Chapter 1 Creating a Video Montage in Adobe Premiere CS6

Creating a New Project and Exploring the Workspace The application window is the main window comprised of various panels. The arrangement of panels in the application window is known as the workspace. The default workspace is called Editing.

Editing Workspace Source Monitor Menu bar Effects Control panel Project panel Media Browser panel Sequence Zoom controls Program Monitor Audio Mixer panel Timeline Tools panel Creating a New Project and Exploring the Workspace

Panels can be moved by clicking and dragging the panel tabs. As you drag a panel, an area becomes highlighted; this is called the drop zone. A custom workspace is one that has been created by the user and is saved with a unique name.

Moving panels in the workspace Drop Zone Creating a New Project and Exploring the Workspace

The Project panel organizes all the assets for your project. Digital assets can include video clips, digital images, and audio clips. The Timeline panel is where you assemble assets and edit them.

Creating a New Project and Exploring the Workspace The Source Monitor is used to preview assets from the Project panel or the Media Browser before you place them in a sequence. The Program Monitor displays the contents of the Timeline—your project in progress.

Creating a New Project and Exploring the Workspace The New Project dialog box opens up when you create a new project. It has two tabs: – General tab is where you adjust settings regarding safe margins and video/audio formats. – Scratch Disks tab provides settings for a variety of files associated with the video editing process including where they are stored.

Scratch Disks tab in the New Project dialog box General tab File location Project file name Scratch Disks tab Same as Project Creating a New Project and Exploring the Workspace

A sequence is where the digital assets are placed and edited. At least one sequence is required in a Premiere Pro project, which is why you are prompted to create one when beginning a project. The New Project dialog box opens up when you create a new project.

Creating a New Project and Exploring the Workspace The New Sequence dialog box has three tabs: – Sequence Presets – Settings – Tracks

New Sequence dialog box Creating a New Project and Exploring the Workspace

The Sequence presets tab has a number of categories of sequence settings for commonly used capture devices. It is recommended that you choose the preset that matches the settings for your device if it is available.

Creating a New Project and Exploring the Workspace The Settings tab is available to customize settings if there is not a preset available for your device. It is recommended that you use the preset that is the closest match to your device and continue with any necessary customizations on the Settings tab.

Creating a New Project and Exploring the Workspace The Tracks tab allows you to indicate how many video and audio tracks will be added when the sequence is created; by default, three video tracks and three stereo audio tracks are created. Tracks can be added or deleted later.

Importing Assets A Premiere Pro CS6 project is a single file that stores all references to digital assets used in the project. Digital assets may include video, audio, still images, and Photoshop and Illustrator files.

Importing Assets A project file also contains sequences (or timelines); these are where the digital assets are placed and edited. Video projects characteristically take up a lot of memory so to help keep the file size down, Premiere Pro creates reference files that point to the original files being imported.

Importing Assets The Project panel is your “file cabinet” of assets. You can create bins to help organize your Project panel. Bins may contain assets, sequences, or other bins.

Project panel Project panel with bins and assets Asset preview Bin New Bin button Assets Importing Assets

The Media Browser provides a convenient way to locate, sort, preview, and import assets that you plan to use in your Premiere Pro project. It also provides access to the assets that you are using while you edit.

Media Browser Computer directory Folders and Files Importing Assets

Storyboarding is a way to plan your video by placing clips or digital assets in the order you plan to have them play. Icon view shows thumbnails, which are smaller versions of the digital assets you imported.

Return to Parent bin Organizing a storyboard in Icon view Preview List View button Icon View button Zoom controls Importing Assets

Working with the Timeline Panel and Sequences A sequence is located in the Timeline panel and is where most editing takes place. Adobe Premiere Pro can have multiple sequences and you can place sequences inside other sequences to break your project up into manageable pieces.

Working with the Timeline Panel and Sequences Sequences are comprised of video and audio tracks. Tracks are where the clips are assembled, edited, and enhanced with effects and transitions.

Working with the Timeline Panel and Sequences A sequence can consist of multiple audio and video tracks, but must contain at least one of each. Multiple tracks are used to blend clips together.

Working with the Timeline Panel and Sequences The Timeline panel includes the following features: – Time Ruler – Current-time display – Play head and Current-time Indicator (CTI) – Work area bar – Horizontal Zoom bar

Current-time display Timeline panel Playhead and Current-time Indicator Video tracks Audio tracks Horizontal Zoom bar Timeline ruler Work area bar Working with the Timeline Panel and Sequences

The Time ruler measures the time in the sequence horizontally. Icons for markers and In and Out points are also displayed here.

Working with the Timeline Panel and Sequences The Current-time display shows the timecode for the current frame. Timecodes mark specific frames with unique addresses and are recorded onto videotape during the recording process.

Working with the Timeline Panel and Sequences The Current-time Indicator (CTI) indicates the current frame displayed in the Program Monitor. The CTI is a light gold triangle in the Time ruler with a vertical red line extending through the video and audio tracks.

Working with the Timeline Panel and Sequences The CTI can be moved by clicking and dragging on the gold triangle. This can also be used as a preview method, referred to as scrubbing.

Working with the Timeline Panel and Sequences The work area bar indicates the area of the sequence that you want to preview or export. The brackets on either end, located just below the Time ruler, are adjustable so you can export portions of a large project for preview.

Working with the Timeline Panel and Sequences The horizontal zoom bar is the area that corresponds with the visible portion of the Timeline panel and allows you to quickly move to different parts of the sequence.

Working with the Timeline Panel and Sequences The ends of the horizontal zoom bar can be used to increase or decrease the number of visible frames in the viewing area. The horizontal zoom bar allows you to adjust the range of time being viewed in the Timeline panel.

Working with the Timeline Panel and Sequences To add clips to a sequence on the Timeline panel, simply drag the clip from the Project panel to the sequence. If it is an audio clip it needs to be placed on an audio track; all other clips are placed on video tracks.

Working with the Timeline Panel and Sequences You are also able to add clips to a sequence while previewing them on the Source Monitor. You can either drag an image from the Source Monitor to a track, or use the Insert button or the Overwrite button on the Source Monitor to place the clip on the sequence.

Working with the Timeline Panel and Sequences Premiere Pro has a command that lets you place images from a storyboard on a sequence in the order that they were organized. This feature is called Automate to Sequence.

Ordering Automate To Sequence dialog box Working with the Timeline Panel and Sequences

The Selection tool: –is used to select menu items and objects in the Premiere Pro workspace. –is used for selecting clips in a sequence and in the project.

All tracks to the right are selected, including scenic15.jpg Automate To Sequence dialog box Track Select tool Working with the Timeline Panel and Sequences

The Ripple Delete command removes a clip from the sequence without leaving any gaps if the clip being removed is located between two other clips.

Working with the Timeline Panel and Sequences The Program Monitor plays back the clips you are assembling in the active sequence on the Timeline panel for you to preview.

Applying Video Transitions A transition is used to move from one clip to the next in your sequence. Transitions can add additional interest to your video and can be as simple as phasing out one image and phasing in another.

Applying Video Transitions After you find the transition you want to apply on the Effects panel, simply drag the transition to the vertical line between two clips, known as the cut line, and release the mouse button. By default, the transition is placed centered on the cut, which is the space between two clips.

Applying Video Transitions You can place or align the transition in one of three ways: Center at Cut, End at Cut, or Start at Cut. By default, the transition is placed centered on the cut, which is the space between two clips.

End at Cut icon Three alignment options for placing a transition Center at Cut iconStart at Cut icon Applying Video Transitions

When working with transitions, it is a good idea to change to the Effects workspace. Different options are available on the Effect Controls panel for each transition.

Applying Video Transitions Some transitions have edge selectors, which are arrows that change the orientation or direction of a transition. Start and End sliders can be changed with the three alignment settings.

Applying Video Transitions The Show Actual Sources setting displays the starting and ending frames of the clips. The Border Width setting adjusts the width of the optional border on the transition. The default border width setting is 0.0.

Applying Video Transitions The Border Color setting specifies the color of the transition’s border. The Reverse setting plays the transition backward.

Applying Video Transitions The Anti-aliasing Quality setting adjusts the smoothness of the transition’s edges. The Custom setting changes settings specific to the transition. Most transitions do not have custom settings.

Show/Hide Timeline View button Additional transition options on the Effect Controls panel Alignment drop-down menu Edge selectors would be located here if available Show Actual Sources Border Width Border Color Reverse Anti-aliasing Quality Custom Slider Applying Video Transitions

Working with Motion Effects A keyframe is a snapshot of how you want a clip to look at a specified time, and is defined on the Effect Controls timeline. When working with keyframes you always need to define at least two keyframes: a start point and an end point.

Timeline Working with keyframes on the Effect Controls panel Horizontal Zoom bar Add/Remove Keyframe button Keyframe navigators Show/Hide Timeline View button Toggle animation icon Working with Motion Effects

A basic effect that provides a lot of impact is to fade an image in and out. Fading is created by applying the Opacity effect.

Working with Motion Effects Opacity adjusts the level of transparency on a scale of 0% to 100%. If you set the Opacity at 0% your clip is completely transparent; at 100% it has no transparency.

Examples of Opacity 100% opacity Images layered, with picture from upper-right set at 50% opacity 100% opacity Working with Motion Effects

The Program Monitor provides another option to work with applying motion effects. The Motion properties—Position, Scale, and Rotate—are spatial in nature and therefore easier to manipulate on the Program Monitor.

Working with Motion Effects When working with Motion Effects controls you need to create only one keyframe. Additional keyframes are created automatically at the location of the CTI.

Applying motion effects on the Program Monitor Handles Horizontal Zoom control Transform button Rotate cursor Working with Motion Effects

Designing and Inserting Titles Titling is an important way to enhance your message and to provide credit by adding text to the video montage. Titling allows you to bring a stronger message or meaning to your video montage through the addition of quotes.

Designing and Inserting Titles The Titler is a free-floating window that is made up of a group of panels that are all related to creating titles.

Titler window Title Styles panel Title Tools panel Title Properties panel Title panel Title Actions panel Designing and Inserting Titles

Premiere Pro offers the option to create a title from either the File menu or the Title menu. If you choose to create a title from the Title menu you can choose among three types of titles: Default Still, Default Roll, or Default Crawl.

Designing and Inserting Titles A title that has fixed text is called still. Titles in which text moves vertically over the footage are called rolls. If the text moves horizontally, it is referred to as a crawl.

Roll/Crawl Options dialog box Title Type Designing and Inserting Titles

After titles are created, they can be changed into one of the three available types: still, roll, or crawl. You can also choose to apply a template after you create a title.

Designing and Inserting Titles The Title panel is where you can make basic formatting decisions such as Font family, Font style, Font size, and Alignment options. More advanced options can be found on the Title Properties panel.

Title panel Title tabFont family Font sizeAlignment options Show Background Video button New Title Based on Current Title Roll/Crawl options Templates Font styles Kerning Leading Tabs stops Background Video Timecode Designing and Inserting Titles

While working with the Title Properties panel, if you create a format you really like you can save it as a style and add it to the Title Styles panel. The style you create then becomes part of the Style library in Premiere Pro and is available to you in all projects that you create.

Designing and Inserting Titles Styles are a great way to keep a consistent look and feel when working in a project without having to remember all the settings you chose to make the style.

Title Styles panel New Style command Styles Designing and Inserting Titles

Exporting a Movie Export or encode your movie so that other people will be able to view it. You can export to videotape, create a file for viewing on a computer or the Internet, or put your project on a DVD or Blu-ray disc with or without menus and other features.

Exporting a Movie You need to consider a few options when you export a movie for others to view on another computer or the Internet. Reducing file size is important for storage, transmission, and effective playback.

Exporting a Movie Codecs (compressor/decompressors, also known as encoder/decoders) make video Web-friendly. A streaming video is also referred to as live streaming video. Streaming video occurs when a video is played much like a traditional live broadcast on television, accept that it is affected by the bandwidth that is available.

Exporting a Movie Buffering (delay before the video begins to play) may occur when the bandwidth does not meet the required need of the video that is playing; that is, the video pauses until the bandwidth becomes sufficient again. Progressive downloadable video plays the movie without interruption.

Exporting a Movie You have two options for exporting a file from the Export Settings dialog box: you can choose either the Queue button or the Export button. The Queue button launches the Adobe Media Encoder application using the designated export settings; this application then renders and saves the file.

Exporting a Movie The Export button uses the export settings designated in the Export Settings dialog box. An Encoding dialog box launches showing the approximate time it will take to export the file.

Adobe Media Encoder dialog window Start Queue File queue list Preview Output name/path Exporting a Movie