Utilizing effects in Premiere Pro

You've probably noticed me using effects in this course, especially during the facecam setup. Effects in Premiere Pro are your tools for altering the look or sound of video and audio clips. However, I approach video production with a minimalist mindset. I rarely use a lot of effects or transitions, as I rely heavily on pre-production and production to do the heavy work.

The importance of pre-production and production

Pre-production involves all the preparation required before creating a video, such as scriptwriting and storyboarding. It's where you develop the actual content of your video. Production, on the other hand, is the phase where filming takes place, involving setting up the camera, lights, and ensuring the studio is just right.

By putting significant effort into these phases, you'll minimize the workload during post-production. This means fewer edits for color correction, audio fixes, and other post-production tasks. Despite my minimalistic approach, there are a few essential effects I consistently use in screencast edits for utility.

Navigating the effects panel

To browse effects in Premiere, you need to access the effects panel. If it's not visible, go to Window and ensure the Effects item is checked. Once accessed, the panel offers various effects categories such as adjustment type effects, blur and sharpen, color correction, and more.

Frequently used effects

Although I'm selective with effects, there are a couple I use routinely:

Horizontal flip

This effect, found under the Transform section, flips your footage horizontally. It's useful when aligning the subject's gaze with the screen.

Noise effect

You can add texture to your video clips using the noise effect located in the effects panel. To tweak it, use the Effect Controls tab and adjust it to a desired level for a film-like grain effect.

Efficient effects application

Instead of individually adding effects to each clip, I prefer efficient methods like using adjustment layers or applying effects directly to the source footage.

Using adjustment layers

Create an adjustment layer and apply desired effects onto it. Any video beneath this layer will inherit the effects, simplifying mass adjustments.

Applying effects to raw footage

For a permanent solution, apply effects directly to the source footage. This ensures that any segment using that footage retains the desired look without reapplying effects.

Enhancing footage with color correction

Adjusting the look and feel of your footage primarily involves color correction and grading, which in Premiere Pro, is achieved through the Lumetri color effect. Although termed as an effect by Premiere, it's more of a comprehensive tool or plugin for detailed color adjustments.

By understanding and utilizing these effects and techniques, you ensure your screencasts achieve professional refinement with minimal effort. Stay tuned for the next video where we delve deeper into color correction with Lumetri Color for screencasting.