How To Get Started With Adobe Premiere Pro 2024 And Edit Your First Video

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Adobe Premiere Pro 2024 remains a crucial tool for video editing, especially for those venturing into social media marketing. As video content continues to dominate platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube, understanding how to use Premiere Pro can give you a significant edge. This guide will walk you through the latest features and techniques to help you produce high-quality videos that capture attention and drive engagement. Whether you’re just starting or looking to refine your skills, you’ll learn practical steps to create polished content that stands out in a crowded digital landscape.

Before getting started with your editing there are a couple small tasks to make your editing easier.

Should You Record Voice-Over First, or Edit and Then Do Voice-Over?

Option 1: Recording Voice-Over First:

Advantages: If your project relies heavily on the narrative or timing of the voice-over (like instructional videos or tutorials), recording first allows you to structure the video around the narration.
Disadvantages: You may have to re-record if the timing or flow of the video changes during editing.

Option 2: Editing First, Then Recording Voice-Over:

Advantages: This approach gives you a complete visual structure, making it easier to sync your voice-over with on-screen actions. It’s especially useful for videos where timing is crucial, such as syncing dialogue with character actions.
Disadvantages: It requires careful planning to ensure that the video pacing matches the intended narration.

Recommendation:

For most projects, it’s advisable to edit your footage first and then record the voice-over. This ensures that your narration aligns perfectly with the edited visuals, providing a more polished and cohesive final product.

However, if your project is highly dependent on the voice-over for pacing or content structure, recording first might be more beneficial.

Ultimately, the best approach depends on the nature of your project and how closely the voice-over needs to align with the visuals.

Consolidate All Videos into One Folder

Keeping all your video files in a single, dedicated folder is essential for maintaining a well-organized editing workflow. When all your clips are housed in one place, it minimizes the risk of missing files or broken links within your project. Premiere Pro references the file locations on your computer, so if your files are scattered across multiple locations, moving or renaming them later can lead to issues with offline media. By keeping everything in one folder, you ensure that all your assets are easily accessible and you can move the entire project seamlessly between different devices or drives without losing any files. This approach not only simplifies file management but also helps keep your project organized and reduces the likelihood of errors that can disrupt your editing process.

Organize Your Files with Clear Naming Conventions

Another thing I recommend is to organize your files with clear naming conventions. Naming your clips descriptively is crucial, but take it a step further by creating a consistent naming convention. For example, include details like the date, scene number, or type of shot (e.g., “2024_09_Interview_Scene1_CloseUp.mp4”). This makes it easier to search and sort through your clips later.

Once you have your files organized, load Adobe Premiere Pro 2024 and click New Project.

 

When starting a new project in Adobe Premiere Pro, it’s important to give your video a clear, descriptive name that reflects the content you’re working on, such as “How To Make A Pizza Dough.” This name will help you quickly identify the project among others. A sequence, which is the core workspace of your project, is where you arrange and edit your video and audio clips on a timeline to create your final video. Naming your sequence similarly to your project keeps things organized, especially in simpler projects. Setting the project location allows you to choose where all your project files, including the sequence and associated media, are stored. This keeps everything centralized in one folder, making file management easier and ensuring nothing gets lost during the editing process.

You will see a screen that will look similar to the screenshot below. You need to do three things to start.  Give your project a good name.  Give your sequence a good name. Then choose a location where your project will be saved.  If you are in my social media course at Colorado State University then you should save this in the S drive where your videos are located.

After you select CHOOSE LOCATION, navigate to your folder and then click SELECT FOLDER.

 

Next, let Premiere Pro know where your video files are located so you can load them into your project.

Once Selected You Can Click CREATE.

 

You should now see the Premiere Pro editing interface.  If this is your first time using Premiere Pro you might see the tutorials on the left.  Close that section by clicking the hamburger menu next to learn and then click CLOSE PANEL.

 

You will now see the default Premiere Pro interface which will look something like this:

 

 

Here’s a brief description of each of the 7 labels from the image above:

1. Project Panel
The Project Panel is where all your imported media, sequences, and assets live. This panel acts like your library, holding everything you need for your project. You can organize clips into bins, preview them, and manage your project’s assets efficiently.

2. Timeline Panel
The Timeline Panel is where the actual editing happens. It’s a visual representation of your sequence, allowing you to arrange and layer video clips, audio tracks, and effects. You can trim, cut, and position clips to build your final video here.

3. Toolbar
The Toolbar contains a variety of editing tools that help you manipulate clips in the timeline. Common tools include the Selection Tool, Razor Tool, and Hand Tool, among others. These tools are essential for precise editing and navigating your project.

4. Program Monitor
The Program Monitor displays the video output of your sequence from the Timeline Panel. It shows what your edited video will look like, allowing you to review your work in real time. This is where you can see how your edits affect the final video.

5. Panel Group
The Panel Group typically contains multiple panels like Effects, Essential Graphics, Libraries, and History, all organized in a tabbed format. This area allows you to access different tools and resources quickly, making it easier to apply effects, manage assets, and keep track of your editing steps.

6. Workspaces
Workspaces are pre-configured layouts of panels tailored to specific tasks like Editing, Color, Audio, or Graphics. You can switch between these layouts depending on what part of the editing process you’re focusing on. Customizing workspaces to your liking can help streamline your workflow.

7. Source Monitor
The Source Monitor is used to view and trim raw clips before adding them to the timeline. You can set In and Out points, preview clips, and make rough cuts before placing them into your sequence. This panel is essential for precise clip editing and preparation. To get a video into the Source Monitor just double-click on one of the videos in the Project Panel and then you can do some precise editing there.

How to Edit With the Source Monitor Control

The Source Monitor allows you to preview, trim, and refine your clips before adding them to your timeline, giving you more control over the editing process. By familiarizing yourself with the essential tools and options available in the Source Monitor, such as adding markers, setting In and Out points, and using Insert and Overwrite functions, you’ll be able to make precise edits with ease. Let’s explore these controls step-by-step to help you get the most out of your footage right from the start.

1. Add Marker: The Add Marker button (M) allows you to place markers on specific frames within your clip. Markers are useful for noting important moments, syncing points, or reminders as you edit.

2. Mark In: This button sets the starting point of the section you want to use from your clip. Position the playhead at the desired start frame and click Mark In or press I.

3. Mark Out: This button sets the ending point of the section you want to use from your clip. Position the playhead at the desired end frame and click Mark Out or press O.

4. Go to In Point: This button quickly moves the playhead to the In point you’ve set, allowing you to review or adjust the start of your selected clip section.

5. Go to Out Point: This button moves the playhead to the Out point you’ve set, making it easy to check or adjust the end of your selected clip section.

6. Clear In and Out Points: These buttons allow you to remove any In or Out points you’ve set, resetting the clip to its full length and letting you re-mark your desired section.

7. Loop Playback: Enabling this option will loop the playback between the In and Out points continuously, helping you review the selected segment repeatedly to ensure it’s perfect.

8. Insert: The Insert button adds the trimmed clip from the Source Monitor to the timeline at the playhead position, pushing any existing content to the right and preserving everything already in the timeline (,).

9. Extract: When you press this button, it removes the selected In and Out portion from the Source Monitor and places it onto the timeline, leaving a gap in the timeline where the clip is inserted.

10. Overwrite: The Overwrite button places the trimmed clip from the Source Monitor into the timeline at the playhead position, replacing any existing content in that spot. This is useful for making precise replacements without altering the timeline length (.).

Editing in the Sequence with the Razor Tool

The Razor Tool is one of the most fundamental editing tools in Adobe Premiere Pro, allowing you to cut clips directly in the timeline. It’s perfect for splitting clips into smaller sections, removing unwanted parts, or rearranging segments of your video. Here’s how to use the Razor Tool for editing within the sequence:

1. Select the Razor Tool: In the Toolbar, click on the Razor Tool icon (it looks like a razor blade) or press C on your keyboard. This will activate the Razor Tool, allowing you to make cuts in your clips.

2. Make a Cut: Move the playhead in the timeline to the exact frame where you want to split your clip. Then, click on the clip at the playhead position using the Razor Tool. This will cut the clip into two separate pieces at the chosen point.

3. Trim or Remove Sections: After making cuts, you can select and delete unwanted sections of your clips by switching back to the Selection Tool (V) and clicking on the portion you wish to remove. Press the Delete key to remove the selected segment from your sequence.

4. Reposition Clips: Once clips are cut, you can easily move the pieces around on the timeline to adjust the order of your footage. Simply drag the cut clips to new positions, allowing you to reorganize your sequence without affecting other parts of your edit.

5. Fine-Tune Edits: For more precise adjustments, use the Trim Tool or drag the edges of the cut clips to extend or shorten them as needed. This is especially useful for refining transitions or aligning clips perfectly with your audio.

Using the Razor Tool is a straightforward way to manage and manipulate your clips within the timeline, making it an essential skill for basic editing tasks. By mastering the Razor Tool, you can quickly cut and rearrange your footage, giving you the flexibility to shape your video exactly how you envision it.

FAQ’s: How To Mute Sound Of Audio Clip And How To Zoom In Out Of The Sequence

Select the audio clip and either lower the volume in the Effects Controls Panel by adjusting the Volume parameter or mute it entirely by right-clicking and selecting “Disable”. To zoom in and out of the sequence, use the Zoom Tool from the Toolbar, or simply press and hold the Alt (Option on Mac) key while scrolling your mouse wheel to zoom in and out quickly. Alternatively, use the + and - keys on your keyboard to adjust the zoom level, helping you navigate your timeline with ease.

Your Next Steps:

This guide showed you how to get started with Adobe Premiere Pro 2024 and edit your first video by mastering the basics. From understanding the workspace layout to learning how to trim clips, add voice-overs, and make basic edits with tools like the Razor, you’re now equipped with the fundamental techniques needed to start shaping your footage. As you continue to explore Premiere Pro, don’t hesitate to experiment with more advanced features like transitions, effects, and color correction to elevate your projects further. Remember, editing is a creative process, and the more you practice, the more proficient and efficient you’ll become. So dive in, start editing, and bring your video ideas to life with Premiere Pro 2024!