance Magnitude and Balance Angle adjustment.
Keeping the perpendicular handle of this control close to the center of the wheel makes the adjustment very subtle
(fine). Moving the handle toward the outer ring makes the adjustment very obvious (coarse).
Balance Angle Shifts the video color toward a target color. Moving the Balance Magnitude circle toward a specific hue
shifts the color accordingly. The intensity of the shift is controlled by the combined adjustment of the Balance
Magnitude and Balance Gain.
Color correction adjustments using the color wheel
A. Hue Angle B. Balance Magnitude C. Balance Gain D. Balance Angle
The Saturation slider controls the color saturation in the video. Moving the slider to 0 desaturates the image so only
the luminance values show (an image made up of white, grays, and black). Moving the slider to the right increases the
saturation.
AB
C D
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Desaturated image (left); Saturated image (right)
More Help topics
“Vectorscope” on page 131
Adjust color balance and saturation
Although the following procedure uses the color wheel adjustments. The same adjustments can be made by entering
numeric values or using the slider controls in the Fast Color Corrector and Three-way Color Corrector effects.
1Set up your workspace for color correction.
2Select the clip in a Timeline panel and apply either the Fast Color Corrector or the Three-way Color Corrector
effect. See also “Apply effects to clips” on page 279.
3In the Effect Controls panel, click the triangle to expand the Fast Color Corrector or the Three-way Color Corrector
controls.
4(Optional) Select the Show Split View option if you want to view a before and after comparison of your adjustment
in the Program Monitor. You can specify whether the split view is horizontal or vertical by choosing from the
Layout menu. You can also adjust the relative proportion of the before and after views.
5(Optional for the Three-way Color Corrector only) Do any of the following:
•To restrict your color correction to a specific tonal range, choose Shadows, Midtones, or Highlights from the Tonal
Range menu. Choosing Master applies color correction to the entire tonal range of the image. If necessary, use the
Tonal Range Definition controls to define the different tonal ranges. You can choose Tonal Range from the Output
menu to view a tritone preview of the tonal ranges in the Program Monitor.
•To restrict your adjustments to a color or range of colors, click the triangle to expand the Secondary Color
Correction controls. Define the color or color range using the Eyedropper tool, slider controls or enter numeric
values. See also “Specify a color or range of colors to adjust” on page 324.
6To adjust the color balance, do any of the following using the color wheel:
•To change all the colors without affecting the gain or magnitude, rotate the outer ring. Rotating the ring to the left,
rotates all colors toward green. Rotating the ring to the right, rotates all colors toward red.
Rotating the outer ring of the color wheel (left) changes the hue angle (right).
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•To shift the colors toward a target color with gain and magnitude adjustment, drag the Balance Magnitude circle
out from the center toward the color you want introduced into the image. The farther you drag the Balance
Magnitude from the center, the introduced color is more intense. Drag the Balance Gain handle to fine-tune the
intensity of the Balance Magnitude adjustment. You can make the adjustment very subtle.
Adjusting the Balance Gain to fine-tune the Balance Magnitude setting.
Note: The Three-way Color Corrector effect lets you make separate adjustments to the three tonal ranges using individual
wheels for the shadows, midtones, and highlights.
7Use the Saturation control to adjust the color saturation in the image. Moving the slider to the left (lower value)
desaturates the colors. Moving the slider to the right (higher values) increases the color saturation.
More Help topics
Editing and color correcting video
Adjust color and luminance using curves
The curves adjustment of the Luma Curve and the RGB Curves effects, like the Levels sliders in the Fast Color
Corrector and the Three-way Color Corrector effects, let you adjust the entire tonal range or just a selected range of
colors in a video clip. But unlike Levels, which has only three adjustments (black level, gray level, and white level), the
Luma Curve and RGB Curves let you adjust up to 16 different points throughout an image’s tonal range (from shadows
to highlights).
Opening a scope in a Reference Monitor that’s ganged to the Program Monitor lets you view the luminance,
chrominance, or both values as you make the curves adjustments. If you’re using the Vectorscope, there should be
minimal green shading in the areas outside of the center of the scope. Areas outside the center define the level of color
saturation.
1In the Effects panel, click the triangle to expand the Video Effects bin, and then click the triangle to expand the
Color Correction bin.
2Drag one of the following effects to the clip in a Timeline panel:
Luma Curve Adjusts primarily luminance. Keep in mind that adjusting the luminance does affect the perceived
saturation of the colors.
RGB Curves Adjusts both color and luminance.
Note: If a clip is selected in a Timeline panel, you can drag the effect to the Video Effects section of the Effect Controls
panel.
3In the Effect Controls panel, click the triangle to expand the Luma Curve or RGB Curves controls.
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4(Optional) Do any of the following to set preview options:
•To view only the luminance values in a clip, choose Luma from the Output menu. This option affects only the
preview in the Program Monitor; it doesn’t remove the color from the video.
•To display a before and after view of the clip in one monitor, select the Show Split View option. You can specify
whether the split view is horizontal or vertical by choosing from the Layout menu. You can also adjust the relative
proportion of the before and after views.
5(Optional) Click the triangle to expand the Secondary Color Correction controls if you want to correct the exposure
for a specific color or range of colors. Use the Eyedropper tool or the other Secondary Color Correction controls to
specify the colors to correct.
6Do one of the following to make curve adjustments:
•To adjust the luminance, click to add a point on the Luma or Master graph and drag to change the shape of the
curve. Bowing the curve upward lightens the clip and bowing the curve downward darkens the clip. The steeper
sections of the curve represent portions of the image with greater contrast.
•To adjust both the color and luminance using the RGB Curves effect, click to add a point on the appropriate graph
to adjust all color channels (Master), the red channel, the green channel, or the blue channel. Drag to change the
shape of the curve. Bowing the curve upward lightens the pixel values and bowing the curve downward darkens the
pixel values. The steeper sections of the curve represent portions of the image with greater contrast.
You can add a maximum of 16 points to the curve. To delete a point, drag it off the graph.
As you make adjustments, watch carefully for banding, noise, or polarization in the image. If you notice any of these,
reduce the value you are adjusting.
Jeff Sengstack explains how to adjust color channels using RGB Color Corrector and RGB Curves effects in this
lynda.com video from his tutorial -- Premiere Pro: Color Correction and Enhancement.
Original image (left), adjusting luminance (center), adjusting color (right)
More Help topics
“Specify a color or range of colors to adjust” on page 324
“Luma Curve effect” on page 359
“RGB Curves effect” on page 361
“Set up a Color Correction workspace” on page 312
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Adjust luminance using levels
The Fast Color Corrector and the Three-way Color Corrector effects have Input Levels and Output Levels controls to
adjust the luminance in a clip. The controls are similar to the ones in Photoshop’s Levels dialog box. In the Fast Color
Corrector effect, control settings are applied to all three color channels in a clip. The Three-way Color Corrector effect
lets you apply the levels adjustments to the entire tonal range in the clip, a specific tonal range, or specific range of
colors.
1(Optional) Set up your workspace for color correction. When adjusting luminance, it might be best to view the YC
Waveform in a Reference Monitor ganged to the Program Monitor.
2In the Effects panel, click the triangle to expand the Video Effects bin, and then click the triangle to expand the
Color Correction bin.
3Drag the Fast Color Corrector effect or the Three-way Color Corrector to the clip in a Timeline panel.
If the clip is already selected in a Timeline panel, you can drag the effect to the Video Effects area of the Effect Controls
panel.
4In the Effect Controls panel, click the triangle to expand the Fast Color Corrector or Three-way Color Corrector
controls.
5(Optional) Do any of the following to set preview options:
•To view only the luminance values in a clip, choose Luma from the Output menu. This option only affects the
preview in the Program Monitor, it doesn’t remove the color from the video.
•To display a before and after view of the clip in one monitor, select the Show Split View option. You can specify
whether the split view is horizontal or vertical by choosing from the Layout menu. You can also adjust the relative
proportion of the before and after views.
6(Optional for the Three-way Color Corrector only) Do any of the following:
•To restrict your correction to a specific tonal range, choose Shadows, Midtones, or Highlights from the Tonal
Range menu. Choosing Master applies correction to the entire tonal range of the image. If necessary, use the Tonal
Range Definition controls to define the different tonal ranges. You can choose Tonal Range from the Output menu
to view a tritone preview of the tonal ranges in the Program Monitor.
•To restrict your adjustments to a color or range of colors, click the triangle to expand the Secondary Color
Correction controls. Define the color or color range using the Eyedropper tool, slider controls or enter numeric
values. See also “Specify a color or range of colors to adjust” on page 324.
7Use the Output Levels slider controls to set the maximum black and white levels:
Black Output slider Controls the resulting output of the shadows. The default is 0, where the pixels are completely
black. Moving the slider to the right specifies a lighter value for the darkest shadow.
White Output slider Controls the resulting output of the highlights. The default is 255, where the pixels are completely
white. Moving the slider to the right specifies a darker value for the brightest highlight.
If the YC Waveform is displayed in a Reference Monitor, adjust the Black Output and White Output sliders so the
maximum black and white levels of the waveform are within 7.5 to 100 IRE. This ensures that the levels are within
broadcast standards.
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Original image (left); blacks and whites corrected to broadcast limits (right)
8Use the following controls to set the black, gray, and white input levels:
Black Level eyedropper Maps the sampled tone to the setting of the Black Output slider. Click an area in the Program
Monitor that you want to be the darkest value in the image. You can also click the color swatch to open the Adobe
Color Picker and select a color to define the darkest shadow in the image.
Gray Level eyedropper Maps the sampled tone to a medium gray (level 128). This changes the intensity values of the
middle range of gray tones without dramatically altering the highlights and shadows. You can also click the color
swatch to open the Adobe Color Picker and select a color to define the medium gray in the image.
White Level eyedropper Maps the sampled tone to the setting of the White Output slider. Click an area in the Program
Monitor that you want to be the lightest value in the image. You can also click the color swatch to open the Adobe
Color Picker and select a color to define the lightest highlight in the image.
Black Input Level slider Maps the input black level to the setting of the Black Output slider. By default, the Output
black slider is set to 0, where the pixels are completely black. If you’ve adjusted the Black Output to 7.5 IRE or higher,
the darkest shadow will be mapped to that level.
Gray Input Level slider Controls the midtones and changes the intensity values of the middle range of gray tones
without dramatically altering the highlights and shadows.
White Input Level slider Maps the input white level to the setting of the White Output slider. By default, the Output
white slider is set to 255, where the pixels are completely white. If you’ve adjusted the White Output to 100 IRE or
lower, the lightest highlight will be mapped to that level.
Note: You can also adjust the Input and Output levels by scrubbing the underlined text or typing a value for Input Black
Level, Input Gray Level, Input White Level, Output Black Level, and Output White Level.
More Help topics
“Fast Color Corrector effect” on page 356
“Three-Way Color Corrector effect” on page 363
“Define the tonal ranges in a clip” on page 323
“Specify a color or range of colors to adjust” on page 324
Select a color with the Adobe Color Picker
You can use the Adobe Color Picker to set target colors in some color and tonal adjustment effects. Clicking a color
swatch in an effect’s controls opens the Adobe Color Picker.
When you select a color in the Adobe Color Picker, it simultaneously displays the numeric values for HSB, RGB, HSL,
YUV, and hexadecimal numbers. This is useful for viewing how the different color modes describe a color.
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In the Adobe Color Picker, you can select colors based on the HSB (hue, saturation, brightness), RGB (red, green,
blue), HSL (hue, saturation, luminance), or YUV (luminance and color difference channels) color models, or you can
specify a color based on its hexadecimal values. Selecting the Only Web Colors option configures the Adobe Color
Picker so that you can choose only from wheelbase colors. The color field in the Adobe Color Picker can display color
components in HSB, RGB, HSL, or YUV color mode.
Adobe Color Picker
A. Selected color B. Color field C. Color slider D. Adjusted color E. Original color F. Color values
1In the Effect Controls panel, click the Color swatch property for an effect to display the Color Picker.
2Select the component you want to use to display the color spectrum:
H Displays all hues in the color slider. Selecting a hue in the color slider displays the saturation and brightness range
of the selected hue in the color spectrum, with the saturation increasing from left to right and brightness increasing
from bottom to top.
S Displays all hues in the color spectrum with their maximum brightness at the top of the color spectrum, decreasing
to their minimum at the bottom. The color slider displays the color that’s selected in the color spectrum with its
maximum saturation at the top of the slider and its minimum saturation at the bottom.
B (in the HSB section) Displays all hues in the color spectrum with their maximum saturation at the top of the color
spectrum, decreasing to their minimum saturation at the bottom. The color slider displays the color that’s selected in
the color spectrum with its maximum brightness at the top of the slider and its minimum brightness at the bottom.
R Displays the red color component in the color slider with its maximum brightness at the top of the slider and its
minimum brightness at the bottom. When the color slider is set to minimum brightness, the color spectrum displays
colors created by the green and blue color components. Using the color slider to increase the red brightness mixes
more red into the colors displayed in the color spectrum.
G Displays the green color component in the color slider with its maximum brightness at the top of the slider and its
minimum brightness at the bottom. When the color slider is set to minimum brightness, the color spectrum displays
colors created by the red and blue color components. Using the color slider to increase the green brightness mixes
more green into the colors displayed in the color spectrum.
B (in the RGB section) Displays the blue color component in the color slider with its maximum brightness at the top of
the slider and its minimum brightness at the bottom. When the color slider is set to minimum brightness, the color
spectrum displays colors created by the green and red color components. Using the color slider to increase the blue
brightness mixes more blue into the colors displayed in the color spectrum.
F
BDC E
A
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3Do any of the following:
•Drag the triangles along the color slider, or click inside the color slider to adjust the colors displayed in the color
spectrum.
•Click or drag inside the large square color spectrum to select a color. A circular marker indicates the color's position
in the color spectrum.
Note: As you adjust the color using the color slider and color spectrum, the numeric values change to indicate the new
color. The top rectangle to the right of the color slider displays the new color; the bottom rectangle displays the original
color.
•For HSB, specify hue (H) as an angle, from 0° to 360°, that corresponds to a location on the color wheel. Specify
saturation (S) and brightness (B) as percentages (0 to 100).
•For RGB, specify component values.
•For #, enter a color value in hexadecimal form.
Define the tonal ranges in a clip
The Luma Corrector, RGB Color Corrector, and Three-way Color Corrector effects let you define the tonal ranges for
the shadows, midtones, and highlights so you can apply a color correction to a specific tonal range in an image. When
used along with the Secondary Color Correction controls, defining a tonal range can help you apply adjustments to
very specific elements in the image.
1Select the clip you want to correct in a Timeline panel and apply either the Luma Corrector, RGB Color Corrector,
or Three-way Color Corrector effect.
2In the Effect Controls panel, click the triangle to expand the Luma Corrector, RGB Color Corrector, or Three-way
Color Corrector effect.
3(Optional) Choose Tonal Range from the Output menu to display a tritone image of the shadows, midtones, and
highlights areas in the image.
The Tonal Range preview updates as you make changes to the Tonal Definition controls.
4Click the triangle to expand the Tonal Range Definition control.
Tonal Range Definition control
A. Shadow threshold B. Shadow softness C. Highlight softness D. Highlight threshold
5Drag the Shadow Threshold and Highlight Threshold sliders to define the shadow and highlight tonal ranges.
It’s best if you make the adjustments while viewing the tritone Tonal Range display of the image.
6Drag the Shadow Softness and Highlight Softness sliders to feather (soften) the boundaries between the tonal
ranges.
The amount of falloff depends on the image and how you want the color correction applied to it.
Note: You can also define the tonal ranges by changing the numeric values or moving the sliders for the Shadow
Threshold, Shadow Softness, Highlight Threshold, and Highlight Softness.
Once you’ve defined the tonal range in the clip, you can use the Tonal Range menu to choose whether to apply the
color correction to the shadows, midtones, highlights, or the entire tonal range (Master).
A B C D
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Choosing Tonal Range from Output menu to display shadow, midtone, and highlight regions in image.
Specify a color or range of colors to adjust
The Secondary Color Correction property specifies the color range to be corrected by an effect. You can define the
color by hue, saturation, and luminance. The Secondary Color Correction property is available for the following
effects: Luma Corrector, Luma Curve, RGB Color Corrector, RGB Curves, and Three-way Color Corrector.
By specifying a color or range of colors using the Secondary Color Correction, you are isolating a color correction
effect to specific areas of an image. This is similar to making a selection or masking an image in Photoshop. For
example, you define a range of colors that selects only a blue shirt in an image. You can then change the color of the
shirt without affecting any other areas of the image.
1Select the clip you want to correct in a Timeline panel and apply either the Luma Corrector, Luma Curve, RGB
Color Corrector, RGB Curves, or Three-way Color Corrector effect.
2In the Effect Controls panel, click the triangle to expand the Luma Corrector, Luma Curve, RGB Color Corrector,
RGB Curves, or Three-way Color Corrector effect.
3Click the triangle to expand the Secondary Color Correction controls.
4Select the Eyedropper tool and click the color you want to select in the Program Monitor. You can also click
anywhere in the workspace to select a color, or click the color swatch to open the Adobe Color Picker and select a
color.
5Do any of the following to increase or decrease the range of colors you want to correct:
•Use the + Eyedropper tool to extend the color range, and use the – Eyedropper tool to subtract from the color range.
•Click the triangle to expand the Hue control, and then drag the Start Threshold and End Threshold sliders to define
the color range where the correction is applied at 100%. Drag the Start Softness and End Softness sliders to control
feathering, which determines whether the boundaries of the color range are sharply defined or soft. You can also
enter the Start and End properties numerically using the controls below the Hue control.
Note: The hue defined by the sliders can also be changed by dragging the upper or lower hue bands.
Hue control
A. Start softness B. Start threshold C. End threshold D. End softness
•Use the Saturation and Luma controls to specify saturation and luminance properties for the color range to be color
corrected. These controls fine-tune the range of color specification.
A B C D
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6(Optional) Choose Mask from the Output menu to view the areas selected for adjustment. White represents areas
that allow 100% color correction, and black represents areas protected (masked) from color correction. The gray
areas allow partial application of the color correction. This Mask view updates as you make further adjustments to
the Secondary Color Correction controls.
Choosing Mask from Output menu to display selected areas (white) and protected areas (black).
7Use the following controls to specify how a color correction is applied to a color or range of colors:
Soften Applies a Gaussian blur to the selected area generated by the Secondary Color Correction controls. The range
is from 0 to 100, and the default setting is 50. This control is useful for softening the application of the color correction
to selected areas so that it blends with the rest of the image.
Edge Thinning Thins or spreads the edge of the selected area generated by the Secondary Color Correction controls.
The range is from –100 (thin, sharply defined edges) to +100 (spread, diffused edges). The default value is 0.
8Select the Invert Limit Color option to adjust all colors except the range that you specified using the Secondary
Color Correction controls.
More Help topics
“Luma Corrector effect” on page 358
“Luma Curve effect” on page 359
“RGB Color Corrector effect” on page 360
“RGB Curves effect” on page 361
“Three-Way Color Corrector effect” on page 363
Replace a color
If you need more control than the Color Replace effect offers, use the Secondary Color Correction controls in the RGB
Corrector, RGB Curves, and Three-way Color Corrector. These controls let you apply changes to a single color or a
range of colors.
1In a Timeline panel, select the clip you want to adjust so it appears in the Program Monitor.
2If you want to replace a color in the displayed clip with a color in another clip in your project, open that other clip
in the Source Monitor.
3Apply the Color Replace effect to the clip you want to adjust.
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4In the Effect Controls panel, click the Setup icon for the Color Replace effect.
5In the Color Replace Settings dialog box, move the pointer over the Clip Sample image so it becomes an eyedropper,
and then click to choose the color to be replaced. You can also click the Target Color swatch and select a color in
the Adobe Color Picker.
6Choose the replacement color by clicking the Replace Color swatch and selecting the color in the Adobe Color
Picker.
7Broaden or reduce the range of the color you’re replacing by dragging the Similarity slider.
8Select the Solid Colors option to replace the specified color without preserving any gray levels.
More Help topics
“Color Replace effect (Windows only)” on page 378
Remove color in a clip
To quickly remove color in a clip, apply the Black & White effect from the Image Control bin of the Video Effects bin.
1Set up your workspace for color correction.
2Select the clip in a Timeline panel and apply either the Fast Color Corrector or the Three-way Color Corrector. See
also “Apply effects to clips” on page 279.
3In the Effect Controls panel, click the triangle to expand the Fast Color Corrector or the Three-way Color Corrector
controls.
4(Optional) Select the Show Split View option if you want to view a before and after comparison of your adjustment
in the Program Monitor. You can specify whether the split view is horizontal or vertical by choosing from the
Layout menu. You can also adjust the relative proportion of the before and after views.
5(Optional for the Three-way Color Corrector only) Do any of the following:
•To restrict your adjustments to a specific tonal range, choose Shadows, Midtones, or Highlights from the Tonal
Range menu. Choosing Master applies adjustments to the entire tonal range of the image. If necessary, use the
Tonal Range Definition controls to define the different tonal ranges. You can choose Tonal Range from the Output
menu to view a tritone preview of the tonal ranges in the Program Monitor.
•To restrict your adjustments to a color or range of colors, click the triangle to expand the Secondary Color
Correction controls. Define the color or color range by using the Eyedropper tool or slider controls, or enter
numeric values. See also “Specify a color or range of colors to adjust” on page 324.
6Scrub the underlined text or enter a value lower than 100 for the Saturation control. You can also click the triangle
to expand the control so you can drag the slider.
Mix color channels in a clip
1In the Effects panel, click the triangle to expand the Video Effects bin, and then click the triangle to expand the
Adjust bin.
2Drag the Channel Mixer effect to the clip in a Timeline panel.
Note: If the clip is already selected in a Timeline panel, you can drag the Channel Mixer effect to the Video Effects section
of the Effect Controls panel.
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3Decrease or increase a channel’s contribution to the output channel by doing any of the following to a source color
channel:
•Scrub an underlined value to the left or right.
•Click an underlined value, type a value between –200% and +200% in the value box, and press Enter (Windows) or
Return (Mac OS).
•Click the triangle to expand the Channel Mixer controls, and drag the slider to the left or right.
4(Optional) Drag the slider, scrub the underlined text, or type a value for the channel’s constant value (Red-Const,
Green-Const, or Blue-Const). This value adds a base amount of a channel to the output channel.
5(Optional) Select the Monochrome option to create an image containing only gray values. This option achieves this
result by applying the same settings to all the output channels.
More Help topics
“Channel Mixer effect” on page 355
Isolate a single color using Color Pass
The Color Pass effect lets you isolate a single color or a range of colors. Adjustments are made in a dialog box showing
the Clip Sample and Output Sample. You can also adjust the Color Pass effect properties in the Effect Controls panel.
If you want to color correct a single color or range of colors in a clip, use the Secondary Color Correction controls in
the Color Correction effects.
1Drag the Color Pass effect to a clip.
2In the Effect Controls panel, click the Setup icon for the Color Pass effect.
3In the Color Pass Settings dialog box, do one of the following to select the color that you want to preserve:
•Move the pointer into the Clip Sample (the pointer turns into an eyedropper) and click to select a color.
•Click the color swatch, select a color in the Adobe Color Picker, and then click OK to close the Adobe Color Picker.
The selected color appears in the Output Sample.
4For the Similarity option, drag the slider or enter a value to increase or decrease the color range to be preserved.
5To reverse the effect, so that all colors except the specified color are preserved, select the Reverse option.
To animate this effect, use the keyframe features in the Effect Controls panel.
More Help topics
“Color Pass effect (Windows only)” on page 378
“Specify a color or range of colors to adjust” on page 324
Adjust edges, blurs and brightness using Convolution presets
You can control the fine details of blurring, embossing, sharpening, and other effects by applying the Convolution
Kernel effect or one of the convolution presets based on it. Convolution Kernel, and the presets based on it, overlays a
matrix of numbers onto a matrix of pixels. You can set the values for each cell in the matrix using sliders in the Effect
Controls panel, and you can use keyframes to change these values over time. To achieve a desired effect, it is often
easier to apply one of the convolution presets and to modify it, than to apply and modify the Convolution Kernel effect
itself.
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Note: Convolution presets are found in the Effects panel’s preset category in a sub-category called “Convolution Kernal.”
In this sub-category, there are presets that all have “Convolution Kernal” at the beginning of the name.
1In the Effects panel, click the triangle to expand the Video Effects bin, and then click the triangle to expand the
Adjust bin.
2Drag the Convolution Kernel effect to the clip in a Timeline panel.
If the clip is already selected in a Timeline panel, you can drag the Convolution Kernel to the Video Effects section of
the Effect Controls panel.
3In the Effect Controls panel, click the triangle next to Convolution Kernel to expand it.
Each of the settings that start with the letter “M” represents a cell in a 3x3 matrix. For example “M11” represents the
cell at row 1, column 1. “M22” represents the cell in the center of the matrix.
4Click on a number next to any of the cell settings.
5 Type a value (from –999 to +999) by which you want to multiply that pixel’s brightness value.
6Repeat the last step for all pixels that you want to include in the operation. You don’t need to type values for all of
the cell settings.
7Click the number next to Scale, and type the value by which to divide the sum of the brightness values of the pixels
included in the calculation.
8Click the number next to Offset, and type the value to be added to the result of the scale calculation.
9Click OK.
The effect is applied to each pixel in the clip, one at a time.
More Help topics
“Convolution Kernel effect” on page 344
Add Lighting Effects
You can use up to five lights to introduce creative effects. You can control such lighting properties as lighting type,
direction, intensity, color, lighting center, and lighting spread. There is also a Bump Layer control for using textures
or patterns from other footage to produce special effects such as a 3D-like surface effect. For a video tutorial about
using Lighting Effects and the Basic 3D effect, see Creating A Title On A Reflective Surface by Jeff Schell on his Digital
Media Net blog.
Note: All Lighting Effects properties except Bump Layer can be animated using keyframes.
You can directly manipulate the Lighting Effects properties in the Program Monitor. Click the Transform icon
next to Lighting Effects in the Effect Controls panel to display the adjustment handles and Center circle.
Lighting Effects: Original image (left), Spotlight applied to image (center), and Omnilight applied to image (right)
1In the Effects panel, expand the Video Effects bin, expand the Adjust bin, and then drag the Lighting Effects onto
a clip in a Timeline panel.
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If a clip is already selected in a Timeline panel, you can drag the Lighting Effects directly to the Video Effects section
of the Effect Controls panel.
2In the Effect Controls panel, click the triangle to expand the Lighting Effects.
3Click the triangle to expand Light 1.
4Choose a light type from the menu to specify the light source:
None Turns off a light.
Directional Shines light from far away so that the light angle doesn’t change—like the sun.
Omni Shines light in all directions from directly above the image—like a light bulb over a piece of paper.
Spotlight Casts an elliptical beam of light.
5To specify a color for the light, do one of the following:
•Click the color swatch, select a color using the Adobe Color Picker, and then click OK.
•Click the Eyedropper icon and then click anywhere on the computer desktop to select a color.
6(Optional) Click the Transform icon to display the light’s handles and Center circle in the Program Monitor. You
can directly manipulate the position, scale, and rotation of a light by dragging its handles and Center circle .
Note: If you have more than one light, Center circles for each light appear in the Program Monitor. Clicking a Center
circle displays the handles for a specific light.
7In the Effect Controls panel, use the following controls to set the properties for the individual source light:
Center Moves the light using X and Y coordinate values for the center of the light. You can also position a light by
dragging its Center circle in the Program Monitor.
Major Radius Adjusts the length of an Omni light or Spotlight. You can also drag one of the handles in the Program
Monitor.
Projected Radius Adjusts the proximity of a Directional light’s source to the Center circle . A value of 0 positions
the light at the Center circle and floods the image with light. A value of 100 moves the light source far from the Center
circle, decreasing the light falling on the image. In the Program Monitor, you can also drag the light source point to
adjust its distance from the Center circle.
Minor Radius Adjusts the width of a Spotlight. Once the light becomes a circle, increasing the Minor Radius also
increases the Major Radius. You can also drag one of the handles in the Program Monitor to adjust this property.
Angle Changes the direction of a Directional light or Spotlight. Adjust this control by specifying a value in degrees.
You can also move the pointer outside a handle in the Program Monitor until it turns into a double-headed curved
arrow , and then drag to rotate the light.
Intensity Controls whether a light is bright or less intense.
Focus Adjusts the size of the Spotlight’s brightest area.
Important: The Light Type determines which Lighting Effects properties are available. Make sure to click the Transform
icon to display a light’s handles and Center circle in the Program Monitor.
8Use the following controls to set the Lighting Effects properties:
Ambient Light Color Changes the color of the ambient light.
Ambience Intensity Diffuses the light as if it were combined with other light in a room, such as sunlight or fluorescent
light. Choose a value of 100 to use only the light source, or a value of –100 to remove the light source. To change the
color of the ambient light, click the color box and use the color picker that appears.
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Surface Gloss Determines how much the surface reflects light (as on the surface of a piece of photographic paper) from
–100 (low reflectance) to 100 (high reflectance).
Surface Material Determines which is more reflective: the light or the object on which the light is cast. A value of –100
reflects the light’s color, and a value of 100 reflects the object’s color.
Exposure Increases (positive values) or decreases (negative values) the light’s brightness. A value of 0 is the default
brightness of the light.
9(Optional) Repeat steps 3 - 7 to add more lights (Light 2 - Light 5).
10 (Optional) If you added a clip to use as a bump layer (Lighting Effects texture), choose the track containing the
bump layer clip from the Bump Layer menu. Use the controls to adjust the properties for the bump layer.
More Help topics
“Apply Lighting Effects textures” on page 330
“Adjust position, scale, and rotation” on page 293
Creating a Title on a Reflective Surface
Apply Lighting Effects textures
A bump layer in the Lighting Effects lets you use the pattern or texture from a clip to control how light reflects off an
image. Using a clip with textures like paper or water can create a 3D-like lighting effect.
1Add the clip you want to use as a bump layer (texture) to a separate track in your sequence.
2Click the Toggle Track Output icon to hide the track containing the bump layer clip.
3Add the Lighting Effects to a clip in the same sequence.
4In the Effect Controls panel, click the triangle to expand the Lighting Effects.
5(Optional) Click the triangle next to Light 1 to adjust the light’s properties.
6Choose the video track containing the bump layer from the Bump Layer menu.
7From the Bump Channel menu, specify whether to use the bump layer clip’s red, green, blue, or alpha channel to
create the lighting effects texture.
8Select the White Is High option to raise the white parts of the channel from the surface. Deselect this option to raise
the dark parts.
9Scrub the underlined text to specify the Bump Height value from flat (0) to mountainous (100).
Transition overview: applying transitions
A transition moves a scene from one shot to the next. Generally, you use a simple cut to move from shot to shot, but
in some cases you might want to transition between shots by phasing out one and phasing in another. Premiere Pro
provides many transitions that you can apply to your sequence. A transition can be a subtle crossfade or a stylized
effect, such as a page turn or spinning pinwheel. While you usually place a transition on a cut line between shots, you
can also apply a transition to only the beginning or end of a clip.
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By default, placing one clip next to another in a Timeline panel results in a cut, where the last frame of one clip is simply
followed by the first frame of the next. When you want to emphasize or add a special effect to a scene change, you can
add any of a variety of transitions, such as wipes, zooms, and dissolves. Apply transitions to the timeline using the
Effects panel, and edit them using the Timeline and the Effect Controls panel.
Transitions are available in the Video Transitions and the Audio Transitions bins in the Effects panel. Premiere Pro
provides many transitions, including dissolves, wipes, slides, and zooms. These transitions are organized in bins
by type.
For a video tutorial that shows how to apply and adjust transitions, see the Adobe website.
For a video and a print tutorial on making transitions, see the Adobe website.
Franklin McMahon provides a video tutorial on the Layers Magazine website that shows how to apply transitions and
set the default transition.
Phil Hawkins has two Premiere CS5 tutorial videos on applying transitions at Infinite Skills.
Kevin Monahan shows how to create new transitions based on effects in an article on the Adobe website: using effects
as transitions in Adobe Premiere Pro in this blog post.
You can create custom bins to group effects any way you’d like. (See “Work with bins” on page 106.)
Clip handles and transitions
In most cases, you don’t want a transition to occur during the essential action in a scene. For this reason, transitions
work best with handles—the extra frames beyond the In and Out points set for the clip.
The handle between a clip’s Media Start time and In point is sometimes called head material, and the handle between
a clip’s Out point and Media End time is sometimes called tail material.
A clip with handles
A. Media Start B. Handle C. In point D. Out point E. Handle F. Media End
A C
BD F
E
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In some cases, the source media may not contain enough frames for clip handles. If you apply a transition, and the
handle duration is too short to cover the transition duration, an alert appears to warn you that frames will be repeated
to cover the duration. If you decide to proceed, the transition appears in a Timeline panel with diagonal warning bars
through it.
Transition using duplicate frames
For best results with transitions, shoot and capture source media with sufficient handles beyond the In and Out points
of the actual clip duration you want to use.
Single- and double-sided transitions
Transitions are typically double-sided—they combine the last video or audio material from the clip before the cut with
the first material from the clip right after the cut. You can, however, apply a transition to an individual clip so that it
affects only the beginning or end of the clip. A transition applied to a single clip is called single-sided. The clip can be
immediately adjacent to another clip or sitting by itself on a track. You can apply double-sided transitions only when
the clip before the cut has a handle at its tail, and the clip after the cut has a handle at its head. For more information,
see “Applying transitions” on page 333.
Using single-sided transitions, you have more control over how clips transition. For example, you can create the effect
of one clip departing using the Cube Spin transition, and the next clip fading in using Dither Dissolve.
Single-sided transitions fade to and from a transparent state, not to and from black. Whatever is below the transition
in a Timeline panel appears in the transparent portion of the transition (the portion of the effect that would display
frames from the adjacent clip in a two-sided transition). If the clip is on Video 1 or has no clips beneath it, the
transparent portions display black. If the clip is on a track above another clip, the lower clip is shown through the
transition, making it look like a double-sided transition.
Single-sided transition with clip beneath it (left) compared to single-sided transition with nothing beneath it (right)
If you want to fade to black between clips, use the Dip To Black dissolve. Dip To Black doesn’t reveal any underlying
clips; it always fades to black.
In a Timeline panel or the Effect Controls panel, a double-sided transition has a dark diagonal line through it, while a
single-sided transition is split diagonally with one half dark and one half light.
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Types of transitions
A. Double-sided transition using duplicate frames B. Double-sided transition C. Single-sided transition
Note: If a double-sided transition must repeat frames (rather than use trimmed frames), the transition icon contains
additional diagonal lines. The lines span the area where it has used the repeated frames. (See “Clip handles and
transitions” on page 331.)
Applying transitions
To place a transition between two clips (centered on the cut line), the clips must be on the same track, with no space
between them. As you drag the transition to a Timeline panel, you can adjust the alignment interactively. Whether or
not the clips have trimmed frames determines how you can align the transition as you place it between the clips. The
pointer changes to indicate the alignment options as you move it over the cut:
•If both clips contain trimmed frames at the cut, you can center the transition over the cut or you can align it on
either side of the cut so that it either starts or ends at the cut.
•If neither clip contains trimmed frames, the transition automatically centers over the cut and repeats frames from
the first clip, or from the second clip, or from both clips, as needed to fill the transition duration. Diagonal bars
appear on transitions that use repeated frames.
•If only the first clip contains trimmed frames, the transition automatically snaps to the In point of the next clip. The
transition uses the first clip’s trimmed frames for the transition and does not repeat frames from the second clip.
•If only the second clip contains trimmed frames, then the transition snaps to the Out point of the first clip. The
transition uses the second clip’s trimmed frames for the transition and does not repeat frames from the first clip.
The default duration of a transition, for either audio or video, is set to 1 second. If a transition contains trimmed
frames, but not enough to fill the transition duration, Premiere Pro adjusts the duration to match the frames. You
can adjust the duration and alignment of a transition after you place it.
Note: In Premiere Pro CS5.5 and later, transition commands operate on all merged audio track items together. However,
timeline targeting must be enabled to apply the default audio transition to multiple audio tracks at one time. The desired
audio transition must be the user selected default, and you must use the Apply Audio Transition command. If you drag
and drop the transition, it will be applied to a single audio track only.
Apply a transition between two clips
1In the Effects panel, find the transition you want to apply. You’ll need to expand the Video Transitions bin, and
then expand the bin containing the transition you want to use.
2To place a transition between two clips, drag the transition to the cut line between two clips, and release the mouse
when you see the Center At Cut icon .
Note: As you drag over heads or tails of clips in a Timeline panel, you can see the area covered by the transition outlined.
3If a dialog box appears containing transition settings, specify options and click OK.
To preview the transition, play the sequence or drag the current-time indicator through the transition.
A B C
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Apply a single-sided transition
1In the Effects panel, find the transition you want to apply. You’ll need to expand the Video Transitions bin, and
then expand the bin containing the transition you want to use.
2To place a transition on a single cut, Ctrl-drag (Windows) or Command-drag (Mac OS) the transition into a
Timeline panel. Release the mouse when you see either the End At Cut or Start At Cut icon.
End At Cut icon Aligns the end of the transition to the end of the first clip.
Start At Cut icon Aligns the beginning of the transition to the beginning of the second clip.
Note: As you drag over heads or tails of clips in a Timeline panel, you can see the area covered by the transition outlined.
To place a transition at the end of a clip that is not adjacent to another clip, drag and drop the transition. Don’t Ctrl-
drag (Windows) or Command-drag (Mac OS). The transition automatically becomes single-sided.
To preview the transition, play the sequence or drag the current-time indicator through the transition.
Specify and apply default transitions
You can specify a video transition and an audio transition as default transitions and quickly apply them between clips
in a sequence. A red outline marks default transition icons in the Effects panel. Cross Dissolve and Constant Power
Crossfade are preset as the video and audio default transitions.
If you use another transition more frequently, you can set it as the default. When you change the default transition
setting, you change the default for all projects. Changing the default transition doesn’t affect transitions already applied
to sequences.
If you want to apply the default transition to most or all of the clips in a sequence, consider using the Automate To
Sequence command. Automate To Sequence places the default video and audio transition between all the clips it adds.
See “Add clips to a sequence automatically” on page 179.
Specify a default transition
1Choose Window > Effects and expand the Video Transitions or Audio Transitions bin.
2Select the transition that you want to make the default.
3Click the Menu button for the Effects panel, or right-click the transition.
4Choose Set Selected As Default Transition.
Set the duration of the default transition
1Do one of the following:
•Choose Edit > Preferences > General (Windows), or Premiere Pro > Preferences > General (Mac OS).
•Click the Effects panel menu button. Choose Default Transition Duration.
2
Change the value for the Video Transition Default Duration or Audio Transition Default Duration, and then click OK.
Add the default transition between two clips
You can apply the default transition to adjoining pairs of clips on one or more tracks
1Click one or more track headers to target the tracks where you want to add the transition.
2Position the current-time indicator at the edit point where the pair or pairs of clips meet. To navigate to an edit
point, you can click the Go To Next Edit Point and Go To Previous Edit Point buttons in the Program Monitor.
3Choose Sequence > Apply Video Transition or Sequence > Apply Audio Transition, depending on the target tracks.
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Note: You can add the default video transition between clips in a video track by pressing Ctrl+D (Windows) or
Command+D (Mac OS). You can add the default audio transition between two clips in an audio track by pressing
Ctrl+Shift+D (Windows) or Command+Shift+D (Mac OS).
Apply default transitions between selected clips
You can apply the default video and audio transitions to any selection of two or more clips. The default transitions are
applied to every edit point where two selected clips touch. The placement does not depend upon the position of the
current-time indicator or on whether the clips lie on targeted tracks. The default transitions are not applied where a
selected clip touches a non-selected clip or no clip at all.
1In the Timeline, select two or more clips. Shift-click clips, or draw a marquee over them, to select them.
2Select Sequence > Apply Default Transitions To Selection.
Copy and paste a transition
You can copy any transition in a sequence, and paste it to any other cut line on a track of the same type: video
transitions to video tracks, and audio transitions to audio tracks.
1Select a transition in a sequence.
2Select Edit > Copy.
3Move the current-time indicator to the cut line where you want to paste the transition.
4Select Edit > Paste.
•When you paste a double-sided transition to a double-sided location, the transition remains double-sided.
•When you paste a double-sided transition to a single-sided location, the transition becomes single-sided.
•When you paste a single-sided transition to a double-sided location, the transition becomes double-sided.
Replace a transition
❖Drag the new video or audio transition from the Effects panel onto the existing transition in the sequence.
When you replace a transition, the alignment and duration are preserved. However, this discards the settings for the
old transition and replaces it with the default settings for the new transition.
More Help topics
“Change transition settings” on page 339
Modifying and customizing transitions
Display transitions in the Effect Controls panel
You can use the Effect Controls panel to change settings for a transition you placed in a sequence. Settings vary from
transition to transition. In the Effect Controls panel, the adjoining clips and transition are displayed in A-roll/B-roll
format.
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Transition in Effect Controls panel
A. Play The Transition button B. Transition preview C. Edge selector D. Clip previews E. Start and End sliders F. Clip A (first clip)
G. Transition H. Clip B (second clip) I. Current-time indicator
•To open the transition in the Effects control panel, click the transition in a Timeline panel.
•To show or hide the time ruler in the Effect Controls panel, click the Show/Hide Timeline View button . If
necessary, widen the panel to make this button visible and active.
•To play back the transition in the Effect Controls panel, click the Play The Transition button. This doesn’t affect
the Program Monitor.
•To view frames from the actual clip or clips in the Effect Controls panel, select Show Actual Sources.
•To see a specific frame of the transition in the small preview, click the Play The Transition button. Then drag the
current-time indicator in the Effect Controls panel’s time ruler to the desired frame.
Note: Keyframes cannot be used with transitions. For transitions, the Timeline View in the Effect Controls panel is used
for adjusting transition alignment and duration.
Kevin Monahan shows how to create new transitions based on effects in an article on the Adobe website: using effects
as transitions in Adobe Premiere Pro in this blog post.
More Help topics
“Change transition settings” on page 339
Adjust transition alignment
You can change the alignment of a transition placed between two clips in either a Timeline panel or the Effect Controls
panel. A transition need not be centered or strictly aligned to the cut. You can drag the transition to reposition it over
the cut as desired.
Note: You can’t change a double-sided transition into a single-sided transition. If you realign a double-sided transition
to the start or end of a clip, it will use handles from the adjacent clip.
Align a transition in a Timeline panel
1In a Timeline panel, zoom in so that you can clearly see the transition.
2Drag the transition over the cut to reposition it.
AF
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H
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Dragging the transition in a Timeline panel to reposition it
Align a transition using the Effect Controls panel
1Double-click the transition in a Timeline panel to open the Effect Controls panel.
2If the Effect Controls time ruler is not visible, click the Show/Hide Timeline View button in the Effect Controls
panel. If necessary, widen the panel to make this button visible and active.
3In the Effect Controls time ruler, position the pointer over the center of the transition until the Slide Transition icon
appears; then drag the transition as desired. For finer control, magnify the time ruler.
•To center the transition on the cut line, in the Effect Controls panel, double-click the transition, and select Center
At Cut.
•To place all of the transition in the clip preceding the edit point, drag the transition to the left to align its end to the
edit point. Alternatively, in the Effect Controls panel, double-click the transition, and select End At Cut.
•To place all of the transition in the clip following the edit point, drag the transition to the right to align its beginning
to the edit point. Alternatively, in the Effect Controls panel, double-click the transition, and select Start At Cut.
•To place unequal portions of the transition in each clip, drag the transition slightly left or right. For finer control,
zoom in on the time ruler.
Dragging the transition in the Effect Controls time ruler
You can also choose an option from the Alignment menu in the Effect Controls panel. Custom Start appears as an
option in the Alignment field only when you drag the transition to a custom location over the cut.
Move a cut and transition together
You can adjust the location of the cut in the Effect Controls panel. Moving the cut line changes the In and Out points
of the clips, but does not affect the length of the movie. As you move the cut, the transition moves with it.
Note: You can’t move the cut beyond the end of a clip. If both clips do not have trimmed frames extending beyond the cut,
you cannot reposition the cut.
1Double-click the transition in a Timeline panel to open the Effect Controls panel.
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2If the Effect Controls time ruler is not visible, click the Show/Hide Timeline View button in the Effect Controls
panel. If necessary, widen the panel to make this button visible and active.
3In the Effect Controls time ruler, position the pointer over the transition, placing it on the thin vertical line that
marks the cut. The pointer changes from the Slide Transition icon to the Ripple Edit icon .
4Drag the cut as desired. (You can’t move the cut beyond either end of the clip.)
Change transition duration
You can edit a transition’s duration in either a Timeline panel or the Effect Controls panel. The default duration for
transitions is initially set to 1 second.
Lengthening a transition’s duration requires that one or both clips have enough trimmed frames to accommodate a
longer transition. (See “Clip handles and transitions” on page 331.)
Change transition duration in a Timeline panel
❖In a Timeline panel, position the pointer over the end of the transition until the Trim-In icon or the Trim-Out
icon appears; then drag.
Change transition duration in the Effect Controls panel
1Double-click the transition in a Timeline panel to open the Effect Controls panel.
2Do one of the following:
•In the Effect Controls time ruler, position the pointer over the transition until the Trim-In icon or the Trim-
Out icon appears; then drag. (If the Effect Controls time ruler is not visible, click the Show/Hide Timeline View
button in the Effect Controls panel. If necessary, widen the panel to make this button visible and active.)
•Drag the Duration value, or select it and type a new value. How the transition changes length depends on the
alignment option currently selected:
Center At Cut or Custom Start The transition’s start and end points move equally in opposite directions.
Start At Cut Only the end of the transition moves.
End At Cut Only the beginning of the transition moves.
Set the default duration for transitions
If you change the default, the new setting has no affect on transitions already placed.
1Choose Edit > Preferences > General.
2Change the value for the Video Transition Default Duration or Audio Transition Default Duration; then click OK.
Reposition the center of a transition
Some transitions, such as Iris Round, are positioned around a center. When a transition has a center that can be
repositioned, you can drag a small circle in the A preview area in the Effects Control panel.
1Click the transition in a Timeline panel to open the Effect Controls panel.
2In the A preview area in the Effect Controls panel, drag the small circle to reposition the transition center. (Not all
transitions have an adjustable center point.)
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Default center (left) and repositioned center (right)
Change transition settings
1In a Timeline panel, click a transition to select it.
2In the Effect Controls panel, adjust settings:
Edge selectors Change the orientation or direction of the transition. Click an Edge selector arrow on the transition’s
thumbnail. For example, the Barn Doors transition can be oriented vertically or horizontally. A transition doesn’t have
Edge selectors if it has one orientation or if orientation isn’t applicable.
Start and End sliders Set the percentage of the transition that is complete at the start and end of the transition. Hold
down the Shift key to move the start and end sliders together.
Show Actual Sources Displays the starting and ending frames of the clips.
Border Width Adjusts the width of the optional border on the transition. The default Border is None. Some transitions
do not have borders.
Border Color Specifies the color of the transition’s border. Double-click the color swatch or use the eyedropper to
choose the color.
Reverse Plays the transition backward. For example, the Clock Wipe transition plays counterclockwise.
Anti-Aliasing Quality Adjusts the smoothness of the transition’s edges.
Custom Changes settings specific to the transition. Most transitions don’t have custom settings.
Effects and transitions reference
For audio effects and transitions, see “Audio effects and transitions reference” on page 404.
Effects and transitions list
Adjust effects
•“Auto Color, Auto Contrast, and Auto Levels effects” on page 344
•“Convolution Kernel effect” on page 344
•“Extract effect” on page 345
•“Levels effect” on page 345
•“Lighting Effects effect” on page 345
•“ProcAmp effect” on page 345
•“Shadow/Highlight effect” on page 346
Blur and sharpen effects
•“Antialias effect (Windows only)” on page 347
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•“Camera Blur effect (Windows only)” on page 347
•“Channel Blur effect” on page 347
•“Compound Blur effect” on page 347
•“Directional Blur effect” on page 348
•“Fast Blur effect” on page 348
•“Gaussian Blur effect” on page 348
•“Ghosting effect (Windows only)” on page 349
•“Sharpen effect” on page 349
•“Unsharp Mask effect” on page 349
Channel effects
•“Arithmetic effect” on page 349
•“Blend effect” on page 350
•“Calculations effect” on page 350
•“Compound Arithmetic effect” on page 351
•“Invert (video) effect” on page 351
•“Set Matte effect” on page 352
•“Solid Composite effect” on page 352
Color correction effects
•“Brightness & Contrast effect” on page 353
•“Broadcast Colors effect” on page 353
•“Change Color effect” on page 353
•“Change To Color effect” on page 354
•“Channel Mixer effect” on page 355
•“Color Balance effect” on page 355
•“Color Balance (HLS) effect” on page 355
•“Equalize effect” on page 356
•“Fast Color Corrector effect” on page 356
•“Leave Color effect” on page 357
•“Luma Corrector effect” on page 358
•“Luma Curve effect” on page 359
•“RGB Color Corrector effect” on page 360
•“RGB Curves effect” on page 361
•“Three-Way Color Corrector effect” on page 363
•“Tint effect” on page 365
•“Video Limiter effect” on page 365
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Distort effects
•“Bend effect (Windows only)” on page 366
•“Corner Pin effect” on page 366
•“Lens Distortion effect (Windows only)” on page 367
•“Magnify effect” on page 367
•“Mirror effect” on page 368
•“Offset effect” on page 368
•“Spherize effect” on page 368
•“Transform effect” on page 368
•“Turbulent Displace effect” on page 369
•“Twirl effect” on page 370
•“Wave Warp effect” on page 370
Generate effects
•“4-Color Gradient effect” on page 370
•“Cell Pattern effect” on page 371
•“Checkerboard effect” on page 372
•“Circle effect” on page 372
•“Ellipse effect” on page 373
•“Eyedropper Fill effect” on page 373
•“Grid effect” on page 374
•“Lens Flare effect” on page 374
•“Lightning effect” on page 374
•“Paint Bucket effect” on page 375
•“Ramp effect” on page 377
•“Write-on effect” on page 377
Image control effects
•“Black & White effect” on page 378
•“Color Balance (RGB) effect” on page 378
•“Color Pass effect (Windows only)” on page 378
•“Color Replace effect (Windows only)” on page 378
•“Gamma Correction effect” on page 378
Keying effects
•“Alpha Adjust effect” on page 378
•“Blue Screen Key effect (Windows only)” on page 379
•“Chroma Key effect (Windows only)” on page 379
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•“Chromakey with the Ultra Key effect” on page 380
•“Color Key effect” on page 381
•“Difference Matte effect” on page 382
•“Eight-Point, Four-Point, and Sixteen-Point Garbage Matte effects” on page 383
•“Image Matte Key effect” on page 384
•“Luma Key effect” on page 385
•“Non Red Key effect” on page 386
•“RGB Difference Key effect (Windows only)” on page 386
•“Remove Matte effect” on page 387
•“Track Matte Key effect” on page 387
Noise and grain effects
•“Dust & Scratches effect” on page 389
•“Median effect” on page 389
•“Noise effect” on page 390
•“Noise Alpha effect” on page 390
•“Noise HLS and Noise HLS Auto effects” on page 391
Perspective effects
•“Basic 3D effect” on page 391
•“Bevel Alpha effect” on page 392
•“Bevel Edges effect” on page 392
•“Drop Shadow effect” on page 392
•“Radial Shadow effect” on page 393
Stylize effects
•“Alpha Glow effect” on page 394
•“Brush Strokes effect” on page 394
•“Color Emboss effect” on page 395
•“Emboss effect” on page 395
•“Find Edges effect” on page 395
•“Mosaic effect” on page 395
•“Posterize effect” on page 395
•“Replicate effect” on page 396
•“Roughen Edges effect” on page 396
•“Solarize effect” on page 397
•“Strobe Light effect” on page 397
•“Texturize effect” on page 397
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•“Threshold effect” on page 397
Time effects
•“Echo effect” on page 398
•“Posterize Time effect” on page 399
Transform effects
•“Camera View effect (Windows only)” on page 399
•“Crop effect” on page 399
•“Edge Feather effect” on page 399
•“Horizontal Flip effect” on page 400
•“Horizontal Hold effect (Windows only)” on page 400
•“Vertical Flip effect” on page 400
•“Vertical Hold effect (Windows only)” on page 400
Transition effects
•“Block Dissolve effect” on page 400
•“Gradient Wipe effect” on page 400
•“Linear Wipe effect” on page 401
•“Radial Wipe effect” on page 402
•“Venetian Blinds effect” on page 402
Utility effects
•“Cineon Converter effect” on page 402
Video effects
•“Timecode effect” on page 403
Video dissolve transitions
•“Additive Dissolve transition” on page 403
•“Cross Dissolve transition” on page 404
•“Dip To Black transition” on page 404
•“Dip To White transition” on page 404
•“Dither Dissolve transition” on page 404
•“Non-Additive Dissolve transition” on page 404
•“Random Invert transition” on page 404
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Adjust effects
Auto Color, Auto Contrast, and Auto Levels effects
The Auto Color, Auto Contrast, and Auto Levels effects make quick global adjustments to a clip. Auto Color adjusts
contrast and color by neutralizing the midtones and clipping the white and black pixels. Auto Contrast adjusts the
overall contrast and mixture of colors, without introducing or removing color casts. Auto Levels automatically corrects
the highlights and shadows. Because Auto Levels adjusts each color channel individually, it may remove or introduce
color casts.
Each effect has one or more of the following settings:
Temporal Smoothing The range of adjacent frames, in seconds, analyzed to determine the amount of correction
needed for each frame, relative to its surrounding frames. If Temporal Smoothing is 0, each frame is analyzed
independently, without regard for surrounding frames. Temporal Smoothing can result in smoother looking
corrections over time.
Scene Detect If this option is selected, frames beyond a scene change are ignored when the effect analyzes surrounding
frames for temporal smoothing.
Snap Neutral Midtones (Auto Color only) Identifies an average nearly neutral color in the frame and then adjusts the
gamma values to make the color neutral.
Black Clip, White Clip How much of the shadows and highlights are clipped to the new extreme shadow and highlight
colors in the image. Be careful of setting the clipping values too large, as doing so reduces detail in the shadows or
highlights. A value between 0.0% and 1% is recommended. By default, shadow and highlight pixels are clipped by
0.1%—that is, the first 0.1% of either extreme is ignored when the darkest and lightest pixels in the image are identified;
those pixels are then mapped to output black and output white. This clipping ensures that input black and input white
values are based on representative rather than extreme pixel values.
Blend With Original Determines the effect’s transparency. The result of the effect is blended with the original image,
with the effect result composited on top. The higher you set this value, the less the effect affects the clip. For example,
if you set this value to 100%, the effect has no visible result on the clip; if you set this value to 0%, the original image
doesn’t show through.
Convolution Kernel effect
The Convolution Kernel effect changes the brightness values of each pixel in the clip according to a mathematical
operation known as a convolution. A convolution overlays a matrix of numbers onto a matrix of pixels, multiplies each
underlying pixel's value by the number that overlays it, and replaces the central pixel's value with the sum of all of these
multiplications. This is performed for each pixel in the image.
The Convolution Kernel Settings include a set of controls that represent cells in a 3x3 grid of pixel brightness
multipliers. Labels on the controls, which begin with the letter “M,” indicate their position in the matrix. The M11
control, for example, affects the cell in the first row and first column of the grid; the M32 control affects the cell in the
third row and second column. The pixel being evaluated falls in the center of the grid, at the M22 location. Use this
effect for fine control over the properties of various emboss, blur, and sharpen effects. For a given effect, it is easier to
apply one of the Convolution Kernel presets and to modify it, than to create the effect from scratch using the
Convolution Kernel effect itself.
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Convolution Kernel pixel grid, showing the position of each control in the matrix
More Help topics
“Adjust edges, blurs and brightness using Convolution presets” on page 327
Extract effect
The Extract effect removes colors from a video clip, creating a grayscale image. Pixels with luminance values less than
the Black Input Level or greater than the White Input Level are made black. Everything between those points will
appear gray or white.
Note: The controls for this effect are similar to those of the Extract effect in Adobe After Effects, but the purpose and results
of the effect are different.
More Help topics
“Remove color in a clip” on page 326
Levels effect
The Levels effect manipulates the brightness and contrast of a clip. It combines the functions of the Color Balance,
Gamma Correction, Brightness & Contrast, and Invert effects. This effect functions much the same as the Levels effect
in After Effects.
The Levels Settings dialog box displays a histogram of the current frame (Windows only).
More Help topics
“Adjust luminance using levels” on page 320
Lighting Effects effect
The Lighting Effects effect applies lighting effects on a clip with up to five lights to introduce creative lighting. Lighting
Effects lets you control lighting properties such as lighting type, direction, intensity, color, lighting center, and lighting
spread. There is also a Bump Layer control to use textures or patterns from other footage to produce special lighting
effects such as a 3D-like surface effect.
See examples of using this effect in this video tutorial.
More Help topics
“Add Lighting Effects” on page 328
ProcAmp effect
The ProcAmp effect emulates the processing amplifier found on standard video equipment. This effect adjusts the
brightness, contrast, hue, saturation, and split percent of a clip's image.
M 1 1 M 1 2 M 1 3
M 21 M 22 M 23
M 31 M 32 M 33
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Shadow/Highlight effect
The Shadow/Highlight effect brightens shadowed subjects in an image and reduces the highlights in an image. This
effect doesn’t darken or lighten an entire image; it adjusts the shadows and highlights independently, based on the
surrounding pixels. You can also adjust the overall contrast of an image. The default settings are for fixing images with
backlighting problems.
Richard Harrington provides a video tutorial on the Creative COW website that demonstrates the use of the
Shadow/Highlight effect.
Auto Amounts If this option is selected, the Shadow Amount and Highlight Amount values are ignored, and
automatically determined amounts are used that are appropriate for lightening and restoring detail to the shadows.
Selecting this option also activates the Temporal Smoothing control.
Shadow Amount The amount to lighten shadows in the image. This control is active only if you deselect Auto
Amounts.
Highlight Amount The amount to darken highlights in the image. This control is active only if you deselect Auto
Amounts.
Temporal Smoothing The range of adjacent frames, in seconds, analyzed to determine the amount of correction
needed for each frame, relative to its surrounding frames. If Temporal Smoothing is 0, each frame is analyzed
independently, without regard for surrounding frames. Temporal Smoothing can result in smoother looking
corrections over time.
Scene Detect If this option is selected, frames beyond a scene change are ignored when surrounding frames are
analyzed for temporal smoothing.
Blend With Original The effect’s transparency. The result of the effect is blended with the original image, with the effect
result composited on top. The higher you set this value, the less the effect affects the clip. For example, if you set this
value to 100%, the effect has no visible result on the clip; if you set this value to 0%, the original image doesn’t show
through.
Expand the More Options category to reveal the following controls:
Shadow Tonal Width and Highlight Tonal Width The range of adjustable tones in the shadows and highlights. Lower
values restrict the adjustable range to only the darkest and lightest regions, respectively. Higher values expand the
adjustable range. These controls are useful for isolating regions to adjust. For example, to lighten a dark area without
affecting the midtones, set a low Shadow Tonal Width value so that when you adjust the Shadow Amount, you are
lightening only the darkest areas of an image. Specifying a value that is too large for a given image might introduce
halos around strong dark to light edges. The default settings attempt to reduce these artifacts. They can be further
reduced by decreasing these values.
Shadow Radius and Highlight Radius The radius (in pixels) of the area around a pixel that the effect uses to determine
whether the pixel resides in a shadow or a highlight. Generally, this value should roughly equal the size of the subject
of interest in your image.
Color Correction The amount of color correction that the effect applies to the adjusted shadows and highlights. For
example, if you increase the Shadow Amount value, you bring out colors that were dark in the original image; you may
want these colors to be more vivid. The higher the Color Correction value, the more saturated these colors become.
The more significant the correction that you make to the shadows and highlights, the greater the range of color
correction available.
Note: If you want to change the color over the whole image, use the Hue/Saturation effect after applying the
Shadow/Highlight effect.
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Midtone Contrast The amount of contrast that the effect applies to the midtones. Higher values increase the contrast
in the midtones alone, while concurrently darkening the shadows and lightening the highlights. A negative value
reduces contrast.
Black Clip, White Clip How much of the shadows and highlights are clipped to the new extreme shadow and highlight
colors in the image. Be careful of setting the clipping values too large, as doing so reduces detail in the shadows or
highlights. A value between 0.0% and 1% is recommended. By default, shadow and highlight pixels are clipped by
0.1%—that is, the first 0.1% of either extreme is ignored when the darkest and lightest pixels in the image are identified.
These are then mapped to output black and output white, ensuring that input black and input white values are based
on representative rather than extreme pixel values.
Blur and Sharpen effects
Antialias effect (Windows only)
The Antialias effect blends the edges between areas of highly contrasting colors. When blended, colors create
intermediate shades that make transitions between dark and light areas appear more gradual.
Camera Blur effect (Windows only)
The Camera Blur effect simulates an image leaving the focal range of the camera, blurring the clip. For example, by
setting keyframes for the blur, you can simulate a subject coming into or going out of focus, or the accidental bumping
of the camera. Drag the slider to specify a blur amount for the selected keyframe; higher values increase the blur.
Channel Blur effect
The Channel Blur effect blurs a clip’s red, green, blue, or alpha channels individually. You can specify that the blur is
horizontal, vertical, or both.
Repeat Edge Pixels blurs the pixels beyond the edge of the clip as though they have the same values as the edge pixels.
This effect keeps edges sharp, preventing the edges from darkening and becoming more transparent—which would
result from them being averaged with many zeroes. Deselect this option to make the blur algorithm operate as if the
pixel values beyond the edge of the clip are zero.
Compound Blur effect
The Compound Blur effect blurs pixels based on the luminance values of a control clip, also known as a blur layer or
blurring map. By default, bright values in the blur layer correspond to more blurring of the effect clip. Dark values
correspond to less blurring. Select Invert Blur for light values to correspond to less blurring.
This effect is useful for simulating smudges and fingerprints. Also, it can simulate changes in visibility caused by smoke
or heat, especially when used with animated blur layers.
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Original (left), blur layer (center), and result (right)
Maximum Blur The maximum amount, in pixels, that any part of the affected clip can be blurred.
Stretch Map To Fit Stretches the control clip to the dimensions of the clip to which it is applied; otherwise, the control
clip is centered on the effect clip.
Directional Blur effect
The Directional Blur effect gives a clip the illusion of motion.
Original (left), and with effect applied (right)
Direction The direction of the blur. The blur is applied equally on either side of a pixel’s center. Therefore, a setting of
180° and a setting of 0° look the same.
Fast Blur effect
Fast Blur is a close approximation of Gaussian Blur, but Fast Blur blurs large areas more quickly.
Original (left), and with effect applied (right)
Gaussian Blur effect
The Gaussian Blur effect blurs and softens the image and eliminates noise. You can specify that the blur is horizontal,
vertical, or both.
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Ghosting effect (Windows only)
The Ghosting effect overlays transparencies of the immediately preceding frames on the current frame. This effect can
be useful, for example, when you want to show the motion path of a moving object, such as a bouncing ball. Keyframes
cannot be applied to this effect.
Sharpen effect
The Sharpen effect increases the contrast where color changes occur.
Unsharp Mask effect
The Unsharp Mask effect increases the contrast between colors that define an edge.
Original (left), and with effect applied (right)
Radius The distance from the edge at which pixels are adjusted for contrast. If you specify a low value, only pixels near
the edge are adjusted.
Threshold The greatest difference between adjacent pixels for which contrast isn’t adjusted. A lower value produces a
greater result. A value that is too low causes an adjustment to the contrast of the entire image. A low value can also
generate noise or cause unexpected results.
Channel effects
Arithmetic effect
The Arithmetic effect performs various simple mathematical operations on an image’s red, green, and blue channels.
Operator The operation to perform between the value you specify for each channel and the existing value of that
channel for each pixel in the image:
•And, Or, and Xor Apply bitwise logical operations.
•Add, Subtract, Multiply, and Difference Apply basic math functions.
•Max Set the pixel’s channel value to the greater of the specified value and the pixel’s original value.
•Min Set the pixel’s channel value to the lesser of the specified value and the pixel’s original value.
•Block Above Set the pixel’s channel value to 0 if the pixel’s original value is greater than the value specified;
otherwise, leave the original value.
•Block Below Set the pixel’s channel value to 0 if the pixel’s original value is less than the value specified; otherwise,
leave the original value.
•Slice Set the pixel’s channel value to 1.0 if the pixel’s original value is above the specified value; otherwise, set the
value to 0. In both cases, the values for the other color channels are set to 1.0.
•Screen Apply a screen.
Clip Result Values Prevents all functions from creating color values that exceed the valid range. If this option isn’t
selected, some color values may wrap around.
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Blend effect
The Blend effect blends two clips using one of five modes. After you blend clips using this effect, disable the clip you
selected from the Blend With Layer menu. Select the clip and choose Clip > Enable.
Blend With Layer The clip to blend with (the secondary or control layer).
Mode Blend mode:
•Color Only colorizes each pixel in the original image based on the color of each corresponding pixel in the
secondary image.
•Tint Only is similar to Color Only but tints pixels in the original image only if they are already colored.
•Darken Only darkens each pixel in the original image that is lighter than the corresponding pixel in the secondary
image.
• Lighten Only lightens each pixel in the original image that is darker than the corresponding pixel in the secondary
image.
•Crossfade fades out the original image while the secondary image fades in.
Blend With Original The effect’s transparency. The result of the effect is blended with the original image, with the effect
result composited on top. The higher you set this value, the less the effect affects the clip. For example, if you set this
value to 100%, the effect has no visible result on the clip. If you set this value to 0%, the original image does not show
through.
If Layer Sizes Differ Specifies how to position the control layer.
Calculations effect
The Calculations effect combines the channels of one clip with the channels of another clip.
Original images (left and center), and with effect applied (right)
Input Channel The channel to extract and use as input to the blending operation. RGBA displays all channels
normally. Gray converts all color channel values for a pixel to the luminance value of the original pixel. Red, Green, or
Blue converts all color channel values for a pixel to the value of the selected color channel for the original pixel. Alpha
converts all channels to the value of the alpha channel for the original pixel.
For instructions on using the Calculations effect and the Ramp effect, see Coloring A Washed-out Sky With A
Gradient In Premiere Pro CS by Jeff Schell.
Invert Input Inverts the clip before the effect extracts the specified channel information.
Second Layer The video track with which Calculations blends the original clip.
Second Layer Channel The channel to be blended with the input channels.
Second Layer Opacity The opacity of the second video track. Set to 0% for the second video track to have no influence
on the output.
Invert Second Layer Inverts the second video track before the effect extracts the specified channel information.
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Stretch Second Layer To Fit Stretches the second video track to the dimensions of the original clip before blending.
Deselect this option to center the second video track on the original clip.
Preserve Transparency Ensures that the original layer’s alpha channel isn’t modified.
Compound Arithmetic effect
The Compound Arithmetic effect mathematically combines the clip to which it’s applied with a control layer. The
Compound Arithmetic effect is intended only to provide compatibility with projects created in earlier versions of After
Effects that use the Compound Arithmetic effect.
Second Source Layer Specifies the video track to use with the current clip in the given operation.
Operator Specifies the operation to perform between the two clips.
Operate On Channels Specifies the channels to which the effect is applied.
Overflow Behavior Specifies how pixel values that exceed the allowed range are treated:
•Clip Indicates that the values are limited to the allowed range.
•Wrap
Indicates that values exceeding the allowed range wrap around from full on to full off, or from full off to full on.
•Scale Indicates that the maximum and minimum values are calculated and the results are stretched down from that
full range to the range of allowable values.
Stretch Second Source To Fit
Scales the second clip to match the size (width and height) of the current clip. If this option
is deselected, the second clip is placed at its source’s current size, aligned with the upper left corner of the source clip.
Blend With Original The effect’s transparency. The result of the effect is blended with the original image, with the effect
result composited on top. The higher you set this value, the less the effect affects the clip. For example, if you set this
value to 100%, the effect has no visible result on the clip. If you set this value to 0%, the original image does not show
through.
Invert (video) effect
The Invert (video) effect inverts the color information of an image.
Channel Which channel or channels to invert. Each group of items operates in a particular color space, inverting either
the entire image in that color space or just a single channel.
•RGB/Red/Green/Blue RGB inverts all three of the additive color channels. Red, Green, and Blue each invert an
individual color channel.
•HLS/Hue/Lightness/Saturation HLS inverts all three of the calculated color channels. Hue, Lightness, and
Saturation each invert an individual color channel.
•YIQ/Luminance/In Phase Chrominance/Quadrature Chrominance YIQ inverts all three NTSC luminance and
chrominance channels. Y (luminance), I (in-phase chrominance), and Q (quadrature chrominance) each invert an
individual channel.
•Alpha Inverts the alpha channel of the image. The alpha channel isn’t a color channel; it specifies transparency.
Blend With Original The effect’s transparency. The result of the effect is blended with the original image, with the effect
result composited on top. The higher you set this value, the less the effect affects the clip. For example, if you set this
value to 100%, the effect has no visible result on the clip; if you set this value to 0%, the original image doesn’t show
through.
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Set Matte effect
The Set Matte effect replaces the alpha channel (matte) of a clip with a channel from a clip in a different video track.
This creates traveling matte results.
Note: The Set Matte effect was originally developed for After Effects. It is included in Premiere Pro only to provide
compatibility with projects created in earlier versions of After Effects that use the Set Matte effect.
Original images (left and center), and with effect applied (right)
To create a traveling matte using the Set Matte effect, set up a sequence with two overlapping clips on different video
tracks. Apply the Set Matte effect to one of the clips and specify which clip provides the replacement matte. Although
you can use Set Matte for a traveling matte, it is easier and faster to create traveling mattes by using the Track Matte
Key effect.
Take Matte From Layer The video track to use as the replacement matte. You can specify any video track in the
sequence.
Use For Matte The channel to use for the matte.
Invert Matte Inverts the transparency values of the matte.
Stretch Matte To Fit Scales the selected clip to match the size of the current clip. If Stretch Matte to Fit is deselected,
the clip designated as the matte is centered in the first clip.
Composite Matte With Original Composites the new matte with the current clip, rather than replacing it. The resulting
matte lets the image show through only where the current matte and the new matte both have some opacity.
Premultiply Matte Layer Premultiplies the new matte with the current clip.
Solid Composite effect
The Solid Composite effect offers a quick way to create a composite of a solid color behind the original source clip. You
can control the opacity of the source clip, control the opacity of the solid, and apply blend modes all within the effect’s
controls.
Source Opacity The opacity of the source clip.
Color The color of the solid.
Opacity The opacity of the solid.
Blending Mode The blend mode used to combine the clip and the solid color.
Color Correction effects
Jeff Sengstack provides an overview of color correction and enhancement on the Videomaker Magazine website.
Here's a link to a tutorial on www.premierepro.net that shows advanced color grading in Premiere Pro CS5.5.
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Brightness & Contrast effect
The Brightness & Contrast effect adjusts the brightness and contrast of an entire clip. The default value of 0.0 indicates
that no change is made. Using the Brightness & Contrast effect is the easiest way to make simple adjustments to the
tonal range of the image. It adjusts all pixel values in the image at once—highlights, shadows, and midtones.
Andrew Devis from Creative Cow demonstrates in this video why the Brightness & Contrast effect may not be the best
choice and provides an alternative option for better results.
Original (left) and with Brightness & Contrast effect applied (right)
Broadcast Colors effect
The Broadcast Colors effect alters pixel color values to keep signal amplitudes within the range allowed for broadcast
television.
Use the Key Out Unsafe and Key Out Safe settings for How To Make Color Safe to determine which portions of the
image are affected by the Broadcast Colors effect at the current settings.
Broadcast Locale The broadcast standard for your intended output. NTSC (National Television Standards
Committee) is the North American standard and is also used in Japan. PAL (Phase Alternating Line) is used in most
of Western Europe and South America.
How To Make Color Safe How to reduce signal amplitude:
•Reduce Luminance Reduces a pixel’s brightness by moving it toward black. This setting is the default.
•Reduce Saturation Moves the pixel’s color toward a gray of similar brightness, making the pixel less colorful. For
the same IRE level, reducing saturation alters the image more noticeably than does reducing luminance.
Maximum Signal Amplitude (IRE) The maximum amplitude of the signal in IRE units. A pixel with a magnitude above
this value is altered. The default is 110. Lower values affect the image more noticeably; higher values are more risky.
Change Color effect
The Change Color effect adjusts the hue, lightness, and saturation of a range of colors.
View Corrected Layer shows the results of the Change Color effect. Color Correction Mask shows the areas of the layer
that will be changed. White areas in the color correction mask are changed the most, and dark areas are changed the
least.
Hue Transform The amount, in degrees, to adjust hue.
Lightness Transform Positive values brighten the matched pixels; negative values darken them.
Saturation Transform Positive values increase saturation of matched pixels (moving toward pure color); negative
values decrease saturation of matched pixels (moving toward gray).
Color To Change The central color in the range to be changed.
Matching Tolerance How much colors can differ from Color To Match and still be matched.
Matching Softness The amount that unmatched pixels are affected by the effect, in proportion to their similarity to
Color To Match.
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Match Colors Determines the color space in which to compare colors to determine similarity. RGB compares colors
in an RGB color space. Hue compares on the hues of colors, ignoring saturation and brightness—so bright red and
light pink match, for example. Chroma uses the two chrominance components to determine similarity, ignoring
luminance (lightness).
Invert Color Correction Mask Inverts the mask that determines which colors to affect.
Change To Color effect
The Change To Color effect changes a color you select in an image to another color using hue, lightness, and saturation
(HLS) values, leaving other colors unaffected.
Change To Color offers flexibility and options unavailable in the Change Color effect. These options include tolerance
sliders for hue, lightness, and saturation for exact color matching, and the ability to select the exact RGB values of the
target color that you wish to change to.
Paul Trani shows Auto Contrast and Change To Color effects in this video tutorial.
For more information about the Change To Color effect in Premiere Pro, see this video by Learn by Video and
Video2Brain by Jan Ozer.
Jeff Sengstack explains how to use the Change to Color effect in this lynda.com video from his tutorial -- Premiere Pro:
Color Correction and Enhancement.
Original image (left), with saturation removed in the planet (center), and with light green changed to yellow in the planet (right)
From The center of the color range to change.
To The color to change matched pixels to.
To animate a color change, set keyframes for the To color.
Change Which channels are affected.
Change By How to change colors. Setting To Color performs a direct change of affected pixels to the target color.
Transforming To Color transforms affected pixel values towards the target color, using HLS interpolation; the amount
of change for each pixel depends on how close the pixel’s color is to the From color.
Tolerance How much colors can differ from the From color and still be matched. Expand this control to reveal
separate sliders for Hue, Lightness, and Saturation values.
Note: Use the View Correction Matte option to better identify which pixels are matched and affected.
Softness The amount of feather to use for the edges of the correction matte. Higher values create smoother transitions
between areas affected by the color change and those unaffected.
View Correction Matte Shows a grayscale matte that indicates the amount to which the effect affects each pixel. White
areas are changed the most, and dark areas are changed the least.
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Channel Mixer effect
The Channel Mixer effect modifies a color channel by using a mix of the current color channels. Use this effect to make
creative color adjustments not easily done with the other color adjustment tools: Create high-quality grayscale images
by choosing the percentage contribution from each color channel, create high-quality sepia-tone or other tinted
images, and swap or duplicate channels.
[output channel]-[input
channel] The percentage of the input channel value to add to the output channel value. For example, a Red-Green
setting of 10 increases the value of the red channel for each pixel by 10% of the value of the green channel for that pixel.
A Blue-Green setting of 100 and a Blue-Blue setting of 0 replaces the blue channel values with the green channel values.
[output channel]-Const The constant value (as a percentage) to add to the output channel value. For example, a Red-
Const setting of 100 saturates the red channel for every pixel by adding 100% red.
Monochrome Uses the value of the red output channel for the red, green, and blue output channels, creating a
grayscale image.
Removing all Red input from the Red channel, and adding 50% of the Green channel and 50% of the Blue channel to the Red channel
More Help topics
“Mix color channels in a clip” on page 326
Color Balance effect
The Color Balance effect changes the amount of red, green, and blue in the shadows, midtones, and highlights of an
image.
Preserve Luminosity Preserves the average brightness of the image while changing the color. This control maintains
the tonal balance in the image.
Color Balance (HLS) effect
The Color Balance (HLS) effect alters an image’s levels of hue, luminance, and saturation.
Hue Specifies the color scheme of the image.
Lightness Specifies the brightness of the image.
Saturation Adjusts the image’s color saturation. The default value is 0 which doesn’t affect the colors. Negative values
decrease saturation, with -100 converting the clip to grayscale. Values greater than 0 produce more saturated colors.
Note: If the Color Balance Saturation control does not give you the results you want, try the Saturation control in the Fast
Color Corrector effect.
More Help topics
“Fast Color Corrector effect” on page 356
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Equalize effect
The Equalize effect alters an image’s pixel values to produce a more consistent brightness or color component
distribution. The effect works similarly to the Equalize command in Adobe Photoshop. Pixels with 0 alpha
(transparent) values aren’t considered.
Richard Harrington provides a video tutorial on the Creative COW website that shows how to use the Equalize effect
to correct color and exposure.
Equalize RGB equalizes the image based on red, green, and blue components. Brightness equalizes the image based on
the brightness of each pixel. Photoshop Style equalizes by redistributing the brightness values of the pixels in an image
so that they more evenly represent the entire range of brightness levels.
Amount To Equalize How much to redistribute the brightness values. At 100%, the pixel values are spread as evenly as
possible; lower percentages redistribute fewer pixel values.
Fast Color Corrector effect
The Fast Color Corrector effect adjusts a clip’s color using hue and saturation controls. This effect also has levels
controls for adjusting intensity levels of image shadows, midtones, and highlights. This effect is recommended for
making simple color corrections that preview quickly in the Program monitor.
Here are links to some additional resources describing the Fast Color Corrector effect:
•Using the Fast Color Corrector Effect by Karl Soule
•Basics of Color Correction podcast with Aanarav Sareen
•Color Correction Made Simple by Charlie White
In this tutorial Andrew Devis from Creative Cow demonstrates how to use the Fast Color Corrector for primary color
correction.
Jeff Sengstack explains how to work with the Fast Color Corrector in his article, "Streamlining Color Correction in
Premiere Pro" on the Pro Video Coalition website.
Output Lets you view adjustments in the Program monitor as the final results (Composite), tonal value adjustments
(Luma), or display of the alpha matte (Mask).
Show Split View Displays the left or upper part of the image as the corrected view and the right or lower part of the
image as the uncorrected view.
Layout Determines whether the Split View images are side by side (Horizontal) or above and below (Vertical).
Split View Percent Adjusts the size of the corrected view. The default is 50%.
White Balance Assigns a white balance to an image using the Eyedropper tool to sample a target color in the image or
anywhere on your monitor’s desktop. You can also click the color swatch to open the Adobe Color Picker and select a
color to define the white balance.
Hue Balance And Angle Controls hue balance and hue angle using a color wheel. The small circle moves about the
center of the wheel and controls the hue (UV) translation. This changes the balance magnitude and balance angle. The
small perpendicular line sets the relative coarseness/fineness of the control, which controls the balance gain.
Adjustments to the Hue Balance And Angle can be viewed in the vectorscope.
Hue Angle Controls the hue rotation. The default value is 0. Negative values rotate the color wheel to the left and
positive values rotate the color wheel to the right.
Balance Magnitude Controls the amount of color balance correction as determined by the Balance Angle.
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Balance Gain Adjusts brightness values by multiplication so that lighter pixels are affected more than darker pixels.
Balance Angle Controls the selection of desired hue value.
Saturation Adjusts the image’s color saturation. The default value is 100, which doesn’t affect the colors. Values less
than 100 decrease saturation, with 0 completely removing any color. Values greater than 100 produce more saturated
colors.
Auto Black Level Raises the black levels in a clip so the darkest levels are above 7.5 IRE (NTSC) or 0.3v (PAL). A
portion of the shadows is clipped and the intermediate pixel values are redistributed proportionately. As a result, using
Auto Black Level lightens the shadows in an image.
Auto Contrast Applies both the Auto Black Level and Auto White Level simultaneously. Auto Contrast makes the
highlights appear darker and shadows appear lighter.
Auto White Level Lowers the white levels in a clip so the lightest levels do not exceed 100 IRE (NTSC) or 1.0v (PAL).
A portion of the highlights is clipped and the intermediate pixel values are redistributed proportionately. As a result,
using Auto White Level darkens the highlights in an image.
Black Level, Gray Level, White Level Sets the levels for darkest shadow, midtone gray, and lightest highlight using the
different Eyedropper tools to sample a target color in the image or anywhere on your monitor’s desktop. You can also
click the color swatch to open the Adobe Color Picker and select a color to define the black, midtone gray, and white.
Input Levels The outer two Input Levels sliders map the black point and white point to the settings of the Output
sliders. The middle Input slider adjusts the gamma in the image. It moves the midtone and changes the intensity values
of the middle range of gray tones without dramatically altering the highlights and shadows.
Output Levels Map the black point and white point input level sliders to specified values. By default, the Output sliders
are at level 0, where the shadows are completely black, and level 255, where the highlights are completely white. So, in
the default position for the Output sliders, moving the black input slider maps the shadow value to level 0, and moving
the white point slider maps the highlight value to level 255. The remaining levels are redistributed between levels 0 and
255. This redistribution decreases the tonal range of the image, in effect reducing the overall contrast of the image.
Input Black Level, Input Gray Level, Input White Level Adjust the black point, midtone, and white point input levels
for the highlights, midtones, or shadows.
Output Black Level, Output White Level Adjust the mapped output levels for the input black and input white levels for
the highlights, midtones, or shadows.
More Help topics
“Apply the Color Correction effects” on page 313
“Color balance, angle, and saturation controls” on page 316
“Adjust color and luminance using curves” on page 318
Leave Color effect
The Leave Color effect removes all colors from a clip except those similar to the Color To Leave. For example, a shot
of a basketball game could be decolored except for the orange of the ball itself.
How to leave two colours in a clip in the video tutorial by Ann Bens.
Richard Harrington provides a video tutorial on the Creative COW website that demonstrates the Leave Color effect
in Adobe Premiere Pro.
For more information about the Leave Color effect in Premiere Pro, see this video by Learn by Video and Video2Brain
by Jan Ozer.
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Original image (left), and with effect applied (right)
Amount To Decolor How much color to remove. 100% causes areas of the image dissimilar to the selected color to
appear as shades of gray.
Color To Leave Use the eyedropper or Color Picker to determine which color to leave.
Tolerance The flexibility of the color-matching operation. 0% decolors all pixels except those that exactly match Color
To Leave. 100% causes no color change.
Edge Softness The softness of the color boundaries. High values smooth the transition from color to gray.
Match Colors Determines whether colors’ RGB values or hue values are compared. Choose Using RGB to perform
more strict matching that usually decolors more of the image. For example, to leave dark blue, light blue, and medium
blue, choose Using Hue and choose any shade of blue as Color To Leave.
Luma Corrector effect
The Luma Corrector effect lets you adjust the brightness and contrast in the highlights, midtones, and shadows of a
clip. You can also specify the color range to be corrected by using the Secondary Color Correction controls.
Output Lets you view adjustments in the Program monitor as the final results (Composite) or tonal value adjustments
(Luma), display of the alpha matte (Mask) or a tritone representation of where the shadows, midtones, and highlights
fall (Tonal Range).
Show Split View Displays the left or upper part of the image as the corrected view and the right or lower part of the
image as the uncorrected view.
Layout Determines whether the Split View images are side by side (Horizontal) or above and below (Vertical).
Split View Percent Adjusts the size of the corrected view. The default is 50%.
Tonal Range Definition Defines the tonal range of the shadows and highlights using threshold and threshold with
falloff (softness) controls. Click the triangle to display the Tonal Range Definition controls. Drag a square slider to
adjust the threshold values. Drag a triangle slider to adjust the softness (feathering) value.
Note: Choose Tonal Range from the Output menu to view the different tonal ranges as you adjust the Tonal Range
Definition sliders.
Tonal Range Specifies whether the luminance adjustments are applied to the entire image (Master), the highlights
only, midtones only, or shadows only.
Brightness Adjusts the black level in a clip. Use this control so that the black picture content in your clip appears as
black.
Contrast Affects the image’s contrast by adjusting the gain from the clip’s original contrast value.
Contrast Level Sets the clip’s original contrast value.
Gamma Adjusts the image’s midtone values without affecting black and white levels. This control causes changes in
contrast, much like changing the shape of the curve in the Luma Curve effect. Use this control to adjust images that
are too dark or too light, without distorting shadows and highlights.
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Pedestal Adjusts an image by adding a fixed offset to the image’s pixel values. Use this control with the Gain control
to increase an image’s overall brightness.
Gain Affects the overall contrast ratio of an image by adjusting brightness values by multiplication. The lighter pixels
are affected more than darker pixels.
Secondary Color Correction Specifies the color range to be corrected by the effect. You can define the color by hue,
saturation, and luminance. Click the triangle to access the controls.
Note: Choose Mask from the Output menu to view the areas of the image that are selected as you define the color range.
Center Defines the central color in the range that you’re specifying. Select the Eyedropper tool and click anywhere on
your screen to specify a color, which is displayed in the color swatch. Use the + Eyedropper tool to extend the color
range, and use the – Eyedropper tool to subtract from the color range. You can also click the swatch to open the Adobe
Color Picker and select the center color.
Hue, Saturation, and Luma Specify the color range to be corrected by hue, saturation, or luminance. Click the triangle
next to the option name to access the threshold and softness (feathering) controls to define the hue, saturation, or
luminance range.
Soften Makes boundaries of the specified area more diffuse, blending the correction more with the original image. A
higher value increases the softness.
Edge Thinning Makes the specified area more sharply defined. The correction becomes more pronounced. A higher
value increases the edge definition of the specified area.
Invert Limit Color Corrects all colors except for the color range that you specified with the Secondary Color Correction
settings.
More Help topics
“Adjust color and luminance using curves” on page 318
Luma Curve effect
The Luma Curve effect adjusts the brightness and contrast of a clip using a curve adjustment. You can also specify the
color range to be corrected by using the Secondary Color Correction controls.
Output Lets you view adjustments in the Program monitor as the final results (Composite) or tonal value adjustments
(Luma), or display of the alpha matte (Mask).
Show Split View Displays the left or upper part of the image as the corrected view and the right or lower part of the
image as the uncorrected view.
Layout Determines whether the Split View images are side by side (Horizontal) or above and below (Vertical).
Split View Percent Adjusts the size of the corrected view. The default is 50%.
Luma Waveform Alters the brightness and contrast of the clip when you change the shape of the curve. Bowing the
curve upward lightens the clip and bowing the curve downward darkens the clip. The steeper sections of the curve
represent portions of the image with greater contrast. Click to add a point to the curve and drag to manipulate the
shape. You can adjust up to a maximum of 16 points on the curve. To delete a point, drag it off the graph.
Secondary Color Correction Specifies the color range to be corrected by the effect. You can define the color by hue,
saturation, and luminance. Click the triangle to access the controls.
Note: Choose Mask from the Output menu to view the areas of the image that are selected as you define the color range.
Center Defines the central color in the range that you’re specifying. Select the Eyedropper tool and click anywhere on
your screen to specify a color, which is displayed in the color swatch. Use the + Eyedropper tool to extend the color
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range, and use the - Eyedropper tool to subtract from the color range. You can also click the swatch to open the Adobe
Color Picker and select the center color.
Hue, Saturation, and Luma Specify the color range to be corrected by hue, saturation, or luminance. Click the triangle
next to the option name to access the threshold and softness (feathering) controls to define the hue, saturation, or
luminance range.
Soften Makes boundaries of the specified area more diffuse, blending the correction more with the original image. A
higher value increases the softness.
Edge Thinning Makes the specified area more sharply defined. The correction becomes more pronounced. A higher
value increases the edge definition of the specified area.
Invert Limit Color Corrects all colors except for the color range that you specified with the Secondary Color Correction
settings.
More Help topics
“Adjust color and luminance using curves” on page 318
RGB Color Corrector effect
The RGB Color Corrector effect adjusts the color in a clip by applying adjustments to the tonal ranges that you define
for the highlights, midtones, and shadows. The effect lets you make tonal adjustments to each color channel
individually. You can also specify the color range to be corrected by using the Secondary Color Correction controls.
Jeff Sengstack explains how to adjust color channels using RGB Color Corrector and RGB Curves effects in this
lynda.com video from his tutorial -- Premiere Pro: Color Correction and Enhancement.
For more information about using the RGB Color Corrector effect, see the video tutorial, Tips & Tricks: Color
Correction, on the Videomaker Magazine website.
Output Lets you view adjustments in the Program monitor as the final results (Composite), tonal value adjustments
(Luma), display of the alpha matte (Mask), or a tritone representation of where the shadows, midtones, and highlights
fall (Tonal Range).
Show Split View Displays the left or upper part of the image as the corrected view and the right or lower part of the
image as the uncorrected view.
Layout Determines whether the Split View images are side by side (Horizontal) or above and below (Vertical).
Split View Percent Adjusts the size of the corrected view. The default is 50%.
Tonal Range Definition Defines the tonal range of the shadows and highlights using threshold and falloff controls:
•Shadow Threshold Determines the shadow’s tonal range.
•Shadow Softness Determines the shadow’s tonal range with falloff.
•Highlight Threshold Determines the highlight’s tonal range.
•Highlight Softness Determines the highlight’s tonal range with falloff.
Choose Tonal Range from the Output menu to view the highlights, midtones, and shadows as you adjust the Tonal
Range Definition controls.
Tonal Range Specifies whether the color correction is applied to the entire image (Master), the highlights only,
midtones only, or shadows only.
Gamma Adjusts the image’s midtone values without affecting black and white levels. Use this control to adjust images
that are too dark or too light, without distorting shadows and highlights.
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Pedestal Adjusts an image by adding a fixed offset to the image’s pixel values. Use this control with the Gain control
to increase an image’s overall brightness.
Gain Affects the overall contrast ratio of an image by adjusting brightness values by multiplication. The lighter pixels
are affected more than darker pixels.
RGB Lets you adjust the midtone values, contrast, and brightness of each color channel individually. Click the triangle
to expand the options for setting the gamma, pedestal, and gain of each channel.
•Red Gamma, Green Gamma, and Blue Gamma Adjusts the red, green, or blue channel’s midtone values without
affecting black and white levels.
•Red Pedestal, Green Pedestal, and Blue Pedestal Adjusts the tonal values in the red, green, or blue channel by
adding a fixed offset to the channel’s pixel values. Use this control with the Gain control to increase the channel’s
overall brightness.
•Red Gain, Green Gain, and Blue Gain Adjusts the red, green, or blue channel’s brightness values by multiplication
so that lighter pixels are affected more than darker pixels.
Secondary Color Correction Specifies the color range to be corrected by the effect. You can define the color by hue,
saturation, and luminance. Click the triangle to access the controls.
Note: Choose Mask from the Output menu to view the areas of the image that are selected as you define the color range.
Center Defines the central color in the range that you’re specifying. Select the Eyedropper tool and click anywhere on
your screen to specify a color, which is displayed in the color swatch. Use the + Eyedropper tool to extend the color
range, and use the – Eyedropper tool to subtract from the color range. You can also click the swatch to open the Adobe
Color Picker and select the center color.
Hue, Saturation, and Luma Specify the color range to be corrected by hue, saturation, or luminance. Click the triangle
next to the option name to access the threshold and softness (feathering) controls to define the hue, saturation, or
luminance range.
Soften Makes boundaries of the specified area more diffuse, blending the correction more with the original image. A
higher value increases the softness.
Edge Thinning Makes the specified area more sharply defined. The correction becomes more pronounced. A higher
value increases the edge definition of the specified area.
Invert Limit Color Corrects all colors except for the color range that you specified with the Secondary Color Correction
settings.
More Help topics
“Apply the Color Correction effects” on page 313
“Adjust color and luminance using curves” on page 318
RGB Curves effect
The RGB Curves effect adjusts a clip’s color using curve adjustments for each color channel. Each curve lets you adjust
up to 16 different points throughout an image’s tonal range. You can also specify the color range to be corrected by
using the Secondary Color Correction controls.
Jeff Sengstack explains how to adjust color channels using RGB Color Corrector and RGB Curves effects in this
lynda.com video from his tutorial -- Premiere Pro: Color Correction and Enhancement.
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Here's a link to a tutorial on www.premierepro.net that shows advanced color grading in Premiere Pro CS5.5 and later
using (among other tools) the RGB Curves effect.
Output Lets you view adjustments in the Program monitor as the final results (Composite), tonal value adjustments
(Luma), or display of the alpha matte (Mask).
Show Split View Displays one part of the image as the corrected view and the other part of the image as the
uncorrected view.
Layout Determines whether the Split View images are side by side (Horizontal) or above and below (Vertical).
Split View Percent Adjusts the size of the corrected view. The default is 50%.
Master Alters the brightness and contrast of all channels when you change the shape of the curve. Bowing the curve
upward lightens the clip and bowing the curve downward darkens the clip. The steeper sections of the curve represent
portions of the image with greater contrast. Click to add a point to the curve and drag to manipulate the shape. You
can add a maximum of 16 points to the curve. To delete a point, drag it off the graph.
Red, Green, and Blue Alters the brightness and contrast of the red, green, or blue channel when you change the shape
of the curve. Bowing the curve upward lightens the channel and bowing the curve downward darkens the channel. The
steeper sections of the curve represent portions of the channel with greater contrast. Click to add a point to the curve
and drag to manipulate the shape. You can adjust up to a maximum of 16 points on the curve. To delete a point, drag
it off the graph.
Secondary Color Correction Specifies the color range to be corrected by the effect. You can define the color by hue,
saturation, and luminance. Click the triangle to access the controls.
Note: Choose Mask from the Output menu to view the areas of the image that are selected as you define the color range.
Center Defines the central color in the range that you’re specifying. Select the Eyedropper tool and click anywhere on
your screen to specify a color, which is displayed in the color swatch. Use the + Eyedropper tool to extend the color
range, and use the – Eyedropper tool to subtract from the color range. You can also click the swatch to open the Adobe
Color Picker and select the center color.
Hue, Saturation, and Luma Specify the color range to be corrected by hue, saturation, or luminance. Click the triangle
next to the option name to access the threshold and softness (feathering) controls to define the hue, saturation, or
luminance range.
End Softness Makes boundaries of the specified area more diffuse, blending the correction more with the original
image. A higher value increases the softness.
Edge Thinning Makes the specified area more sharply defined. The correction becomes more pronounced. A higher
value increases the edge definition of the specified area.
Invert Limit Color Corrects all colors except for the color range that you specified with the Secondary Color Correction
settings.
A user on the Premiere Pro user-to-user forum shares a RGB Curves effect preset mimicking Canon Technicolor
custom camera profile.
More Help topics
“Adjust color and luminance using curves” on page 318
“Adjust luminance using levels” on page 320
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Three-Way Color Corrector effect
The Three-Way Color Corrector effect lets you make subtle corrections by adjusting a clip’s hue, saturation, and
brightness for the shadow, midtones, and highlights. You can further refine your adjustments by specifying the color
range to be corrected by using the Secondary Color Correction controls.
Output Lets you view adjustments in the Program monitor as the final results (Composite), tonal value adjustments
(Luma), display of the alpha matte (Mask), or a tritone representation of the shadows, midtones, and highlights (Tonal
Range).
Show Split View Displays one part of the image as the corrected view and the other part of the image as the
uncorrected view.
Layout Determines whether the Split View images are side by side (Horizontal) or above and below (Vertical).
Split View Percent Adjusts the size of the corrected view. The default is 50%.
Black Balance, Gray Balance, White Balance Assigns a black, midtone gray, or white balance to a clip. Use the different
Eyedropper tools to sample a target color in the image, or choosing a color from the Adobe Color Picker.
Tonal Range Definition Defines the tonal range of the shadows, midtones, and highlights in a clip. Drag the square
sliders to adjust the threshold values. Drag the triangle sliders to adjust the amount of softness (feathering).
Choose Tonal Range from the Output menu to view the highlights, midtones, and shadows as you adjust the Tonal
Range Definition controls.
Shadow Threshold, Shadow Softness, Highlight Threshold, Highlight Softness Determine the threshold and softness
of the shadows, midtones, and highlights in a clip. Enter values or click the triangle next to the option name and drag
the slider.
Tonal Range Chooses the tonal range adjusted by the Hue Angle, Balance Magnitude, Balance Gain, Balance Angle,
Saturation, and Levels controls. Highlights is the default. Other options in the menu are Master, Shadows, and
Midtones.
Note: You can still adjust all three tonal ranges using the three color wheels even after you choose from the Tonal Range menu.
Three-Way Hue Balance and Angle Controls hue and saturation adjustments using three color wheels for the shadows
(left wheel), midtones (middle wheel), and highlights (right wheel). A single master wheel appears when Master is
chosen from the Tonal Range menu. A circular thumb moves about the center of the wheel and controls the hue (UV)
translation. A perpendicular handle on the thumb controls the balance magnitude, which affects the relative
coarseness or fineness of the control. The outer ring of the wheel controls hue rotation.
Three-Way Hue Balance And Angle color wheels
Highlights/Midtones/Shadows Hue Angle Controls the hue rotation in the highlights, midtones, or shadows. The
default value is 0. Negative values rotate the color wheel to the left and positive values rotate the color wheel to the right.
Highlights/Midtones/Shadows Balance Magnitude Controls the amount of color balance correction as determined by
the Balance Angle. The adjustment can be applied to highlights, midtones, and shadows.
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Highlight/Midtones/Shadows Balance Gain Adjusts brightness values by multiplication so that lighter pixels are
affected more than darker pixels. The adjustment can be applied to highlights, midtones, and shadows.
Highlights/Midtones/Shadows Balance Angle Controls the hue translation in the highlights, midtones, or shadows.
Highlights/Midtones/Shadows Saturation Adjusts the color saturation in the highlights, midtones, or shadows. The
default value is 100, which doesn’t affect the colors. Values less than 100 decrease saturation, with 0 completely
removing any color. Values greater than 100 produce more saturated colors.
Auto Black Level Raises the black levels in a clip so the darkest levels are above 7.5 IRE. A portion of the shadows is
clipped and the intermediate pixel values are redistributed proportionately. As a result, using Auto Black Level lightens
the shadows in an image.
Auto Contrast Applies both the Auto Black Level and Auto White Level simultaneously. This makes the highlights
appear darker and shadows appear lighter.
Auto White Level Lowers the white levels in a clip so the lightest levels do not exceed 100 IRE. A portion of the
highlights is clipped and the intermediate pixel values are redistributed proportionately. As a result, using Auto White
Level darkens the highlights in an image.
Black Level, Gray Level, White Level Sets the levels for darkest shadow, midtone gray, and lightest highlight using the
different Eyedropper tools to sample a target color in the image or anywhere on your monitor’s desktop. You can also
click the color swatch to open the Adobe Color Picker and select a color to define the black, midtone gray, and white.
Input Levels The outer two Input Levels sliders map the black point and white point to the settings of the Output
sliders. The middle Input slider adjusts the gamma in the image. It moves the midtone and changes the intensity values
of the middle range of gray tones without dramatically altering the highlights and shadows.
Input Levels slider
Output Levels Map the black point and white point input level sliders to specified values. By default, the Output sliders
are at level 0, where the shadows are completely black, and level 255, where the highlights are completely white. So, in
the default position for the Output sliders, moving the black input slider maps the shadow value to level 0, and moving
the white point slider maps the highlight value to level 255. The remaining levels are redistributed between levels 0 and
255. This redistribution increases the tonal range of the image, in effect increasing the overall contrast of the image.
Output Levels slider
Input Black Level, Input Gray Level, Input White Level Adjust the black point, midtone, and white point input levels
for the highlights, midtones, or shadows.
Output Black Level, Output White Level Adjust the mapped output levels for the input black and input white levels for
the highlights, midtones, or shadows.
Secondary Color Correction Specifies the color range to be corrected by the effect. You can define the color by hue,
saturation, and luminance. Click the triangle to access the controls.
Note: Choose Mask from the Output menu to view the areas of the image that are selected as you define the color range.
Center Defines the central color in the range that you’re specifying. Select the Eyedropper tool and click anywhere on
your screen to specify a color, which is displayed in the color swatch. Use the + Eyedropper tool to extend the color
range, and use the – Eyedropper tool to subtract from the color range. You can also click the swatch to open the Adobe
Color Picker and select the center color.
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Hue, Saturation, and Luma Specify the color range to be corrected by hue, saturation, or luminance. Click the triangle
next to the option name to access the threshold and softness (feathering) controls to define the hue, saturation, or
luminance range.
Soften Makes boundaries of the specified area more diffuse, blending the correction more with the original image. A
higher value increases the softness.
Edge Thinning Makes the specified area more sharply defined. The correction becomes more pronounced. A higher
value increases the edge definition of the specified area.
Invert Limit Color Corrects all colors except for the color range that you specified with the Secondary Color Correction
settings.
Jeff Sengstack explains how to use the Three-way Color Corrector effect to change the color of an object in this
lynda.com video from his tutorial -- Premiere Pro: Color Correction and Enhancement.
Karl Soule shows the basic Use of the 3-Way Color Corrector in this video tutorial.
Karl Soule shows how to set up the 3 wheels of the Three-Way Color Corrector in this video tutorial.
Karl Soule shows use of Three-Way Color Corrector effect for secondary color correction in this video tutorial.
Maxim Jago demonstrates the Three Way Color Corrector effect for secondary color correction on the video2brain
website.
Andrew Devis demonstrates how to use the Secondary Color Correction option in this video tutorial.
More Help topics
Using the Three Way Color Corrector in Premiere Pro
“Apply the Color Correction effects” on page 313
“Adjust color and luminance using curves” on page 318
Tint effect
The Tint effect alters an image’s color information. For each pixel, the luminance value specifies a blend between two
colors. Map Black To and Map White To specify to which colors dark and bright pixels are mapped. Intermediate
pixels are assigned intermediate values. Amount To Tint specifies the intensity of the effect.
Video Limiter effect
The Video Limiter effect lets you limit the luminance and color in a clip so that they fall within parameters that you
define. These parameters are useful for preserving the video as much as possible while making its signal fall within the
broadcasting limits.
Show Split View Displays one part of the image as the corrected view and the other part of the image as the
uncorrected view.
Layout Determines whether the Split View images are side by side (Horizontal) or above and below (Vertical).
Split View Percent Adjusts the size of the corrected view. The default is 50%.
Reduction Axis Lets you set the limits defining the range of luminance (Luma), color (Chroma), both color and
luminance (Chroma and Luma), or the overall video signal (Smart Limit). The Min and Max controls available depend
on the Reduction Axis option you choose.
Luma Min Specifies the darkest level in an image.
Luma Max Specifies the brightest level in an image.
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Chroma Min Specifies the lowest saturation for the colors in an image.
Chroma Max Specifies the maximum saturation for the colors in an image.
Signal Min Specifies the minimum video signal including both brightness and saturation.
Signal Max Specifies the maximum video signal including both brightness and saturation.
Reduction Method Lets you compress specific tonal ranges to preserve detail in important tonal ranges (Highlights
Compression, Midtones Compression, Shadows Compression, or Highlights and Shadows Compression) or compress
all tonal ranges (Compress All). Compress All is the default.
Tonal Range Definition Defines the tonal range of the shadows, midtones, and highlights in a clip. Drag the square
sliders to adjust the threshold values. Drag the triangle sliders to adjust the amount of softness (feathering).
Shadow Threshold, Shadow Softness, Highlight Threshold, Highlight Softness Determine the threshold and softness
of the shadows, midtones, and highlights in a clip. Enter values or click the triangle next to the option name and drag
the slider.
More Help topics
“Adjust color and luminance using curves” on page 318
Distort effects
Bend effect (Windows only)
The Bend effect distorts a clip by producing the appearance of a wave traveling both vertically and horizontally
through the clip. You can produce a number of different wave shapes at various sizes and rates.
Direction Specifies the direction of the wave:
•Left Specifies that waves move toward the left.
•Right Specifies that waves move toward the right.
•Up Specifies that waves move upward.
•Down Specifies that waves move downward.
•In Specifies that waves move toward the center of the clip.
•Out Specifies that waves start in the center and move to the edge of the clip.
Wave Specifies the shape of the wave. Choose from a sine wave, circle, triangle, or square.
Intensity Specifies the height of the wave.
Rate Specifies the frequency of the wave. To produce a wave only vertically or horizontally, move the Rate slider all
the way to the left for the direction you do not want.
Width Specifies the wave width.
Corner Pin effect
The Corner Pin effect distorts an image by changing the position of each of its four corners. Use it to stretch, shrink,
skew, or twist an image, or to simulate perspective or movement that pivots from the edge of a clip, such as a door
opening.
Note: You can directly manipulate the Corner Pin effect properties in the Program monitor when you click the Transform
icon
next to Corner Pin in the Effect Controls panel. Drag one of the four corner handles to adjust the properties.
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Original image (left), corner moved (center), and final image (right)
Lens Distortion effect (Windows only)
The Lens Distortion effect simulates a distorted lens through which the clip is viewed.
Curvature Changes the curvature of the lens. Specify a negative value to make the image concave, or a positive value
to make the image convex.
Vertical and Horizontal Decentering Displace the focal point of the lens, making the image bend and smear. At
extreme settings, the image wraps in on itself.
Vertical and Horizontal Prism FX Create a result similar to vertical and horizontal decentering, except that at extreme
values the image doesn’t wrap in on itself.
Fill Color Specifies the background color.
Fill Alpha Channel Makes the background transparent so that underlying tracks are visible. In the Effect Controls
panel, click Setup to access this option.
Magnify effect
The Magnify effect enlarges all or part of an image. This effect can act like a magnifying glass placed over an area of
the image, or you can use it to scale the entire image far beyond 100% while maintaining resolution.
Original image (left), and with variations of effect applied (center and right)
Shape The shape of the magnified area.
Center The center point of the magnified area.
Magnification Percentage by which to scale the magnified area.
Link How the size and edge feathering of the magnified area are affected by the Magnification setting. Setting Link to
any value other than None disables the Resize Layer option.
•None The size and edge feathering of the magnified area don’t depend on the Magnification setting.
•Size To Magnification The radius of the magnified area is equal to the Magnification value (a percentage) times the
Size value.
•Size & Feather To Magnification The radius of the magnified area is equal to the Magnification value (a percentage)
times the Size value. The thickness of the edge feather is equal to the Magnification value times the Feather value.
Size The radius of the magnified area, in pixels.
Feather The amount of edge feather, in pixels.
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Opacity The opacity of the magnified area, as a percentage of the opacity of the original clip.
Scaling The type of scaling used to magnify the image:
•Standard This method maintains sharpness in the image but produces pixelated edges at higher values.
•Soft Uses spline algorithms. If you scale the image beyond 100%, Soft reduces edge pixilation and maintains image
quality. Soft works well at large magnification amounts.
•Scatter Creates scatter or noise in the image as the image enlarges.
Blending Mode The blend mode used to combine the magnified area with the original clip. The None option displays
transparent pixels around the magnified area.
Resize Layer If Resize Layer is selected, the magnified area can extend beyond the original clip’s boundaries.
Mirror effect
The Mirror effect splits the image along a line and reflects one side onto the other.
Reflection Center The position of the line about which the reflection occurs.
Reflection Angle The angle of the line about which the reflection occurs. An angle of 0° reflects the left side onto the
right. An angle of 90° reflects the top onto the bottom.
Note: You can directly manipulate the Mirror effect in the Program monitor. Click the Transform icon and then
drag the adjustment handle.
Offset effect
The Offset effect pans the image within a clip. Visual information pushed off one side of the image appears on the
opposite side.
Shift Center To The new position of the original image’s center point.
Blend With Original The effect’s transparency. The result of the effect is blended with the original image, with the effect
result composited on top. The higher you set this value, the less the effect affects the clip. For example, if you set this
value to 100%, the effect has no visible result on the clip; if you set this value to 0%, the original image doesn’t show
through.
Spherize effect
The Spherize effect distorts a layer by wrapping a region of the image onto a sphere.
Here’s an example of using this effect in this video.
Transform effect
The Transform effect applies two-dimensional geometric transformations to a clip. Apply the Transform effect instead
of using clip Fixed effects if you want to render clip anchor point, position, scale, or opacity settings before other
Standard effects are rendered. Anchor Point, Position, Rotation, Scale, and Opacity properties function much the same
as the Fixed effects. For more details on the Transform effect, see the topic “How to use other motion effects: Basic 3D,
Camera View, and Transform” in the tutorial Project 7 Student Guides.
Skew Skew amount.
Skew Axis The axis about which skew occurs.
Note: In Adobe After Effects, the Transform effect includes the Shutter Angle control and Use Composition’s Shutter
Angle option. Both controls are adjusted only in After Effects.
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Turbulent Displace effect
The Turbulent Displace effect uses fractal noise to create turbulent distortions in an image. For example, use it to create
flowing water, funhouse mirrors, and waving flags.
Original image (left), and with variations of effect applied (center and right)
Displacement The type of turbulence used. Turbulent Smoother, Bulge Smoother, and Twist Smoother each perform
the same operations as Turbulent, Bulge, and Twist, except that the Smoother options create smoother warps and take
longer to render. Vertical Displacement warps the image vertically only. Horizontal Displacement warps the image
horizontally only. Cross Displacement warps the image both vertically and horizontally.
Amount Higher values cause more distortion.
Size Higher values cause larger areas of distortion.
Offset (Turbulence) Determines the portion of the fractal shape used to create the distortion.
Complexity Determines the level of detail in the turbulence. Lower values cause smoother distortions.
Evolution Animating this setting results in changes of the turbulence over time.
Note: Although the Evolution value is set in units called revolutions, it’s important to realize that these revolutions are
progressive. The evolution state continues to progress infinitely at each new value. Use the Cycle Evolution option to
return the Evolution setting to its original state at each revolution.
Evolution Options
Evolution Options provide controls that render the effect for one short cycle and then loop it for the
duration of your clip. Use these controls to pre-render turbulence elements into loops, and thus speed up rendering time.
•Cycle Evolution Creates a loop that forces the evolution state to return to its starting point.
•Cycle (In Revolutions) The number of revolutions of the Evolution setting that the fractal cycles through before it
repeats. The timing of the Evolution cycles is determined by the amount of time between Evolution keyframes.
Note: The Cycle control affects only the state of the fractal, not geometrics or other controls, so you can get different results
with different Size or Offset settings.
•Random Seed Specifies a value from which to generate the fractal noise. Animating this property results in flashing
from one set of fractal shapes to another within the same fractal type. For smooth transition of the roughness, use the
Evolution control.
Note: Create new turbulence animations by reusing previously created Evolution cycles and changing only the Random
Seed value. Using a new Random Seed value alters the noise pattern without disturbing the evolution animation.
Pinning Specifies which edges to pin so that the pixels along those edges aren’t displaced.
Anti-aliasing For Best Quality Specify the amount of anti-aliasing by selecting Low or High.
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Twirl effect
The Twirl effect distorts an image by rotating a clip around its center. The image is distorted more sharply in its center
than at the edges, causing a whirlpool result at extreme settings.
Angle How far to twirl the image. Positive angles twirl the image clockwise; negative angles twirl it counterclockwise.
For a whirlpool result, animate the angle.
Twirl Radius How far the twirl extends from the twirl center. This value is a percentage of width or height of the clip,
whichever is greater. A value of 50, for example, produces a twirl that extends to the edges of the clip.
Twirl Center Sets the position of the center of the twirl.
Wave Warp effect
The Wave Warp effect produces the appearance of a wave traveling across an image. You can produce a variety of
different wave shapes, including square, circular, and sine waves. The Wave Warp effect is automatically animated at
a constant speed across the time range (without keyframes). To vary speeds, you need to set keyframes.
Wave Type The shape of the wave.
Wave Height The distance, in pixels, between wave peaks.
Wave Width The size of the wave in pixels.
Direction The direction the wave travels across the image. For example, a value of 225° makes the waves travel
diagonally from upper right to lower left.
Wave Speed The speed (in cycles per second) at which the waves travel. A negative value reverses the wave direction,
and a value of 0 produces no movement. To vary wave speed over time, set this control to 0, and then set keyframes
for the Phase property.
Pinning Which edges to pin so that the pixels along those edges aren’t displaced.
Phase The point along the waveform at which a wave cycle begins. For example, 0° starts the wave at the midpoint of
its downward slope, and 90° starts it at the lowest point in the trough.
Antialiasing (Best Quality) Sets the amount of anti-aliasing, or edge smoothing, to perform on the image. In many
cases, lower settings produce satisfactory results; a high setting can significantly increase rendering time.
An example of the Wave Warp effect can be found in this video.
Generate effects
4-Color Gradient effect
The 4-Color Gradient effect produces a four-color gradient. You define the gradient by four effect points, the positions,
and colors of which can be animated using the Positions & Colors controls. The gradient is composed of four solid-
color circles blended together, each with an effect point as its center.
Blend Higher values create more gradual transitions between colors.
Jitter The amount of jitter (noise) in the gradient. The jitter, which reduces banding, affects only those areas where
banding could occur.
Opacity The opacity of the gradient, as a fraction of the clip’s Opacity value.
Blending Mode The blend mode to use in combining the gradient with the clip.
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Cell Pattern effect
The Cell Pattern effect generates cellular patterns based on cellular noise. Use it to create static or moving background
textures and patterns. The patterns can be used in turn as textured mattes, as transition maps, or as a source for
displacement maps.
Original image (left); Cell Pattern effect creates a displacement map (center), which is used for the Displacement Map effect (right).
Cell Pattern The cell pattern to use. HQ denotes high-quality patterns that render with more definition than their
unmarked counterparts. Mixed Crystals is available only as a high-quality option.
Note: The Static Plates option is identical in appearance to the Plates option. However, when evolving, the static plates
retain a uniform lightness value, whereas the plates shift the lightness of the cell pattern.
Invert Inverts the cell pattern. Black areas become white, and white areas become black.
Contrast/Sharpness Specifies the contrast of the cell pattern when you use the Bubbles, Crystals, Pillow, Mixed
Crystals, or Tubular cell pattern. The control specifies sharpness for any of the Plate or Crystallize options.
Note: The contrast is affected by the option chosen in the Overflow menu.
Overflow How the effect remaps values that fall outside the grayscale range of 0-255. Overflow isn’t available if
sharpness-based cell patterns are chosen.
•Clip Values above 255 are mapped to 255. Values below 0 are mapped to 0. Contrast amount controls how much
of the image falls outside the range 0-255; higher contrast amounts result in a mostly black or white image, with less
gray. Therefore, less subtle cellular detail appears at higher contrast settings.
•Soft Clamp Remaps grayscale values to fall inside the 0–255 range. Contrast appears reduced; cells are mostly gray
with very few areas of pure black or white.
•Wrap Back Values above 255 or below 0 are reflected back into the 0-255 range. For example, a value of 258 (255+3)
is reflected to 252 (255-3), and a value of -3 is reflected to 3. With this setting, Contrast values above 100 increase
complexity and detail.
Disperse How randomly the pattern is drawn. Lower values cause more uniform or grid-like cell patterns.
Size The size of the cells. The default size is 60.
Offset Determines the portion of the cell pattern that is used.
Tiling Options Choose Enable Tiling to create a pattern built of repeating tiles. Cells Horizontal and Cells Vertical
determine how many cells wide and how many cells high each tile is.
Evolution Animating this setting results in changes of the pattern over time.
Note: Although the Evolution value is set in units called revolutions, it’s important to realize that these revolutions are
progressive. The evolution state continues to progress infinitely at each new value. Use the Cycle Evolution option to
return the Evolution setting to its original state at each revolution.
Evolution Options Provide controls that render the effect for one short cycle and then loop it for the duration of your
clip. Use these controls to pre-render the cell pattern elements into loops, and thus speed up rendering time.
•Cycle Evolution Creates a loop that forces the evolution state to return to its starting point.
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•Cycle The number of revolutions of the Evolution setting that the cell pattern cycles through before it repeats. The
timing of the Evolution cycles is determined by the amount of time between Evolution keyframes.
Note: The Cycle control affects only the state of the cell pattern, not geometrics or other controls, so you can get different
results with different Size or Offset settings.
•Random Seed Specifies a value from which to generate the cell pattern. Animating this property results in flashing
from one cell pattern to another within the same cell pattern type. For smooth transition of the cell pattern, use the
Evolution control.
Note: Create new cell pattern animations by reusing previously created Evolution cycles and changing only the Random
Seed value. Using a new Random Seed value alters the cell pattern without disturbing the evolution animation.
Checkerboard effect
The Checkerboard effect creates a checkerboard pattern of rectangles, half of which are transparent.
Matching color produces subtle result (center); using red with high Width and low Height settings (right) creates striped result.
Anchor The point of origin of the checkerboard pattern. Moving this point offsets the pattern.
Size From How the dimensions of the rectangles are determined:
•Corner Point Each rectangle’s dimensions are those of the rectangle with opposite corners defined by the Anchor
and Corner points.
•Width Slider A rectangle’s height and width are equal to the Width value, meaning the rectangles are squares.
•Width & Height Sliders A rectangle’s height is equal to the Height value. A rectangle’s width is equal to the Width
value.
Feather Thickness of the edge feather within the checkerboard pattern.
Color The color of the non-transparent rectangles.
Opacity The opacity of the colored rectangles.
Blending Mode The blend mode to use to composite the checkerboard pattern on top of the original clip. The default
None mode renders the checkerboard pattern only.
Circle effect
The Circle effect creates either a customizable solid circle or ring.
Edge None creates a solid disk. The other options all create rings. Each option corresponds to a different set of
properties that determine the shape and edge treatment of the ring:
•Edge Radius The difference between the Edge Radius property and the Radius property is the thickness of the ring.
•Thickness The Thickness property sets the ring’s thickness.
•Thickness * Radius The product of the Thickness property and the Radius property is the ring’s thickness.
•Thickness & Feather * Radius The product of the Thickness property and the Radius property is the ring’s
thickness. The product of the Feather property and the Radius property is the ring’s feather.
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Feather The thickness of the feather.
Invert Circle Inverts the matte.
Blending Mode The blend mode used to combine the shape and the original clip. The default None displays only the
shape, without the original clip.
Ellipse effect
The Ellipse effect draws an ellipse.
Original image (left), with effect applied to the background once (center), and then applied multiple times (right)
Eyedropper Fill effect
The Eyedropper Fill effect applies a sampled color to the source clip. This effect is useful for quickly picking a solid
color from a sample point on the original clip or picking a color value from one clip and using blend modes to apply
this color to a second clip.
Original image (left), and with different color samples applied (center and right)
Sample Point The center of the sampled area.
Sample Radius The radius of the sampled area.
Average Pixel Color Which color values are sampled:
•Skip Empty Samples the average RGB color values, excluding those of transparent pixels.
•All Samples the average of all RGB color values, including those of transparent pixels.
•All Premultiplied Samples the average of all RGB color values, premultiplied with the alpha channel.
•Including Alpha Samples the average of all RGB color and alpha channel values. The result is that the sampled color
also contains the average transparency of the sampled pixels.
Maintain Original Alpha When selected, the effect maintains the original clip’s alpha channel. If you choose Including
Alpha from the Average Pixel Color menu, the original alpha is stenciled over the sampled color.
Blend With Original The effect’s transparency. The result of the effect is blended with the original image, with the effect
result composited on top. The higher you set this value, the less the effect affects the clip. For example, if you set this
value to 100%, the effect has no visible result on the clip; if you set this value to 0%, the original image doesn’t show
through.
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Grid effect
Use the Grid effect to create a customizable grid. Render this grid in a color matte or as a mask in the alpha channel of
the source clip. This effect is good for generating design elements and mattes within which other effects can be applied.
Original image (left) and with variations of effect applied (center and right)
Anchor The point of origin of the grid pattern. Moving this point offsets the pattern.
Size From How the dimensions of the rectangles are determined:
•Corner Point Each rectangle’s dimensions are those of the rectangle with opposite corners defined by the Anchor
and Corner points.
•Width Slider A rectangle’s height and width are equal to the Width value, meaning the rectangles are squares.
•Width & Height Sliders A rectangle’s height is equal to the Height value. A rectangle’s width is equal to the Width
value.
Border The thickness of the grid lines. A value of 0 causes the grid to disappear.
Note: The anti-aliasing of the grid borders may cause the visible thickness to vary.
Feather The softness of the grid.
Invert Grid Inverts the transparent and opaque areas of the grid.
Color The color of the grid.
Opacity The opacity of the grid.
Blending Mode The blend mode to use to composite the grid on top of the original clip. The default None mode
renders the grid only.
Lens Flare effect
The Lens Flare effect simulates the refraction caused by shining a bright light into the camera lens.
See an example of the Lens Flare effect in this video.
Flare Center Specifies a location for the center of the flare.
Flare Brightness Specifies the percentage of brightness. Values can range from 0% to 300%.
Lens Type Selects the type of lens to simulate.
Blend With Original Specifies the degree to which the effect is blended with the source clip.
Lightning effect
The Lightning effect creates lightning bolts, Jacob’s Ladders, and other electrical visuals between two specified points
in a clip. The Lightning effect is automatically animated without keyframes across the time range of the clip.
See an example of the Lightning effect in this video tutorial.
Start Point, End Point Where the lightning begins and ends.
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Segments The number of segments that form the main lightning bolt. Higher values produce more detail but reduce
the smoothness of motion.
Amplitude The size of undulations in the lightning bolt as a percentage of the clip width.
Detail Level, Detail Amplitude How much detail is added to the lightning bolt and any branches. For Detail Level,
typical values range from 2 through 3. For Detail Amplitude, a typical value is 0.3. Higher values for either control are
best for still images but tend to obscure animation.
Branching The amount of branching (forking) that appears at the ends of bolt segments. A value of 0 produces no
branching; a value of 1.0 produces branching at every segment.
Rebranching The amount of branching from branches. Higher values produce tree-like lightning bolts.
Branch Angle The angle between a branch and the main lightning bolt.
Branch Seg. Length The length of each branch segment as a fraction of the average length of the segments in the
lightning bolt.
Branch Segments The maximum number of segments for each branch. To produce long branches, specify higher
values for both Branch Seg. Length and Branch Segments.
Branch Width The average width of each branch as a fraction of the width of the lightning bolt.
Speed How fast the lightning bolt undulates.
Stability How closely the lightning follows the line defined by the start and end points. Lower values keep the lightning
bolt close to the line; higher values create significant bouncing.
Fixed Endpoint Determines whether the end point of the lightning bolt remains fixed in place. If this control isn’t
selected, the end of the bolt undulates around the end point.
Width, Width Variation The width of the main lightning bolt and how much the width of different segments can vary.
Width changes are randomized. A value of 0 produces no width changes; a value of 1 produces the maximum width
changes.
Core Width The width of the inner glow, as specified by the Inside Color value. Core Width is relative to the total width
of the lightning bolt.
Outside Color, Inside Color The colors used for the outer and inner glows of the lightning bolt. Because the Lightning
effect adds these colors on top of existing colors in the composition, primary colors often produce the best results.
Bright colors often become much lighter, sometimes becoming white, depending on the brightness of colors beneath.
Pull Force, Pull Direction The strength and direction of a force that pulls the lightning bolt. Use the Pull Force value
with the Stability value to create a Jacob’s Ladder appearance.
Random Seed An input value for the random noise generator that’s the basis of the Lightning effect.
Note: The random movement of the lightning could interfere with another image in the clip. Try different values for
Random Seed until you find one that works for the clip.
Blending Mode The blend mode to use to composite the lightning on top of the original clip.
Rerun At Each Frame Regenerates the lightning at each frame. To make the lightning behave the same way at the same
frame every time you run it, don’t select this option. Selecting this option increases rendering time.
Paint Bucket effect
The Paint Bucket effect is a nondestructive paint effect that fills an area with a solid color. It works much like the Paint
Bucket tool in Adobe Photoshop. Use Paint Bucket for colorizing cartoon-type outlined drawings or replacing areas
of color in an image.
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Jeff Sengstack explains how to use the Paint Bucket effect to change the color of an object in this lynda.com video from
his tutorial -- Premiere Pro: Color Correction and Enhancement.
Colors fill spiral shapes on separate tracks (left and center); effect applied to saucer with Color blend mode (right)
Fill Point The effect fills an area that contains the Fill Point. The area is determined by analyzing pixels that neighbor
the Fill Point and expanding the fill area by adding matching pixels. How far the fill color spreads depends upon the
Tolerance setting, as well as the option you choose from the Fill Selector menu.
Fill Selector Which values to operate on:
•Color & Alpha Specifies that the effect fills the fill point’s RGB and alpha channels with the new color.
•Straight Color Specifies that the effect fills only the fill point area’s RGB channel with the new color.
•Transparency Specifies that the effect fills only the transparent areas near the fill point. You must set a fill point in
a transparent area for this option to work.
•Opacity Specifies that the effect fills only the opaque areas near the fill point. You must set a fill point in an opaque
area for this option to work.
•Alpha Channel Specifies that the effect fills either the opaque or transparent areas in the whole image, depending
upon the alpha channel value at the point you set the fill point.
Tolerance How far a pixel’s color values can be from the Fill Point color values and still match. Higher values expand
the range of pixels that the effect fills.
View Threshold Shows what pixels match—that is, which pixels are within the Tolerance value of the color values of
the Fill Point pixel. This option is especially useful in tracking leaks. If there is a small gap, the color can flow over and
fill areas not intended to be filled.
Stroke How the effect treats the edges of the filled area:
•Antialias Anti-aliases the edges of the filled area.
•Feather Creates a feathered edge for the filled area. Feather Softness values create a more gradually disappearing
edge.
•Spread Expands the area of the fill color. The Spread Radius value indicates the number of pixels the fill color
extends beyond the edge of the fill area.
•Choke Contracts the area of the fill color. The Spread Radius value indicates the number of pixels the fill color
shrinks from the edge of the fill area.
•Stroke Confines the fill to just the border of the selected area. The Stroke Width value indicates the width of the
stroke, in pixels.
Color The fill color.
Opacity Opacity of the filled area.
Blending Mode The blend mode to use to composite the result of effect on top of the original clip. Use Fill Only to
show only the fill.
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Note: If you apply multiple instances of Paint Bucket to a clip, be sure not to set more than one to use the Fill Only blend
mode. If you set more than one instance to use this blend mode, only the first application of the effect is shown.
Ramp effect
The Ramp effect creates a color gradient. You can create linear or radial ramps and vary the position and colors of the
ramp over time. Use the Start Of Ramp and End Of Ramp properties to specify the start and end positions. Use the
Ramp Scatter control to disperse the ramp colors and eliminate banding. For a video tutorial on using the Ramp effect
and the Calculations effect, see Coloring A Washed-out Sky With A Gradient In Premiere Pro CS by Jeff Schell on his
Digital Media Net blog.
Note: Ramps often don’t broadcast well; serious banding occurs because the broadcast chrominance signal doesn’t
contain sufficient resolution to reproduce the ramp smoothly. The Ramp Scatter control dithers the ramp colors,
eliminating the banding apparent to the human eye.
Write-on effect
See an example of the Write-on effect in this video tutorial.
The Write-on effect animates strokes on a clip. For example, you can simulate the action of hand-writing of cursive
text or signatures.
For instruction on how to use the Write-on effect, see the video tutorial Using the Write-On Effect to Create
Handwritten Text in Premiere Pro CS3 and The Write-on Video Effect In Premiere Pro CS3 on the Digital Media Net
website.
Write-on effect: Animating strokes
Brush Position The position of the brush. Animate this property to create a stroke.
Stroke Length (Secs) The duration, in seconds, of each brush mark. If this value is 0, the brush mark has unlimited
duration. Use a single, constant, non-zero value to create a snakelike movement of the stroke. Animate this value to
make the stroke expand and contract.
Brush Spacing (Secs) The time interval, in seconds, between brush marks. Smaller values produce smoother paint
strokes but take more time to render.
Paint Time Properties and Brush Time Properties Specifies whether paint properties and brush properties are applied
to each brush mark or to the entire stroke. Choose None to apply values at each time to all brush marks in the stroke.
Choose a property name for each brush mark to retain the value for that property at the time that the brush mark was
drawn. For example, if you choose Color, then each brush mark keeps the color specified by the Color value at the time
that the mark was drawn.
Paint Style How the paint stroke interacts with the original image:
•On Original Image Paint stroke appears over original image.
•On Transparent Paint stroke appears over transparency; the original image doesn’t appear.
•Reveal Original Image The original image is revealed by the paint stroke.
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More Help topics
“Adding, navigating, and setting keyframes” on page 415
Image Control effects
Black & White effect
The Black & White effect converts any color clip to grayscale; that is, colors appear as shades of gray. You cannot
animate this effect with keyframes.
•In the Effect Controls panel, click the box to the left of Black & White, if necessary, to turn on the Black & White
effect. Click that appears in the box to toggle the effect off.
Color Balance (RGB) effect
The Color Balance (RGB) effect changes the amount of red, green, and blue in a clip.
Color Pass effect (Windows only)
The Color Pass effect converts a clip to grayscale, with the exception of a single specified color. Use the Color Pass
effect to highlight a particular area of a clip. For example, in a clip of a basketball game, you could highlight the
basketball by selecting and preserving its color, while keeping the rest of the clip displayed in grayscale. Note, however,
that with the Color Pass effect, you can isolate only colors, not objects within the clip.
More Help topics
“Isolate a single color using Color Pass” on page 327
Color Replace effect (Windows only)
The Color Replace effect replaces all occurrences of a selected color with a new color, preserving any gray levels. Using
this effect, you could change the color of an object in an image by selecting it and then adjusting the controls to create
a different color.
More Help topics
“Replace a color” on page 325
Gamma Correction effect
The Gamma Correction effect lightens or darkens a clip without substantially changing the shadows and highlights. It
does this by changing the brightness levels of the midtones (the middle-gray levels), while leaving the dark and light
areas unaffected. The default gamma setting is 10. In the effect’s Settings dialog box, you can adjust the gamma from
1 to 28.
Keying effects
Alpha Adjust effect
Use the Alpha Adjust effect in place of the Opacity effect when you need to change the default render order of Fixed
effects. Change the opacity percentage to create levels of transparency.
The following Alpha Adjust effect settings let you interpret the alpha channel in the clip:
Ignore Alpha Ignores the alpha channel of the clip.
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Invert Alpha Reverses the transparency and opaque areas of the clip.
Mask Only Applies the effect only to a masked area.
Blue Screen Key effect (Windows only)
The Blue Screen Key effect creates transparency from true chroma blue. Use this key to key out well-lit blue screens
when creating composites.
The following Blue Screen Key effect settings are adjusted in the Effect Controls panel:
Threshold Sets the levels of blue that determines transparent areas in a clip. Dragging the slider to the left increases
the amount of transparency. Use the Mask Only option to view black (transparent) areas as you drag the Threshold
slider.
Cutoff Sets the opacity of nontransparent areas specified by the Threshold setting. Dragging the Cutoff slider to the
right increases the opacity. Use the Mask Only option to view white (opaque) areas as you drag the Cutoff slider.
Smoothing Specifies the amount of anti-aliasing (softening) applied to the boundary between transparent and opaque
regions. Choose None to produce sharp edges, with no anti-aliasing. This option is useful when you want to preserve
sharp lines, such as those in titles. Choose Low or High to produce different amounts of smoothing.
Mask Only Displays only the clip’s alpha channel. Black represents transparent areas, white represents opaque areas,
and gray represents partially transparent areas.
Subject is photographed against blue background (left). Blue Screen Key effect is applied (right) to superimpose subject over underlying track.
For more information about using blue screen and green screen effects, see the Metacafe website.
Chroma Key effect (Windows only)
The Chroma Key effect keys out all image pixels that are similar to a specified key color. When you key out a color
value in a clip, that color or range of colors becomes transparent for the entire clip. Control the range of transparent
colors by adjusting the tolerance level. You can also feather the edges of the transparent area to create a smooth
transition between the transparent and opaque areas.
Chroma Key effect
A. Original image B. Blue color keyed out C. Image on second track D. Final composite image
The following Chroma Key effect settings are adjusted in the Effect Controls panel:
Similarity Broadens or reduces the range of the target color that will be made transparent. Higher values increase the
range.
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Blend Blends the clip you are keying out with the underlying clip. Higher values blend more of the clip.
Threshold Controls the amount of shadows in the range of color you keyed out. Higher values retain more shadows.
Cutoff Darkens or lightens shadows. Drag to the right to darken shadows, but do not drag beyond the Threshold
slider; doing so inverts gray and transparent pixels.
Smoothing Specifies the amount of anti-aliasing that Premiere Pro applies to the boundary between transparent and
opaque regions. Anti-aliasing blends pixels to produce softer, smoother edges. Choose None to produce sharp edges,
with no anti-aliasing. This option is useful when you want to preserve sharp lines, such as those in titles. Choose Low
or High to produce different amounts of smoothing.
Mask Only Displays only the clip’s alpha channel. Black represents transparent areas, white represents opaque areas,
and gray represents partially transparent areas.
Chromakey with the Ultra Key effect
Karl Soule provides an overview of the Ultra Key effect on the Adobe website.
Tracy Peterson provides a video tutorial that demonstrates the Ultra Key effect on the Adobe website.
Will Head of MacUser shows tips and tricks for keying using the Ultra Key effect here.
For more information about creating key effects with the Ultra key in Premiere Pro, see this video by Video2Brain by
Jan Ozer.
Eran Stern shows you how to use the Ultra Key effect in this tutorial.
The Ultra Key effect is GPU accelerated, for improved playback and rendering performance, in computers with a
supported nVIDIA card.
1Apply Ultra Key to a clip or clips.
2In the Timeline, place the current-time indicator over a frame containing a key color.
3In the Effect Controls panel, select the desired options from the Output and Setting menus.
4Do one of the following:
•Click the Color Picker box to open the Color Picker. Then select a key color and click OK.
•Click the Eye Dropper, and select a key color.
•Set the other parameters as desired.
Ultra Key effect parameters
Matte Generation
Transparency Controls the transparency of the source when keyed over a background. Values range from 0 through
100. 100 is fully transparent. 0 is opaque. The default value is 45.
Highlight Increases the opacity of light areas of the source image. You can use Highlight to extract details like specular
highlights on transparent objects. Values range from 0 through 100. The default value is 50. 0 does not affect the image.
Shadow Increases the opacity of dark areas of the source image. You can use Shadow to correct a dark element that
became transparent because of color spill. Values range from 0 through 100. The default value is 50. 0 does not affect
the image.
Tolerance Filters out colors in the foreground image from the background. Increases tolerance to variation from the
key color. You can use Tolerance to remove artifacts caused by color shift. You can also use Tolerance to control spill
on skin tones and dark areas. Values range from 0 through 100. The default value is 50. 0 does not affect the image.
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Pedestal Filters out noise, often caused by grainy or low light footage, from the alpha channel. Values range from 0
through 100. The default value is 10. 0 does not affect the image. The higher the quality of your source image, the lower
you can set Pedestal.
Matte Cleanup
Choke Shrinks the size of the alpha channel matte. Performs a morphological Erode (fractional kernel size). Choke
Level Values range from 0 through 100. 100 represents a 9x9 kernel. 0 does not affect the image. The default value is 0.
Soften Blurs the edge of the alpha channel matte. Performs a box blur filter (fractional kernel size). Blur Level values
range from 0 through 100. 0 does not affect the image. The default value is 0. 1.0 represents a 9x9 kernel.
Contrast Adjusts the contrast of the alpha channel. Values range from 0 through 100. 0 does not affect the image. The
default value is 0.
Mid Point Chooses the balance point for the contrast value. Values range from 0 through 100. 0 does not affect the
image. The default value is 50.
Spill Suppression
Desaturate Controls the saturation of the color channel background color. Desaturates colors that are close to being
fully transparent. Values range from 0 through 50. 0 does not affect the image, The default value is 25.
Range Controls the amount of spill that is corrected. Values range from 0 through 100. 0 does not affect the image.
The default value is 50.
Spill Adjusts the amount of spill compensation. Values range from 0 through 100. 0 does not affect the image. The
default value is 50.
Luma Works with the alpha channel to restore the original luminance of the source. Values range from 0 through 100.
0 does not affect the image. The default value is 50.
Color Correction
Saturation Controls the saturation of the foreground source. Values range from 0 through 200. A setting of zero
removes all chroma. The default value is 100.
Hue Controls the hue. Values range from -180° to +180 °. The default value is 0°.
Luminance Controls the luminance of the foreground source. Values range from 0 through 200. 0 is black. 100 is 4x.
The default value is 100.
Color Key effect
The Color Key effect keys out all image pixels that are similar to a specified key color. This effect modifies only the
alpha channel of a clip.
Nonstandard blue screen (left) and background (center) are combined with Color Key effect (right).
When you key out a color value in a clip, that color or range of colors becomes transparent for the entire clip. Control
the range of transparent colors by adjusting the tolerance level. You can also feather the edges of the transparent area
to create a smooth transition between the transparent and opaque areas.
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Difference Matte effect
The Difference Matte effect creates transparency by comparing a source clip with a difference clip, and then keying out
pixels in the source image that match both the position and color in the difference image. Typically, it’s used to key out
a static background behind a moving object, which is then placed on a different background. Often the difference clip
is simply a frame of background footage (before the moving object has entered the scene). For this reason, the
Difference Matte effect is best used for scenes that have been shot with a stationary camera and an unmoving
background. For more information on using the Difference Matte effect, watch the online training video on the Total
Training website.
Difference Matte effect
A. Original image B. Background image C. Image on second track D. Final composite image
Replace a static background with Difference Matte
The Difference Matte creates transparency by comparing a specified still image with a specified clip and then
eliminating areas in the clip that match those in the image. This key can be used to create special effects. Depending
on the clip, it’s possible to use Difference Matte to key out a static background and replace it with another still or
moving image.
You can create the matte by saving a frame from a clip that shows the static background before the moving object
enters the scene. For best results, neither the camera nor anything in the background should move.
The following Difference Matte settings are adjusted in the Effect Controls panel:
View Specifies whether the Program Monitor shows the Final Output, Source Only, or Matte Only.
Difference Layer Specifies the track to be used as the matte.
If Layer Sizes Differ Specifies whether to center the foreground image or stretch it to fit.
Matching Tolerance Specifies the degree to which the matte must match the foreground in order to be keyed.
Matching Softness Specifies the degree of softness at the edges of the matte.
Note: The RGB Difference Key uses color to define transparency much as the Difference Matte uses a still image.
Blur Before Difference Specifies the degree of blur added to the matte.
1Find a frame of your foreground clip that consists only of the static background. You will use this frame as a matte.
Save this frame as an image file. It will appear in the Project panel.
2Drag the matte frame from the Project panel to a video track in a Timeline panel.
3Drag the clip you want to use as the background to a track in a Timeline panel above the matte frame.
4Place the video clip you wish to use in the foreground on a track in a Timeline panel above the background clip.
5(Optional) If you’re animating the Difference Matte over time, make sure that the current-time indicator is in the
position you want. Click the Toggle Animation icons for the settings you adjust.
6In the Effects panel, expand the Video Effects bin and then the Keying bin.
7Drag the Difference Matte effect onto the foreground video clip.
8In the Effect Controls panel, click the triangle next to Difference Matte to expose its controls.
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9From the Difference Layer drop-down menu, select the track that contains the matte frame.
10 Adjust the other settings as needed to achieve the desired effect.
11 (Optional) If you’re animating the Difference Matte, move the current-time indicator either in the Effect Controls
panel or Timeline panel and change the Image Matte settings.
A new keyframe appears in the Effect Controls timeline when you change the settings. You can also adjust the
interpolation between keyframes by editing the keyframe graph. Repeat this step as needed.
More Help topics
“Export a still image” on page 441
“Modify keyframe values” on page 420
Eight-Point, Four-Point, and Sixteen-Point Garbage Matte effects
The three Garbage Matte effects aid in cropping out extraneous portions of a shot so that you can apply and adjust a
key effect more effectively. The mattes are applied with either four, eight, or 16 adjustment points for more detailed
keying. Once you apply the effect, click the Transform icon next to the effect name in the Effect Controls panel.
This displays the garbage matte handles in the Program Monitor. To adjust the matte, drag the handles in the Program
Monitor or drag the controls in the Effect Controls panel.
Maxim Jago demonstrates animation of garbage mattes on the video2brain website.
Mask out objects with garbage mattes
Sometimes the subject of a scene is properly keyed except for undesired objects. Use a garbage matte to mask out those
objects. Depending on the shape of the mask, you can use the Four-Point Garbage Matte, Eight-Point Garbage Matte,
or Sixteen-Point Garbage Matte. More points let you define more complex mask shapes.
The Garbage Matte keying effect provides settings that represent the x and y pixel coordinates of each point of the
garbage matte, measured from the top left corner of the frame. Changes appear in the Preview view of the Program
Monitor.
The microphone (left) is masked out by repositioning image handles in the Preview view of the Program Monitor (center), creating a garbage
matte that is then keyed and superimposed over a background (right).
1In a Timeline panel, place the clip you want to superimpose in a track above the one containing the background clip.
2In the Effects panel, click the triangle to expand the Video Effects bin and then click the triangle to expand the
Keying bin.
3Drag either the Eight-Point Garbage Matte, the Four-Point Garbage Matte, or the Sixteen-Point Garbage Matte
effect to the superimposed clip.
Your choice of garbage matte depends on the number of points needed for mask shape.
4In the Effect Controls panel, click the triangle next to the Garbage Matte name to expand the settings.
5(Optional) If you’re animating the Garbage Matte Key over time, make sure that the current-time indicator is in
the position you want. Click the Toggle Animation icons for the position settings you plan to adjust.
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6Do any of the following to adjust the mask shape:
•With the Garbage Matte effect selected in the Effect Controls panel, drag the Garbage Matte handles in the Program
Monitor.
•Adjust the Garbage Matte point settings in the Effect Controls panel to specify the size and position of the garbage
matte.
7(Optional) If you’re animating the Garbage Matte Key, move the current-time indicator either in the Effect
Controls panel or a Timeline panel and then change the Garbage Matte handle positions in the Program Monitor
or adjust the settings in the Effect Controls panel.
A new keyframe appears in the Effect Controls timeline when you move the handles in the Program monitor or change
the settings in the Effect Controls panel. You can also adjust the interpolation between keyframes by editing the
keyframe graph. Repeat this step as needed.
More Help topics
“Modify keyframe values” on page 420
Image Matte Key effect
The Image Matte Key effect keys out areas of a clip’s image based on the luminance values of a still image clip, which
serves as a matte. The transparent areas reveal the image produced by clips in lower tracks. You can specify any still
image clip in the project to serve as the matte; it does not have to be in the sequence. To use a moving image as the
matte, use the Track Matte Key effect instead.
Define transparent areas with Image Matte Key
The Image Matte Key determines transparent areas based on a matte image’s alpha channel or brightness values. To
get the most predictable results, choose a grayscale image for your image matte, unless you want to alter colors in the
clip. Any color in the image matte removes the same level of color from the clip you are keying. For example, white
areas in the clip that correspond to red areas in the image matte appear blue-green (since white in an RGB image is
composed of 100% red, 100% blue, and 100% green); because red also becomes transparent in the clip, only blue and
green colors remain at their original values.
Note: You can use the Titler to create shapes and text to use as mattes.
A still image used as a matte (left) defines transparent areas in the superimposed clip (center), revealing background clip (right).
1Add the clip (used as a background) to a video track in a Timeline panel.
2Add the clip you want to superimpose to any track higher than the track containing the background clip. This is
the clip revealed by the track matte.
Be sure the superimposed clip overlaps the background clip in a Timeline panel.
3In the Effects panel, click the triangle to expand the Video Effects bin and then click the triangle to expand the
Keying bin.
4Drag the Image Matte Key to the superimposed clip in a Timeline panel.
5In a Timeline panel, select the superimposed clip.
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6In the Effect Controls panel, click the triangle to expand the Image Matte Key settings.
7Click the Setup button , browse to the image being used as the matte, and then click Open to select the image.
8(Optional) If you’re animating the Image Matte Key over time, make sure that the current-time indicator is in the
position you want. Click the Toggle Animation icons for the settings you adjust.
9Click the Composite Using menu and choose one of the following:
Matte Alpha Composites the clips using the alpha channel values of the image matte you selected in step 7.
Matte Luma Composites the clips using the luminance values of the image matte you selected in step 7.
10 (Optional) Select the Reverse option to swap the areas that are opaque and transparent.
11 (Optional) If you’re animating the Image Matte Key, move the current-time indicator either in the Effect Controls
panel or Timeline panel and change the Image Matte Key settings.
A new keyframe appears in the Effect Controls timeline when you change the settings. Repeat this step as needed. You
can also adjust the interpolation between keyframes by editing the keyframe graph.
More Help topics
“Adding, navigating, and setting keyframes” on page 415
“Modify keyframe values” on page 420
Luma Key effect
The Luma Key effect keys out all the regions of a layer with a specified luminance or brightness.
Use this effect if the object from which you want to create a matte has a greatly different luminance value than its
background. For example, if you want to create a matte for musical notes on a white background, you can key out the
brighter values; the dark musical notes become the only opaque areas.
White background of original (top and left) is removed using the Luma Key effect and composited over underlying layer (right).
Adjust the following settings as necessary:
Threshold Specifies the range of darker values that are transparent. Higher values increase the range of transparency.
Cutoff Sets the opacity of nontransparent areas specified by the Threshold slider. Higher values increase transparency.
You can also use the Luma Key effect to key out light areas by setting Threshold to a low value and Cutoff to a high
value.
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Non Red Key effect
The Non Red Key effect creates transparency from green or blue backgrounds. This key is similar to the Blue Screen
Key effect, but it also lets you blend two clips. In addition, the Non Red Key effect helps reduce fringing around the
edges of nontransparent objects. Use the Non Red Key effect to key out green screens when you need to control
blending, or when the Blue Screen Key effect doesn’t produce satisfactory results.
The following Non Red Key effect settings are adjusted in the Effect Controls panel:
Threshold Sets the levels of blue or green that determine transparent areas in the clip. Dragging the Threshold slider
to the left increases the amount of transparency. Use the Mask Only option to view the black (transparent) areas as you
move the Threshold slider.
Cutoff Sets the opacity of nontransparent areas specified by the Threshold slider. Higher values increase transparency.
Drag to the right until the opaque area reaches a satisfactory level.
Defringing Removes residual green or blue screen color from the edges of the opaque areas of a clip. Choose None to
disable defringing. Choose Green or Blue to remove a residual edge from green-screen or blue-screen footage,
respectively.
Smoothing Specifies the amount of anti-aliasing (softening) that Premiere Pro applies to the boundary between
transparent and opaque regions. Choose None to produce sharp edges, with no anti-aliasing. This option is useful
when you want to preserve sharp lines, such as those in titles. Choose Low or High to produce different amounts of
smoothing.
Mask Only Displays only the clip’s alpha channel. Black represents transparent areas, white represents opaque areas,
and gray represents partially transparent areas.
RGB Difference Key effect (Windows only)
The RGB Difference Key effect is a simpler version of the Chroma Key effect. It lets you select a range for the target
color, but you cannot blend the image or adjust transparency in grays. Use the RGB Difference Key effect for a scene
that is brightly lit and contains no shadows, or for rough cuts that don’t require fine adjustments.
Note: The Difference Matte effect uses a matte to define the alpha channel much as the RGB Difference Key effect uses a
color.
The following RGB Difference Key effect settings are adjusted in the Effect Controls panel:
Color Specifies the color in the video that will be made transparent by the mask.
Similarity Broadens or reduces the range of the target color that will be made transparent. Higher values increase the
range.
Smoothing Specifies the amount of anti-aliasing (softening) that Premiere Pro applies to the boundary between
transparent and opaque regions. Choose None to produce sharp edges, with no anti-aliasing. This option is useful
when you want to preserve sharp lines, such as those in titles. Choose Low or High to produce different amounts of
smoothing.
Mask Only Displays only the clip’s alpha channel. Black represents transparent areas, white represents opaque areas,
and gray represents partially transparent areas.
Drop Shadow Adds a 50% gray, 50% opaque shadow offset 4 pixels down and to the right from the opaque areas of the
original clip image. This option works best with simple graphics such as titles.
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Remove Matte effect
The Remove Matte effect removes color fringes from clips that are premultiplied with a color. It is useful when
combining alpha channels with fill textures from separate files. If you import footage with a premultiplied alpha
channel, or if you create alpha channels with After Effects, you may need to remove halos from an image. Halos are
caused by a large contrast between the image's color and the background, or matte, color. Removing or changing the
color of the matte can remove the halos.
Use Background Color to specify the new background color when you want to change the color of a matte.
Remove a black or white matte
If you imported a clip that contains a solid black or white matte that’s premultiplied (merged into the RGB channels
instead of stored in the alpha channel), you can remove the black or white background.
1In a Timeline panel, select the clip containing the matte you want to remove.
2In the Effects panel, click the triangle to expand the Video Effects bin and then click the triangle to expand the
Keying bin.
3Drag the Remove Matte effect to the clip containing the matte.
4(Optional) If you’re animating the Remove Matte effect over time, make sure that the current-time indicator is in
the position you want. Click the Toggle Animation icon next to the Matte Type setting.
5Choose either White or Black for the Matte Type setting.
6(Optional) If you’re animating the Remote Matte effect, move the current-time indicator either in the Effect
Controls panel or a Timeline panel and then change the Matte Type setting in the Effect Controls panel.
A new keyframe appears in the Effect Controls timeline when you move the handles in the Program Monitor or change
the settings in the Effect Controls panel. You can also adjust the interpolation between keyframes by editing the
keyframe graph. Repeat this step as needed.
More Help topics
“Modify keyframe values” on page 420
Track Matte Key effect
Eran Stern shows you how to use the track matte effect in this video tutorial.
Here's a link to a tutorial on www.premierepro.net that shows advanced color grading in Premiere Pro CS5.5 using the
Track Matte Key with the Titler.
Here’s a video tutorial for those who want to use Track Matte Key Effect in premiere Pro CS5.
Steve Muratore provides a video tutorial that shows how to use the Premiere Pro Track Matte Key effect and
Photoshop to create picture frame around video.
Jeff Schell provides a video tutorial that demonstrates the use of the Track Matte Key effect to highlight a region of a
video on the Digital Producer Magazine website.
The Track Matte Key effect creates transparent areas in a clip that correspond to the luminance levels of another clip.
Transparent areas reveal the image produced by clips in lower tracks. Exclude the matte clip from the output by
selecting the clip and choosing Clip > Enable.
You can use the Track Matte Key effect to blur and obscure faces, license plate numbers, or other identifying features.
Television programs use this effect to protect the identities of their subjects. Jeff Schell provides a video tutorial that
demonstrates this use of the Track Matte Key effects on the Digital Media Net website.
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Move or change the transparent area with Track Matte Key
The Track Matte Key reveals one clip (background clip) through another (superimposed clip), using a third file as a
matte that creates transparent areas in the superimposed clip. This effect requires two clips and a matte, each placed
on its own track. White areas in the matte are opaque in the superimposed clip, preventing underlying clips from
showing through. Black areas in the matte are transparent, and gray areas are partially transparent.
A matte containing motion is called a traveling matte or moving matte. This matte consists of either motion footage,
such as a green-screen silhouette, or a still image matte that has been animated. You can animate a still by applying the
Motion effect to the matte. If you animate a still image, consider making the matte frame size larger than the sequence
frame size so that the edges of the matte don’t come into view when you animate the matte.
Because you can use a video clip as a matte in the Track Matte Key, the matte can change over time.
You can create mattes in various ways:
•Use the Title panel to create text or shapes (grayscale only), save the title, and then import the file as your matte.
•Apply the Chroma, RGB Difference, Difference Matte, Blue Screen, or Non Red Key to any clip and then select the
Mask Only option.
•Use Adobe Illustrator or Adobe Photoshop to create a grayscale image and import it into Premiere Pro.
1Add the background clip to a track in a Timeline panel.
2Add the clip you want to superimpose to any track higher than the track containing the background clip. This is
the clip revealed by the track matte.
(Optional) If the superimposed clip is a still image, do one of the following:
•Add an opacity key to the superimposed image,
•Insert the still image into another sequence, and superimpose the sequence containing the still image over the track
containing the background clip.
3Add the track matte clip to a third track above the tracks with the background and superimposed clips.
If you need to add a new track to the sequence, drag the track matte clip to the empty area above the highest video
track in a Timeline panel. A new track is created automatically.
4In the Effects panel, click the triangle to expand the Video Effects bin and then click the triangle to expand the
Keying bin.
5Drag the Track Matte Key to the superimposed clip.
6In the Effect Controls panel, click the triangle next to the Track Matte Key name to expand its settings.
7Click the Matte setting menu with the down-pointing triangle and choose the video track containing the track
matte clip.
8(Optional) If you’re animating the Track Matte Key over time, make sure that the current-time indicator is in the
position you want. Click the Toggle Animation icons of the settings you want to adjust.
9Click the Composite Using menu and choose one of the following:
Matte Alpha Composites using the track matte clip’s alpha channel values.
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Matte Luma Composites using the track matte clip’s luminance values.
10 (Optional) Select the Reverse option to invert the values of the track matte clip.
To retain the original colors in the superimposed clip, use a grayscale image for the matte. Any color in the matte
removes the same level of color from the superimposed clip.
11 (Optional) If you’re animating the Track Matte, move the current-time indicator either in the Effect Controls panel
or Timeline panel and change the Track Matte Key settings.
A new keyframe appears in the Effect Controls timeline when you change the settings. You can also adjust the
interpolation between keyframes by editing the keyframe graph. Repeat this step as needed.
More Help topics
“Adding, navigating, and setting keyframes” on page 415
“Modify keyframe values” on page 420
Noise & Grain effects
Dust & Scratches effect
The Dust & Scratches effect reduces noise and defects by changing dissimilar pixels within a specified radius to be more
like their neighboring pixels. To achieve a balance between sharpness of the image and hiding defects, try various
combinations of radius and threshold settings.
Original image with scratches (left), enlarged view of scratches (center), and scratches removed with loss of clarity (right)
Radius How far the effect searches for differences among pixels. High values make the image blurry. Use the smallest
value that eliminates the defects.
Threshold How different pixels can be from their neighbors without being changed by the effect. Use the highest value
that eliminates the defects.
Median effect
The Median effect replaces each pixel with a pixel that has the median color value of neighboring pixels with the
specified Radius. At low Radius values, this effect is useful for reducing some types of noise. At higher Radius values,
this effect gives an image a painterly appearance.
Original (left), and with effect applied (right)
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Noise effect
The Noise effect randomly changes pixel values throughout the image.
Amount Of Noise The amount of noise to add.
Noise Type Use Color Noise to add random values to the red, green, and blue channels individually. Otherwise, the
same random value is added to all channels for each pixel.
Clipping Clips color channel values. Deselecting this option causes more apparent noise.
Noise Alpha effect
The Noise Alpha effect adds noise to the alpha channel.
Noise The type of noise. Unique Random creates equal amounts of black and white noise. Squared Random creates
high-contrast noise. Uniform Animation creates animated noise, and Squared Animation creates animated high-
contrast noise.
Amount The magnitude of the noise.
Original Alpha How to apply the noise to the alpha channel:
•Add Produces equal amounts of noise in the transparent and opaque areas of the clip.
•Clamp Produces noise in the opaque areas only.
•Scale Increases the amount of noise proportionate to the level of opacity and produces no noise in 100%
transparent areas.
•Edges Produces noise only in partially transparent areas, such as the edge of the alpha channel.
Overflow How the effect remaps values that fall outside the grayscale range of 0-255:
•Clip Values above 255 are mapped to 255. Values below 0 are mapped to 0.
•Wrap Back Values above 255 or below 0 are reflected back into the 0-255 range. For example, a value of 258 (255+3)
is reflected to 252 (255-3), and a value of -3 is reflected to 3.
•Wrap Values above 255 and below 0 are wrapped back around into the 0-255 range. For example, a value of 258
wraps around to 2, a value of 256 wraps around to 0, and a value of -3 wraps around to 253.
Random Seed An input value to the random number generator for the noise. This control is active only if you choose
Uniform Random or Squared Random.
To produce flashing noise, animate the Random Seed control. To create smoothly animated noise, animate the Noise
Phase value.
Noise Phase Specifies the placement of noise. This control is active only if you choose Uniform Animation or Squared
Animation.
Noise Options (Animation) How noise is animated.
•Cycle Noise Produces a cycle of noise that plays through once in the specified amount of time.
•Cycle (In Revolutions) Specifies the numbers of revolutions of the Noise Phase that the noise cycles through before
it repeats (available only if Cycle Noise is selected).
Alter the timing of the Noise Phase keyframes to adjust the speed of the Noise Phase cycles.
More Help topics
“Adding, navigating, and setting keyframes” on page 415
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Noise HLS and Noise HLS Auto effects
The Noise HLS effect generates static noise in clips that use still or moving source footage. The Noise HLS Auto effect
automatically creates animated noise. Both effects offer various types of noise that can be added to the hue, saturation,
or lightness of a clip. Controls for these effects are the same except for the final control that determines noise
animation.
Original (left), and with effect applied (right)
Noise The type of noise. Unique Random creates equal amounts of black and white noise. Squared Random creates
high-contrast noise. Uniform Animation creates animated noise, and Squared Animation creates animated high-
contrast noise. Grain produces grain-like noise similar to film grain.
Hue The amount of noise added to hue values.
Lightness The amount of noise added to lightness values.
Saturation The amount of noise added to saturation values.
Grain Size This control is active only for the Grain type of noise.
Noise Phase (Noise HLS only) An input value to the random number generator for the noise. When you set keyframes
for Noise Phase, the effect cycles through the phases to create animated noise. Greater value differences between
keyframes increase the speed of the noise animation.
Noise Animation Speed (Noise HLS Auto only) The speed of the noise animation. To accelerate or decelerate the noise
animation, animate this property.
More Help topics
“Adding, navigating, and setting keyframes” on page 415
Perspective effects
Basic 3D effect
The Basic 3D effect manipulates a clip in 3D space. You can rotate an image around horizontal and vertical axes and
move it toward or away from you. With Basic 3D, you can also create a specular highlight to give the appearance of
light reflecting off a rotated surface. The light source for the specular highlight is always above, behind, and to the left
of the viewer. Because the light comes from above, the image must be tilted backward to see this reflection. Specular
highlights can enhance the realism of the 3D appearance.
Jeff Schell provides a video tutorial about the Basic 3D effect and lighting effects on the Digital Media Net website.
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Basic 3D effect: Swivel (left), Swivel and Tilt (center), and Swivel, Tilt, and Distance (right)
Swivel Controls horizontal rotation (rotation around a vertical axis). You can rotate past 90° to see the back side of
the image, which is the mirror image of the front.
Tilt Controls vertical rotation (rotation around a horizontal axis).
Distance To Image Specifies the image’s distance from the viewer. As the distance gets larger, the image recedes.
Specular Highlight Adds a glint of light that reflects off the surface of the rotated image, as though an overhead light
were shining on the surface. If Draw Preview Wireframe is selected, the specular highlight is indicated by a red plus
sign (+) if it isn’t visible on the clip (the center of the highlight doesn’t intersect the clip) and a green plus sign (+) if
the highlight is visible. You must render a preview before the Specular Highlight effect becomes visible in the Program
Monitor.
Preview Draws a wireframe outline of the 3D image. The wireframe outline renders quickly. To see your final results,
deselect Draw Preview Wireframe when you finish manipulating the wireframe image.
Bevel Alpha effect
The Bevel Alpha effect adds a beveled edge and lights to the alpha boundaries of an image, often giving 2D elements a
3D appearance. If the clip has no alpha channel or if the clip is completely opaque, then the effect is applied to the edges
of the clip. The edge created by this effect is somewhat softer than that created by the Bevel Edges effect. This effect
works well with text containing an alpha channel.
Bevel Edges effect
The Bevel Edges effect gives a chiseled and lighted 3D appearance to the edges of an image. Edge locations are
determined by the alpha channel of the source image. Unlike Bevel Alpha, the edges created in this effect are always
rectangular, so images with non rectangular alpha channels don’t produce the proper appearance. All edges have the
same thickness.
Drop Shadow effect
The Drop Shadow effect adds a shadow that appears behind the clip. The shape of the Drop Shadow is determined by
the clip’s alpha channel.
When you add a drop shadow to a clip, a soft-edged outline of the clip’s alpha channel appears behind it, as if a shadow
is cast on the background or underlying objects.
Unlike most other effects, Drop Shadow can create a shadow outside the bounds of the clip (the dimensions of the
clip’s source).
Original (left), and with effect applied (right)
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To render the shadow without the image, select Shadow Only.
Note: Because Drop Shadow works best when it’s the last effect rendered, apply this effect after applying all other effects.
You can create a more realistic-looking shadow on animated clips by applying and animating the Motion or Basic 3D
effect prior to applying Drop Shadow instead of animating the Fixed Motion effect because Fixed effects are rendered after
Standard effects.
More Help topics
“Select a color with the Adobe Color Picker” on page 321
Radial Shadow effect
The Radial Shadow effect creates a shadow from a point light source over the clip it’s applied to, rather than from an
infinite light source (as with the Drop Shadow effect). The shadow is cast from the alpha channel of the source clip,
allowing the color of that clip to influence the color of the shadow as light passes through semitransparent areas.
Original (left), and with effect applied (right)
Shadow Color The color of the shadow.
Note: The colors of the clip may override the Shadow Color if you choose Glass Edges from the Render control menu. See
the Render and Color Influence controls for more information.
Opacity The opacity of the shadow.
Light Source The location of the point light source.
Copy and paste position keyframes from another effect (for example, Lens Flare) to quickly create a shadow that
matches the other effect’s light source.
Projection Distance The distance from the clip to the surface on which the shadow falls. The shadow appears larger as
this value increases.
Softness The softness of the shadow’s edges.
Render The type of shadow:
•Regular Creates a shadow based on the Shadow Color and Opacity values, regardless of semitransparent pixels in
the clip. (If Regular is chosen, the Color Influence control is disabled.)
•Glass Edge Creates a colored shadow based on the color and opacity of the clip. If the clip contains semitransparent
pixels, the shadow uses both the color and transparency of the clip, creating the appearance, for example, of sun
shining through stained glass.
The more transparent the pixels in the clip are, the closer the shadow color matches the colors of the clip. If the clip
contains no semitransparent pixels, Glass Edge has little result.
Note: Anti-aliased edges produce colors in a shadow edge if you choose Glass Edge, even if the clip is fully opaque. The
clip’s colors shine through these anti-aliased edges, and the Shadow Color fills the center of the shadow.
Color Influence The fraction of the clip’s color values that appear in the shadow. At 100%, the shadow takes on the
color of any semitransparent pixels in the clip. If the clip contains no semitransparent pixels, Color Influence has little
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result, and the Shadow Color value determines the shadow’s color. Decreasing the Color Influence value blends the
colors of the clip in the shadow with the Shadow Color. Increasing Color Influence reduces the influence of the Shadow
Color.
Shadow Only Select to render only the shadow.
Resize Layer Select to allow the shadow to extend beyond the clip’s original boundaries.
Stylize effects
Alpha Glow effect
The Alpha Glow effect adds color around the edges of a masked alpha channel. You can have a single color either fade
out or change to a second color as it moves away from the edge.
Glow Controls how far the color extends from the alpha channel edge. Higher settings produce larger glows (and can
cause very slow processing before playback or export).
Brightness Controls the initial opacity of the glow.
Start Color Shows the current glow color. Click the swatch to choose another color.
Use End Color Lets you add an optional color at the outer edge of the glow.
Fade Out Specifies whether the colors fade out or stay solid.
Brush Strokes effect
The Brush Strokes effect applies a rough painted look to an image. You can also use this effect to achieve a pointillist
style by setting the length of the brush strokes to 0 and increasing the stroke density. Although you specify the direction
of strokes, they are scattered randomly by a small amount to give a more natural result. This effect alters the alpha
channel, as well as the color channels; if you’ve masked out a portion of the image, the brush strokes paint over the
edges of the mask.
Original image (left), with effect applied (center), and with Brush Size and Length adjusted (right)
Stroke Angle The direction in which the strokes are made. The image is effectively shifted in this direction, which may
cause some clipping at the clip boundaries.
Brush Size The size of the brush, in pixels.
Stroke Length The maximum length of each stroke, in pixels.
Stroke Density Higher densities result in overlapping brush strokes.
Stroke Randomness Creates nonuniform strokes. The more randomness, the more the strokes vary from the brush
and stroke settings you specify.
Paint Surface Specifies where brush strokes are applied:
•Paint On Original Image Puts the strokes on top of the unmodified clip. This setting is the default.
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•Paint On Transparent Causes only the strokes themselves to appear, leaving the clip transparent between the
strokes.
•Paint On White/Paint On Black Applies strokes over a white or black background.
Blend With Original The effect’s transparency. The result of the effect is blended with the original image, with the effect
result composited on top. The higher you set this value, the less the effect affects the clip. For example, if you set this
value to 100%, the effect has no visible result on the clip; if you set this value to 0%, the original image doesn’t show
through.
Color Emboss effect
The Color Emboss effect works like the Emboss effect, without suppressing the image’s original colors.
Emboss effect
The Emboss effect sharpens the edges of objects in the image and suppresses colors. The effect also highlights the edges
from a specified angle.
Direction The direction from which the highlight source shines.
Relief The apparent height of the embossing, in pixels. The Relief setting actually controls the maximum width of
highlighted edges.
Contrast Determines the sharpness of the image.
Blend With Original The effect’s transparency. The result of the effect is blended with the original image, with the effect
result composited on top. The higher you set this value, the less the effect affects the clip. For example, if you set this
value to 100%, the effect has no visible result on the clip; if you set this value to 0%, the original image doesn’t show
through.
Find Edges effect
The Find Edges effect identifies the areas of the image that have significant transitions and emphasizes the edges. Edges
can appear as dark lines against a white background or colored lines against a black background. If the Find Edges
effect is applied, images often look like sketches or photographic negatives of the original.
Invert Inverts the image after the edges are found. When Invert isn’t selected, edges appear as dark lines on a white
background. When Invert is selected, edges appear as bright lines on a black background.
Mosaic effect
The Mosaic effect fills a clip with solid-color rectangles, pixelating the original image. This effect is useful for
simulating low-resolution displays and for obscuring faces. You can also animate it for a transition.
Horizontal/Vertical Blocks The number of blocks in each row and column.
Sharp Colors Gives each tile the color of the pixel in the center of the corresponding region in the original image.
Otherwise, each tile is given the average color of the corresponding region in the original image.
Posterize effect
The Posterize effect lets you specify the number of tonal levels (or brightness values) for each channel in an image. The
Posterize effect then maps pixels to the closest matching level. For example, choosing two tonal levels in an RGB image
gives you two tones for red, two tones for green, and two tones for blue. Values range from 2 to 255.
Level The number of tonal levels for each channel.
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Replicate effect
The Replicate effect divides the screen into tiles and displays the whole image in each tile. Set the number of tiles per
column and row by dragging the slider.
Roughen Edges effect
The Roughen Edges effect roughs up the edges of a clip’s alpha channel by using calculations. It gives rasterized text
or graphics a naturally rough look, like that of eroded metal or typewriter text.
Original image (left), with Edge Type set to Roughen (center), and with Rusty Color (right)
Edge Type What kind of roughening to use.
Edge Color The color to apply to the edge for Rusty Color or Roughen Color, or to the fill for Photocopy Color.
Border How far, in pixels, the effect extends inward from the edge of the alpha channel.
Edge Sharpness Low values create softer edges. High values create sharper edges.
Fractal Influence The amount of roughening.
Scale The scale of the fractal used to calculate the roughness.
Stretch Width or Height The width or height of the fractal used to calculate the roughness.
Offset (Turbulence) Determines the portion of the fractal shape used to create the distortion.
Complexity Determines the level of detail in the roughness.
Note: Increasing complexity results in longer rendering times. Reduce the Scale value rather than increasing Complexity
to achieve similar results.
Evolution Animating this setting results in changes of the roughness over time.
Note: Although the Evolution value is set in units called revolutions, it’s important to realize that these revolutions are
progressive. The evolution state continues to progress infinitely at each new value. Use the Cycle Evolution option to
return the Evolution setting to its original state at each revolution.
Evolution Options Provide controls that render the effect for one short cycle and then loop it for the duration of your
clip. Use these controls to prerender the roughen elements into loops, and thus speed up rendering time.
•Cycle Evolution Creates a loop that forces the evolution state to return to its starting point.
•Cycle (In Revolutions) The number of revolutions of the Evolution setting that the fractal cycles through before it
repeats. The timing of the Evolution cycles is determined by the amount of time between Evolution keyframes.
Note: The Cycle control affects only the state of the fractal, not geometrics or other controls, so you can get different results
with different Size or Offset settings.
•Random Seed Specifies a value from which to generate the fractal noise. Animating this property results in flashing
from one set of fractal shapes to another within the same fractal type. For smooth transition of the fractal noise, use
the Evolution control.
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Note: Create new roughness animations by reusing previously created Evolution cycles and changing only the Random
Seed value. Using a new Random Seed value alters the noise pattern without disturbing the evolution animation.
Solarize effect
The Solarize effect creates a blend between a negative and positive image, causing the image to appear to have a halo.
This effect is analogous to briefly exposing a print to light during developing.
Strobe Light effect
The Strobe Light effect performs an arithmetic operation on a clip or makes the clip transparent at periodic or random
intervals. For example, every five seconds the clip could become completely transparent for one-tenth of a second, or
a clip’s colors could invert at random intervals.
Strobe Color The color of the strobe light.
Blend With Original The effect’s transparency. The result of the effect is blended with the original image, with the effect
result composited on top. The higher you set this value, the less the effect affects the clip. For example, if you set this
value to 100%, the effect has no visible result on the clip; if you set this value to 0%, the original image doesn’t show
through.
Strobe Duration (Secs) How long, in seconds, each strobe lasts.
Strobe Period (Secs) The time, in seconds, between the start of subsequent strobes.
Random Strobe Probability The probability that the strobe operation will apply to any given frame.
Strobe Choose Makes Layer Transparent for each strobe to make the clip transparent. Choose Operates On Color
Only to use the operation specified by Strobe Operator.
Strobe Operator The operation to use for each strobe.
Random Seed The probability that the strobe seed will apply to a given frame.
Texturize effect
The Texturize effect gives a clip the appearance of having the texture of another clip. For example, you could make
the image of a tree appear as if it had the texture of bricks, and you can control the depth of the texture and the apparent
light source.
Texture Layer The source of the texture.
Light Direction The angle at which light hits the texture.
Texture Contrast The magnitude of the result.
Texture Placement How the texture layer is applied to the clip:
•Tile Texture Applies the texture repeatedly.
•Center Texture Positions the texture in the middle.
•Stretch Texture To Fit Stretches the texture to the dimensions of the clip.
Threshold effect
The Threshold effect converts grayscale or color images to high-contrast, black-and-white images. Specify a luminance
level as a threshold; all pixels that are as bright as or brighter than the threshold are converted to white, and all darker
pixels are converted to black.
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Effect applied with threshold settings of 44 (left), 70 (center), and 200 (right)
Time effects
Echo effect
The Echo effect combines frames from different times in a clip. The Echo effect has a variety of uses, from a simple
visual echo to streaking and smearing effects. The results of this effect are visible only if the clip contains motion. By
default, any previously applied effects are ignored when you apply the Echo effect.
Original image (left), with low echo values (center), and with increased number of echoes (right)
Echo Time (seconds) The time, in seconds, between echoes. Negative values create echoes from previous frames;
positive values create echoes from upcoming frames.
Number of Echoes The number of echoes. For example, if the value is 2, the result is a combination of three frames:
the current time, the current time + Echo Time, and the current time + (2 x Echo Time).
Starting Intensity The opacity of the first image in the echo sequence.
Decay The ratio of the opacity of an echo to the opacity of the echo preceding it in the echo sequence. For example, if
Decay is 0.5, then the opacity of the first echo is half of the Starting Intensity; the second echo is half that, or one quarter
of the Starting Intensity.
Echo Operator The blending operation used to combine the echoes.
•Add Combines the echoes by adding their pixel values. If the starting intensity is too high, this mode can quickly
overload and produce streaks of white.
•Maximum Combines the echoes by taking the maximum pixel values from all of the echoes.
•Minimum Combines the echoes by taking the minimum pixel values from all of the echoes.
•Screen Emulates combining the echoes by sandwiching them optically. This setting is similar to Add, but it won’t
overload as quickly.
•Composite In Back Uses the echoes’ alpha channels to composite them back to front.
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•Composite In Front Uses the echoes’ alpha channels to composite them front to back.
•Blend Averages the echoes.
Posterize Time effect
The Posterize Time effect locks a clip to a specific frame rate. Posterize Time is useful on its own as a special effect, but
it also has more subtle uses. For example, 60-field video footage can be locked to 24 fps (and then field rendered at 60
fields per second) to give a filmlike look. This effect is sometimes called Strobe in hardware devices.
Animating the value of the Frame Rate slider can give unpredictable results. For this reason, the only interpolation
method allowed for the frame rate is Hold.
Transform effects
Camera View effect (Windows only)
The Camera View effect distorts a clip by simulating a camera viewing the clip from different angles. By controlling
the location of the camera, you distort the shape of the clip.
Latitude Moves the camera vertically. The effect makes the clip appear to be flipping vertically.
Longitude Moves the camera horizontally. The effect makes the clip appear to be flipping horizontally.
Roll Rolls the camera, thus appearing to rotate the clip.
Focal length Changes the focal length of the camera lens. Shorter lengths provide wider views, whereas longer focal
lengths provide narrower but closer views.
Distance Sets the distance between the camera and the center of the clip.
Zoom Enlarges or reduces the view of the clip.
Fill Color Specifies the background color.
Fill Alpha Channel Makes the background transparent (useful if the clip with the effect is superimposed). In the Effect
Controls panel, click Setup to access this option.
Crop effect
The Crop effect trims pixels from the edges of a clip.
The Left, Top, Right, and Bottom properties specify what percentage of the image to remove.
Note: You can directly manipulate the crop in the Program monitor. Click the Transform icon next to Crop in the
Effect Controls panel. Drag the corner handles in the Program Monitor.
Select Zoom to scale the cropped image to fit the frame.
More Help topics
“Adjust position, scale, and rotation” on page 293
Edge Feather effect
The Edge Feather effect lets you vignette the video in a clip by creating a soft black border on all four sides. The border
width is controlled by entering an Amount value.
See Andrew Devis' video tutorial on Creative Cow: "Color Correction 3: Vignette Techniques."
Rich Young collects several techniques on the AETUTS+ website for creating vignettes.
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Horizontal Flip effect
The Horizontal Flip effect reverses each frame in a clip from left to right; however, the clip still plays in a forward
direction.
Horizontal Hold effect (Windows only)
The Horizontal Hold effect skews the frames to the left or to the right; the effect is similar to the horizontal hold setting
on a television set. Drag the slider to control the clip’s slant.
Vertical Flip effect
The Vertical Flip effect flips a clip upside down. Keyframes cannot be applied to this effect.
Vertical Hold effect (Windows only)
The Vertical Hold effect scrolls the clip upward; the effect is similar to adjusting the vertical hold on a television set.
Keyframes cannot be applied to this effect.
Transition effects
Block Dissolve effect
The Block Dissolve effect makes a clip disappear in random blocks. The width and height of the blocks, in pixels, can
be set independently.
Original image (left), and with effect applied (center and right)
Gradient Wipe effect
The Gradient Wipe effect causes pixels in the clip to become transparent based on the luminance values of
corresponding pixels in another video track, called the gradient layer. Dark pixels in the gradient layer cause the
corresponding pixels to become transparent at a lower Transition Completion value. For example, a simple grayscale
gradient layer that goes from black on the left to white on the right causes the underlying clip to be revealed from left
to right as Transition Completion increases.
For more information about using and creating a Gradient Wipe transition, see the following video by Dennis Radeke.
Original image (left), and with effect applied (center and right)
The gradient layer can be a still image or a moving image. The gradient layer must be in the same sequence as the clip
to which you apply Gradient Wipe.
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You can create gradient layers in many ways, such as using the Ramp effect or creating them in Photoshop or
Illustrator.
Transition Softness The degree to which the transition is gradual for each pixel. If this value is 0%, pixels in the clip to
which the effect is applied are either completely opaque or completely transparent. If this value is greater than 0%,
pixels are semitransparent at the intermediate stages of the transition.
Gradient Placement How the gradient layer’s pixels are mapped to the pixels of the clip to which the effect is applied:
•Tile Gradient Uses multiple tiled copies of the gradient layer.
•Center Gradient Uses a single instance of the gradient layer in the center of the clip.
•Stretch Gradient To Fit Resizes the gradient layer horizontally and vertically to fit the entire area of the clip.
Invert Gradient Inverts the gradient layer’s influence; lighter pixels in the gradient layer create transparency at a lower
Transition Completion value than do darker pixels.
Customize a Gradient Wipe transition
You can use a grayscale image as a gradient wipe. In a gradient wipe, image B fills the black area of the grayscale image
and then shows through each level of gray as the transition progresses until the white area becomes transparent.
Gradient wipe source image (far left) and resulting transition
1In the Effects panel, expand the Video Transitions bin and the Wipe bin inside it.
2Drag the Gradient Wipe transition from the Wipe bin to an edit point between clips in a Timeline panel.
3Click Select Image, and then double-click the file you want to use as the gradient wipe. The image appears in the
Gradient Wipe Settings dialog box.
4Adjust the softness of the transition’s edges by dragging the Softness slider. As you drag the slider to the right, image
A increasingly shows through image B. Click OK.
Note: To change the gradient image or the softness, click Custom in the Effect Controls panel.
To preview the transition, drag the current-time indicator through the transition in a Timeline panel.
More Help topics
“Gradient Wipe effect” on page 400
Linear Wipe effect
The Linear Wipe effect performs a simple linear wipe of a clip in a specified direction.
Wipe Angle The direction that the wipe travels. For example, at 90° the wipe travels from left to right.
Original image (left), and with effect applied (center and right)
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Radial Wipe effect
The Radial Wipe effect reveals an underlying clip using a wipe that circles around a specified point.
Start Angle The angle at which the transition starts. With a start angle of 0°, the transition starts at the top.
Wipe Specifies whether the transition moves clockwise or counterclockwise, or alternates between the two.
Original image (left), and with effect applied (center and right)
Venetian Blinds effect
The Venetian Blinds effect reveals an underlying clip using strips of specified direction and width.
Original image (left), and with effect applied (center and right)
Utility effects
Cineon Converter effect
The Cineon Converter effect provides a high degree of control over color conversions of Cineon frames. To use the
Cineon Converter effect, import a Cineon file and add the clip to a sequence. You can then apply the Cineon Converter
effect to the clip and precisely adjust the colors while interactively viewing the results in the Program monitor. Set
keyframes to adjust for changes in tone over time—use keyframe interpolation and ease handles to precisely match the
most irregular lighting changes, or leave the file in its default state and use the converter.
The 10 bits of data available in each Cineon channel for each pixel make it easier to enhance an important range of
tones while preserving overall tonal balance. By carefully specifying the range, you can create a version of the image
that faithfully resembles the original.
Here are a couple of pages in After Effects Help that give information about Cineon files and the Cineon Converter
effect.
Conversion Type How the Cineon file is converted:
•Log To Linear Converts an 8-bpc logarithmic non-Cineon clip that you plan to render as a Cineon clip.
•Linear To Log Converts a clip containing an 8-bpc linear proxy of a Cineon file into an 8-bpc logarithmic clip so
that its display characteristics are consistent with the original Cineon file.
•Log To Log Detects an 8- or 10-bpc logarithmic Cineon file when you plan to render it as an 8-bpc logarithmic
proxy.
10 Bit Black Point The black point (minimum density) for converting a 10-bpc logarithmic Cineon clip.
Internal Black Point The black point used for the clip in Premiere Pro.
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10 Bit White Point The white point (maximum density) for converting a 10-bpc logarithmic Cineon clip.
Internal White Point The white point used for the clip in Premiere Pro.
Gamma Increase or decrease Gamma to lighten or darken midtones, respectively.
Highlight Rolloff The rolloff value used to correct bright highlights. If adjusting the brightest areas makes the rest of
the image appear too dark, use Highlight Rolloff to adjust these bright highlights. If highlights appear as white blotches,
increase Highlight Rolloff until details are visible. An image with high contrast may require a high rolloff value.
Video effects
Timecode effect
The Timecode effect overlays a timecode display on your video to make pinpointing scenes and collaborating with
team members and clients easier. The timecode display indicates whether the clip is progressive or interlaced. If the
clip is interlaced video, the symbol indicated whether the frame is the upper or lower field. Settings in the Timecode
effect let you control the display position, size, and opacity, as well as format and source options.
Position Adjusts the horizontal and vertical position of the timecode.
Size Specifies the size of text.
Opacity Specifies the opacity of the black box behind the timecode.
Field Symbol Makes the interlaced field symbol visible or invisible to the right of the timecode.
Format Specifies whether timecode is displayed in the SMPTE format, in frame numbers, or in feet and frames of
35mm or 16mm film.
Timecode Source Chooses the source for the timecode:
•Clip Displays the timecode starting at 0 from the beginning of the clip.
•Media Displays the timecode of the media file.
•Generate Starts the timecode as determined by the Starting Time In The Offset option and counts up based on the
Time Display option.
Note: Setting Timecode Source to Generate enables the "Starting Timecode" field. By enabling the Starting Timecode field,
you can set a custom start time.
Time Display Sets the time base used by the Timecode effect. By default, this option is set to the project time base when
the Timecode Source is set to Clip.
Offset Adds or subtracts frames from the displayed timecode. The offset slider has a limit of plus or minus 50 frames.
For higher numbers, click the Offset hot text and type the number of frames.
Label Text Displays a three character label to the left of the timecode. Choose from None, Automatic, and Camera 1
through Camera 9.
See how to make The Timecode effect start and stop at certain points in your video in this video tutorial.
Video dissolve transitions
Additive Dissolve transition
Additive Dissolve adds the color information from clip B to clip A, and then subtracts the color information of clip A
from clip B.
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Cross Dissolve transition
Cross Dissolve fades out clip A while fading in clip B.
Cross dissolve can also work well at the beginning or end of a clip when you want to fade in or out from black. Stan
Arthur has made a short video describing how to do this.
Dip To Black transition
Dip To Black fades clip A to black, and then fades from black to clip B.
Note: Using dip to black at the beginning or end of a clip will also affect a video on a lower track, something not always
expected when a simple fade in/out of the targeted clip is what is wanted. The cross dissolve transition may work better
for this, as Stan Arthur shows in this video tutorial.
Dip To White transition
For information on using Dip To White, watch the online training video on the Total Training website.
Dither Dissolve transition
Dither Dissolve fades clip A to clip B using a dithering algorithm. You can specify any of the following options:
Border Width increases the size o the dithering. The default is zero.
Border Color Determines the color used for the dithering. The default is black.
Anti-aliasing Quality The default is Off.
Film Dissolve transition(CS5.5 and later)
The Film Dissolve transition is new in Premiere Pro CS5.5. It’s a dissolve transition that blends in a linear color space
(gamma = 1.0).
The Film Dissolve transition blends in a more realistic way; basically, dissolves look the way that they should.
Non-Additive Dissolve transition
Non-Additive Dissolve maps the luminance of clip A onto clip B.
Random Invert transition
Random Invert produces random blocks inverting the color of clip A, and then the blocks disappear, revealing clip B.
Audio effects and transitions reference
For video effects, see “Effects and transitions reference” on page 339.
Audio effects and transitions list
Audio effects
•“Balance effect” on page 405
•“Bandpass effect” on page 406
•“Bass effect” on page 406
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•“Channel Volume effect” on page 406
•“Chorus effect” on page 406
•“DeClicker effect” on page 407
•“DeCrackler effect” on page 407
•“DeEsser effect” on page 407
•“DeHummer effect” on page 408
•“Delay effect” on page 408
•“DeNoiser effect” on page 408
•“Dynamics effect” on page 408
•“EQ effect” on page 410
•“Fill Left effect, Fill Right effect” on page 410
•“Flanger effect” on page 410
•“Highpass and Lowpass effects” on page 411
•“Invert (audio) effect” on page 411
•“MultibandCompressor effect” on page 411
•“Multitap Delay effect” on page 411
•“Notch effect” on page 412
•“Parametric EQ effect” on page 412
•“Phaser effect” on page 412
•“PitchShifter effect” on page 412
•“Reverb effect” on page 413
•“Spectral Noise Reduction effect” on page 413
•“Swap Channels effect” on page 413
•“Treble effect” on page 413
•“Volume effect” on page 414
Audio crossfade transitions
•“Constant Gain transition” on page 414
•“Constant Power transition” on page 414
•“Exponential Fade transition” on page 414
Audio effects
Balance effect
The Balance effect lets you control the relative volumes of the left and right channels. Positive values increase the
proportion of the right channel; negative values increase the proportion of the left channel. This effect is available for
stereo clips only.
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Bandpass effect
The Bandpass effect removes frequencies that occur outside the specified range, or band of frequencies. This effect is
available for 5.1, stereo, or mono clips.
Center Specifies the frequency at the center of the specified range.
Q Specifies the width of the frequency band to preserve. Low settings create a wide range of frequencies, and high
settings create a narrow band of frequencies.
Bass effect
The Bass effect lets you increase or decrease lower frequencies (200 Hz and below). Boost specifies the number of
decibels by which to increase the lower frequencies. This effect is available for 5.1, stereo, or mono clips.
Channel Volume effect
The Channel Volume effect lets you independently control the volume of each channel in a stereo or 5.1 clip or track.
Each channel’s level is measured in decibels.
More Help topics
“Normalize one or more clips” on page 235
“Normalize the Master track” on page 236
Chorus effect
The Chorus effect simulates several voices or instruments played at once by adding multiple short delays with a small
amount of feedback. The result is lush, rich sound. You can use the Chorus effect to enhance a vocal track or add stereo
spaciousness to mono audio. You can also use it to create unique special effects.
Premiere Pro uses a direct-simulation method of achieving a chorus effect, making each voice (or layer) sound distinct
from the original by slightly varying timing, intonation, and vibrato. The Feedback setting adds extra detail to the
result.
To achieve the best results with mono files, convert them to stereo before applying the Chorus effect.
Bypass Keyframeable option that specifies whether to apply or bypass the Chorus effect.
Custom Setup Opens a mixer-style control panel that controls the properties with knobs.
Individual Parameters Opens a set of parameter controls for the Chorus effect.
•LfoType Specifies wave type of Low Frequency Oscillator: Sin(e), Rect(angle), or Tri(angle).
•Rate Determines the maximum rate at which amplitude changes occur. With very low values, the resulting voice
slowly gets louder and quieter, like a singer that cannot keep his or her breath steady. With very high settings, the result
can be jittery and unnatural.
Very high settings can produce interesting special effects (as in the Another Dimension preset).
•Depth Determines the maximum variation in amplitude that occurs. For example, you can alter the amplitude of
a chorused voice so that it is 5 dB louder or quieter than the original. At extremely low settings (less than 1 dB), the
depth may be unnoticeable unless the Modulation Rate is set extremely high. At extremely high settings, however, the
sound may cut in and out, creating an objectionable warble. Natural vibratos occur around 2 dB to 5 dB. Note that this
setting is a maximum only; the vibrato volume might not always go as low as the setting indicates. This limitation is
intentional, as it creates a more natural sound.
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•Mix Determines the ratio of Dry and Effects signal. A setting of 100% corresponds to a ratio of 1/1 while a setting
of 0 will defeat the effect signal.
•Feedback Adds a percentage of processed voices back into the effect input. Feedback can give a waveform an extra
echo or reverb effect. A little feedback (less than 10%) can provide extra richness, depending on the delay and vibrato
settings. Higher settings produce more traditional feedback, a loud ringing that can get loud enough to clip the signal.
Sometimes this clipping is a desired effect, as in the Flying Saucers preset, which generates the warbled sounds of UFOs
whizzing around your head.
•Delay Specifies the maximum amount of delay allowed. An important component of chorusing is the introduction
of short delays (often in the 15-35 millisecond range) that vary in duration over time. If the setting is very small, all the
voices start merging into the original, and an unnatural flanging effect might occur. If the setting is too high, a warbled
effect might occur, like a tape being eaten by a cassette deck.
DeClicker effect
The DeClicker effect is used to remove unwanted clicks from the audio signal. Clicks often are introduced by bad
splices on film edits, or bad digital edits of the audio footage. Often the DeClicker is very helpful for small pops
introduced by hitting a microphone.
In the Effect Controls panel, Custom Setup for this effect shows Input and Output monitors. The first shows the input
signal with any detected clicks. The second shows the output signal with the clicks removed.
Threshold Determines the threshold for the detection and thus determines how much of the signal will be affected.
This control ranges from 0 to 100%.
DePlop Determines the extent of the reduction of low frequency clicks. These sometimes sound more like a plop than
a click. This control ranges from 0 to 100%.
DeCrackler effect
The DeCrackler effect removes crackling sounds from sources such as 16mm and 35mm film soundtracks, and shellac
or vinyl recordings. The DeCrackler effect can also mitigate crackles caused by raindrops on windows, bad audio
cables, the proximity of electrical devices to microphone cables, and clip-on microphones rubbing cloth.
In the Effect Controls panel, Custom Setup for this effect shows Detected Crackles and Output monitors. The first
shows the input signal with any detected crackles. The second shows the output signal with the crackles removed.
Threshold Determines the detection level for the crackles. This control ranges from 0 to 100%.
Reduction Determines the amount by which the crackles will be reduced. This control ranges from 0 to 100%.
Efficiency meter This meter indicates the efficiency of the DeCrackler. The Threshold dial should be tweaked to get
the maximum value. Please be aware that the maximum will also be reached when the threshold is very low, but at this
point the fundamental audio signal will be harmed.
Audition When selected, this control lets you hear only the sounds that will be removed. When the actual contents of
the audio can be heard in audition mode, this is a strong indication that the threshold is set too low. If the threshold is
left unadjusted the audio signal will be harmed.
DeEsser effect
The DeEsser effect removes sibilance and other high frequency “SSS”-type sounds, which are often created when a
narrator or vocalist pronounces the letters “s” and “t.” This effect is available for 5.1, stereo, or mono clip.
Gain Specifies the amount of reduction applied to the “SSS” sound. The meter displays the amount of the reduction,
in decibels.
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Male and Female Specifies the gender of the narrator or vocalist. This option helps the effect to adapt to the difference
in tone between genders.
DeHummer effect
The DeHummer effect removes unwanted 50 Hz / 60-Hz hum from the audio. This effect is available for 5.1, stereo,
or mono clip.
Reduction Specifies the amount of reduction to apply to the hum. High values may also cut necessary audio
information in the low end.
Frequency Specifies the center frequency of the hum. Usually this will be 50 Hz in Europe and Japan, and 60 in the US
and Canada. Often the frequency of the hum is not static, but will vary by +/– 5 Hz. Click the 50 Hz or 60 Hz buttons
to set the respective frequency.
Filter Specifies the number of filters to use to remove the hum. Hum is comprised not only of the fundamental
frequencies of 50 or 60 Hz, but also contain harmonics with frequencies that are multiples of the fundamental (100/110
Hz, 150/160 Hz, and such). Higher values cause greater CPU usage. Adjusting this value determines the number of
harmonic frequencies to filter. For example, if you choose 60 Hz as the Frequency value, and choose 4# as the Filter
value, the DeHummer filters the 60 Hz frequency along with three harmonic frequencies (120 Hz, 240 Hz, and 480
Hz), for a total of four frequencies filtered, hence the value of 4#. Higher values require more processing power.
Delay effect
The Delay effect adds an echo of the audio clip’s sound that plays after a specified amount of time. This effect is
available for 5.1, stereo, or mono clip.
Delay Specifies the amount of time before the echo plays. The maximum is 2 seconds.
Feedback Specifies a percentage of the delayed signal to be added back into the delay to create multiple decaying
echoes.
Mix Controls the amount of echo.
DeNoiser effect
The DeNoiser effect automatically detects tape noise and removes it. Use this effect to remove noise from analog
recordings, such as magnetic tape recordings. This effect is available for 5.1, stereo, or mono clip.
Noisefloor Specifies the level (in decibels) of the noise floor as the clip plays.
Freeze
Stops the noise floor estimation at the current value. Use this control to locate noise that drops in and out of a clip.
Reduction Specifies the amount of noise to remove within a range of –20 to 0 dB.
Offset Sets an offset value between the automatically detected noise floor and the value defined by the user. This is
limited to a range between –10 and +10 dB. Offset allows additional control when the automatic denoising is not
sufficient.
Dynamics effect
The Dynamics effect provides a set of controls that can be combined or used independently to adjust audio. Use either
the graphical controls in the Custom Setup view, or adjust values in the Individual Parameters view. This effect is
available for 5.1, stereo, or mono clips.
AutoGate Cuts off a signal when the level falls below the specified threshold. Use this control to remove unwanted
background signals in recordings, such as a background signal in a voice-over. Set the gate to close whenever the
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speaker stops, thereby removing all other sounds. The LED display colors indicate the gate’s mode: open (green),
attack or release (yellow), and closed (red). Use the following controls for Gate:
•Threshold Specifies the level (between –60 and 0 dB) that the incoming signal must exceed to open the gate. If the
signal level falls below this level, the gate closes, muting the incoming signal.
•Attack Specifies the time the gate takes to open after the signal level exceeds the threshold.
•Release Sets the time (between 50 and 500 milliseconds) the gate takes to close after the signal level has fallen below
the threshold.
•Hold Specifies the time (between 0.1 and 1000 milliseconds) the gate stays open after the level has fallen below the
threshold.
Compressor Balances the dynamic range to create a consistent level throughout the duration of the clip by increasing
the level of soft sounds and decreasing the level of loud sounds. Use the following controls for Compressor:
•Threshold Sets the level (between –60 and 0 dB) that the signal must exceed to invoke compression. Levels that fall
below the threshold are unaffected.
•Ratio Sets the ratio by which compression is applied, up to 8:1. For example, if the ratio is 5:1, and the input level
increases by 5 dB, the output increases by only 1 dB.
•Attack Sets the time (between 0.1 and 100 milliseconds) that the compressor takes to respond to a signal that
exceeds the threshold.
•Release Specifies the time (between 10 and 500 milliseconds) it takes for the gain to return to the original level
when the signal falls below the threshold.
•Auto Calculates the release time based on the incoming signal.
•MakeUp Adjusts the compressor’s output level (between –6 and 0 dB) to account for loss in gain caused by
compression.
Expander Reduces all signals below the specified threshold to the set ratio. The result is similar to the gate control but
is more subtle. Use the following controls with Expander:
•Threshold Specifies a level in which the signal must fall to activate the expander. Levels that exceed the threshold
are unaffected.
•Ratio Sets the rate at which signals are expanded, up to 5:1. For example, if the ratio is 5:1, a level decrease of 1 dB
is expanded by 5 dB, resulting in a much faster decrease of the signal.
Limiter Reduces clipping in audio clips that contain peaks in the signal. For example, by leveling out peaks that exceed
0 dB in an audio file, the overall level of the audio doesn’t have to be reduced below 0 dB to avoid clipping. Use the
following controls with Limiter:
•Threshold Specifies the maximum level of the signal, between –12 and 0 dB. All signals that exceed the threshold
are reduced to the same level as the threshold.
•Release Specifies the time (between 10 and 500 milliseconds) required for the gain to return to the normal level
after a clip occurs.
SoftClip Reduces clipping similar to Limiter but doesn’t use hard limiting. This control adds an edge to some signals
to better define them within an overall mix.
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EQ effect
The EQ effect acts as a parametric equalizer, meaning that it controls frequency, bandwidth, and level using multiple
bands. The effect includes three fully parametric mid bands, a high band, and a low band. The low and high bands are
shelving filters, by default. Gain is constant over frequency. The Cut control switches the low and high band from
shelving to cutoff filters. Gain is fixed to -12 dB per octave and is deactivated in cutoff mode.
Use the graphical controls in the Custom Setup view, or adjust values in the Individual Parameters view. In the Custom
Setup view, you can control the properties of the filter bands in the Frequency window by dragging band handles. Each
band includes a control for Frequency and Gain. Mid bands include two additional controls for adjusting the Q-factor.
This effect is available for 5.1, stereo, or mono clips.
Frequency Specifies the amount by which to increase or decrease the band (between 20 and 20,000 Hz).
Gain Specifies the amount by which to increase or decrease the band (between –20 and 20 dB).
Cut Changes the functionality of the filter from shelving to cutoff.
Q Specifies the width of each filter band (between 0.05 and 5.0 octaves).
Output Specifies the amount of gain to compensate for increases or reductions of frequency bands on the output gain
of the EQ.
Fill Left effect, Fill Right effect
The Fill Left effect duplicates the left channel information of the audio clip and places it in the right channel, discarding
the original clip’s right channel information. The Fill Right effect duplicates the right channel information and places
it in the left channel, discarding the existing left channel information. Apply to stereo audio clips only.
Think of Fill Left as “fill from the left,” and think of Fill Right as “fill from the right.”
Flanger effect
Flanging is an audio effect caused by mixing a varying, short delay in roughly equal proportion to the original signal.
It was originally achieved by sending an identical audio signal to two reel-to-reel tape recorders, and then pressing the
flange of one reel to slow it down. Combining the two resulting recordings produced a phase-shifted, time-delay effect,
characteristic of psychedelic music of the 1960s and 1970s. The Flanger effect lets you create a similar result by slightly
delaying and phasing a signal at specific or random intervals.
LFO Type Specifies the wave type for the Low Frequency Oscillator: Sin(e), Rect(angle), or Tri(angle).
Rate Specifies the speed of the Low Frequency Oscillator.
Depth Determines the gain level of the modulation waveform, thus controlling the depth of the effect.
Mix Adjusts the mix of original (Dry) and flanged (Wet) signal. You need some of both signals to achieve the
characteristic cancellation and reinforcement that occurs during flanging. With Original at 100%, no flanging occurs
at all. With Delayed at 100%, the result is a wavering sound, like one coming from a bad tape player.
Feedback Determines the percentage of the flanged signal that is fed back into the flanger. With no feedback, the effect
uses only the original signal. With feedback added, the effect uses a percentage of the affected signal from before the
current point of playback.
Delay Sets the point in milliseconds at which flanging starts behind the original signal. The flanging effect occurs by
cycling over time from an initial delay setting to a second (or final) delay setting.
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Highpass and Lowpass effects
The Highpass effect removes frequencies below the specified Cutoff frequency. The Lowpass effect eliminates
frequencies above the specified Cutoff frequency. The Highpass and Lowpass effects are available for 5.1, stereo, or
mono clips.
Invert (audio) effect
The Invert (audio) effect inverts the phase of all channels. This effect is available for 5.1, stereo, or mono clips.
MultibandCompressor effect
The MultibandCompressor effect is a three-band compressor with controls for each band. Use this effect instead of the
compressor in Dynamics when you need a softer sounding compressor.
Use the graphical controls in the Custom Setup view, or adjust values in the Individual Parameters view. The Custom
Setup view displays the three bands (low, mid, high) in the Frequency window. You control the gain for each band by
adjusting handles for makeup gain and frequency range. The handles of the center band determine the crossover
frequency of the bands. Drag the handles to adjust the corresponding frequency. This effect is available for 5.1, stereo,
or mono clips.
Solo Plays the active band only.
MakeUp Adjusts the levels, in decibels.
BandSelect Selects a band. In the graphical control, click a band to select it.
Crossover Frequency Increases the range of frequencies for the selected band.
Output Specifies the output gain adjustment to compensate for the reduction or increase in gain caused by
compression. This helps to preserve the mix of the individual gain settings.
Use the following controls for each band:
Threshold 1-3 Specifies the level (between –60 and 0 dB) the incoming signal must exceed to invoke compression.
Ratio 1-3 Specifies the rate of compression, up to 8:1.
Attack 1-3 Specifies the time (between 0.1 and 10 milliseconds) the compressor takes to respond to a signal that
exceeds the threshold.
Release 1-3 Specifies the time required for the gain to return to the original level when the signal falls below the
threshold.
Multitap Delay effect
The Multitap Delay effect adds up to four echoes of the original audio in the clip. This effect is available for 5.1, stereo,
or mono clips.
Delay 1-4 Specifies the amount of time between the original audio and its echo. The maximum is 2 seconds.
Feedback 1-4 Specifies the percentage of the delayed signal to be added back into the delay to create multiple decaying
echoes.
Level 1-4 Controls the volume of each echo.
Mix Controls the amount of delayed and nondelayed echo.
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Notch effect
The Notch effect removes frequencies that are near the specified center. This effects is available for 5.1, stereo, or mono
clips.
Center Specifies the frequency to be removed. If you are removing power-line hum, type a value that matches the
power-line frequency used by the electrical system where the clip was recorded. For example, in North America and
Japan type 60 Hz, and in most other countries type 50 Hz.
Q
Specifies the range of frequencies to be affected. A low setting creates a narrow band; a high setting creates a wide band.
Parametric EQ effect
The Parametric Equalization effect increases or decreases frequencies near the specified Center frequency. This effect
is available for 5.1, stereo, or mono clips.
Center Specifies the frequency at the center of the specified range.
Q Specifies the range of frequencies to be affected. A low setting creates a narrow band; a high setting creates a wide
band. The amount by which frequencies are adjusted is set in decibels by the Boost property. The Boost control
specifies how much to adjust the specified Width in decibels.
Boost Specifies the amount by which to increase or decrease the range of frequencies (between –24 and +24 dB).
Sweetening audio with Parametric EQ in Adobe Premiere Pro and Audition CS5.5, in this video tutorial by Andrew
Devis.
Phaser effect
The Phaser effect takes a part of the incoming signal, shifts the phase by a varying degree and mixes it back to the
original signal. The result is a partial cancellation of the frequency spectrum, giving the phaser its distinctive sound,
well known as the signature of Motown funky guitars.
LFO (Low Frequency Oscillator) Type Selecting Sine, Rect, or Tri determines the waveform of the low-frequency
oscillator used to modulate the phase shift.
Rate Determines the speed of the low frequency oscillator. Ranges from 0 to 10.
Depth Determines the gain level of the modulation waveform, and thus controls the depth of the effect. Ranges from
0 to 100%.
Delay To achieve a variety of possible effects, the phase-shifted signal will be delayed against the original signal. The
Delay property sets the time for the delay. Ranges from 0.1 to 4.0 ms.
Feedback Determines the amount of phase-shifted signal that will be mixed to the input signal. Using negative values
will invert the phase again by 180 degrees. Ranges from -50 to 50.
Mix Determines the ratio of Dry and Effects signal. A setting of 100% corresponds to a ratio of 1/1 while a setting of 0
will defeat the effect signal. Ranges from 0 to 100%.
PitchShifter effect
The PitchShifter effect adjusts the pitch of the incoming signal. Use this effect to deepen high voices or vice versa. You
can adjust each property using graphical controls in the Custom Setup view, or by changing values in the Individual
Parameters view. This effect is available for 5.1, stereo, or mono clips.
Pitch Specifies the change in pitch in semitone steps. The adjustable range is between –12 and +12 semitones.
Fine Tune Determines the fine tuning between the semitone grid of the Pitch property.
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Formant Preserve Prevents formants in the audio clip from being affected. For example, use this control when
increasing the pitch of a high voice to prevent it from sounding cartoon-like.
Reverb effect
The Reverb effect adds ambience and warmth to an audio clip by simulating the sound of the audio playing in a room.
Use the graphical controls in the Custom Setup view, or adjust values in the Individual Parameters view. This effect is
available for 5.1, stereo, or mono clips.
Pre Delay Specifies the time between the signal and the reverberation. This setting correlates to the distance a sound
travels to the reflecting walls and back to the listener in a live setting.
Absorption Specifies the percentage in which the sound is absorbed.
Size Specifies the size of the room as a percentage.
Density Specifies the density of the reverb “tail.” The Size value determines the range in which you can set Density.
Lo Damp Specifies the amount of dampening for low frequencies (in decibels). Dampening lower frequencies prevents
the reverb from rumbling or sounding muddy.
Hi Damp Specifies the amount of dampening of high frequencies (in decibels). Low settings make the reverb sound
softer.
Mix Controls the amount of reverb.
More Help topics
“Make reverb ring out” on page 293
Spectral Noise Reduction effect
The Spectral Noise Reduction algorithm uses three notch filter banks to remove tonal disturbances from audio signals.
It can help eliminate noises from original footage, such as buzz and whistling tones.
Freq (1-3) Determines the center frequency of each of the notch filters.
Reduction (1-3) Sets the input gain level at which the color red appears in the meter for a given track.
Filter (1-3) Activates the corresponding filter bank.
MaxLevel Determines the gain reduction of each notch filter, thus controlling the amount of noise removed from the
signal.
CursorMode Activates the adjustment of the filter frequency by the cursor.
Swap Channels effect
The Swap Channels effect switches the placement of the left and right channel information. Apply to stereo clips only.
Treble effect
The Treble effects lets you increase or decrease higher frequencies (4000 Hz and above). The Boost control specifies
the amount, measured in decibels, to increase or decrease. This effect is available for 5.1, stereo, or mono clips.
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Volume effect
Use the Volume effect in place of the Fixed Volume effect if you want to render Volume before other Standard effects.
The Volume effect creates an envelope for a clip so that you can increase the audio level without clipping. Clipping
occurs when the signal exceeds the dynamic range that’s acceptable for your hardware, often resulting in distorted
audio. Positive values indicate an increase in volume; negative values indicate a decrease in volume. The Volume effect
is available for clips only in 5.1, stereo, or mono tracks.
More Help topics
“Normalize one or more clips” on page 235
“Normalize the Master track” on page 236
Audio crossfade transitions
See also “Working with audio transitions” on page 288.
Constant Gain transition
The Constant Gain crossfade changes audio at a constant rate in and out as it transitions between clips. This crossfade
can sometimes sound abrupt.
Constant Power transition
The Constant Power crossfade creates a smooth, gradual transition, analogous to the dissolve transition between video
clips. This crossfade decreases audio for the first clip slowly at first and then quickly toward the end of the transition.
For the second clip, this crossfade increases audio quickly at first and then more slowly toward the end of the
transition.
Exponential Fade transition
Exponential Fade fades out the first clip over a smooth logarithmic curve while fading up the second clip, also over a
smooth logarithmic curve. Selecting an option from the Alignment control menu, you can specify the positioning of
the transition.
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Chapter 12: Animation and keyframes
Adding, navigating, and setting keyframes
To animate a property is to change its value over time. In Premiere Pro, effect properties can be animated by assigning
keyframes to them.
A keyframe marks the point in time where you specify a value, such as spatial position, opacity, or audio volume.
Values between keyframes are interpolated. To create a change in a property over time, you set at least two keyframes—
one keyframe for the value at the beginning of the change, and another keyframe for the value at the end of the change.
Maxim Jago explains and demonstrates animating using keyframes in a video from “Getting Started with Adobe
Premiere Pro” on the Video2Brain website.
View keyframes and graphs
The Effect Controls panel and Timeline panels let you adjust the timing and values of keyframes, but they work in
different ways. The Effect Controls panel displays all effect properties, keyframes, and interpolation methods at once.
Clips in a Timeline panel show only one effect property at a time. In the Effect Controls panel, you have complete
control over keyframe values. In a Timeline panel, you have limited control. For example, you can’t change values that
use x and y coordinates, such as Position, in a Timeline. However, you can make keyframe adjustments without
moving to the Effect Controls panel.
The graphs in the Timeline and Effect Controls panels display the values of each keyframe and the interpolated values
between keyframes. When the graph of an effect property is level, the value of the property is unchanged between
keyframes. When the graph goes up or down, the value of a property increases or decreases between keyframes. You
can affect the speed and smoothness of the property changes from one keyframe to the next. Just change the
interpolation method and adjust Bezier curves.
More Help topics
“Modify keyframe values” on page 420
View keyframes in the Effect Controls panel
If you’ve added keyframes to a sequence clip, you can view them in the Effect Controls panel. Any effect containing
keyframed properties displays Summary Keyframe icons when the effect is collapsed. Summary keyframes appear
across from the effect heading and correspond to all the individual property keyframes contained in the effect. You
cannot manipulate summary keyframes; they appear for reference only.
1Select a clip in a Timeline panel.
2If necessary, click the Show/Hide Timeline View button in the Effect Controls panel to show the effects timeline.
If necessary, widen the Effect Controls panel to make the Show/Hide Timeline View button visible.
3In the Effect Controls panel, click the triangle to the left of the effect name to expand the effect you want to view.
The keyframes display in the Effect Controls timeline.
4(Optional) To view the Value and Velocity graphs of an effect property, click the triangle next to the Toggle
Animation icon .
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Effect Controls
A. Value graph B. Velocity graph
View keyframes and properties in a Timeline panel
If you’ve added keyframes to animate an effect, you can view them and their properties in a Timeline panel. For video
and audio effects, a Timeline panel can display the keyframes specific to each clip. For audio effects, a Timeline panel
can also display the keyframes for an entire track. Each clip or track can display a different property. However, you can
display the keyframes for only one property at a time within an individual clip or track.
Track keyframe controls in Timeline panel
A. Collapse/Expand Track triangle B. Show Keyframes (video) C. Go To Previous Keyframe button D. Add-Remove Keyframe button E. Go
To Next Keyframe button
The segments connecting keyframes form a graph that indicates changes in keyframe values along the duration of the
clip or track. Adjusting keyframes and segments changes the shape of the graph.
Track keyframe controls in Timeline panel
A. Track effect properties B. Keyframe graph C. Audio track keyframes D. Video clip keyframes E. Clip effect properties
A B
A
B
EDC
EDCBA
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Keyframe tool tip
A. Timecode B. Property value
1(Optional) If the track is collapsed, click the triangle to the left of the track name to expand it.
2For a video track, click the Show Keyframes button , and choose any of the following from the menu:
Show Keyframes Displays the graph and keyframes of any video effect applied to clips in the track. An effect menu
appears next to the clip name so you can choose the effect you want to view.
Show Opacity Handles Displays the graph and keyframes of the Opacity effect for each clips in the track.
Hide Keyframes Hides the graphs and keyframes for all clips in the track.
3For an audio track, click the Show Keyframes button , and choose any of the following from the menu:
Show Clip Keyframes Displays the graph and keyframes of any audio effect applied to clips in the track. An effect menu
appears next to the clip name so you can choose the effect you want to view.
Show Clip Volume Displays the graph and keyframes of the Volume effect for each clips in the track.
Show Track Keyframes Displays the graph and keyframes of any audio effect applied to the entire track. An effect
menu appears at the beginning of the track so you can choose the effect you want to view.
Show Track Volume Displays the graph and keyframes of the Volume effect applied to the entire track.
Hide Keyframes Hides the graphs and keyframes for all clips in the track.
4(Optional) Use the Zoom In control to magnify the clip so that the effect menu appears at the top of the track. You
can also drag the boundaries above and below the track name to increase the track height.
Dragging to increase the height of a track
5(Optional) Drag the boundaries of a track header to change the height of a track. For a video track, drag the top of
the track. For an audio track, drag the bottom of the track. To resize all expanded tracks, hold down the Shift key
while dragging.
6(Optional) If you chose Show Keyframes, Show Clip Keyframes, or Show Track Keyframes in steps 2 and 3, click
the effect menu. Then choose the effect that contains keyframes.
AB
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Choosing from the effects menu
7Place the pointer directly over a keyframe to view its property in a tool tip.
The tool tip displays the keyframe location, as well as the property and options you set for it in the Effect Controls
panel. Use this information for making precise keyframe placements. You can quickly note the value you’ve set for a
keyframe. You can also quickly compare the location and change in value of two or more keyframes.
Set keyframe display for a Timeline panel
You can specify the types of keyframes shown in the tracks of the Timeline. You can also specify whether keyframes
are shown at all, by default. For example, you can choose to have keyframes hidden by default, so that you cannot set
or change them accidentally when trying to edit a clip.
1Select Edit > Preferences > > General (Windows), or Premiere Pro > Preferences > General (Mac OS).
2Click the triangle in the New Timeline Audio Tracks field to open the menu, and select one of the options.
3Click the triangle in the New Timeline Video Tracks field to open the menu, and select one of the options.
Move the current-time indicator to a keyframe
Both the Effect Controls and a Timeline panels have keyframe navigators, which have left and right arrows to move the
current-time indicator from one keyframe to the next. In a Timeline panel, the keyframe navigator is enabled after you
activate keyframes for an effect property.
❖Do any of the following:
•In the Timeline or Effect Controls panel, click a keyframe navigator arrow. The left-pointing arrow moves the
current-time indicator to the previous keyframe. The right-pointing arrow moves the current-time indicator to the
next keyframe.
•(Effect Controls panel only) Shift-drag the current-time indicator to snap to a keyframe.
Keyframe navigator
A. Keyframe navigator in Effect Controls panel B. Current-time indicator C. Keyframe navigator in Timeline panel
CA B
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Add, select, and delete keyframes
Add keyframes
You can add keyframes in the Timeline or the Effect Controls panel at the current time. Use the Toggle Animation
button in the Effect Controls panel to activate the keyframing process. In Premiere Pro CS5, keyframe display must be
enabled for a track or clip before you can view or add keyframes in a Timeline panel. In Premiere Pro CS5.5 and later,
it is not necessary to enable keyframe display to create keyframes in a track or on a clip.
1In a Timeline panel, select the clip that contains the effect you want to animate.
2 If you want to add and adjust keyframes in a Timeline panel, make keyframes visible for the video or audio track.
Note: If you are adding keyframes to a Fixed effect (Motion, Opacity, or Volume) in a Timeline panel, you can skip step 3.
3In the Effect Controls panel, click the triangle to expand the effect that you want to add keyframes to, and then click
the Toggle Animation icon to activate keyframes for an effect property.
Clicking the Toggle Animation button activates keyframing for an effect property at the current time.
4Do one of the following to display the effect property’s graph:
•(Effect Controls panel) Click the triangle to expand the effect property and display its Value and Velocity graphs.
•(Timeline panel) Choose the effect property from the effect menu next to the clip or track name.
5Move the current-time indicator to the point in time where you want to add a keyframe.
6Do any of the following:
•Click the Add/Remove Keyframe button in the Effect Controls panel and then adjust the effect property’s value.
•Ctrl-click (Windows) or Command-click (Mac OS) a keyframe graph using the Selection or Pen tool, and then
adjust the effect property’s value. You can add a keyframe anywhere on a graph using the Selection or Pen tool. It’s
not necessary to position the current-time indicator.
Note: To add keyframes in Premiere Pro CS5.5 and later, it is not necessary to use a modifier key with the Pen tool.
However, the modifier key is needed with the Selection tool.
•(Effect Controls panel only) Adjust the controls for an effect’s property. This automatically creates a keyframe at
the current time.
7Repeat steps 5 and 6 as needed to add keyframes and adjust the effect property.
Use the keyframe navigator arrow in the Effect Controls panel to navigate to an existing keyframe if you want
to make further adjustments. It’s also a good technique for setting up keyframes for other effects.
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More Help topics
“View keyframes and graphs” on page 415
“Adjust or reset controls in the Effect Controls panel” on page 283
“Apply effects to clips” on page 279
Select keyframes
If you want to modify or copy a keyframe, first select it in a Timeline panel. Unselected keyframes appear hollow;
selected keyframes appear solid. You don’t need to select segments between keyframes because you can drag segments
directly. Also, segments automatically adjust when you change the keyframes that define their end points.
❖ Do any of the following:
•To select a keyframe, use the Selection tool or the Pen tool to click the Keyframe icon in the Timeline panel.
•To select multiple keyframes, Shift-click with the Selection tool or the Pen tool to select multiple contiguous or
noncontiguous keyframes in a Timeline panel.
Note: When you position the Selection or Pen tool over a keyframe, the pointer appears with a Keyframe icon .
•To select multiple keyframes by dragging in the Timeline panel, use the Pen tool to draw a marquee selection box
around the keyframes. Shift-drag to add more keyframes to an existing selection.
In the Effect Controls panel, you can also use the Selection tool to drag and select multiple keyframes.
•To select all keyframes for a property in the Effect Controls panel, click the layer property name. For example, click
Position to select all the Position keyframes for a layer.
Delete keyframes
If you no longer need a keyframe, you can easily delete it from an effect property in either the Effect Controls or a
Timeline panel. You can remove all keyframes at once or deactivate keyframes for the effect property. In the Effect
Controls, when you deactivate keyframes with the Toggle Animation button, existing keyframes are deleted and no
new keyframes can be created until you reactivate keyframes.
1Make sure that the effect property’s graphs are visible in the Effect Controls panel or Timeline panel.
2Do one of the following:
•Select one or more keyframes and choose Edit > Clear. You can also press Delete.
•Navigate the current-time indicator to the keyframe and click the Add/Remove Keyframe button.
•(Effect Controls panel only) To delete all keyframes for an effect property, click the Toggle Animation button to the
left of the name of the effect or property. When prompted to confirm your decision, click OK.
Note: When you deactivate the Toggle Animation button, keyframes for that property are permanently removed and the
value of that property becomes the value at the current time. You cannot restore deleted keyframes by reactivating the
Toggle Animation button. If you accidentally delete keyframes, choose Edit
> Undo.
More Help topics
“View keyframes and graphs” on page 415
Modify keyframe values
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Edit keyframe graphs in the Effect Controls panel
Once you activate keyframing for an effect’s property, you can display the effect’s Value and Velocity graphs. Value
graphs provide information about the value of nonspatial keyframes (such as the Scale property of the Motion effect)
at any point in time. They also display and let you adjust the interpolation between keyframes. You can use the Velocity
graph to fine-tune the rate of change between keyframes.
Effect property’s value and velocity graphs
A. Keyframe marker B. Level graph indicating unchanged value C. Rising graph indicating increasing value D. Falling graph indicating
decreasing value E. Keyframe F. Value graph G. Velocity graph
1In a Timeline panel, select a clip containing an effect containing keyframes you want to adjust.
2In the Effect Controls panel, click the triangle to expand the controls for the effect.
3 Click the triangle next to a property’s name to display its Value and Velocity graphs.
Note: If no keyframes have been added, the graphs appear as flat lines.
4(Optional) To better view a graph, hover the Selection or Pen tool over the boundary line below a graph. When the
pointer turns into a segment pointer , drag to increase the height of the graph area.
5Use the Selection or Pen tool to drag a keyframe up or down on the Value graph, changing the effect property’s
value.
Note: In a Value or Velocity graph, you cannot move a keyframe left or right to change its current time. Instead, drag a
keyframe marker above the graph using the Selection or Pen tool.
Edit keyframe graphs from a Timeline panel
1Make sure a Timeline panel has at least one clip containing one or more effects with keyframes. Select this clip and
select the Effect Controls panel.
2Make sure that the keyframes for the clip or track are visible in a Timeline panel.
3In the Effect Controls panel, click the triangle next to the control you want to adjust to expose its Value and Velocity
graphs.
4In the effect menu that appears after the name of the clip or track, select the property you want to adjust. If you can’t
see the effect menu, try increasing the magnification of a Timeline panel.
5Use the Selection or Pen tool to do one of the following:
•If you want to edit multiple or nonadjacent keyframes, select those keyframes.
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•Position the Selection or Pen tool over a keyframe or keyframe segment. The Selection or Pen tool changes to the
keyframe pointer or keyframe segment pointer .
6Do any combination of the following:
•Drag a keyframe or segment up or down to change the value. As you drag, a tool tip indicates the current value. If
no keyframes are present, dragging adjusts the value for the entire clip or track.
•Drag a keyframe left or right to change the time location of the keyframe. As you drag, a tool tip indicates the
current time. If you move a keyframe onto another keyframe, the new keyframe replaces the old one.
The Value and Velocity graphs in the Effect Controls panel will show changes made to keyframes in a Timeline panel.
Moving and copying keyframes
Move keyframes in time
Note: The first keyframe always uses the Start Keyframe icon and the last keyframe always uses the End Keyframe
icon .
❖Use Selection Tool or Pen Tool to do one of the following:
•In a Timeline panel, select one or more keyframes and drag to the desired time.
•In the Effect Controls panel, select one or more keyframe markers and drag to the desired time.
Note: In the Effect Controls panel, a vertical black line extends above and below a selected keyframe. You can use the line
to align the keyframe with places on the time ruler or with other objects. If keyframe snapping is enabled, this line turns
white when the keyframe is aligned with certain types of objects. You determine the types with the Snap To control.
Determine keyframe snapping
In the Effect Controls panel, keyframe snapping pulls a keyframe into alignment with another object when it is dragged
near the position of that object. You can specify whether to enable keyframe snapping in the Effect Controls panel, and
determine the types of objects to which keyframes snap.
1Click the panel menu button at the upper right of the Effect Controls panel to open the panel menu.
2Select Snap To. Check the objects, such as Video Keyframes, to which you want keyframes to snap. Deselect objects
to which you want no snapping. Return to this submenu to make each selection.
Copy and paste keyframes
You can copy keyframes and paste them either to a new time in the clip’s property or to the same effect property in a
different clip, using the Effect Controls panel. To quickly apply the same keyframe values at another point in time or
in another clip or track, copy and paste the keyframes in a Timeline panel.
More Help topics
“Select keyframes” on page 420
“View keyframes and graphs” on page 415
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Copy and paste keyframes in the Effect Controls panel
When you paste keyframes into another clip, they appear in the corresponding property in the target clip’s effect in the
Effect Controls panel. The earliest keyframe appears at the current time, and the other keyframes follow in relative
order. If the target clip is shorter than the source clip, keyframes that occur after the target clip’s Out point are pasted
to the clip but don’t appear unless you disable the Pin To Clip option. The keyframes remain selected after pasting, so
you can immediately move them in the target clip.
1In the Effect Controls panel, click the triangle to expand the effect to reveal its controls and keyframes.
2Select one or more keyframes.
3Choose Edit > Copy.
4Do one of the following:
•Move the current-time indicator to where you want the first keyframe to appear and choose Edit > Paste.
•Select another clip, expand the appropriate property in the Effect Controls panel, move the current-time indicator
to where you want the first keyframe to appear, and choose Edit > Paste.
You can also copy a keyframe by dragging. In the Timeline of the Effect Controls panel, hold down the Alt key
(Windows) or Option key (Mac OS) and drag a keyframe to a new location.
Copy and paste keyframes in a Timeline panel
When you paste keyframes into a Timeline panel, the earliest keyframe appears at the current time and the other
keyframes follow in relative order. The keyframes remain selected after pasting, so you can fine-tune their location.
You can paste keyframes only to a clip or track that displays the same property as the copied keyframes. Also, Premiere
Pro can paste keyframes at the current-time indicator on only one clip or track at a time. Because the current-time
indicator can span multiple video and audio tracks, Premiere Pro uses criteria in the following order to determine
where to paste the keyframes:
•If the current-time indicator is positioned within a selected clip, keyframes are pasted in that clip.
•If audio keyframes are cut or copied, Premiere Pro pastes in the first track where it finds a corresponding effect
property, looking first at a sequence’s audio tracks, then its submix tracks, and then the master track.
•If none of the above conditions produces a target video or audio track that matches both the effects property and
the scope (clip or track) of the cut or copied keyframes, the Paste command is unavailable. For example, if you copy
audio track keyframes but the targeted audio track displays clip keyframes, the keyframes can’t be pasted.
1In a Timeline panel, choose from a clip or track’s effect menu to display the property containing the keyframes you
want to copy.
2Select one or more keyframes.
3Choose Edit > Copy.
4In the timeline for the sequence containing the destination clip or track, do one of the following:
•Select the clip where you want to paste the keyframes.
•Target the video or audio track where you want the copied keyframes to appear.
5Make sure that the clip or track displays the same property as the keyframes you copied; otherwise, the Paste
command is unavailable. If the property is not available on the clip or track’s effect properties menu, you must apply
the same effect that was applied to the clip or track from which the keyframes were copied.
6Move the current-time indicator to the point in time where you want the keyframes to appear.
7Choose Edit > Paste.
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Controlling effect changes using keyframe
interpolation
About interpolation
Interpolation is the process of filling in the unknown data between two known values. In digital video and film, this
usually means generating new values between two keyframes. For example, if you want a graphic element (such as a
title) to move fifty pixels across the screen to the left, and you want it to do so in 15 frames, you’d set the position of
the graphic in the first and 15th frames, and mark them both as keyframes. Then the software would complete the work
of interpolating the frames in between to make the movement appear smooth. Because interpolation generates all the
frames between the two keyframes, interpolation is sometimes called tweening. Interpolation between keyframes can
be used to animate movement, effects, audio levels, image adjustments, transparency, color changes, and many other
visual and auditory elements.
Temporal Interpolation applies the selected interpolation method to changes in motion. You can use Temporal
Interpolation, for example, to determine whether an object moves evenly or accelerates across a motion path. You can
apply temporal interpolation of keyframes to only a few effects in Premiere Pro.
Spatial Interpolation applies the selected interpolation method to changes in shape. You can use Spatial Interpolation,
for example, to determine whether corners should be rounded or angular. You can apply spatial interpolation to the
keyframes of many effects in Premiere Pro.
For a video tutorial illustrating uses of temporal and spatial interpolation, see The Write-on Video Effect In Premiere
Pro CS3 by Jeff Schell on the Digital Media Net website.
Andrew Devis shows panning, zooming, and using the Corner Pin effect in this video tutorial on the Creative COW
website.
The two most common types of interpolation are linear interpolation and Bezier interpolation. You can apply either of
these types of interpolation, depending on the type of change you want.
Linear interpolation Creates an evenly-paced change from one keyframe to another, with each in-between frame given
an equal share of the changed value. Changes created with linear interpolation start and stop abruptly and develop at
a constant rate between each pair of keyframes.
Bezier interpolation Allows the rate of change to accelerate or decelerate based on the shape of a Bezier curve, such as
gently picking up speed at the first keyframe and then slowly decelerating into the second.
Change the keyframe interpolation method
By changing and adjusting keyframe interpolation, you gain precise control over the rate of changes in your
animations. You can choose either an interpolation type from a context menu or you can directly change one keyframe
type to another by manually adjusting the keyframe or the handles.
Note: You can also use the Ease In and Ease Out commands to quickly adjust keyframe interpolation.
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Changing keyframe interpolation for the Position property of the Motion effect
A Linear spatial keyframe B. Auto Bezier interpolation C. Continuous Bezier interpolation
1Do one of the following:
•In the Effect Controls panel, right-click a keyframe marker.
•In a Timeline panel, right-click a keyframe.
2Choose an interpolation method from the context menu:
Linear Creates a uniform rate of change between keyframes.
Bezier Lets you manually adjust the shape of the graph, and the rate of change, on either side of a keyframe. You can
create very smooth changes using this method.
Auto Bezier Creates a smooth rate of change through a keyframe. As you change a keyframe’s value, the Auto Bezier
direction handles change to maintain a smooth transition between keyframes.
Continuous Bezier Creates a smooth rate of change through a keyframe. However, unlike the Auto Bezier
interpolation method, Continuous Bezier lets you adjust direction handles manually. As you change the shape of a
graph on one side of a keyframe, the shape on the other side of the keyframe changes to maintain a smooth transition.
Hold Changes a property value without gradual transition (sudden effect changes). The graph following a keyframe
with the Hold interpolation applied appears as a horizontal straight line.
Ease In Slows down the value changes entering a keyframe.
Ease Out Gradually accelerates the value changes leaving a keyframe.
Note: Although interpolation methods can vary the rate at which a property changes between keyframes, they cannot
change the actual duration between keyframes. Duration is determined by the time (or distance in the time ruler) between
keyframes.
Keyframe interpolation methods
A. Normal In/Out B. Bezier/Continuous Bezier/Ease In/Ease Out C. Auto Bezier D. Hold
Control change using Bezier keyframe interpolation
Bezier handles are two-directional controls that change the curve of the line segment between the handle and the next
point on either side. The farther you pull a handle from its keyframe (center point), the more the line bends or curves.
The curve that you create by dragging the Bezier handle determines how smoothly the effect changes occur as the
animation property approaches and leaves a keyframe. These handles offer you more control over animation changes
than simply choosing a keyframe interpolation method. You can manipulate Bezier handles in either a Timeline panel,
the Effect Controls panel, or the Program Monitor.
More Help topics
“View keyframes and graphs” on page 415
A B C
ABC D
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Create Bezier keyframes
1In a Timeline panel, select the clip containing the keyframes you want to adjust, and then do one of the following:
•(Timeline panel) Choose the property you want to adjust from the effect menu next to the clip or track name. You
adjust the temporal interpolation of a property in a Timeline panel. Select the clip in the Program Monitor if you
want to change the spatial interpolation there.
•(Effect Controls panel) Select an effect property’s keyframe markers for the keyframes you want to adjust.
2Do one of the following to choose a keyframe interpolation method:
•(Timeline panel) Right-click the keyframe you want to adjust, and choose a keyframe interpolation method from
the menu.
•(Effect Controls panel) Right-click the keyframe marker for the keyframe you want to adjust, and choose a
keyframe interpolation method from the menu.
3To manually change a keyframe from one type to another, do one of the following:
•If the keyframe uses Linear interpolation, Ctrl-click (Windows) or Command-click (Mac OS) the keyframe in a
Timeline panel or Ctrl-click (Windows) or Command-click (Mac OS) the keyframe marker in the Effect Controls
panel to change it to Auto Bezier. If you drag the handles, the keyframe changes to Continuous Bezier.
•If the keyframe uses Auto Bezier interpolation, Ctrl-click (Windows) or Command-click (Mac OS) the keyframe
and drag out a direction handle to change it to Bezier. Bezier interpolation lets you control each direction handle
independently. To convert it to Continuous Bezier, just drag a handle.
•If the keyframe uses Bezier, Continuous Bezier, or Auto Bezier, Ctrl-click (Windows) or Command-click (Mac OS)
the keyframe to change it to Linear. The Bezier handles disappear.
Adjust Bezier handles
1Display the Bezier keyframe you want to adjust.
2Select either the Selection tool or the Pen tool , and do one of the following:
•To adjust the slope of the curve, drag the Bezier handle up or down. Moving the handle up accelerates the changes
and moving the handle down decelerates the changes.
•To adjust the range of the curve’s influence, drag the Bezier handle to the left or right.
Fine-tune the speed of an effect
In the Effect Controls panel, you can use the Velocity graph to adjust motion or the rate of change for a value just
before and just after a keyframe. Such adjustments can simulate real-world motion. For example, you can change the
motion of a clip so that it slows down just before a keyframe and then speeds up just after the keyframe. You can
control the values approaching and leaving a keyframe together, or you can control each value separately.
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Velocity graph
A. Speed controls B. Incoming direction handles C. Outgoing direction handles
1In the Effect Controls panel, click the triangle to expand the effect property with keyframes that you want to adjust.
Note: If no keyframes have been added, the graphs appear as flat lines.
2In the Value graph, use the Selection or Pen tool to click the keyframe marker for the keyframe you want to adjust.
This displays the direction handles and speed controls for the keyframe in the Velocity graph.
3In the Velocity graph, use the Selection or Pen tool to do one of the following:
•To accelerate entering and leaving the keyframe, drag a direction handle up. Both the incoming and outgoing
handles move together.
•To decelerate entering and leaving the keyframe, drag a direction handle down. Both the incoming and outgoing
handles move together.
•To accelerate or decelerate entering the keyframe only, Ctrl-click (Windows) or Command-click (Mac OS) the
incoming direction handle and drag it up or down.
•To accelerate or decelerate leaving the keyframe only, Ctrl-click (Windows) or Command-click (Mac OS) the
outgoing direction handle and drag it up or down.
Note: To rejoin the incoming and outgoing handles, Ctrl-click (Windows) or Command-click (Mac OS) them again.
•To increase or decrease the influence of a keyframe value on the previous keyframe, drag the incoming direction
handle to the left or right.
•To increase or decrease the influence of a keyframe value on the next keyframe, drag the outgoing direction handle
to the right or left.
Note: Influence determines how quickly the Velocity graph reaches the value you set at the keyframe, giving you an
additional degree of control over the shape of the graph.
The values (to the left of the Velocity graph) change as you adjust the graph. These numbers represent the upper and
lower values of the Velocity graph. You can also adjust the velocity by changing the numeric values.
More Help topics
“Modify keyframe values” on page 420
BA C
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Optimize keyframe automation
Automating audio changes in the Audio Mixer can create more keyframes than necessary in the audio track, causing
a degradation in performance. To avoid creating unnecessary keyframes, thereby ensuring both quality interpretation
and minimal performance degradation, set the Automation Keyframe Optimization preference. In addition to the
other benefits, you can edit individual keyframes much easier if they are assembled less densely in the track.
1Choose Edit > Preferences > Audio (Windows) or Premiere Pro > Preferences > Audio (Mac OS).
2In the Automation Keyframe Optimization area, select one or both of the following options, and then click OK:
Linear Keyframe Thinning Creates keyframes only at points that do not have a linear relationship to the start and end
keyframes. For example, suppose you are automating a fade from 0 dB to –12 dB. With this option selected, Premiere
Pro only creates keyframes at the points that represent an increase in value from the beginning (0 dB) and ending (–
12 dB) keyframes. If you do not select this option, Premiere Pro may create several incremental keyframes of identical
values between those two points, depending on the speed at which you change the value. This option is selected by
default.
Minimum Time Interval Thinning Creates keyframes only at intervals larger than the value that you specify. Enter a
value between 1 and 2000 milliseconds.
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Chapter 13: Compositing
Compositing, alpha channels, and adjusting clip opacity
Adobe After Effects, another program in Adobe Creative Suite Production Premium, gives you a greatly expanded
range of compositing tools. You can easily import composites made in After Effects into Premiere Pro.
To create a composite from multiple images, you can make parts of one or more of the images transparent so that other
images can show through. You can make portions of an image transparent using any of several features in Premiere
Pro, inlcuding mattes and effects.
To make an entire clip uniformly transparent or semi-transparent, use the Opacity effect. You can set a selected clip’s
opacity in the Effect Controls panel or Timeline panel, and you can fade a clip down or up over time by animating
opacity.
If you simply want to create a fade to black, consider applying a transition such as Dip To Black to the clip instead of
animating opacity keyframes manually.
When part of a clip is transparent, transparency information is stored in its alpha channel.
Images can also be composited together without modifying the transparency of the clips themselves. For example, you
can use “Blending modes” on page 432 or some of the “Channel effects” on page 349 to blend image data from multiple
clips into a composite.
Clips on upper tracks cover clips on lower tracks except where alpha channels indicate transparency. Premiere Pro
composites clips from the lowest track up, to create a composite of clips on all visible tracks. Areas where all tracks are
empty or transparent appear black.
Rendering order affects how opacity interacts with visual effects. The Video Effects list is rendered first, then geometric
effects such as Motion are rendered, and then alpha channel adjustments are applied. Within each effects group, effects
are rendered from the top down in the list. Because Opacity is in the Fixed Effects list, it renders after the Video Effects
list. If you want opacity to render earlier or later than certain effects, or if you want to control additional opacity
options, apply the Alpha Adjust video effect.
You can choose how to interpret the alpha channel in a file in the Interpret Footage dialog box. Choose Invert Alpha
Channel to swap areas of opacity with areas of transparency, or choose Ignore Alpha Channel to not use the alpha
channel information at all.
If you have difficulty identifying which parts of a clip are transparent, choose Alpha from the Program view menu in
the Program Monitor. Another way to see areas of transparency is to add a bright solid color matte on a track below
the image you are keying.
Alpha channels and mattes
Color information is contained in three channels: red, green, and blue. In addition, an image can include an invisible
fourth channel, called an alpha channel, that contains transparency information.
An alpha channel provides a way to store images and their transparency information in a single file without disturbing
the color channels.
When you view an alpha channel in the After Effects Composition panel or a Premiere Pro Monitor panel, white
indicates complete opacity, black indicates complete transparency, and shades of gray indicate partial transparency.
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A matte is a layer (or any of its channels) that defines the transparent areas of that layer or another layer. White defines
opaque areas, and black defines transparent areas. An alpha channel is often used as a matte, but you can use a matte
other than the alpha channel if you have a channel or layer that defines the desired area of transparency better than the
alpha channel does, or in cases where the source image doesn’t include an alpha channel.
Many file formats can include an alpha channel, including Adobe Photoshop, ElectricImage, FLV, TGA, TIFF, EPS,
PDF, and Adobe Illustrator. AVI and QuickTime (saved at a bit depth of Millions Of Colors+), also can contain alpha
channels, depending upon the codecs used to generate these file types.
For instructions on how to export video with an alpha channel (transparency), see this post.
About straight and premultiplied channels
Alpha channels store transparency information in files in one of two ways: straight or premultiplied. Although the
alpha channels are the same, the color channels differ.
With straight (or unmatted) channels, transparency information is stored only in the alpha channel, not in any of the
visible color channels. With straight channels, the effects of transparency aren’t visible until the image is displayed in
an application that supports straight channels.
With premultiplied (or matted) channels, transparency information is stored in the alpha channel and also in the
visible RGB channels, which are multiplied with a background color. The colors of semitransparent areas, such as
feathered edges, are shifted toward the background color in proportion to their degree of transparency.
Some software lets you specify the background color with which the channels are premultiplied; otherwise, the
background color is usually black or white.
Straight channels retain more accurate color information than premultiplied channels. Premultiplied channels are
compatible with a wider range of programs, such as Apple QuickTime Player. Often, the choice of whether to use
images with straight or premultiplied channels has been made before you receive the assets to edit and composite.
Premiere Pro and After Effects recognize both straight and premultiplied channels, but only the first alpha channel
they encounter in a file containing multiple alpha channels. Adobe Flash recognizes only premultiplied alpha channels.
About keying
Keying is defining transparency by a particular color value (with a color key or chroma key) or brightness value (with
a luminance key) in an image. When you key out a value, all pixels that have similar colors or luminance values become
transparent.
Keying makes it easy to replace a background of a consistent color or brightness with another image, an especially
useful technique when you work with objects too complex to mask easily. The technique of keying out a background
of a consistent color is often called bluescreening or greenscreening, although you don’t have to use blue or green; you
can use any solid color for a background.
Difference keying defines transparency with respect to a particular baseline background image. Instead of keying out a
single-color screen, you can key out an arbitrary background.
Keying in Premiere Pro is performed with keying effects. For more information, see “Keying effects” on page 341.
Blend clips with a Garbage Matte effect
You can use a Garbage Matte effect to blend images. For more information about using the Garbage Matte effect, see
Eight-Point, Four-Point, and Sixteen-Point Garbage Matte effects.
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Blend clips with a matte using the Track Matte Key effect
You can blend clips with a matte (typically, a black and white image, or an image from the Titler.) using the Track
Matte Key effect. For more information, see Blend clips with a matte using the Track Matte Key effect.
This video shows how to create a track matte effect.
Specify clip opacity in a Timeline panel
1Expand the view of a track, if necessary, by clicking the triangle next to the track name to expand its options.
2If necessary, click the Show Keyframes button , or the Hide Keyframes button , and choose Show Opacity
Handles from the menu. A horizontal opacity control rubber band appears in all the clips of the track.
Note: If no keyframes exist on the track, the rubber band appears as a straight horizontal line across the entire track.
3In a Timeline panel, do one of the following:
•Select the Selection tool, and drag the opacity control rubber band up or down.
•Select the Pen tool, and drag the opacity control rubber band up or down.
The opacity value and current time appear as a tool tip as you drag.
4(Optional) To animate the Opacity effect over time, first set keyframes. Select the Pen tool. Ctrl-click (Windows)
or Command-click (Mac OS) on the opacity control rubber band with the Pen tool wherever you want to set a
keyframe. Then drag each keyframe up or down to set its value. For example, to fade a clip in, create a keyframe at
the beginning of the clip and another a few seconds later. Drag the first down to the bottom of the clip at 0 opacity.
Drag the second up to 100%.
For information about adjusting opacity in the Effect Controls tab in the Source panel, see “Opacity” on the page: Fixed
effects.
You can use either the Selection tool or the Pen tool to move keyframes or Opacity handles. To adjust the smoothness
of the animation, change the keyframe interpolation from linear to Bezier.
Compositing tips
Keep the following guidelines in mind when compositing clips and tracks:
•If you want to apply the same amount of transparency to an entire clip, simply adjust the clip’s opacity in the Effect
Controls panel.
•It’s often most efficient to import a source file already containing an alpha channel defining the areas that you want
to be transparent. Because the transparency information is stored with the file, Premiere Pro preserves and displays
the clip with its transparency in all sequences where you use the file as a clip.
•If a clip’s source file doesn’t contain an alpha channel, you must manually apply transparency to individual clip
instances where you want transparency. You can apply transparency to a video clip in a sequence by adjusting clip
opacity or by applying effects.
•Applications such as Adobe After Effects, Adobe Photoshop, and Adobe Illustrator can save clips with their original
alpha channels, or add alpha channels, when the file is saved to a format that supports an alpha channel.
For more information about compositing in Premiere Pro, see this video by Learn by Video and Video2Brain by Jan Ozer
Eran Stern has a half-hour tutorial on compositing in Premiere Pro using the Ultra Key and Track Matte Key effects.
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Blending modes
You can select the way in which Premiere Pro blends, or superimposes, a clip on a track in a Timeline with the clip or
clips on lower tracks.
For more information about the Subtract and Divide blend modes, see this video by Video2Brain.
Chris and Trish Meyer explain and demonstrate blending modes in Premiere Pro in an article on the ProVideo
Coalition website.
See Andrew Devis' tutorial on Creative Cow, “Color Correction 5: Blend Modes.”
See Andrew Devis' tutorials on Creative Cow “Color Correction 6: the Filmic Blend Technique.”
For more information about combining video layers via blending in Premiere Pro, see this video by Learn By Video
and Video2Brain by Jan Ozer.
1In a Timeline, place a clip on a track higher than a track where another clip is located. Premiere Pro superimposes,
or blends, the clip in the higher track over the clip in the lower track.
2Select the clip in the higher track, and select the Effect Controls panel to make it active.
3In the Effect Controls panel, click the triangle next to Opacity.
4Drag the Opacity value to the left to set the opacity to less than 100%.
5Click the triangle in the Blend Mode menu.
6Select a blend mode from the list of blend modes.
Blend mode reference
For in-depth information about the concepts and algorithms behind these blend modes as implemented in several
Adobe applications, see the PDF reference material on the Adobe website.
The Blend Mode menu is subdivided into six categories based on similarities between the results of the blend modes.
The category names do not appear in the interface; the categories are simply separated by dividing lines in the menu.
Normal category Normal, Dissolve. The result color of a pixel is not affected by the color of the underlying pixel unless
Opacity is less than 100% for the source layer. The Dissolve blend modes turn some of the pixels of the source layer
transparent.
Subtractive category Darken, Multiply, Color Burn, Linear Burn, Darker Color. These blend modes tend to darken
colors, some by mixing colors in much the same way as mixing colored pigments in paint.
Additive category Lighten, Screen, Color Dodge, Linear Dodge (Add), Lighter Color. These blend modes tend to
lighten colors, some by mixing colors in much the same way as mixing projected light.
Complex category Overlay, Soft Light, Hard Light, Vivid Light, Linear Light, Pin Light, Hard Mix. These blend modes
perform different operations on the source and underlying colors depending on whether one of the colors is lighter
than 50% gray.
Difference category Difference, Exclusion, Subtract (CS5.5 and later), Divide (CS5.5 and later). These blend modes
create colors based on the differences between the values of the source color and the underlying color.
HSL category Hue, Saturation, Color, Luminosity. These blend modes transfer one or more of the components of the
HSL representation of color (hue, saturation, and luminosity) from the underlying color to the result color.
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Blending mode descriptions
In the following descriptions, these terms are used:
•The source color is the color of the layer to which the blend mode is applied.
•The underlying color is the color of the composited layers below the source layer in the Timeline panel.
•The result color is the output of the blending operation; the color of the composite.
Normal The result color is the source color. This mode ignores the underlying color. Normal is the default mode.
Dissolve The result color for each pixel is either the source color or the underlying color. The probability that the result
color is the source color depends on the opacity of the source. If opacity of the source is 100%, then the result color is
the source color. If opacity of the source is 0%, then the result color is the underlying color.
Darken Each result color channel value is the lower (darker) of the source color channel value and the corresponding
underlying color channel value.
Multiply For each color channel, multiplies source color channel value with underlying color channel value and
divides by maximum value for 8-bpc, 16-bpc, or 32-bpc pixels, depending on the color depth of the project. The result
color is never brighter than the original. If either input color is black, the result color is black. If either input color is
white, the result color is the other input color. This blend mode simulates drawing with multiple marking pens on
paper or placing multiple gels in front of a light. When blending with a color other than black or white, each layer or
paint stroke with this blend mode results in a darker color.
Color Burn The result color is a darkening of the source color to reflect the underlying layer color by increasing the
contrast. Pure white in the original layer does not change the underlying color.
Linear Burn The result color is a darkening of the source color to reflect the underlying color. Pure white produces no
change.
Darker Color Each result pixel is the color of darker of the source color value and the corresponding underlying color
value. Darker Color is similar to Darken, but Darker Color does not operate on individual color channels.
Linear Dodge (Add) Each result color channel value is the sum of the corresponding color channel values of the source
color and underlying color. The result color is never darker than either input color.
Lighten Each result color channel value is the higher (lighter) of the source color channel value and the corresponding
underlying color channel value.
Screen Multiplies the complements of the channel values, and then takes the complement of the result. The result
color is never darker than either input color. Using the Screen mode is similar to projecting multiple photographic
slides simultaneously onto a single screen.
Color Dodge The result color is a lightening of the source color to reflect the underlying layer color by decreasing the
contrast. If the source color is pure black, the result color is the underlying color.
Linear Dodge (Add) The result color is a lightening of the source color to reflect the underlying color by increasing the
brightness. If the source color is pure black, the result color is the underlying color.
Lighter Color Each result pixel is the color of lighter of the source color value and the corresponding underlying color
value. Lighter Color is similar to Lighten, but Lighter Color does not operate on individual color channels.
Overlay Multiplies or screens the input color channel values, depending on whether or not the underlying color is
lighter than 50% gray. The result preserves highlights and shadows in the underlying layer.
Soft Light Darkens or lightens the color channel values of the underlying layer, depending on the source color. The
result is similar to shining a diffused spotlight on the underlying layer. For each color channel value, if the source color
is lighter than 50% gray, the result color is lighter than the underlying color, as if dodged. If the source color is darker
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than 50% gray, the result color is darker than the underlying color, as if burned. A layer with pure black or white
becomes markedly darker or lighter, but does not become pure black or white.
Hard Light Multiplies or screens the input color channel value, depending on the original source color. The result is
similar to shining a harsh spotlight on the layer. For each color channel value, if the underlying color is lighter than
50% gray, the layer lightens as if it were screened. If the underlying color is darker than 50% gray, the layer darkens as
if it were multiplied. This mode is useful for creating the appearance of shadows on a layer.
Vivid Light Burns or dodges the colors by increasing or decreasing the contrast, depending on the underlying color. If
the underlying color is lighter than 50% gray, the layer is lightened because the contrast is decreased. If the underlying
color is darker than 50% gray, the layer is darkened because the contrast is increased.
Linear Light Burns or dodges the colors by decreasing or increasing the brightness, depending on the underlying color.
If the underlying color is lighter than 50% gray, the layer is lightened because the brightness is increased. If the
underlying color is darker than 50% gray, the layer is darkened because the brightness is decreased.
Pin Light Replaces the colors, depending on the underlying color. If the underlying color is lighter than 50% gray,
pixels darker than the underlying color are replaced, and pixels lighter than the underlying color do not change. If the
underlying color is darker than 50% gray, pixels lighter than the underlying color are replaced, and pixels darker than
the underlying color do not change.
Hard Mix Enhances the contrast of the underlying layer that is visible beneath a mask on the source layer. The mask
size determines the contrasted area; the inverted source layer determines the center of the contrasted area.
Difference For each color channel, subtracts the darker of the input values from the lighter. Painting with white inverts
the backdrop color; painting with black produces no change.
If you have two layers with an identical visual element that you want to align, place one layer on top of the other and
set the blend mode of the top layer to Difference. Then, you can move one layer or the other until the pixels of the visual
element that you want to line up are all black—meaning that the differences between the pixels are zero and therefore the
elements are stacked exactly on top of one another.
Exclusion Creates a result similar to but lower in contrast than the Difference mode. If the source color is white, the
result color is the complement of the underlying color. If the source color is black, the result color is the underlying
color.
Subtract Subtracts the source file from the underlying color (CS5.5 and later). If the source color is black, the result
color is the underlying color. Result color values can be less than 0 in 32-bpc projects.
Divide Divides underlying color by source color (CS5.5 and later). If the source color is white, the result color is the
underlying color. Result color values can be greater than 1.0 in 32-bpc projects.
Hue Result color has luminosity and saturation of the underlying color, and the hue of the source color.
Saturation Result color has luminosity and hue of the underlying color, and the saturation of the source color.
Color Result color has luminosity of the underlying color, and hue and saturation of the source color. This blend mode
preserves the gray levels in the underlying color. This blend mode is useful for coloring grayscale images and for tinting
color images.
Luminosity Result color has hue and saturation of the underlying color, and luminosity of the source color. This mode
is the opposite of the Color mode.
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Chapter 14: Exporting
Workflow and overview for exporting
FAQ: "How do I export a movie for YouTube, Vimeo, iPad, iPhone, Apple TV?"
FAQ: What’s the best export format or codec?
Jeff Bellune provides an overview of the ways to export video from Premiere Pro on his website.
Exporting to DVD is done with Adobe Encore. For information about exporting a DVD of your program, see
“Exporting to DVD or Blu-ray Disc” on page 441.
Exporting for web video is done with Adobe Media Encoder. For more information about exporting a file suitable for
uploading to the web, see “Exporting for the Web and mobile devices” on page 447.
Types of exporting
You can export video from a sequence in the form best suited for further editing or for a viewing audience. Premiere
Pro supports export in formats for various uses and target devices.
Exporting files for further editing
You can export editable movie or audio files. Then, you can preview your work with effects and transitions fully
rendered. Also, you can continue editing the files in applications other than Premiere Pro. Similarly, you can export a
still-image sequence. Also, you can export a still image from a single frame of video for use in a title or graphic.
After editing P2 MXF assets, you can export the sequence back to P2 MXF format. You can continue editing the
resulting MXF files on other editing systems that edit MXF.
Premiere Pro supports both direct export and Adobe Media Encoder export. Direct export generates new files directly
from Premiere Pro. Adobe Media Encoder export sends files to Adobe Media Encoder for rendering. From Adobe
Media Encoder, you can choose whether to render an asset immediately, or to add it to a render queue.
Exporting to tape
You can export a sequence or clip to videotape in a supported camcorder or VTR. You can use this type of export for
archiving a master tape, or for delivering rough edits for screening from VTRs.
Send to Encore for DVD, Blu-ray Disc, or SWF file creation
You can send video from any sequence into Adobe Encore for output to DVD, Blu-ray Disc (Windows only), or a SWF
file. Changes made in the timelines of either Premiere Pro or Encore are reflected in the other, by way of Adobe
Dynamic Link. You can send content from Premiere Pro to Adobe Encore for creating an AutoPlay disc without
menus. You can quickly create menu-based discs using the professional templates in Adobe Encore. Finally, you can
use the deep authoring tools of Adobe Encore, Adobe Photoshop, and other applications, to author professional-
quality discs. You can also export in formats appropriate for CD-ROM distribution.
Export project files for other systems
You can export project files, not just clips, to standard EDL files. You can import EDL files into various third-party
editing systems for finishing. You can trim Premiere Pro projects down to their essentials and ready them, with or
without their source media, for archiving.
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Export formats for various devices and web sites
Finally, using the Adobe Media Encoder, you can export video in formats suitable for devices ranging from
professional tape decks to DVD players to video-sharing web sites to mobile phones to portable media players to
standard- and high-definition TV sets.
Adobe Media Encoder
Premiere Pro and other applications employ Adobe Media Encoder, a standalone encoding application. When you
specify export settings in the Export Settings dialog box and click Export, Premiere Pro sends the export request to the
Adobe Media Encoder.
From the Export Settings dialog box, click Queue to send Premiere Pro sequences into the standalone Adobe Media
Encoder queue. From the queue, you can encode sequences into one or more formats, or take advantage of other
features.
When the standalone Adobe Media Encoder is rendering and exporting in the background, you can continue to work
in Premiere Pro. Adobe Media Encoder encodes the most recently saved version of each sequence in the queue.
More Help topics
Encoding and exporting
File formats supported for export
Workflow for exporting video and audio files
1Do one of the following:
•In a Timeline panel or Program Monitor, select a sequence.
•In a Project panel, Source Monitor, or bin, select a clip.
2Do one of the following:
•Choose File > Export > Media. Premiere Pro opens the Export Media dialog box.
•Choose File > Export. Then select one of the options other than Media from the menu.
3(Optional) In the Export Settings dialog box, specify the Source Range of the sequence or clip you want to export.
Drag the handles on the work area bar. Then click the Set In Point button and Set Out Point button .
4To crop the image, specify cropping options in the Source panel.
5Select the file format you want for your exported file.
If you are not sure which export format or codec to choose, see this video by video2brain and Todd Kopriva.
6(Optional) Select a preset best suited for your target means of playback, distribution, and audience.
To automatically export a file from a Premiere Pro sequence with settings that exactly match the settings for that
sequence, select Match Sequence Settings in the Export Settings dialog box.
7To customize the export options, click a tab (e.g., Video, Audio) and specify the appropriate options.
8Do one of the following:
•Click Queue. Adobe Media Encoder opens with the encoding job added to its queue.
•Click Export. Adobe Media Encoder renders and exports the item immediately.
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By default, Adobe Media Encoder saves the exported file in the folder where the source file is located. Adobe Media
Encoder appends the extension for the format specified to the end of the filename. You can specify watched folders for
various types of exported files.
Note: You cannot export a movie file into an HDV format file. You can, however, export a movie into a high-definition
MPEG-2 format file. Also, you can export an HDV sequence directly to tape on an HDV device (Windows only).
For instructions on how to export video with an alpha channel (transparency), see this post.
This chapter from the “Adobe Premiere Pro CS5 Classroom in a Book” teaches how to export frames, clips, and
sequences.
FAQ: "What are the best export settings?"
More Help topics
Encoding and exporting
Formats exported directly from Premiere Pro
In addition to the file formats exported by Adobe Media Encoder, Premiere Pro exports several file formats directly.
•AAF (Advanced Authoring Format)
•BMP (Windows Bitmap; Windows only)
•DPX
•EDL (edit decision list)
•JPEG
•OMF (Open Media Format)
•PNG
•TGA (Targa)
•TIFF
•XML (Final Cut Pro XML)
More Help topics
File formats supported for export
Export to Panasonic P2 format
When you have finished editing a Panasonic P2 sequence you can export the sequence to a hard disk or back to a P2
card. You can also export individual clips to the P2 format.
The maximum file size for a clip stored in the P2 format is 4 GB. When Premiere Pro exports clips or sequences larger
than 4 GB to P2 format, it exports them as groups of 4 GB spanned clips. For more information about clip spanning,
see “About spanned clips” on page 67.
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The workflow from P2 card to edit and back to P2 card is simple. Import the P2 clips into a project containing a 5.1-
channel sequence. Map the source channels to their specified tracks. Place the clips into the sequence, or export them
to P2. For more information, see “Mapping source and output audio channels” on page 221.
Note: Exporting to P2 from stereo sequences, which are the default type used in the various P2 presets, produces files with
two mono tracks. Premiere Pro preserves the sequence stereo panning. Exporting to P2 from sequences with 5.1-channel
master tracks, Premiere Pro exports the sequence into files with two monaural channels, one for left and one for right
stereo.
When you export clips or sequences to P2 media, Premiere Pro translates clip and XMP metadata into P2-standard
fields. P2 viewers, cameras, servers, and decks can read these.
1Select the sequence or clip in a Timeline panel or Project panel.
2(Optional) If exporting from the Timeline, set a timeline marker, numbered “0” on the frame you want used as the
P2 icon for the exported.
If you do not set this marker, the P2 icon appears on the first frame of the sequence by default.
3Choose File > Export > Media.
4From the Format drop-down list, select P2 Movie.
5(Optional) Click the hot text in the Output Name field, and type a new filename.
This name is used as the value for the UserClipName element in the exported clip’s metadata XML file. The
UserClipName value appears in the Name column of the Project panel when the clip is imported back into Premiere
Pro. If you do not specify a name, the filename appears in the Name column. The name of the file is automatically
generated in conformance with the Panasonic P2 MXF format.
6Browse to the location where you want to save the file. You can navigate to the root of the mounted P2 card or to
your destination folder of choice, and click Save.
If a P2 compliant file structure is present at the destination, Premiere Pro adds the exported clips to the existing folders.
If the P2 compliant file structure is not present, Premiere Pro creates one at the destination.
7Define the section of the clip or sequence you want to export. In the Export Settings dialog box, drag the triangular
current-time indicator to the desired in point, and click the Set In Point button . Drag the triangular current-
time indicator to the desired out point, and click the Set Out Point button .
8Do one of the following:
•Click Queue. Adobe Media Encoder opens with the encoding job added to its queue.
•Click Export. Adobe Media Encoder renders the asset immediately.
Adobe Media Encoder adds the sequence or clip to the CONTENTS folder of the disk or P2 card. Adobe Media
Encoder adds the video MXF file to the VIDEO folder, and the audio MXF file to the AUDIO folder. Adobe Media
Encoder adds the icon file to the ICON folder, and the metadata XML file to the CLIP folder.
More Help topics
“Importing assets from tapeless formats” on page 65
“About spanned clips” on page 67
“Mapping source and output audio channels” on page 221
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Exporting OMF files for Pro Tools
You can export all the active audio tracks from an entire sequence in Premiere Pro to an Open Media Format (OMF)
file. DigiDesign Pro Tools imports OMF files, when the DigiTranslator feature is licensed. With DigiTranslator in Pro
Tools, you can sweeten soundtracks from Premiere Pro.
Note: The OMF files exported by Premiere Pro are not officially supported for platforms other than ProTools. Premiere
Pro does not import OMF files.
Export an OMF file for Pro Tools
1In a Timeline panel, select a sequence.
2Select File > Export > OMF.
3In the OMF Export Settings dialog box, type a title for the OMF file into the OMF Title field.
4From the Sample Rate and Bits Per Sample menus, choose the settings needed for your sequence.
5From the Files menu, choose one of the following:
Encapsulate With this setting, Premiere Pro exports an OMF file containing the project metadata and all the audio for
the selected sequence. Encapsulated OMF files typically are large.
Separate Audio With this setting, Premiere Pro exports individual mono AIF files into an _omfiMediaFiles folder.
The folder name contains the OMF filename. Using AIF files assures maximum compatibility with legacy audio
systems.
6From the Render menu, choose one of the following:
Copy Complete Audio Files With this setting, Premiere Pro exports audio for the entirety of each clip used in the
sequence, no matter how many times the clip is used nor how many parts of the clip are used.
Trim Audio Files With this setting, Premiere Pro exports only the portions of each clip that are used in the sequence:
the clip instances. You can choose to export each clip instance with extra length, handles, added to the start and end of
the file.
7In the Handle Frames field, specify the length of the handles, in video frames. This amount of time is added to the
start and end of the exported files when you choose Consolidate Media. The default setting is one second, in frames,
at the sequence frame rate. If the length of the handles you specify exceeds the length of the clip instance, Premiere
Pro exports the whole clip instance.
8
Launch Pro Tools, and import the OMF file. For more information on importing files into Pro Tools, see Pro Tools Help.
Features supported in OMF files
On export to OMF, Premiere Pro exports files with the following attributes and metadata:
Note: Premiere Pro applies only the effects listed, on export to OMF. Also, since OMF values are clip-based, Premiere Pro
does not export most track-based values to OMF.
Sample accurate exports Premiere Pro places all transitions and keyframe points on audio sample boundaries. Video
frame boundaries do not constrain these locations.
48k and 96k sample rates Premiere Pro converts sound clips to the same consistent sample rate, as required by Pro
Tools. You can select the sample rate at the time of export.
16-bit and 24-bit depth You can choose the bit-depth at the time of export.
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Encapsulate and Separate Audio options With the Encapsulate option, you can export a single, large, OMF file
containing both audio and OMF metadata. With the Separate Audio option, you can export a smaller OMF file and a
set of related, individual, external audio files. The Separate Audio option is useful for larger projects, as an OMF file
cannot exceed two gigabytes.
Track names OMF and Pro Tools work with mono tracks only. Premiere Pro exports each channel from a stereo, 5.1-
channel or 16-channel track into its own mono track with its source track ID appended to its track name. Premiere
Pro exports Left and Right stereo channels with _L and _R in their respective track names.
Clip names After you import an OMF file into Pro Tools, the clip names from the Premiere Pro sequence appear in
the Pro Tools timeline.
Clip volume and clip keyframe volume By default, Premiere Pro exports clip volume levels and clip keyframe volume
levels to the Clip Gain effect in the OMF file. You can set DigiTranslator to accept or ignore keyframe volume settings.
Audio Transitions Premiere Pro exports audio transitions between two adjoining clips, both centered or not centered,
as you specify.
Audio Mixer pan settings One pan setting is exported per clip without keyframes. Premiere Pro extracts the pan
setting from the track and applies it to the clip export data.
Stereo tracks By default, Premiere Pro hard pans the Left channel to the left and the Right channel to the right on
export to OMF.
Stereo Balance Premiere Pro applies clip balance to the Clip Gain effect for the clip. Premiere Pro does not apply
Audio Mixer balance, as that is track-based, not clip-based.
Channel Gain effects for 5.1-channel and 16-channel tracks Premiere Pro applies the first channel-gain value per clip
channel. Premiere Pro does not apply clip channel-gain keyframes.
Fill Left, Fill Right, and Swap Channel effects Premiere Pro applies the first value for Fill Left, Fill Right, and Swap
Channel effects to each clip. Premiere Pro does not apply Fill Left, Fill Right, or Swap Channel keyframes.
Toggle Track Output Premiere Pro exports only those audio tracks with the Toggle Track Output setting turned on. If
a track is turned off it does not appear in the exported OMF file. Premiere Pro does not apply the Audio Mixer Mute
Track, or Solo Track button settings.
Nested sequences Premiere Pro exports audio for each nested sequence the same way it does for each simple clip.
Merged Clips Premiere Pro CS5.5 and later exports audio the same way it does for master clips and subclips.
Tips for importing OMF files into Pro Tools
In the DigiTranslator dialog box:
•Deselect Pan Odd Tracks Left/Even Tracks Right.
•For automatic gain control, select Convert Clip Based Gain To Automation.
•Leave Sample Rate Conversion deselected, unless you need sample rate conversion.
In the Missing Files dialog box:
•Change the default setting to Manually Find And Relink, and press OK.
•Deselect all options.
•Navigate to the <projectName> ExternalMediaFiles folder and select it.
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Export a still image
For a video demonstrating the export of a frame, see the Adobe website.
The Export Frame buttons in the Source Monitor and Program Monitor enable you to quickly export frames of
video without using the Adobe Media Encoder. This is sometimes called a frame grab.
1Position the playhead at the desired frame in a clip or sequence.
2Click the Export Frame button .
The Export Frame dialog box opens with the name field in text edit mode. The entire name is selected for editing. By
default, the frame name contains the name of the source clip or sequence, and an auto-incremented number. For
example, Premiere Pro names frames exported from a clip named Clip.mov, "Clip.mov.Still001," "Clip.mov.Still002,"
"Clip.mov.Still003," and so on. Even if you rename the frame, Premiere Pro uses the next number the next time you
export a frame from that same clip.
By default, Premiere Pro selects the format last used for a frame export.
3Do one of the following:
•Type a new name for the frame. Select a format from the Format: menu. Browse to a destination for the frame. Click OK.
•Press Enter to accept the default frame name, format, and location.
Premiere Pro exports a frame. By default, Premiere Pro sets the color bit depth of the exported frame to the color bit
depth of the source clip or sequence.
Exporting to DVD or Blu-ray Disc
You can export sequences or portions of sequences in files formatted for authoring and burning to DVD and Blu-ray
Disc. Alternately, you can export to Encore for authoring a DVD or Blu-ray Disc with menus, or direct burning to disc
without menus.
For a video on using Dynamic Link and the Send To Encore command, see the Adobe website.
Tim Kolb provides a video tutorial on the Adobe website that demonstrates the use of Dynamic Link in the creation
of a DVD using Premiere Pro and Encore.
For more information on the DVD format, see the DVD primer on the Adobe website.
To create an auto-play DVD (sometimes called a "First Play" DVD), see instructions in this article on the Adobe Press
website.
To export your sequence for later use or to work in Encore on an other computer you can use File >Export > Media
and choose the appropriate settings for export. See Workflow for exporting video and audio files.
Choosing file formats for various discs
When exporting a file from the Export Settings dialog box for use in DVD or Blu-ray Disc creation, select the format
appropriate for the target medium. For single-layer or dual-layer DVD, select MPEG2-DVD. For single-layer or dual-
layer Blu-ray Disc, select either MPEG2 Blu-ray or H.264 Blu-ray.
Select the preset for a given format in accordance with the available space on the target medium and the needs of the
target audience.
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Send a sequence to Encore to create a DVD, Blu-ray Disc, or SWF
Note: Before you begin, make sure that Encore is installed on the same computer as Premiere Pro.
1In Premiere Pro, select a sequence.
2(Optional) Add Encore chapter markers, if desired. See “Add Encore chapter markers” on page 215.
3(Optional) If you are producing a sequence for standard-definition output that includes high-definition clips, select
Maximum Render Quality before using Dynamic Link to send the sequence to Encore for DVD authoring. This
does not apply to HD sequences that use Dynamic Link for Blu-Ray Disc authoring.
4Choose File > Adobe Dynamic Link > Send To Encore.
5On the Basic tab in the New Project dialog box, type a name for the disc into the Name field.
6(Optional) Click Browse and browse to a location for the Encore project, to change it from the default location.
7In the Project Settings pane, select the name of the authoring mode desired.
The sets of options available in the Settings area and on the Advanced tab depend on whether Blu-ray or DVD is the
authoring mode.
Note: The authoring mode can be changed at any time in Encore, in the Project Settings dialog box.
8(Optional) Click Advanced, and select the desired transcoding settings.
9Click OK.
Premiere Pro starts Encore. The Encore Project panel contains the dynamically linked Premiere Pro project and
sequence.
10 Finish authoring and exporting in Encore. For more information about using Encore to author and build DVDs,
Blu-ray discs and SWF files, see Encore Help.
Exporting projects for other applications
Export a project as an EDL file
You can export a data file that describes the project and enables you to recreate it either with related media or by using
another editing system.
With Premiere Pro you can export your project as an edit decision list (EDL) in the CMX3600 format. This format is
the most widely accepted and most robust of the EDL formats.
When you set up a Premiere Pro project from which you will export an EDL, you must satisfy the following criteria:
•EDLs work best with projects that contain no more than one video track, two stereo audio tracks, and no nested
sequences. Most standard transitions, frame holds, and clip speed changes also work well in EDLs.
•Capture and log all the source material with the correct timecode.
•The capture device (e.g., capture card or FireWire port) must have device control that uses timecode.
•Videotapes must each have a unique reel number and be formatted with timecode before you shoot video.
1Open or save the project that you want to export as an EDL.
2Make sure that a Timeline panel is active, and then choose File > Export > EDL.
3In the EDL Export dialog box, specify which video and audio tracks you want to export.
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You can export one video track and up to four audio channels, or two stereo tracks.
4Specify the location and name for the EDL file, and click Save.
5Click OK.
Note: In Premiere Pro CS5.5 and later, merged clips are supported in standardized EDLs. EDLs will interpret the merged
clip sequence track items in the same way it currently does for separate audio and audio clips that are used together in
the sequence at the same time locations. The target application will not show the clips as merged. The audio and video
will be seen as separate clips. Source timecode is used for both video and audio portions.
Exporting AAF files
Advanced Authoring Format (AAF) is a multimedia file format that allows you to exchange digital media and
metadata between platforms, systems, and applications. Authoring applications that support AAF, such as Avid Media
Composer, read and write the data in AAF files to the extent that they support the format.
Ensure that the project you want to export conforms to general AAF specifications and is compatible with an Avid
Media Composer product. Consider each of the following:
•The AAF files exported by Premiere Pro are compatible with the Avid Media Composer family of editing products.
These AAF files have not been tested with other AAF importers.
•Transitions should appear only between two clips, not adjacent to the beginning or end of a clip. Each clip must be
at least the same length as the transition.
•If a clip has a transition at both its In and Out points, the clip must be at least the same length as both transitions
combined.
•When naming clips and sequences in Premiere Pro, avoid using special characters, accented characters, or
characters that affect the parsing of an XML file. Some characters to avoid include /, >, <, ®, and ü.
•AAF files exported from Premiere Pro and imported into Avid Media Composer do not automatically relink to the
source footage. To relink the footage, use the Batch Import option in Avid Media Composer.
Note: In Premiere Pro CS5.5 and later, merged clips are not supported when exporting an AAF file.
For more information see “Round-tripping with Avid Media Composer” by Maxim Jago and Video2Brain.
Export an Advanced Authoring Format (AAF) project file
1Choose File > Export > AAF.
2In the Save Converted Project As dialog box, browse to a location for the AAF file, and type a file name. Click Save.
3In the AAF Export Settings dialog box, select either Save As Legacy AAF, Embed Audio, or neither. Click OK.
Premiere Pro saves the sequence to an AAF file at the specified location. The AAF Export Log dialog box opens to
report any exporting issues.
About the AAF plug-in
The AAF Export plug-in converts Premiere Pro projects as follows:
Cuts-only mono/stereo audio and video The plug-in fully supports these elements of a project. The plug-in does not
convert audio pan, gain, and level changes, and 5.1 audio. Stereo audio channels are separated into two tracks in the
Avid Media Composer sequence.
Clip speed The plug-in converts video clip speed changes (slow, fast, reverse playback) to the Avid Media Composer
Motion Effect, which is the only supported effect. Clip speed applied to nested sequences is also converted. Avid Media
Composer does not have an equivalent to Motion Effect for audio. If the speed change makes the audio clip longer than
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the source media, the plug-in stretches the audio clip to the same length as the rest of the source media. The plug-in
begins at the StartTime, and places filler in the gap. You can fix these portions of the sequence manually in the Avid
editing system.
Batch captured or redigitized files The plug-in retains the tape name specified in the AAF file. Use the Batch Record
capability in Avid Media Composer to recapture the media from tape.
Footage of varying dimensions The plug-in exports the project at its full resolution. However, importing scales all
footage according to the resolution specified in the Avid project.
Nested sequences The plug-in builds the master composition from the nested sequences recursively (because Avid
Media Composer does not support linking to the nested sequences). Therefore, in the AAF file, there’s no linking
between the master composition and the nested sequences.
Titles The plug-in converts titles to offline media in Avid Media Composer.
Bin hierarchy
Avid Media Composer places all items into a single bin. Projects with multiple bins convert into one bin.
Graphic files The plug-in saves a reference to all original files, but compatibility in Avid Media Composer is limited
to the formats that it supports. (See the Avid Media Composer documentation for information on supported graphic
file formats.)
Project elements The plug-in converts synthetic clips, such as Bars and Tone, Black Video, Color Matte, and
Universal Counting Leader to offline media in XDV.
Sequence and clip markers The plug-in converts all sequence markers, except the sequence In and Out markers, to
locators on the timecode (TC1) track in Avid Media Composer. The Chapter, URL, and Frame Target fields are not
converted because Avid Media Composer has no equivalents. The plug-in converts clip markers to segment markers
in Avid Media Composer.
Note: The AAF Export plug-in ignores markers located beyond the end of the sequence.
Current-time indicator position In the exported file, the current-time indicator retains its original position if it is
within the duration of the sequence. Otherwise, the plug-in places the current-time indicator at the end of the Avid
Media Composer sequence.
Grouped clips Upon import, all grouped clips are ungrouped and treated separately.
Transitions and effects Transitions and effects exported from Premiere Pro to the AAF format are identified uniquely
in Avid Media Composer.
Export a Final Cut Pro project XML file
1Choose File > Export > Final Cut Pro XML.
2In the Save Converted Project As dialog box, browse to a location for the XML file, and type a file name. Click Save.
Premiere Pro saves the sequence to an XML file at the specified location. Also, Premiere Pro saves a log of any
conversion problems in a text file also at the same location. The log file name contains the words FCP Translation
Results.
3(Optional) If necessary, read the log file for descriptions of any translation issues.
Exporting a Final Cut Pro XML file from Premiere Pro CS5.5 and later turns merged clips into nested sequences in
Final Cut Pro.
The XML from Premiere Pro CS5 can also be imported into Final Cut Express 4.0.1.
The Premiere Pro CS5 (5.0.2) update made several improvements to Final Cut Pro XML export, see this post for
details.
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Exporting to videotape
You can record your edited sequence onto videotape directly from your computer, for example, to create a master tape.
When you start a new sequence, you specify the format and quality for the videotape in the Editing Mode area of the
New Sequence dialog box.
You can record a sequence directly to videotape on the following devices (decks or camcorders) as specified:
DV devices On either Windows or Mac OS with a FireWire connection between the device and the computer.
HDV devices On Windows only with a FireWire connection between the device and the computer.
HD devices On either Windows or Mac OS, provided your computer has a supported HD capture card, with SDI or
HD component connections. Capture and export of HD video also requires serial device control; check the third-party
solution provider's manual for details.
Analog devices On either Windows or Mac OS, provided your computer has a capture card, converter, camcorder,
or deck that can convert your sequence to an analog format recordable by the device. Most DV, HDV, and HD
cameras; all DV, HDV, and HD videotape recorders; and some capture cards and converters are capable of this
conversion. Some digital camcorders require that you first record the sequence to their digital tape, and then playback
the tape in the digital camcorder to make the dub to the analog video recorder.
For device control while exporting to analog devices, you must have a device controller installed also.
Many video capture cards include compatible plug-in software that provides a menu command for recording to
videotape. If the options you see differ from those described here, refer to your capture card or plug-in documentation
for the most efficient way to export to tape.
Note: Before you export a sequence, make sure that all the clips it contains are online.
More Help topics
“Setting up your system” on page 41
“Set up device control” on page 81
Prepare for exporting to DV videotape
Before you begin, make sure the recording device (camcorder or deck) is connected to your computer using a FireWire
connection.
To give your recording deck additional time before your video sequence starts and after it ends, add black before and
after the sequence in the Timeline window. If you plan to have a postproduction facility duplicate your videotapes,
add a minimum of 30 seconds of color bars and tone at the beginning of the program to aid in video and audio calibration.
(See “Create color bars and a 1-kHz tone” on page 170.)
1Connect the device to the computer, turn it on, and set it to VTR, VCR, or Play.
2Start Premiere Pro, and open the project.
3Choose Sequence > Sequence Settings, and click Playback Settings.
4In the Export area of the Playback Settings dialog box, specify the appropriate format in the External Device menu.
Choose one of the following settings, and click OK to close the Preferences dialog box.
DV 29.97i (720 x 480) Specifies NTSC DV, which uses a timebase of 29.97 fps and interlaced fields.
DV 25i (720 x 576) Specifies PAL DV, which uses a timebase of 25 fps and interlaced fields.
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DV 23.976i Specifies DV 24p (24 progressive) or 24pA (24 progressive advanced), which uses a timebase of 23.976 and
interlaced fields (that become progressively scanned frames using a pulldown scheme).
5Select a 24p conversion method.
6Close other programs that might be running on your computer.
Your computer is now ready to export your sequence directly to tape.
Export a sequence to tape with device control
Before you export to videotape using device control, make sure that both the computer and the camera or deck are set
up properly, as you would when capturing video with device control (see “Set up device control” on page 81).
If you’re using equipment that comes with its own software plug-in for use with Premiere Pro, it may provide device
control options different from those described here, and in different locations. (For information, see the
documentation for the device.)
Before you can export a sequence to an HDV device, you must first transcode it to HDV format. Premiere Pro does
this transcoding automatically just before exporting the sequence to an HDV device.
Note: You can export to tape on an HDV device in Windows only, and only with device control over FireWire.
1Make sure that your video recording device is on and that the correct tape is in the device. If necessary, locate and
note the timecode for the location at which you want to begin recording. (This requires a tape recorded with
timecode. See “Stripe tape or replace timecode” on page 99.)
2Activate the sequence you want to export, and position the work area bar over the section of the sequence you want
to export.
To place the work area bar over the whole section of the sequence that is visible in the Timeline panel double-click in
the space just under the time ruler. To first view the whole sequence, press the backslash (\) key.
3Choose File > Export > Export To Tape.
4To let Premiere Pro control your deck, select Activate Recording Device and do any of the following:
•To specify a particular frame on the tape to start recording, select Assemble At Timecode and type the In point. If
you don’t select this option, recording begins at the current tape location.
•To synchronize a device’s timecode with the recording start time, select Delay Movie Start and type the numbers of
frames that you want to delay the movie. Some devices need a delay between the time they receive the record
command and the time the movie starts playing from the computer.
•To have Premiere Pro roll the tape before the specified start time so that the deck can attain a constant speed, select
Preroll and type the number of frames you want the tape to play before recording begins. For many decks, 150
frames is sufficient.
5In the Options section, select any of the following options:
Abort After Dropped Frames Ends export automatically if a specified number of frames is not exported successfully.
Specify the number in the box.
Report Dropped Frames Generates a text report alerting you to dropped frames.
Render Audio Before Export Prevents sequences containing complex audio from causing dropped frames during
export.
6Click Record, or, for HDV devices click Render And Record.
If exporting to an HDV device, a rendering dialog box will open with a progress bar showing the progress of the
transcode to HDV. Typically, export to tape will begin when transcoding is about 50% done.
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7If you don’t need to perform any more recordings after the Recording Successful message appears in the Status
option, click Cancel to close the Export To Tape dialog box.
Note: If you want to use device control but it’s unavailable, click Cancel. Choose Edit > Preferences, click Device Control,
make sure that your device is set up properly in the Device Control options, and click
OK. Then try recording to tape
again.
More Help topics
“Device Control preferences” on page 18
“Set up a device for device control” on page 82
Export a sequence to tape without device control
You can export to videotape without device control by operating the playback controls in Premiere Pro and the
recording controls on the device itself.
Note: You can export to tape on an HDV device in Windows only, and only with device control.
1Activate the sequence you want to export.
2Make sure that the sequence plays back on your deck or camera. If it does not, review the steps for preparing for
exporting to tape (See “Prepare for exporting to DV videotape” on page 445), or see the documentation for your
analog device.
3Make sure that the video recording device is in Record-Pause mode, and that the tape is cued to the point where
you want to start recording.
4Position the current-time indicator at the beginning of the sequence (or work area, as needed).
5Press the Record or Pause button on the device, as needed to put the device into Record mode.
6Press the Play button in the Program Monitor.
7When the program finishes, press the Stop button in the Program Monitor, and then press Stop on the device.
Exporting for the Web and mobile devices
You can export a sequence for use on Apple iPods, 3GPP cell phones, Sony PSPs, or other mobile devices. In Export
Settings, select an H.264 format preset made for the target device.
FAQ: "How do I export a movie for YouTube, Vimeo, iPad, iPhone, Apple TV?”
You can use Device Central to preview how a movie will appear on a wide variety of mobile devices.
For information about exporting to the FLV and F4V formats, see the video tutorial Creating FLV and F4V files.
Moving assets between Adobe Premiere Pro and Adobe Flash
In Adobe Premiere Pro, you can add Flash cue point markers to a timeline. Flash cue point markers serve as cue points
in a rich media application. There are two types of cue point markers: event and navigational cue point markers. You
can use navigational cue point markers to navigate to different sections of FLV and F4V files, and to trigger the display
of onscreen texts. You can use event cue point markers for triggering action scripts at specified times in FLV and F4V
files.
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You can export a movie from Adobe Premiere Pro directly into the FLV and F4V formats. You can choose from
severalExport Settings presets. These presets balance file size against audio and video quality to achieve the bit rate
needed for any target audience or device. If you export the movie with an alpha channel, you can use the movie easily
used as a layer in a rich media project.
You can import the FLV or F4V file into Adobe Flash. Flash reads sequence markers as navigational or event cue
points. In Flash, you can also customize the interface that surrounds your video.
Alternatively, you can use Flash to create animations for use in movies. You can create an animation in Flash. You can
export the animation as an FLV or F4V file. Then, you can import the FLV or F4V file into Adobe
Premiere Pro for
editing. In Adobe
Premiere Pro, for example, you could add titles or mix the animation with other video sources.
Tips for creating FLV and F4V files
Follow these guidelines to deliver the best possible FLV or F4V files:
Work with video in the native format of your project until your final output
If you convert a precompressed digital video format into another compressed format such as the FLV or F4V format,
the previous encoder can introduce video noise. The first compressor already applied its encoding algorithm to the
video, reducing its quality, frame size, and frame rate. That compression could have introduced digital artifacts: noise.
This noise affects the final encoding process, and a higher data rate is often required to encode a good-quality file.
Strive for simplicity
Avoid elaborate transitions—they don’t compress well and can make your final compressed video look “chunky”
during the change. Hard cuts compress better than dissolves.
Know your audience data rate
When you deliver video over the Internet, produce files at lower data rates. Users with fast Internet connections can
view the files with little or no delay for loading, but dial-up users must wait for files to download. Make the clips short
to keep the download times within acceptable limits for dial-up users.
Select the proper frame rate
Frame rate indicates frames per second (fps). If you have a higher data rate clip, a lower frame rate can improve
playback through limited bandwidth. For example, if you compress a clip with little motion, cutting the
frame rate in
half can save you only 20% of the data rate. However, if you compress high-motion video, reducing the frame rate has
a much greater effect on the data
rate.
Because video looks much better at native frame rates, leave the frame rate high if your delivery channels and playback
platforms allow. For web delivery, get this detail from your hosting service. For mobile devices, use the device-specific
encoding presets and the device emulator available through Adobe Media Encoder in Adobe
Premiere Pro. If reducing
the frame rate, the best results come from dividing the frame rate by whole numbers.
Note: To embed video clips into a SWF file, match the frame rate of the video clip to the frame rate of the SWF file. To
encode video using the frame rate of an FLA file, use the Advanced Video Encoding settings in the FLV Import wizard.
Select a frame size that fits your data rate and frame aspect ratio
At a given data rate (connection speed), increasing the frame size decreases video quality. When you select the frame
size for your encoding settings, consider frame rate, source material, and personal preferences. To prevent
pillarboxing, choose a frame size of the same aspect ratio as the frame aspect ratio of your source footage. For example,
pillarboxing results when you encode NTSC footage to a PAL frame size.
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Adobe Premiere Pro makes several FLV and F4V file presets available through the Export Settings dialog box. These
include preset frame sizes and frame rates for the different television standards at different data rates. Experiment with
the various Adobe Media Encoder presets to find the best setting for your project. Use the following list of common
frame sizes (in pixels) as a guide:
Modem NTSC 4 x 3 162 x 120
Modem PAL 4 x 3 160 x 120
T1/DSL/Cable NTSC 4 x 3 648 x 480
T1/DSL/Cable PAL 4 x 3 768 x 576
Stream for best performance
You can stream FLV and F4V files to eliminate download time. FLV and F4V files also have deep interactivity and
navigation capabilities when they are streamed. Streaming FLV and F4V files allow you to monitor quality of service.
You can stream FLV and F4V files with the Flash Media Server. Alternatively, you can use a hosted service from one
of the FLV/F4V Streaming Service partners available through the Adobe website. For more information, see
“Delivering Flash Video: Understanding the Difference Between Progressive Download and Streaming Video” on the
Flash Developer Center website.
Cover progressive download times
Learn how long it takes to download enough of your video so that it can play to the end without pausing to finish
downloading. While the first part of your video clip downloads, you can display other content that disguises the
download. For short clips, use the following formula: Pause = download time – play time + 10% of play time. For
example, if your clip is 30 seconds long and it takes 1 minute to download, give your clip a 33-second buffer. The
applied formula is 60 seconds – 30 seconds + 3 seconds = 33 seconds.
Remove noise and interlacing
For the best encoding, remove noise and interlacing.
The higher the quality of the original, the better the final result. Frame rates and sizes of Internet video are smaller than
frame rates and sizes of television video. However, computer monitors typically have color fidelity, saturation,
sharpness, and resolution at least as good as high-definition televisions. Even with a small window, image quality can
be as important for digital video as for HDTV. Artifacts and noise are at least as obvious on a computer screen as on a
television screen.
FLV files, F4V files, and SWF files are intended for progressive display on computer screens and other devices.
Interlaced displays such as TVs do not typically play FLV or F4V files. Interlaced footage viewed on a progressive
display can exhibit alternating vertical lines in high-motion areas. Thus, all the FLV and F4V file presets in the Adobe
Media Encoder have deinterlacing turned on by default.
Follow the same guidelines for audio
The same considerations apply to audio production as to video production. To achieve good audio compression, begin
with clean audio. If your project contains audio from a CD, transfer the audio files directly from the CD to your hard
disk. Do not record the sound through the analog input of your sound card. The sound card introduces an unnecessary
digital-to-analog and analog-to-digital conversion that can create noise in your source audio. Direct digital transfer
tools are available for Windows and Macintosh® platforms. To record from an analog source, use the highest-quality
sound card available.
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Tips for creating video for mobile devices
Use these tips when shooting content for mobile devices:
•Tight shots are better. Try to keep the subject separated from the background; the colors and values between
background and subject should not be too similar.
•Be aware of lighting. Poor lighting is a greater problem with mobile devices and can reduce visibility on small
screens. Shoot and adjust with this limitation in mind.
•Avoid excessive panning or rolling.
Use the following tips when editing video with Adobe Premiere Pro and After Effects:
•Set the frame rate for the output movie according to output device or output type. For example, a commercial in
After Effectsmight be rendered at 15 frames per second (fps) for distribution on mobile devices, but at 29.97 fps for
broadcast television in the USA. In general, use a lower frame rate. A frame rate of 22 fps is a good compromise for
reducing file size without losing quality
•Make the movie as small as possible and remove any extraneous content, especially empty frames. Many actions
can be done pre-encoding to limit file size. Some of them apply to shooting techniques, while others (for instance,
using motion-stabilization tools in After Effects or applying a noise-reduction or blur effect) are post-production
tasks that facilitate the compression portion of the encoder.
Note: For tips on making movies smaller, see the online Help for After Effectsand Adobe Premiere Pro.
•Match the color palette to the correct mobile devices. Mobile devices, in general, have a limited color range.
Previewing in Device Central can help determine if the colors used are optimal for an individual device or range of
devices.
•Adjust clips. Grayscale view is helpful to compare values.
•Use the presets available in Adobe Media Encoder. Several presets are designed for export to 3GPP mobile devices
in Adobe Media Encoder. 3GPP presets come in standard sizes: 176
x 144 (QCIF), 320 x 240, and 352 x 288.
•Crop wisely. A common practice is to work at standard DV project settings and output to a combination of DV, DVD,
Flash, WMV and mobile 3GPP. Use the usual presets, but at encoding time manage the difference between 4:3 or 16:9
video and the 11:9 aspect ratio of mobile 3GPP. The AME crop tool allows constraint to arbitrary proportions in the
same manner as Photoshop’s Crop tool and adds an 11:9 constraint preset to the existing 4:3 and 16:9.
•Work at an aspect ratio consistent with mobile output. New project presets (available only on Windows) make this
easy. The frame dimensions are larger than the ultimate output size (working at 176
x 144 can be difficult, for
example, for titling), but they match the output-frame aspect ratio to facilitate easy encoding. Each Windows
project preset renders to uncompressed video, but most computers can manage the data rate at these reduced frame
sizes and halved frame rates. (This process is for projects where the only output is for mobile devices.) Two frame
aspect ratios account for the majority of support in mobile devices: 4:3 (QVGA, VGA etc.) and 11:9 (CIF, QCIF,
Sub-QCIF). These two common project settings are included in the Adobe Media Encoder “Mobile & Presets”
folder.
Note: Do not use the device data in Device Central to determine how to configure a custom preset. Device Central does
not have information about video or audio support (frame sizes, codecs, bit rates, and so on). The frame size data in
Device Central refers to screen size and wallpaper and screen saver sizes, which are different from video sizes.
For more tips and techniques for creating content for mobile phones and devices, see
www.adobe.com/go/learn_cs_mobilewiki_en.
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Chapter 15: Keyboard shortcuts
Finding and customizing keyboard shortcuts
Many commands have keyboard shortcut equivalents, so you can complete tasks with minimal use of the mouse. You
can also create or edit keyboard shortcuts. The default shortcut set is called Adobe Premiere Pro Factory Defaults.
Find keyboard shortcuts
❖Find the keyboard shortcuts for a tool, button, or menu command by doing any of the following:
•For a tool or button, hold the pointer over the tool or button until its tool tip appears. If available, the keyboard
shortcut appears in the tool tip after the tool description.
•For menu commands, look for the keyboard shortcut at the right of the command.
•For the most-used keyboard shortcuts not shown in tool tips or on menus, see the tables in this chapter. For a
complete list of default and current shortcuts , choose Edit > Keyboard Customization. (Windows), (Mac OS in
CS5) or Premiere Pro > Keyboard Shortcuts (Mac OS in CS5.5 and later). See “Customize or load keyboard
shortcuts” on page 451.
•In Premiere Pro CS5.5, there is a search field in the Keyboard Customization dialog box to find specific commands
quickly.
For more information about changes to the keyboard shortcut dialog in Premiere Pro CS5.5, see this video from
Video2Brain
For more details about improved keyboard shortcut customization in Adobe Premiere Pro CS5.5, see this blog post on
the Premiere Pro work area.
For information about using Apple Final Cut Pro or Avid Media Composer keyboard shortcuts in Adobe Premiere
Pro, customizing keyboard shortcuts, and to move custom keyboard shortcuts to a different system, see this video by
Kevin Monahan and Karl Soule on AdobeTV.
Customize or load keyboard shortcuts
You can set shortcuts to match shortcuts in other software you use. If other sets are available, you can choose them
from the Set menu in the Keyboard Customization dialog box.
1For customizing the keyboard shortcuts choose one of the following:
•In Windows, choose Edit > Keyboard Customization
•In Mac OS (Adobe Premiere Pro CS5), choose Edit > Keyboard Customization
•In Mac OS (Adobe Premiere Pro CS5.5), choose Premiere Pro > Keyboard Shortcuts
2(Optional) From the Set menu in the Keyboard Customization dialog box, choose the set of keyboard shortcuts you
want to use in Premiere Pro:
•Adobe Premiere Pro Factory Defaults (Adobe Premiere Pro CS5)
•Adobe Premiere Pro CS5.5 (Adobe Premiere Pro CS5.5)
•Shortcuts For Avid Xpress DV 3.5 (Adobe Premiere Pro CS5)
•Shortcuts For Avid Media Composer 5 (Adobe Premiere Pro CS5.5)
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•Shortcuts For Final Cut Pro 7.0
3In the Keyboard Customization dialog box, choose an option from the menu:
Application Displays commands found in the menu bar, organized by category.
Panels Displays commands associated with panels and menus.
Tools Displays a list of tool icons.
4In the Command column, view the command for which you want to create or change a shortcut. If necessary, click
the triangle next to the name of a category to reveal the commands it includes.
5Click in the item’s shortcut field to select it.
6Type the shortcut you want to use for the item. The Keyboard Customization dialog box displays an alert if the
shortcut you choose is already in use.
7Do one of the following:
•To erase a shortcut and return it to the command that originally had it, click Undo.
•To jump to the command that previously had the shortcut, click Go To.
•To simply delete the shortcut you typed, click Clear.
•To re-enter the shortcut you typed previously, click Redo.
8Repeat the procedure to enter as many shortcuts as you want. When you’re finished, click Save As, type a name for
your Key Set, and click Save.
Note: The operating system reserves some commands. You cannot reassign those commands to Premiere Pro. Also, you
cannot assign the plus (+) and minus (-) keys on the numeric keypad because they are necessary for entering relative
timecode values. You can assign the minus (–) key on the main keyboard, however.
Franklin McMahon provides a video tutorial on the Layers Magazine website that shows how to customize keyboard
shortcuts.
This video shows you how to transport your customized keyboard shortcuts to other Premiere Pro editing systems.
Here is a tutorial by Clay Asbury about starting with the Final Cut Pro shortcuts in Premiere Pro CS 5.5, and then
saving a custom layout.
Remove shortcuts
1Choose Edit > Keyboard Customization.
2Do one of the following:
•To remove a shortcut, select the shortcut you want to remove, and click Clear.
•To remove a set of shortcuts, choose the key set from the Set menu and click Delete. When prompted in the warning
dialog box, click Delete to confirm your choice.
Print keyboard shortcuts
You can paste the lists of keyboard shortcuts from the Keyboard Customization dialog box into a text document, from
which you can print them.
1Press Ctrl+Shift-click (Windows) or Command+Shift-click (Mac OS) Keyboard Customization.
2Choose Edit > Keyboard Customization. For Premiere Pro CS5.5 (Mac OS), choose Premiere Pro > Keyboard
Shortcuts.
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3Select a set of keyboard shortcuts from the Set drop-down menu in the Keyboard Customization dialog or
Keyboard Shortcuts in Premiere Pro CS5.5 (Mac OS).
4Click the Clipboard button.
5Start a new document in a text editor.
6Paste the contents of the clipboard into the document.
Default keyboard shortcuts
Selecting tools (keyboard shortcuts)
Viewing panels (keyboard shortcuts)
Result Windows and Mac OS
Selection tool V
Track Select tool A
Ripple Edit tool B
Rolling Edit tool N
Rate Stretch tool X
Razor tool C
Slip tool Y
Slide tool U
Pen tool P
Hand tool H
Zoom tool Z
Result Shortcut (Windows and Mac OS)
Activate panels in rotation to left Ctrl+Shift+, [comma]
Activate panels in rotation to right Ctrl+Shift+. [period]
Audio Mixer panel Shift+6
Effect Controls panel Shift+5
Effects panel Shift+7
Source Monitor panel Shift+2
Program Monitor panel Shift+4
Project panel Shift+1
Timeline panel Shift+3
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Capture panel (keyboard shortcuts)
Multi-Camera Monitor (keyboard shortcuts)
Close active panel Ctrl+W (Windows), Command+W (Mac OS)
Maximizes the panel under the mouse pointer,
regardless of what is active or selected.
‘ [accent] (US English keyboards), or the key to the
left of the numeral “1” key (non-US English
keyboards), or the “@” key on Japanese keyboards
Maximizes the panel that is acitve or selected,
regardless of where the mouse pointer is. (Adobe
Premiere Pro CS5.5.)
Shift+‘ [accent] (US English keyboards), or the key
to the left of the numeral “1” key (non-US English
keyboards), or the “@” key on Japanese keyboards
Result Windows and Mac OS
Navigate through editable fields Tab
Cancel capture Esc
Eject E
Fast forward F
Go to In point Q
Go to Out point W
Record G
Rewind R
Step Back Left Arrow
Step Forward Right Arrow
Stop S
Result Windows and Mac OS
Go to next edit point Page Down
Go to previous edit point Page Up
Play/Stop Spacebar
Record On/Off 0
Select Camera 1 1
Select Camera 2 2
Select Camera 3 3
Select Camera 4 4
Step Back Left Arrow
Step Forward Right Arrow
Result Shortcut (Windows and Mac OS)
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Project panel (keyboard shortcuts)
Timeline panel (keyboard shortcuts)
Result Windows Mac OS
Delete selection with options Ctrl+Backspace Command+Forward
Delete
Extend selection down Shift+Down Arrow Shift+Down Arrow
Extend selection left Shift+Left Arrow Shift+Left Arrow
Extend selection right Shift+Right Arrow Shift+Right Arrow
Extend selection up Shift+Up Arrow Shift+Up Arrow
Move selection down Down Arrow Down Arrow
Move selection to the end End End
Move selection to home Home Home
Move selection left Left Arrow Left Arrow
Move selection a page down Page Down Page Down
Move selection a page up Page Up Page Up
Move selection right Right Arrow Right Arrow
Move selection up Up Arrow Up Arrow
Next thumbnail size Shift +] Shift +]
Previous thumbnail size Shift+[ Shift+[
Open Bin Click disclosure triangle or
select the bin and press the
Right Arrow
Click disclosure triangle or
select the bin and press
the Right Arro
Close Bin Click disclosure triangle or
select the bin and press the Left
Arrow
Click disclosure triangle or
select the bin and press
the Left Arrow
Open and Close All Bins Option-click a Bin to open and
close all Bins.
Option-click a Bin to open
and close all Bins.
Result Windows Mac OS
Add keyframe Ctrl-click Command-click
Cut at current-time indicator Ctrl-k Command-k
Set work area bar to sequence Double-click the work area
bar
Double-click the work area
bar
Set work area bar In point Alt+[ Option+[
Set work area bar Out point Alt +] Option+]
Clear In and Out points G G
Clear In point D D
Clear selection Backspace Delete
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Clear Out point F F
Edit audio or video In point or Out point
independently
Alt-drag In point or Out
point
Option-drag In point or Out
point
Go to In point Q Q
Go to Out point W W
Go to next edit point Page Down Page Down
Go to previous edit point Page Up Page Up
Go to selected clip end Shift+End Shift+End
Go to selected clip start Shift+Home Shift+Home
Go to sequence end (when a Timeline panel is
active)
End End
Go to sequence start (when a Timeline panel is
active)
Home Home
Go to sequence numbered marker Ctrl+1 Command+1
Match frame M M
Move selected clip forward a specified number of
frames
Type +, followed by the
number of frames, and then
press Enter
Type +, followed by the
number of frames, and then
press Return
Move selected clip back a specified number of
frames
Type -, followed by the
number of frames, and then
press Enter
Type -, followed by the
number of frames, and then
press Return
Nudge clip selection 5 frames to the left Alt+Shift +, Option+Shift +,
Nudge clip selection one frame to the left Alt +, Option +,
Nudge clip selection 5 frames to the right Alt+Shift +. Option+ Shift +.
Nudge clip selection one frame to the right Alt +. Option +.
Play from current-time indicator to Out point Ctrl+Spacebar Ctrl+Spacebar (English
keyboards only)
Play In to Out with preroll/postroll Shift+Spacebar Shift+Spacebar
Toggle Play/Stop Spacebar Spacebar
Play forward at fast speed Hold down Shift while
pressing L repeatedly until
playing at the desired
speed. Release Shift.
Hold down Shift while
pressing L repeatedly until
playing at the desired
speed. Release Shift.
Play forward at normal speed L L
Play forward one frame at a time Hold K while pressing L Hold K while pressing L
Play forward slowly (8 fps) Hold down K+L Hold down K+L
Play in reverse at fast speed Hold down Shift while
pressing J repeatedly until
playing at the desired
speed. Release Shift.
Hold down Shift while
pressing J repeatedly until
playing at the desired
speed. Release Shift.
Play in reverse at normal speed J J
Result Windows Mac OS
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Play in reverse one frame at a time Hold K while pressing J Hold K while pressing J
Play in reverse slowly (8 fps) Hold down K+J Hold down K+J
Reveal nested sequence Shift+T Shift+T
Ripple delete Alt+Backspace Option+Delete
Set In point I I
Set next available numbered Timeline marker Shift+* (use the numeric
keypad)
Shift+* (use the numeric
keypad)
Set Out point O O
Set unnumbered marker * (use the numeric keypad) * (use the numeric keypad)
Show next screen Down Arrow Down Arrow
Show previous screen Up Arrow Up Arrow
Shuttle Slow Left Shift+J Shift+J
Shuttle Slow Right Shift+L Shift+L
Shuttle Stop K K
Slide clip selection 5 frames to the left Alt+Shift+Left Arrow Option+Shift+Left Arrow
Slide clip selection one frame to the left Alt+Left Arrow Option+Left Arrow
Slide clip selection 5 frames to the right Alt+Shift+Right Arrow Option+Shift+Right Arrow
Slide clip selection one frame to the right Alt+Right Arrow Option+Right Arrow
Slip audio or video independently Alt-drag the audio or video
portion of the clip with the
Selection tool
Option-drag the audio or
video portion of the clip
with the Selection tool
Step Back Left Arrow Left Arrow
Step Back 5 frames-Units Shift+Left Arrow Shift+Left Arrow
Step Forward Right Arrow Right Arrow
Step Forward 5 frames-Units Shift+Right Arrow Shift+Right Arrow
Toggle between available timecode display
formats
Ctrl-click timecode hot text Command-click timecode
hot text
Trim T T
Zoom in = =
Zoom out - -
Zoom in/out to/from full-sequence view \ \ (English keyboards only)
Result Windows Mac OS
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Titler (keyboard shortcuts)
Result Windows Mac OS
Arc tool A A
Decrease kerning by five units Alt+Shift+Left Arrow Option+Shift+Left Arrow
Decrease kerning by one unit Alt+Left Arrow Option+Left Arrow
Decrease leading by five units Alt+Shift+Down Arrow Option+Shift+Down Arrow
Decrease leading by one unit Alt+Down Arrow Option+Down Arrow
Decrease text size by five points Ctrl+Alt+Shift+Left Arrow Command+Option+Shift+Left
Arrow
Decrease text size by 1-point Ctrl+Alt+Left Arrow Command+Option+Left
Arrow
Ellipse tool E E
Increase kerning by five units Alt+Shift+Right Arrow Option+Shift+Right Arrow
Increase kerning by one unit Alt+Right Arrow Option+Right Arrow
Increase leading by five units Alt+Shift+Up Arrow Option+Shift+Up Arrow
Increase leading by one unit Alt+Up Arrow Option+Up Arrow
Increase text size by five points Ctrl+Alt+Shift+Right Arrow Command+Option+Shift+Rig
ht Arrow
Increase text size by 1-point Ctrl+Alt+Right Arrow Command+Option+Right
Arrow
Insert copyright symbol Ctrl+Alt+Shift+C Command+Option+Shift+C
Insert registered symbol Ctrl+Alt+Shift+R Command+Option+Shift+R
Line tool L L
New title Ctrl+T Command+T
Nudge selected object 5 pixels down Shift+Down Arrow Shift+Down Arrow
Nudge selected object 1 pixel down Down Arrow Down Arrow
Nudge selected object 5 pixels to the left Shift+Left Arrow Shift+Left Arrow
Nudge selected object 1 pixel to the left Left Arrow Left Arrow
Nudge selected object 5 pixels to the right Shift+Right Arrow Shift+Right Arrow
Nudge selected object 1 pixel to the right Right Arrow Right Arrow
Nudge selected object 5 pixels up Shift+Up Arrow Shift+Up Arrow
Nudge selected object 1 pixel up Up Arrow Up Arrow
Pen tool P P
Position objects to the bottom title-safe
margin
Ctrl+Shift+D Command+Shift+D
Position objects to the left title-safe margin Ctrl+Shift+F Command+Shift+F
Position objects to the top title-safe margin Ctrl+Shift+O Command+Shift+O
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Trim panel (keyboard shortcuts)
Effect Controls panel (keyboard shortcuts)
Rectangle tool R R
Rotation tool O O
Selection tool V V
Type tool T T
Vertical Type tool C C
Wedge tool W W
Result Windows Mac OS
Focus on both Outgoing and Incoming sides Alt+1 Option+1
Focus on Incoming side Alt+3 Option+3
Focus on Outgoing side Alt+2 Option+2
Trim backward by large trim offset Alt+Shift+Left Arrow Option+Shift+Left Arrow
Trim backward by one frame Alt+Left Arrow Option+Left Arrow
Trim forward by large trim offset Alt+Shift+Right Arrow Option+Shift+Right Arrow
Trim forward by one frame Alt+Right Arrow Option+Right Arrow
Result Windows Mac OS
Go to selected clip start (when Effect Controls
panel is active)
Home Home
Go to selected clip end (when Effect Controls
panel is active)
End End
Result Windows Mac OS

Navigation menu