Adobe Premiere Pro is a powerful editing software and its extensive list of tools means that the editing possibilities are practically endless. It can be overwhelming when there’s always something new to learn, but shortcuts and small setting changes can help you master your next video project, whether you are looking to save time or improve the quality of your work. Check out these amazing advanced premiere pro techniques!
Post|Production World Instructor, Eran Stern, shares 20 Premiere Pro techniques that will help you maximize efficiency for editing, mixing, and rendering your videos. Covering a range of topics, there are tips and tricks for Premiere Pro users of any skill level.
Continue reading for a sneak preview of some of the techniques that are sure to blow you away, and view Eran’s full session within the Post|Production World Video Bundle here.
1. Smooth Timeline Scroll
Something as simple as the timeline scroll can change your whole project. The default settings on Premiere Pro cause the cursor to jump as you preview your project. For a smoother scroll, navigate to Preferences > Timeline > Timeline Playback Auto-Scrolling. Change the setting from page scroll to smooth scroll and watch your timeline move smoothly along as you preview your work.
2. Render Specific Selection
Another trick to smooth viewing is through targeted rendering of a specific section. As you edit, some clips may appear with a red bar across the timeline, indicating that Premiere Pro is unable to play it back in real-time. To force a real-time playback, select the parts of your video you want to review, right-click, and select Sequence > Render Selection. The red bar should now change to green and you can preview the section in real-time.
3. Replace Fonts
Replacing fonts can be simple if you only have one or two to switch, but what if you decide to change them all? You could do it manually, editing the text one by one, or you can save time by replacing all the fonts at once.
Go to Graphics > Replace Fonts in Projects... Highlight the fonts you want to change and click the down arrow below the Replacement Font to select your new font. Your replacement fonts will appear to the left of the font it is replacing. Click Ok and watch as your new style is applied to all the selected fonts!
4. Change Your Text Styles
If you want to change the whole style of your text, you can save time here too. Instead of adjusting size, fonts, and colors for each text, you can create and apply new Text Styles. Switch to the Graphics workspace and in the Essential Graphics, panel edits your text as desired. Then, with the text selected, go to Styles > Create a Style. You can now apply that text style from your Project panel by dragging and dropping the styles directly onto text layers.
5. Create Masks with Text
Masks don’t always have to be shapes; you can also mask with text! Select the text you would like to use as a mask in the Essential Graphics panel and check the box Mask with Text at the bottom of the panel. You also have the option to inverse the effect with the layer beneath it by checking the Inverse box.
6. Any Layer can be an Adjustment Layer
Right-click on the clip you want to edit, making sure it is a layer with some level of transparency, and select Adjustment Layer. Then, in the Effects Control panel, edit how you would any other adjustment layer. You can also add effects from the Effects panel, like lighting or shadows, and apply it to the single adjustment layer, leaving the rest of the layers unaffected.
7. Tint That Color
You probably know of the Tint effect, but that isn’t the only way to add color to your video. Add color to your video project by pulling it straight from your footage.
Apply a Solid Composite effect to your selection. Then, use the eyedropper tool under Effect Controls to pull the colors from the images in the Program panel. Change the blending mode to Luminosity and adjust the opacity to the desired transparency.
8. Remove all Transitions at Once
Sometimes transitions are good, and sometimes you change your mind and want to get rid of them all.
Erase them all at once by selecting all the clips and then using control R / command R to pull up the Speed / Duration window. Raise the number to slightly above 100%, click Ok, then control R / command R to open the dialog again. Return the number to 100% and your video is back to normal, but this time without any transitions.
9. Use Smart Adjustment Layers
We've seen that any layer can be an adjustment layer, but there are also smart adjustment layers.
Select File > New > Adjustment Layer and place the new adjustment layer on the track above the clip(s) you want to edit. Switch to the Color workspace and make sure to click on the source at the top of the panel. You can then edit the clip in the Lumetri Color panel and add effects from the Effects panel. The settings will be saved in the smart adjustment layer, so simply drag the layer on top of any clip to duplicate the adjustments.
10. Edit Audio with a Spin Down Effect
If you want to add interest to your music, try a spin-down effect! Download the free lo-fi tool at Izotope.com.
Then apply the Vinyl effect to the clip and click Edit in the Effects Control. In the pop-up dialog, try out the spin-down effect and the other options for editing audio including decade filters and dust, scratch, and wear effects.
If you want to learn the rest of the 20 techniques, check Eran’s full session and more within the Post|Production World Video Bundle here.
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