… for Adobe Premiere Pro CC

Tip #892: The Little Known Overlay Menu

Larry Jordan – LarryJordan.com

Custom Settings enable you to display timecode data in an easy-to-access format.

The Editing Overlays, displaying timecode values for timeline clips under the playhead.

Topic $TipTopic

At the bottom of the Wrench menu in both the Program and Source Monitors are the Overlay and Overlay Settings menus. These provide very useful information about your clips during editing.

  • Overlay. This toggles the overlay menu (see screen shot) on or off. It is off by default.
  • Overlay Settings. This allows you to select between Editing overlays (screen shot), V1/A1 timecode, or create your own custom settings.

These custom settings are extensive. Displaying data in four quadrants, you can select from:

  • File names
  • Video timecode
  • Audio timecode
  • Markers
  • Project clip names
  • and much more

This window also allows customizing where Action Safe and Title Safe are displayed on your screen. The default is 5% and 10% in from all edges, but you can change this.


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… for Adobe Premiere Pro CC

Tip #891: Hmm… So, What’s the Benefit?

Larry Jordan – LarryJordan.com

Playback resolution may help rendering, but it won’t help storage or your CPU.

The Playback Resolution setting in the lower right corner of the Program Monitor.

Topic $TipTopic

For years, I’ve thought there was a benefit to changing Playback Resolution. I thought that changing Playback Resolution decreased the load on the CPU, allowing it to play more complex clips more easily. Then, I measured the results. Hmm… surprising.

This week, on the basis of some brief tests and measuring the results using Activity Monitor, I learned that changing Playback Resolution did not affect the CPU, GPU or storage.

I played back a 1.4 GB 4K clip in Premiere. Regardless of where Playback Resolution was set, the first time the clip played the data transfer rate was the same.. (After that, the clip was cached into RAM, thus minimizing the work the storage system needed to do.)

Regardless of the Playback Resolution setting, the CPU expended between 325% – 350% during playback.

And, after applying a Gaussian blur (set to 50), the GPU didn’t change, regardless of Playback Resolution. (Though this result might also reflect Premiere’s lack of GPU support.)

So, for now, I’m leaving it set to 1/2 and doing some more tests.

EXTRA CREDIT

You can measure this yourself using Activity Monitor. Open it along with Premiere and measure the impact Playback Resolution has on your own footage.

NOTE: Keep in mind that Premiere will attempt to cache files in RAM where possible. So if you play the same file more than once, all playbacks after the first will most likely play from cache.


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… for Apple Final Cut Pro X

Tip #890: Better Effect Previews

Larry Jordan – LarryJordan.com

Option-dragging previews adjusting the principal parameter before applying an effect.

Hovering over a Gaussian Blur effect.

Topic $TipTopic

Final Cut Pro X allows you to preview effects two different ways before you apply them to a clip. One you probably know, the other you probably don’t.

To preview any effect in the Effects Browser:

  • Select a clip in the timeline.
  • Hover the cursor over an effect in the Effects Browser.
  • The timeline clip will appear in the Viewer as though the effect was applied.
  • Next, press the Option key while hovering. This previews the effect AND changes the principal parameter for the effect as you drag; from not applied on the left to fully applied on the right.

NOTE: Try this using Blur > Gaussian to quickly see how this works.

This is a great way to see what an effect will look like, even after tweaking, before applying it.

EXTRA CREDIT

To apply an effect, either:

  • Drag the effect on top of a timeline clip
  • Select one or more clips in the timeline and double-click an effect in the Effects Browser

To remove all effects from a clip, select the clip and choose Edit > Remove Effects.


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… for Apple Final Cut Pro X

Tip #889: A Fast Instant Replay

Larry Jordan – LarryJordan.com

Instant Replay adds visual emphasis to action with almost no work.

The Stopwatch retiming menu in the lower left corner of the Viewer.

Topic $TipTopic

If you need to create a highlights reel with slow-motion effects, Instant Replay can save you a ton of time. Here’s how it works.

  • Using the Range tool (Shortcut: R), select the section of action that you want to replay then, from the Stopwatch icon in the lower portion of the Viewer, choose Instant Replay. (See screen shot.)
  • From this menu, select whether you want to footage replayed at 100%, 50%, 25% or 10% of normal speed.
  • When you select a speed option, Final Cut copies the footage, slows it to your selected speed, then places an “Instant Replay” animated title in the top right corner of the video.

If you don’t like the effect, select the entire clip and type Shift + N to return it to normal speed.

EXTRA CREDIT

An even cooler effect is to first select Rewind, to “rewind the tape,” then Instant Replay.

Both of these can quickly add visual emphasis to key action without a lot of work from the editor.


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… for Apple Final Cut Pro X

Tip #888: Secrets of the Custom Title

Larry Jordan – LarryJordan.com

Animation can be per letter, word, line or the entire graphic.

Lines starting with “In” control opening animation. while those with “Out” control ending animation.

Topic $TipTopic

With hundreds of titles to choose from in Final Cut Pro X’s Titles Browser, it is easy to overlook a single title. However the Custom title has more animation controls than any other title in Final Cut.

In addition to extensive text formatting controls, clicking the Text Animation Inspector (blue in the screen shot) reveals 26 major animation settings; all in one title. To find it, search for “Custom” in the Titles Browser.

NOTE: There are three Custom titles, one for VR, one for 3D and one for 2D. All have a wide variety of animation settings. This tip describes the 2D title.

Those parameters that start with “In” determine how text enters the screen. Those that start with “Out” determine how text leaves the screen. Both Ins and Outs can be set separately. By default, the text just sits there until you change a setting.

These settings are easier to see by playing with them rather than describe each one – and you can use them in combination with each other. However, there are three I want to call to your attention:

  • Unit Size. This sets whether animation is by letter, word, word without spaces, lines, or the entire block of text.
  • Duration. This determines how fast the animation occurs.
  • Speed. This controls acceleration and deceleration. “Ease Out” means as the effect starts, “Ease In” means as the effect ends.

The easiest setting to play with is Opacity. This fades letters in or out, depending upon the setting. Once you see how this works, you’ll understand how to tweak the others.

If you haven’t played with this title yet, you’ll discover it contains a wealth of animation possibilities… all without using keyframes.


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