How to use Premiere Pro

In todays lesson, Josh gave a presentation on how to use the software which we will be using to put together our title sequence for out coursework. The software that we will be using is Adobe Premiere Pro.
To start the presentation he told us how important the seven main areas of premiere are. These are:

• Format
• Layout
• Import
• Timetable and Edits
• Transitions
• Texts and Effects

Format
When using a Sony video camera they record by using pixels by inch. It is important to choose the correct format because if you don't the overall end product wont be of a good quality or can could be pixilated. When importing anything onto the software it is important to look for the correct file. The file we will be using is Sony AVCHD 1080i 25 (50i). He also talked about the size of the screen and how it can effect the quality. He explained that films usually use a wide screen of 16:9 inches and a standard screen is usually 4:3 inches which is a square frame. For example this is used on TVs. When creating our animatic we will be using a standard size. We would use this because our storyboard have been created in the shape of squares.

Layout
The main important aspects of the layout are the timeline and the footage boxes at the top of the screen. The timeline is at the bottom half of the screen. The two boxes (screens) that appear at the top display your sequence so  far( the one of the right) and the clip you are editing ( the one of the left). All of the imported images and videos are displayed on the left hand side of the screen where they can be dragged into the timeline where ever you want them. When placing something into the timeline you can zoom in or out by using the control under neath the timeline. Furthermore at the bottom right hand corner of the screen there are tools such as the selection and razor tool.

Import
To import an image or video onto premiere you first need to make sure that the selected image are in the correct format and also are on the computer itself and are off the camera. When on premiere, to import these files you must click on the button called 'Import'. This is located under the file button. Once the files have been imported they will appear on the left hand side of the screen. These can then be dragged into the timeline and be edited.

Timeline and Edit
Throughout this section, Josh talked about the timeline and the information within the timeline. The timeline collects the footage, image and text. When a certain clip has been dragged into the timeline the red line acting as a selection tool can be used. This tool allows the user to select where they wish to play there sequence from. This tool can also be used when cutting a piece of footage to make sure that they cut it in the right place. Although when cutting you can always drag the footage to the right and it will expanded again up to the amount of footage what is there. To watch your footage you can press the space bar button which will play from where the red line ( selection tool) is situated on your timeline. You can also just simply press the play button to watch the footage as the project progresses. When editing the footage a red horizontal line may appear. When this lines appears it means that the project has not been rendered. To render, all you need to do is press the enter button. By rendering it makes the footage run smoother when being played allowing for the user to see the footage better without it stopping in between. Another tool that can be used to edit the footage is the razor tool. This tool allows the user to cut up the film into smaller sections. However with this tool you can not gain back to footage if you cut it in the wrong place as in this case you are separating the footage.

Transitions
Underneath where the imported footage is placed there is a transition box. Here the user can insert different transition into their footage to create many different effects. One transition which was shown was a 'dissolve'. When selecting this clip and placing it onto the timetable a black/white box will appear over your clip where it has been placed. To get rid of this the effect needs to be placed in between two clips so that when dissolve will happen on both clips.

Text and Effects
In our title sequence we will need to create text which will be displayed over our film. To do this select 'new title' which is located in the menu of 'title'. A separate window will then appear. Here our are able to select and type in the text that you want and also the style that you want it to be displayed in. When you have finished click the 'X' in the top left hand corner. By doing this the text will now appear in the box where the imported footage is displayed. This allows the user to select where in the timeline they want to put this text. To add effects to the text and titles you need to go to the effects tab which is located in the middle part of the top of the page. An example that was shown was how to move text. To do this the text must be selected and you need to select where you want the text to move to. There is then an icon which looks like a clock which the users clicks on and then move the text back to the position it started at.

This presentation has enabled me to know the basics of how to use Adobe Premiere Pro. By now knowing how to edit on this software will help hugely when it comes to editing our coursework. For example we will now be able to insert in different effects and transitions. This should hopefully help with our coursework  by using the different effects where they are needed and by adding in text it might help us to achieve a higher grade. This presentation has helped me understand how to use the programme as this is my main role within my group. I will know be able to edit the footage quicker and hopefully more effectively.