What is Premiere Pro, and why should creators use it? Premiere Pro is a powerful tool that many successful content creators use as part of their workflow. Developed by Adobe, Premiere Pro is a robust video editing application known for its smooth playback performance and extensive range of features. It provides content creators with a broad selection of tools to refine and shape their footage into polished masterpieces.
Premiere Pro meets the needs of all levels of video editors, whether they're just getting started on a YouTube channel or working on professional-level projects.
The basics of using Premiere Pro - Project Starting, Layout, and Content Importing We have to admit Premiere Pro has a lot of features and gadgets that can take time to learn. That is not to say it's a difficult interface to use. Quite the contrary. Once you learn the basics, it's a very user-friendly layout. For the sake of this article, we are going to keep our descriptions very basic. Starting with opening a new project.
To start a new project, click new project on the start screen.
A pop-up will appear where you can name your video and decide where it will be stored. You can also import video footage here.
Press create , and you officially have a new video!
Premiere Pro is broken down into four main areas of function. Once you understand what each area does, the entire program is easy to learn. These areas are;
Source (aka effect controls): Located in the top left corner, this is where you apply all the effects or transitions that you want to be displayed in your video. The bulk of the editing process takes place here.
Program Area (aka the playback area): Located in the top right corner, this is where you will see the video you are making with the edits you have applied. This is like your monitor to see the final product.
Media Browser: Located in the bottom left corner, this is where you will upload all of your materials. So videos, sound effects, music, etc., will all be stored here.
Timeline: Located in the bottom right corner, this is where your video clips are put into action. Here you can make edits, cuts, fades, zooms, etc.
Now that you know the layout, it's time to import your videos (if you didn’t choose to do so as you were creating your project). There are two easy ways of doing this. The first way is to just drag and drop the files you would like to use into the media browser. The second way is to click on the Import button on the toolbar at the top of your screen. If you choose the second way, all of the files on your computer will be opened up looking like this.
From here, you must select the media you want to upload and click Import at the bottom right of your screen. Then, all of your media will be displayed in the bottom left corner of your screen like this:
How to use basic tools, effects, and transitions in Premiere Pro Once you have your video clips in your timeline, you can begin the editing process.
As far as tools and features go…there are a lot. If you read our Photoshop 101 article, you know we want to give you an overview, a crash course if you will, not a full-blown lecture on these editing features. So we are going to briefly mention a few of our favorite tools and effects.
Please know these are not in any particular order, and we’re not breaking each one down very far. We just want you to have a general understanding of all the things you can do on the platform!
Razor Tool: This tool is used to make cuts in your video directly in the timeline. The tool is easy to use; you just click the little razor emoji and click on the video clip where you want it to be cut.
Instead of one consecutive video, you now have a clip cut into little parts.
Zoom Effect - To change the zoom of your video, select the clip you want to work on in the timeline. Click effects controls in the top left corner, and click on the box labeled scale .
The “zoom” of your video is controlled by the numbers next to scale height and scale width . If you make the number bigger, the video will zoom in more; if you make the number smaller, it will make the video smaller. Logical- right?
Speeding up/Slowing down - If you want to change the playback speed of a video clip, right-click on it. Select speed/duration from the pull-down menu; here, you can change the playback speed.
The speed will automatically be set to 100%, so play around with the effect to achieve the desired outcome. You could also click reverse speed to play your clip backwards.
Adding Music or a Picture - To add music or pictures to your video, you first need to add them to the media browser (bottom left corner). Once they are there, you can just drag and drop them into the timeline (this one is super straightforward).
Effects/Transitions - To add effects or transitions, click on the window tab in the toolbar at the top of your screen. A workspace will pop up on the right side of your screen with a bunch of effects/transitions available to you.
Select the effect or transition you want to use and drag and drop it onto the clip you would like it applied to. For transitions, the effect will need to be placed between two clips.
Voice-Over - Last but not least for today is the voice-over option. For many creators on YouTube, in particular, this one is a staple.
All you have to do is click on the video clip you would like to record “on top of” and then click on the microphone emoji in the audio slot. A countdown will start automatically, and you can quickly and easily record your voice on top of the footage.
How to export your finished video It’s super easy to export content in Premiere Pro. To start, select Export at the top of your page. You'll see a menu of options allowing you to customize your export settings.
There are plenty of preset options to choose from, which can save you a lot of time and research. Make sure you name your file according to how you want it saved and choose where it will be exported to.
When everything is set up perfectly, hit Export at the bottom of the window, and Premiere Pro will generate a new file containing your finished video!
Additional resources for learning more about Premiere Pro If you're interested in learning more about Premiere Pro, there are a number of great resources available to help you get started. A few recommendations;
The Adobe Help Center offers free video training on all things related to Premiere Pro. It covers everything from basic editing to advanced techniques. It's a great tool to utilize.
LinkedIn Learning (previously Lynda.com) offers an extensive library of video tutorials on Premiere Pro that can teach you everything from basic editing to advanced post-production techniques.
CreativeLive also offers online classes on Premiere Pro, with topics ranging from basic editing to color correction and audio mastering. This option does require a subscription fee, so keep that in mind.
Finally, YouTube is your best friend. Search for Premiere Pro tutorials, and you'll find things from basic use to more advanced topics.
However you choose to learn, the bottom line is you could spend months learning something new every single day.
Conclusion Premiere Pro is an industry-leading video editing software that provides content creators with a wide range of powerful tools. With Premiere Pro at your disposal, you have everything you need to create dope videos that capture the attention of your audience!
Just like other Adobe platforms, Premiere Pro costs $20.99 per month. For everything it offers, this price is surprisingly low.
In this article, we've introduced you to the basics of using Premiere Pro - how to import footage, edit it, and export your finished product. We've also provided a few recommendations for additional resources where you can learn more about the software. The only thing left for you to do is try it out. Sign-up for their free trial period today, and see what you think!
