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Tres_Fenton
Participant
March 14, 2019
Question

Adding multiple Handbrake encoded clips into Premiere Pro CC sequence

  • March 14, 2019
  • 3 replies
  • 1752 views

Here's my problem.  I had a guy shoot aerial clips using his Inspire 1 onto my mini SD card, and they were all .mov files.  I was able to add any number of them to my sequence timeline, edit them in any way.  Then, I tried adding some clips that I had shot with my GoPro Hero6 Black at 1080p 120fps, which were saved as .mp4 files.  No go.

I did some looking around, and found that the codec the newer GoPros use for 4K (and apparently higher frame rate 1080p files), H.265, does not play well in Premiere Pro CC.  So I found several supposed solutions, with most pointing to using Handbrake to encode the videos back to H.264.  I did as suggested, but still could not get the video portion of these clips to add to the timeline.  The audio would add, but no video.  More searching, more YouTube tutorials, more possible solutions, nothing worked.

The only thing I COULD do after importing a Handbrake converted video into my project was to right click and New Sequence From Clip.  Audio AND video would go into the timeline of this new sequence, no problemo.  However, if I try to add any other clip to the sequence, no go.

I finally called GoPro, and told them everything I explained above.  They said that it might be the fact that I was trying to mix file types into the sequence, with the handheld GoPro footage being .mp4, and the aerial footage being .mov.  So I went to an online file converter, and turned a .mov file into a .mp4, just like the handheld clips.  I tried adding both to a sequence, and nope, not gonna work.

I've read several posts and watched several videos, all saying Handbrake solves problems like this, but it is definitely not working for me.  I don't know what else to try, other than going back to the location and reshooting the handheld video as 1080p 30fps, which I assume encodes at H.264.

I am definitely not a big video guy, being more of a still photographer over the past 2 decades.  Any help from those of you far more skilled in Premiere and video editing would be GREATLY appreciated.

This topic has been closed for replies.

3 replies

Tres_Fenton
Participant
March 15, 2019

Thanks so much for taking the time to reply.  Here are my specs:

Premiere Pro 2019 13.0.3 (Build 9)

MacBook Pro (Retina, 15-inch, Mid 2015)

2.2 Ghz Intel Core i7

16 GB 1600 Mhz DDR3

Intel Iris Pro 1536 Graphics

I started by creating a new project in Premiere Pro, and added all my aerial clips, editing their start and stop points.  I then tried adding my first handheld GoPro clip by opening it in the Source Monitor, which it did just fine.  Also, just to note, I was able to open and play all the clips from Finder.  They would start out at regular speed, and then go into slow motion.  After opening the clip in the Source Monitor, I added a start and end point, and tried dragging the entire clip, audio included.  It would drop the audio in the timeline sequence, but not the video.  I then tried dragging just the video clip into the sequence, and it would show a bold + sign with a circle with a diagonal slash through it, and would not drop into the sequence.

If I try opening the clip in a new sequence, which it WILL allow, it then will not allow me to add any other clips into the timeline.  So I'm kind of stuck.  I can only open ONE of the GoPro clips in a timeline, and nothing else, OR I can open all the aerial clips in a timeline, but cannot add a single GoPro clip into the same timeline sequence, even after making all the aerial clips the same mp4 file type.

The V1 blue button is active.

Thanks for the help guys.  I hope you can help me figure this out.  This is a real problem that I've found online.  It's not just me, but there are others who say the Handbrake option works.  It does not for me, but maybe I'm not using the correct settings there since I've never really used it before.

Thanks, Tres

tuckerwagner
Inspiring
March 15, 2019

Very strange. I'm not quite sure how to fix your issue, it could be a similar issue that people get when trying to import iPhone slow mo videos, premiere can't currently handle variable frame rate videos. Try choosing the constant frame rate option when converting in handbrake, that just might work.

A band aid work around for you might be to put the drone clips in one sequence and go pro clips in another, then bring both of those sequences into a third sequence.

Tres_Fenton
Participant
March 15, 2019

So there is a way to combine 2 sequences?  How do you go about doing that?  I will definitely look at the variable frame rate issue in Handbrake, and let you know what happens.

tuckerwagner
Inspiring
March 14, 2019

I am guessing the V1 button isn't selected in your sequence. if this is off it will only let you bring in an the audio portion

jasontcox
Inspiring
March 14, 2019

Hmmmm, you should have ZERO problem mixing and matching H.264 and H.265 video in your timeline, regardless of codec. One immediate question - what version of Premiere are you running? Ideally CC 2019. Also, what are your system specs? H.265 does take some more horsepower to playback, especially on older systems, since it is SO heavily compressed.

At the beginning you said when you tried to add the Hero 6 footage it was a "no go." Can you expand on that?

Also, side note, using New Sequence from Clip is the SAFEST best way in most cases to create a new sequence anyway, so it's not a bad thing that you had to use that command lol. Also, have you checked your Source panel settings to make sure they are set right? They're the blue box to the LEFT of your track names.

Just a few thoughts! But I've mixed and matched similar stuff and it's worked. It IS possible