… for Adobe Premiere Pro CC

Tip #375: Tips for Better Auto-Reframing

Larry Jordan – LarryJordan.com

The Auto-Reframe dialog in Premiere Pro CC.

Topic $TipTopic

Auto Reframe intelligently identifies the actions in your video and reframes the clips for different aspect ratios. This feature is really handy for posting your video to different social media channels such as Instagram, YouTube, or Facebook.

You can use Auto Reframe to reframe sequences for square, vertical, and cinematic 16:9, or when cropping high-resolution content like 4K and beyond. Here are some best practice tips from Adobe:

  • Reframing can be adjusted: Auto-reframe applies Position keyframes to your video. Any of these can be changed, if Premiere guesses wrong on the framing.
  • Filming: Frame your videos with a little more space around the subjects so that you can repurpose the footage later for any medium.
  • Using text titles: Auto Reframe works best when titles are created using Premiere Pro.
  • Using still images: Auto Reframe does not work with still images. Reframe still images separately.
  • Apply Auto Reframe only once: Applying Auto Reframe multiple times (especially with nested clips) can cause unpredictable results – such as black bars on the sides of your videos. If you need to re-apply the Auto Reframe effect, make sure you apply it on the original clip.

EXTRA CREDIT

Here’s an Adobe support article that covers this feature in detail.


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… for Adobe Premiere Pro CC

Tip #297: Multiband Compressor Improves Dialogue

Larry Jordan – LarryJordan.com

The Multiband Compressor amplifies soft passages without altering the level of louder ones.

The Audio Track Mixer in Premiere Pro CC.
The FX panel in the Audio Track Mixer in Adobe Premiere Pro CC.

Topic $TipTopic

The best way to control the levels in your dialog is to use the Multiband Compressor filter. This raises the softer passages in your audio, without causing the louder passages to distort. Here’s a simple way to use it.

  • Make sure that all dialog audio is on as few tracks as possible and that no other audio is on those same tracks.
  • Open the Audio Track Mixer in Premiere. (Not the Clip Mixer.)
  • At the very top of the mixer, twirl down the small, right-pointing triangle to reveal the FX settings for the track(s) containing dialog.
  • Click one of the small right-pointing arrows in the FX settings panel and choose Amplitude and Compression > Multiband Compressor.
  • Double-click the words “Multiband Compressor” to reveal the interface.

Don’t be intimidated by how this looks! You only have three settings to change.

  • Change the Presets menu at the top to Broadcast.
  • Change the Margin, on the right, to -3 dB.
  • Uncheck the Brickwall Limiter, also on the right.

That’s it. The difference in the quality and levels of your dialog is amazing!


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… for Adobe Premiere Pro CC

Tip #412: Secret Multicam Setting Tip for Premiere Pro

 

The order you select clips when creating a multicam clip makes a difference.

When building a multicam clip, select the largest frame size first.

Topic $TipTopic

Last week, I was talking with Adobe about multicam editing and discovered a secret configuration tip for multicam editing that I didn’t know. When you are building a multicam clip, the first clip you click on determines two important things:

  • The camera placed into the Camera 1 editing position
  • The settings for the multicam clip

Here, I’m combining four clips into a multicam project. This is the worst of all worlds: different frame sizes and different frame rates.

NOTE: For best results and the easiest editing, all clips in a multicam sequence should have the same codec, frame size and frame rate. If you have problems editing, transcoding them into the same codec and frame rate will help.

In this screen shot I selected the 4K clip first. This means that Premiere will build a multicam sequence that matches the 4K clip, while not scaling the remaining clips.

NOTE: The best way to build a multicam clip, after selecting your media, is to choose Clip > Create Multicam Source Sequence, or right-click one of the selected clips.

Very cool.


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… for Adobe Premiere Pro CC

Tip #431: A Faster Way to Build a Premiere Sequence

Larry Jordan – LarryJordan.com

Automate to Sequence is a very fast way to create an edit.

The Automate to Sequence dialog in Adobe Premiere Pro CC.

Topic $TipTopic

This article first appeared in MotionArray. This is an excerpt.

Let’s say you are building a montage or music video where the audio determines where the edits need to be.

  • Add your audio to the timeline.
  • Play the audio and add markers (shortcut “M“) where you want to add shot changes; generally on the beat.
  • Select the clips you want to add in the order you them added to the sequence.
  • Click the Automate to Sequence button in the lower right of the Project Panel.
  • In the dialog displayed in this screen shot, make SURE to set Placement to At Unnumbered Markers.
  • Click OK and, poof!, instant sequence.

EXTRA CREDIT

Review Premiere’s Help Files to learn what the other automation settings do.


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… for Adobe Premiere Pro CC

Tip #295: Save Time – Use Master Effects

Larry Jordan – LarryJordan.com

Master effects apply to all related clips in the Timeline.

Effects applied to clips in the Project panel, also apply to segments of that clip edited into the Timeline.

Topic $TipTopic

This article first appeared in MotionArray.com. This is an excerpt. You’ve edited a flock of clips into your sequence in the Timeline – only to discover that all the segments from Clip #23 are a bit too blue; or need some other effect applied to all of them.

Fixing all these clips at once is what master effects are designed to do. A Master clip is a clip in the Project panel, from which you edited clips into the sequence in the Timeline. Apply a change to the Master clip, and all clips derived from it change as well.

  • Drag the Effects panel somewhere else in the interface so that you can see both the Projects panel and the Effects panel.
  • Apply an effect to a master clip by dragging the effect from the Effects panel on top of the clip in the Project panel, Source Monitor, or Effect Controls panel.
  • To apply an effect to multiple master clips, select the items in the Project panel, and then drag the effect on top of the selected clips.
  • Double-click the Master clip to load it into the Effect Controls panel.
  • Adjust the effect parameters using the Effect Controls panel.
  • All the effects applied to the master clip instantly ripple through all portions of the master clip edited into sequences.

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    … for Adobe Premiere Pro CC

    Tip #296: Reveal the Clips Inside a Multicam Clip

    Larry Jordan – LarryJordan.com

    Multicam clips are sequences and editable.

    A multicam clip expanded to show it’s component clips in the Timeline.

    Topic $TipTopic

    This article first appeared in PremiereBro.com. This is an excerpt.

    A multicam clip in Premiere isn’t a “clip,” it’s a sequence. And, like all sequences, you can see the clips inside – if you know how.

    In the past, there was a menu choice that allowed you to open a clip in the Timeline. Now, it’s a special mouse-click.

    • Cmd-double-click the multicam clip in the Timeline to open it as a new sequence in the Timeline. (Illustrated in the screen shot)

    EXTRA CREDIT

    Double-click the multicam clip in the Timeline to open it in the Source Monitor.

    While this doesn’t let you adjust individual clips, it does give you a different way to view the contents of the multicam clip itself.


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    … for Adobe Premiere Pro CC

    Tip #409: Select Audio Options for a Multicam Clip in Premiere

    Larry Jordan – LarryJordan.com

    Choosing the right audio options can simplify your audio mix.

    The default setting is not ideal. Set multicam audio options to match this.

    Topic $TipTopic

    After you’ve selected the clips you want to build into a multicam clip, then chosen Clip > Create Multicam Source Sequence, this dialog shows up.

    If all your audio is stored in one camera clip, choose Sequence Setting > Camera 1. Otherwise, choose Sequence Settings > All Cameras.

    Next, here the options in Audio Channels Preset:

    • Automatic. Automatic reads the channelization of the first clip and maps all source audio based on that channelization. No mix down is done and no source audio is ever lost. Extreme example: if you have 3 source clips and the first one is stereo and the second one is 10 channel multi-mono and the third one is 5.1 (not very common but just an extreme example) you have a total of 18 source channels and the resulting clip will edit to into the multicam clip as 9 separate stereo clips. This is a great example of why automatic is not a great choice unless all of your sources are all stereo (and you want them mapped as stereo) or all mono (and you want them all mapped as mono).
    • Mono. This takes all source channels regardless of their native channelization and brings them in as mono when the multicam clip is edited into your sequence.
    • Stereo. This takes all source channels regardless of their native channelization and brings them in as stereo when the multicam clip is edited into your sequence.
    • 5.1. This creates a surround clip of the source audio. Surround is a great distribution format, but a miserable format for editing. Avoid using this.
    • Adaptive. This maps all source channels into single track item. This allows you to hear everything but is really tough to edit.

    In almost all cases, Mono is the best choice for multi-track audio editing.


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    … for Adobe Premiere Pro CC

    Tip #289: Create a Hold Frame

    Larry Jordan – LarryJordan.com

    Hold frames are a great way to pause the action.

    The red arrow indicates the start of a Hold frame in Premiere.

    Topic $TipTopic

    Hold frames are still images created in a clip in Premiere’s timeline that allow you to pause the action. There are two versions of a Hold frame – here’s how to create both.

    • In the Premiere timeline, put your playhead on the frame you want to freeze.
    • Control-click the clip and choose one of two options:
    • Add Frame Hold. This freezes the frame under the playhead until the end of the clip. Perfect for a dramatic freeze and a slow fade to black.
    • Insert Frame Hold Segment. Inserts a two-second freeze frame at the position of the playhead, then the action resumes.

    In both cases, you can trim the end of the Hold frame to whatever duration you need. I use these a lot!


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    … for Adobe Premiere Pro CC

    Tip #290: Dynamic Trim: Trim Clips in Real-Time

    Larry Jordan – LarryJordan.com

    This is a very fast way to trim edits in realtime.

    The Dynamic Trim window in Adobe Premiere Pro CC.
    The blue bars indicate which edit point is selected. Drag to trim – or use J-K-L keys.

    Topic $TipTopic

    Hidden in the Premiere interface is the Dynamic Trim window, which provides the ability to trim an edit point in realtime. This is a great way to trim an action scene when you need to see it in realtime to figure out the best places to change shots.

    • Double-click any edit point to open the window. The out-going clip is on the left, the in-coming clip is on the right.
    • Click an image to select a clip. (Notice the blue bars bracketing the left window? This means the out-going clip is selected.)
    • Drag inside an image to trim the Out (left) or In (right.). Or, click the vertical border between the two images to trim both; again, by dragging the mouse.

    NOTE: You can also use the buttons at the bottom of the window to trim in 1 or 5 frame increments.

    • But! The real magic comes when you use the J and L keys. J to play backward, L to play forward. Whenever you press K, the selected edit point is trimmed in realtime.

    If you are editing on action, this can make your trims a whole lot faster while enabling you to trim while watching the scene in realtime.


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    … for Adobe Premiere Pro CC

    Tip #385: Build Multicam Clips Faster

    Larry Jordan – LarryJordan.com

    Selection order makes all the difference.

    Topic $TipTopic

    If you need to assemble clips with different frame sizes, frame rates or codecs into the same multicam clip into Adobe Premiere Pro CC, here’s a fast way to create a multicam clip with exactly the format you need.

    The secret?

    When creating a multicam clip, the first clip you select in the Project panel will be the settings that Premiere uses to build a multicam clip.

    So if you want to create a 4k multicam clip containing both 4K and 1080p HD media, be sure to select the 4K clip first.

    Then, choose Clip > Create Multicam Source Sequence.

    Done. All settings are configured automatically, based on that first clip.


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