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a new era for adobe
Not many people might know this, but I happen to be an Adobe
Premiere Buff. Not by choice mind you - during my CSU Fullerton days I
spent countless hours editing away with Premiere 6 (which had just come
out at the time) getting my video projects completed. What would usually
happen is an exercise in futility - Premiere 6 was renown for bugs, glitches,
and worst of all, crashes. When I went to the Siggraph show in San Diego
some months back, I got a hands-on tutorial from Adobe's resident expert
on their new offering - Adobe Premiere Pro. A revamped, retooled, completely
new engined version of their non-linear video editing program dazzled
the audiences. Ahh, but this skeptic kept his cool, even in the face of
a nicely streamlined interface, and much easier to use tools. An hour
later, and after exhausting many, many questions to the demo man I was
impressed.
Adobe was kind enough to put NextGen Electronics on the
list for a media review. After a couple of months of running this program
through the virtual ringer, running through various editing activities,
and trying to do things you really shouldn't do - Premiere Pro is in fact
a fantastic editing tool for your video adventures.
Summary of new features
Adobe, as mentioned before, has completely retooled and
revamped Premiere in this edition. Yes, it looks familiar to a particular
video editing tool made by a company named after a fruit ... but all in
all the number of new tools and improvements is down-right staggering....
-- Features / Benefits --
- Real-time editing
- Multiple, nestable timelines
- Advanced color correction
- Enhanced audio editing
- Customizable keyboard shortcuts
- Standard definition/high definition support
- Adobe integration
- Extensive video format support
- Support for leading video media
- Still-image and sequence file support
- Direct to DVD
- Elegantly redesigned user interface
- Multiple, nestable timelines
- Custom timeline views
- Enhanced interactive Project window
- Independent Trim window
- Sophisticated title designer
- Enhanced DV capture
- - - NEW FEATURES - - -
Real-time editing
Take advantage of a new, real-time editing experience that provides immediate
feedback and enables you to edit with amazing speed.
Multiple, nestable timelines
Take advantage of multiple, nestable timelines to experiment more freely
and manage complex projects more efficiently.
Advanced color correction
Use color correction tools to adjust hue, saturation, and lightness for
highlights, midtones, and shadows; replace a color throughout a clip with
a single selection; and more.
Enhanced audio editing
Produce richer, more vibrant audio using sample-level editing, VST filters,
track-based effects, and 5.1 surround sound.
Customizable keyboard shortcuts
Customize keyboard shortcuts to fit your editing style. Use default presets,
leverage industry-standard shortcuts, or create your own. Export custom
sets to share with colleagues.
Keyframable effect parameters
Set different keyframes for individual parameters of the effects you apply
with the revamped Effect Controls palette, which looks and works like
the one in Adobe After Effects software.
Real-time motion paths
Create more fluid and precise motion paths with keyframable parameters
and built-in, subpixel positioning.
Support for Adobe Photoshop layers
Import layered Photoshop® files as a single flattened file or import
the files as a sequence with each layer arranged on a separate video track.
Support for leading video media
Produce video and audio content for the leading delivery media: broadcast
formats, DV, DVD, CD, VCD, SVCD, and the Web. Output AAF files for sharing
with other professional editing systems.
Standard definition/high definition support
Import, edit, and deliver HD or SD productions using certified OEM hardware
with Adobe Premiere Pro. Encode HD Windows Media 9 Series content using
the built-in Adobe Media Encoder.
so - how well does it work?
Previous versions of Premiere were great for developing a large
vulgar vocabulary due to the constant problems. As you can tell, I wasn't
a fan of the series at all - even for the sentimental value.
When first getting into Premiere Pro the user will notice
the revamped and sexy interface. The layout is much the same as any non-linear
editing program, such as Avid, Ulead, or Pinnacle's offerings. The button
shapes, placement of buttons, and the intuitive feel of the layout, however,
are much improved. This is a "good looking" program - it looks
professional and isn't cluttered with unnecessary things to get in your
way.
Particularly impressive is the new Project window that allows
you to import all the files you wish, have multiple timelimes managed,
and if you hit the tab button at the top, you get access to the numerous
special effects for both audio and video (things such as transitions,
filters, effects, and more).
Oh - how could I have not mentioned it before!? The Monitor
window ACTUALLY works the way it should. Render the video - and it plays
like it should (an actual preview). I'm so often stymied by video programs
where the Monitor doesn't work (it's choppy, it doesn't work at all...).
Premiere Pro handled the previews of editing so well, I was extremely
impressive (it's fast too).
Implementing transitions, editing audio for 5.1 surround
sound (yes, you can take ANYTHING and make it 5.1 surround sound compliant)
is very easy ... granted, for those of you with extensive video editing
experience you'll catch on within a second. For those of you with ZERO
video editing experience, it's highly suggested you complete the tutorials
included with the 90 minute DVD bundled with the retail package (which
is a very nice offering from Adobe). Also the "Classroom in a Book"
by Adobe comes highly recommended for novices. Intermediate and Advanced
users should be able to jump right in with out a hitch.
Overall, the feature rich programs offers a very nice breath
of fresh air for those of us editing digital video on a PC. Premiere Pro
completely has changed this reviewer's opinion of the "Premiere"
franchise a complete 180 degrees.
system requirements
- Intel Pentium III 800MHz processor (Pentium 4
3.06GHz recommended)
- Microsoft Windows XP Professional or Home Edition with
Service Pack 1
- 256MB of RAM installed (1GB or more recommended)
- 800MB of available hard-disk space for installation
- Microsoft DirectX-compatible sound card (multichannel
ASIO-compatible sound card for surround sound support recommended)
- CD-ROM drive
- Compatible DVD recorder (DVD-R/RW+R/RW) required for
Export to DVD
- 1,024x768 32-bit color video display adapter (1,280x1,024
or dual monitors recommended)
- For DV: OHCI-compatible IEEE 1394 interface and dedicated
large-capacity 7200RPM UDMA 66 IDE or SCSI hard disk or disk array
- For third-party capture cards: Adobe Premiere Pro certified
capture card
- Optional: ASIO audio hardware device; surround speaker
system for 5.1 audio playback
Setup, installation
Installation is as simple as installing any CD-ROM software,
so pretty much anyone can do it. Installation on a P4 2.53GHz system took
approximately 2 minutes to complete. Help is available in the form of
the 330 page User Manual, and the in-software help feature.
Implementation, training, and
integration
If you're familiar with non-linear editing programs, then Premiere Pro
will be extremely easy to pick up and get into. If you're a veteran of
the Premiere franchise, then you'll be into all the features with a minimal
amount of time. The retail package comes with a fantastic 90 minute DVD
that guides you through a tutorial and various features for the program.
Other 1st and 3rd party training solutions are available in the form of
books, which can be found at any major book retailer.
User interface
A huge thumbs up to Adobe for making the program much more streamlined
and easier to use. The interface looks better, acts better, and is configurable
enough to make most users extremely pleased. If there was one things (outside
of program stability) that was most improved with this program, it'd be
the user interface.
The costs
The MSRP through the corporate website is $699, and if you have a previous
edition, the cost is only $199. The cost is competitive with other products
of the genre.
Our Impressions Using the Product
I had some very pleasurable experiences editing video with Adobe Premiere
Pro. The system stability with the program was the main ingredient for
a positive feeling for this program. The User Manual and 90 minute DVD
included allow users to get up to speed very quickly with the program
and the robust features that are included.
Summary and general recommendations
Adobe has finally re-asserted itself as a major player in
the world of non-linear video editing. If you're a computer novice and
dying to make your own videos for publishing online or on a DVD, then
you can do well by using Premiere Pro. For advanced users, you should
be very pleased with the new layout, the robust correction features, and
the ability to import and export to so many different programs. The cost
is very acceptable considering the given state of prices for this type
of product.
My impressions from Siggraph hold true after 2 months of
using this program. Adobe has rebuilt this program to make it one that
you'd want to use. The controls and interface are extremely sexy, and
the intuitiveness of the controls allows users to do what they want to
do with a minimal amount of hassle. The most important thing - program
stability - has been fantastic (no reported hangups or freezes!). The
monitor window works the way it should (finally), and the overall experience
using this program is extremely positive.
I have to give credit to Adobe for putting together one
heck of a video editing program for novice and advanced users alike. The
upgrades are exactly what was needed to save the Premiere name, and the
new features should tickle even the most hardened editors out there. Overall,
Adobe Premiere Pro is a great program to be editing videos with and many
would do well to invest in this program.
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10 / 10 |
OVERALL SCORE
96%
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9.6 /
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