Starting an Editing Timeline/Sequence
- Open Premiere and save your project. I usually date them something like “180715 NAME” (year, month, day) and save in a matching file so that they are easier to find and listed in order by name on my computer.
- Go to Window and make sure you’re in the Editing Workspace. (Color is my preference because I do a lot of color correcting. You can switch, but just for now do Editing).
- In the bottom Left hand side is a Project Folder. This is where all of your footage, graphics, music, etc. will live. You can orgnaize it in bins by clicking the little folder on the bottom right of the Project Folder Window and you can add things like Graphics, Color Mattes and Sequences to your project with the little paper with a folded corner next to it.
- Import your footage. Use CMD+I shortcut and select your footage that’s been saved to your computer or drag it from your computer into the Project File. Do NOT move the footage from its original home on the computer while you are still active in your Premiere Project. Premiere will not be able to locate it. You will have to link all your media. You will hate your life and this will inevitably happen at 2AM the day your final project is due. Practice smart, safe editing and keep all of the items that will be in your project IN THE SAME FOLDER (that was created before/during step 1). That means dragging it from your downloads and SD cards to the same folder as your Premiere project.
- Congratulations, all of your footage is in your Premiere file. Now, you have two options to make a sequence. I usually choose right-clicking the main piece of footage I’ll be using and selecting New Sequence from Clip. From there, I right click the new sequence item that appeared in the Project Folder Window and check its Sequence Settings. Frame Size should say 1920×1080. If it is larger than that, change it. Click OK. Then you’ll just have to right click the videos you drag onto your timeline and select Set to Frame Size (NOT Scale). This is the point where I also rename the Sequence to something memorable…like the exact same name as the project file.
- You now have a sequence to work on! That means you can drag clips, music, graphics, etc. onto the timeline and rearrange, cut and crossfade to your heart’s content!
Useful Shortcuts
V = Selection Tool (normal mouse)
I = place in point
O = place out point
M = mark (will mark whatever you have selected. If nothing, will add marker to sequence itself)
R = rate stretch (do not recommend to slow down, only use to speed up)
P = pen tool (adjust audio levels on timeline)
C = Razor Tool (cut)
N = Rolling Edit (slides the cut back and forth between two clips)
Space Bar = Play or Pause
T = Type (works best in graphics Window Workspace)
CMD+M = Export media (use after declaring in and out)
CMD+S = save (use every time you make a cut or large edit. I have lost hours of painstaking editing work because I didn’t save. Don’t be like me.)
CMD+Z = undo, but can only go back so far
For basic questions about editing or filming, please contact Kayla Murphy at kmurph8@clemson.edu.
