This article will help familiarize you with Adobe Premiere Pro. Premiere Pro is a non-linear editing software for filmmakers, television broadcasters, journalists, students, and videographers. For video walkthroughs, see the Adobe tutorial series here. Also, all Adobe programs offer in-app tutorials for you to be able to learn the different aspects of the software, which are a hands-on way to become familiar with each program and its capabilities.
Start or Open a Project
To start a new project, click New Project (Windows: Ctrl+Alt+N, macOS: Opt+Cmd+N).
To open an existing project, click Open Project (Windows: Ctrl+O, macOS: Cmd+O).
If you have started on a project using Premiere Rush (on the go app for capturing and editing video, open it directly in Premiere Pro for further editing. Click Open Premiere Rush Project. For more information about Premiere Rush, see this article.
Importing Files
To import files, you can:
- Use the Media Browser (Windows: Ctrl+Alt+I, macOS: Opt+Cmd+I).
- Use dynamic linking to bring in assets from After Effects, Photoshop, or Illustrator. For more information on this, see here.
Assemble and Refine a Sequence
To view a clip in the Source Monitor, double-click the clip in the Project Panel. Using the Source Monitor, you can view clips, set edit points, and mark frames before adding clips to a sequence. Refine sequences by manipulating clips in the Timeline panel.
Add clips to a sequence in the Timeline panel by dragging them from the Project Panel, or by using the Insert (the comma key) or Overwrite buttons (the full stop key).
Add Titles
To get started with titles, you can select an existing motion graphic template from Premiere Pro. You can also create a title directly in your video using the Type tool in the Program Monitor. Use keyboard shortcuts (Windows: Ctrl+T, macOS: Cmd+T) to create a new text layer.
Type in a title, and then adjust its appearance. Save your title as a Motion Graphics template so it can be reused and shared.
For more information on using the Essential Graphics panel, see here.
Adding Transitions and Effects
Add transitions between clips to smoothly move from one clip to another. The Effects Control panel includes an extensive list of transitions and effects you can apply.
Add an effect or transition to a clip in the Timeline panel by dragging it from the Effects panel. Adjust the effect, duration, and alignment using the Effects Control panel. For more information, see here.
Editing Color
There are multiple color editing options in Premiere Pro. You can:
- Apply looks (color presets) and make adjustments.
- Refine looks using RGB Curves and the Hue Saturation Curve.
- Compare and match color across clips.
- Adjust shadows, midtones, and highlights using color wheels.
- Apply LUTs and make technical corrections to light, and more.
Select a clip in the timeline, and select a look from the Creative section of the Lumetri color panel. Adjust the Intensity and Adjustments sliders to fine-tune the preset.
Editing Audio
Premiere Pro offers a complete audio editing solution within the application. Some common audio edits you can do are sync audio with video, or reduce background noise. You can also choose to edit audio in Audition for advanced audio mixing. For more information about Audition, see here.
Exporting Projects
From the Export Settings dialog box, click Queue to send Premiere Pro sequences into the stand-alone Adobe Media Encoder queue. From the queue, you can encode sequences into one or more formats, or take advantage of other features. When the stand-alone Adobe Media Encoder is rendering and exporting in the background, you can continue to work in Premiere Pro. Adobe Media Encoder encodes the most recently saved version of each sequence in the queue. For more information about Adobe Media Encoder, click here.
In terms of what settings to use for exporting, there are a number of options. Our recommendation is to use the format H.264, and select Render at Maximum Depth (you will have to scroll down to see it) and Use Maximum Render Quality.
