How to Edit in Adobe Premiere like a PRO the FIRST Time!

Making professional video as a filmmaker and getting brand deals as a content creator all starts with a video that needs editing. Well, you've made the right choice choosing Adobe Premiere as it's the most commonly accepted professional editing software. When combined with this complete beginner's tutorial, you're going to be able to go from opening Premiere, maybe for the first time, to finishing and delivering professional video in seven steps. From unedited, ungraded clips to a full 30-second piece ready for upload, I'll cover everything you need to know: setting up a project, doing the edit, adding effects and transitions, audio sweetening, adding professional titles, color grading, and exporting. All footage used in this guide can be downloaded from Artgrid, and I've got a special trick up my sleeve that will make your films look more cinematic in the blink of an eye.

Step 1: Setting Up the Project

When we fire up Premiere, we're first greeted by a welcome page where you can easily access recent projects or create a new one. Since it's your first time here, let's go for a new one. A new window shows up where we can give the project a name and choose its location. From here, you can select files or entire folders to import to Premiere. This is a new feature added in the 2022 update. You can try it out, but I prefer to go the traditional route and import files after the project is already created. So, let's click 'Create'.

Step 2: Making the Edit

To begin, we need to create what Premiere calls a sequence, which is the timeline where we create the actual edit. To do that, hit the ‘New Item’ button and choose ‘Sequence’ from the menu. A new sequence window pops up where we’ll give it a name and select the settings. I’ll choose a 1080p resolution with 24 frames per second as our frame rate, then hit OK.

Next, we'll select which parts of the clips we want to include in our edit using the playhead in the source clip monitor. Use the hotkeys ‘I’ to set an in-point and ‘O’ to set an out-point. Drag the selection into the timeline. Repeat this process for all other clips until you have assembled a rough edit.

Step 3: Effects and Transitions

This is where the visual magic happens. Effects and transitions can be found in the Effects panel. Open the ‘Video Transitions’ folder to find various options like dissolves, blurs, and wipes. For simplicity and professionalism, we'll often use simple dissolves. To apply a transition, drag it over the cut between two clips. You can also apply transitions to audio clips to create smooth audio fades.

Step 4: Audio Sweetening

The most important audio in our edit is the voiceover track. First, equalize the voiceover using the ‘Parametric Equalizer’ to enhance vocal clarity. Next, use the 'Multiband Compressor' to make the voice sound more even. Apply these effects by selecting the voiceover clip, going to the Effect Controls panel, and choosing from the audio effects library.

Step 5: Adding Titles

Adding professional titles is straightforward. Select the title tool, click over the image in the program monitor, and start typing. The new title clip will appear in your timeline. Modify its properties in the Effect Controls panel, choosing your font, size, position, and color. For a clean and professional look, you can disable the fill, enable the stroke, make sure it's white, and adjust the width.

Step 6: Color Grading

Color grading starts by opening the Lumetri color panel. Convert your footage from log to Rec.709 if required. You can correct colors using temperature, tint sliders, curves, and HLS adjustments to get the desired look. Shot matching and applying final look grades can add an expensive, cinematic quality.

Step 7: Exporting

To export your final edit for sharing or uploading, mark the beginning and end using in and out points on the timeline. Go to File > Export > Media, type in a name, choose a location and an export preset like ‘YouTube’. Finally, hit ‘Export’.

The Cinematic Trick

For an instant cinematic look, use the Cinemagrade plug-in for Adobe Premiere. It offers features like click-based exposure adjustments, false color exposure mapping, click and drag color adjustments, and LUT previews. This makes achieving a cinematic, expensive look much easier without diving deep into manual grading processes.

Keywords

Adobe Premiere
Video editing
Sequence
Effects
Transitions
Audio sweetening
Titles
Color grading
Exporting
Cinematic look
Cinemagrade

FAQs

Q: How do I create a new project in Adobe Premiere? A: Open Adobe Premiere and on the welcome page, select 'New Project'. Give your project a name, choose its location, and click 'Create'.

Q: How do I import clips into Premiere? A: Go to 'File' > 'Import', browse to the folder containing the clips and select them, then click 'Import'.

Q: What is a sequence in Premiere? A: A sequence is the timeline where you create your edit. It’s where you lay out all your clips in the order you want to present them.

Q: How can I add transitions between clips? A: Go to the Effects panel, open the ‘Video Transitions’ folder, and drag your desired transition over the cut between clips.

Q: How do I adjust audio levels? A: Select the audio clip, go to the Effect Controls panel, and modify the volume levels in the 'Audio Effects' section.

Q: What is the easiest way to achieve a cinematic look? A: Use the Cinemagrade plug-in for Adobe Premiere which offers intuitive click-based adjustments for exposure and color grading.

Q: How do I export my final video? A: Mark the in and out points on the timeline, then go to 'File' > 'Export' > 'Media'. Choose a preset, name your file, select a location, and click ‘Export’.