Basic workflow
Whether you use Premiere Pro to edit video for broadcast, DVD, or the web, you’re likely to follow a similar workflow.
For a video overview of the basic workflow within Premiere Pro, see the
Adobe website.
For a more detailed video about the basic workflow within Premiere Pro, see the
Adobe website. This video was created for Premiere Pro CS3, but the basic workflow is the same for the current version.
1. Script your video with Adobe Story
Collaborate on writing scripts with Adobe Story, capturing key production direction as you go.
Note: A public beta release of Adobe Story is available at the time of the Creative Suite 5 release.
2. Shoot with Adobe OnLocation
Automatically create shot lists from your script in Adobe OnLocation to manage your shoot and capture logging notes. Adjust the video signal coming from your camcorder before you shoot. Then shoot directly to your hard drive with Adobe OnLocation, the signal monitoring application bundled with Premiere Pro.
3. Start or open a project
Open an existing project, or start a new one from the Premiere Pro Quickstart screen. When starting a new project, you can specify the television standard, video format, and other settings for your project. (See
Creating and changing projects.)
Quickstart screen
4. Capture and import video and audio
When you import an Adobe OnLocation project into Premiere Pro, metadata from Adobe OnLocation makes it easy to create a preliminary rough cut. Use Speech Search to synchronize the script to footage, and then edit based on the dialogue transcript.
For file-based assets, using the Media Browser you can import files from computer sources in any of the leading media formats. Each file you capture or import automatically becomes a clip in the Project panel.
Alternatively, using the Capture panel, capture footage directly from a camcorder or VTR. With the proper hardware, you can digitize and capture other formats, from VHS to HD.
You can also import various digital media, including video, audio, and still images. Premiere Pro also imports Adobe® Illustrator® artwork or Photoshop® layered files, and it translates After Effects® projects for a seamless, integrated workflow. You can create synthetic media, such as standard color bars, color backgrounds, and a countdown. (See
About capturing and digitizing.)
You can also use Adobe® Bridge to organize and find your media files. Then use the Place command in Adobe Bridge to place the files directly into Premiere Pro.
In the Project panel, you can label, categorize, and group footage into bins to keep a complex project organized. You can open multiple bins simultaneously, each in its own panel, or you can nest bins, one inside another. Using the Project panel Icon view, you can arrange clips in storyboard fashion to visualize or quickly assemble a sequence.
Note: Prior to capturing or importing audio, ensure that Preferences>Audio>Default Track Format is set to match the desired channel format.
5. Assemble and refine a sequence
Using the Source Monitor, you can view clips, set edit points, and mark other important frames before adding clips to a sequence. For convenience, you can break a master clip into any number of subclips, each with its own In and Out points. You can view audio as a detailed waveform and edit it with sample-based precision. (See
Source Monitor and Program Monitor overview.)
You add clips to a sequence in a Timeline panel by dragging or by using controls in the Source Monitor. You can automatically assemble clips into a sequence that reflects their order in the Project panel. You can view the edited sequence in the Program Monitor or watch the full-screen, full-quality video on an attached television monitor. (See
Timeline panels and
Adding clips to a sequence.)
Refine the sequence by manipulating clips in a Timeline panel, with either context-sensitive tools or tools in the Tools panel. Use the specialized Trim Monitor to fine-tune the cut point between clips. By nesting sequences—using a sequence as a clip within another sequence—you can create effects you couldn’t achieve otherwise.
6. Add titles
Using the Premiere Pro full-featured Titler, create stylish still titles, title rolls, or title crawls that you can easily superimpose over video. If you prefer, you can modify any of a wide range of provided title templates. As with any clip, you can edit, fade, animate, or add effects to the titles in a sequence. (See
Titling and the Titler.)
7. Add transitions and effects
The Effects panel includes an extensive list of transitions and effects you can apply to clips in a sequence. You can adjust these effects, as well as a clip’s motion, opacity, and Variable Rate Stretch using the Effect Controls panel. The Effect Controls panel also lets you animate a clip’s properties using traditional keyframing techniques. As you adjust transitions, the Effect Controls panel displays controls designed especially for that task. Alternatively, you can view and adjust transitions and a clip’s effect keyframes in a Timeline panel. (See
Transition overview: applying transitions and
Apply effects to clips.)
8. Mix audio
For track-based audio adjustments, the Audio Mixer faithfully emulates a full-featured audio mixing board, complete with fade and pan sliders, sends, and effects. Premiere Pro saves your adjustments in real time. With a supported sound card, you can record audio through the sound mixer, or mix audio for 5.1 surround sound. (See
Mixing audio tracks and clips.)
Audio Mixer
9. Export
Deliver your edited sequence in the medium of your choice: tape, DVD, Blu-ray Disc, or movie file. Using the Adobe Media Encoder, you can customize the settings for MPEG-2, MPEG-4, FLV, and other codecs and formats, to the needs of your viewing audience. (See
Types of exporting.)
