Adobe Premiere Pro CC - Basic Editing for Beginners

Introduction

Hi, I'm Nathan Jeffers and today we're going to talk about the simplest way for you to start editing in Adobe Premiere Pro CC. I've already transferred all of my footage from my camera to a "footage" folder in my "editing basics" project. It's now sitting in this folder, and we're ready to open up Adobe Premiere.

Starting a New Project

Open Adobe Premiere: Start by opening Adobe Premiere Pro.
Create a New Project: Click the "New Project" button on the splash screen.
Name and Save the Project: Name your project "Editing Basics" and save it in the "project files" folder of your "editing basics" project on your desktop.

Importing Footage

Import Footage: Go to File > Import and locate the media.
Select and Import Files: Navigate to your footage folder, select all files, and hit "Import".
Organize Footage: Sort your footage by name using the sort icons button to ensure they are grouped in the order they were filmed.

Basic Editing on the Timeline

Drag Clips to Timeline: Drag your clips from the project panel to the timeline to start building your edit.
Create Sequence: Premiere automatically creates a sequence based on the settings of your first clip. Rename the sequence for better organization.

Using the Selection Tool (Shortcut: V)

Move Clips: Click and drag clips to reposition them.
Trim Clips: Hover over the beginning or end of a clip to trim it by dragging left or right. You get a preview of the start and end frames while trimming.

Using the Razor Tool (Shortcut: C)

Make Cuts: Click on the footage in the timeline to cut it at the desired points.
Delete Unwanted Segments: Switch back to the selection tool (V), select the unwanted segments, and hit delete.
Remove Gaps: Click on the empty space and hit delete to ensure no black frames between clips.

Advanced Editing with the Source Monitor

Opening Footage in Source Monitor: Double-click on a clip to open it in the source monitor.
Set In and Out Points: Use the "Mark In" (I) and "Mark Out" (O) buttons to select the desired section.
Drag to Timeline: Drag only the selected portion from the source monitor to the timeline.

Handling Different Resolutions

Importing Different Sized Media: If you import media that doesn't fit the sequence size, right-click on the clip and select "Set to Frame Size".
Maintaining Aspect Ratio: This ensures all media fits the screen properly.

Adding B-Roll Over Interviews

Adding Interview Clips: Import the interview footage to your timeline.
Cutting Sound Bites: Find sound bites using the razor tool and delete the unwanted sections.
Overlay B-Roll: Import B-Roll footage and drag it to Video Track 2. This will overlay it on top of the interview footage.

Conclusion

We've covered the basics of importing footage, using the timeline, and making simple edits in Adobe Premiere Pro CC. Stay tuned for a more in-depth tutorial in the future. If you have any questions, feel free to ask in the comments below.

Keywords

Adobe Premiere Pro CC
Basic video editing
Import footage
Timeline editing
Selection tool
Razor tool
Source monitor
Sequence settings
Trim clips
Overlay B-Roll

FAQ

Q: How do I start a new project in Adobe Premiere Pro CC?
A: Open Adobe Premiere, click the "New Project" button on the splash screen, name your project, and save it in your desired location.

Q: How do I import footage into Premiere Pro?
A: Go to File > Import, locate your media, select the files, and hit "Import".

Q: What tools are essential for basic editing in Premiere Pro?
A: The Selection Tool (shortcut: V) and the Razor Tool (shortcut: C) are essential for moving, trimming, and cutting clips.

Q: How can I handle clips with different resolutions?
A: Right-click on the clip and select "Set to Frame Size" to ensure the media fits the screen properly.

Q: How do I overlay B-Roll footage over an interview?
A: Import the interview clip to your timeline, cut the sound bites, and drag the B-Roll footage to Video Track 2 to overlay it on top of the interview.

Q: What is the Source Monitor used for?
A: The Source Monitor is used to view and select specific portions of your footage before adding them to the timeline.