Automation for Premiere ?!

[mishom59220504]

Hello, my work in premiere is basically the same on every project. I receive a video which I have to make into smaller pieces and I receive timings for that in a word file.

Example:  Cut Vid1 - 01:22-03:14.

So from the whole video I make 10-15 separate smaller videos. Then I place intro&outro on them and I am done.

The question is: Is there a way to automate this (or part of the) work?

Does Premiere have automation tools such as Photoshop's actions?

If there is not such thing available - If you were me, how would you make the workflow easier and faster?

Thanks!

[excited_Genie16B8]

I don't think there'a anything that can make it faster.

The only idea I have to make it easier is to hire an assistant, but then it'd be a slog for him and you'd have nothing to do.

[gerikp]

Do your edits have to be super exact? Do you need add effects or transitions to the clips? If not maybe try loading the video file in to Adobe Media Encoder. You can set in and out points in the export settings. You can also duplicate your encodes and then just open each one and change your in and out points as needed if you are segmenting out numerous clips from the same video file. Once you have all of those set up just hit the "play button" and let Media Encoder do all the work.

As an aside, I use to mess around with AppleScript. I just did some checking and Quicktime Player X can be scripted. I just now wrote a quick little AppleScript to test it out and I was able to trim a clip and export it all using AppleScript to control it. Nerdy I know. Now there are some problems with that. One is that it's Apple OSX dependent and Two AppleScripting can be complicated, might have to hire someone to write the scripting or something.

[mishom59220504]

This is a nice idea for using directly the media encoder, but I am adding intro & outro and also titles to the different micro clips so I think I have to use Premiere.

But thanks for script ideas. I will check them out!

[gerikp]

If you're adding intros and outs along with titles and such it sounds like automation won't work for you. But don't loose hope. I think there might be ways to streamline your workflow to help you work faster.

Have your prebuilt your project and sequences and loaded in all of your often used assets and then saved the project somewhere you can find it easily? And then duplicate that project folder every time you need to do this type of work so everything you need is there and ready for you.

[R Neil Haugen]

There are some things that have been done, but they aren't well known and mostly handled by the geeky types who hang in a couple other places online. They write up something sort of like modules to do X task.

Hard to find them.

Neil

[Trevor_Asq]

Should be possible by modifying an EDL or XML for each new sequence.

EDL simpler but I’m not sure if Pr imports EDLS. (Although Importing sequences, clips, and compositions into Premiere Pro indicates you can)

Xmls reasonably straightforward but I’ve not delved into them myself.

1. open an existing, finished sequence

2. Export an EDL (or XML)

3. Open in a text editor

you‘ll see the three events (assuming intro, chunk of video then outro) & you need to modify the middle one to reflect the ins & outs for each version. Save a new EDL for each version, import to Pr, relink source & export.

You could write a script to parse your word file & insert the correct timecodes (and even have it create the sequences & export using something like ffmpeg ) but it depends on how repetitive this work is. And how accurate the word file you get is. (Ie you probably still have to check the ins & outs.

Worth paying someone to write it for you if you really need it. It’s the kind of thing Bouke at https://www.videotoolshed.com/  is very good at.

[rodneyb56060189]

===========

Example:  Cut Vid1 - 01:22-03:14.

============

that example ( in word file ) indicates everything you get is always different in terms of the 'parts' ( specific to timecode) you should use.

Just that alone, without even thinking about adding intro, titles, whatever... means you can't do it 'automatically'.

You HAVE to do it the way you are currently doing it and cannot automate it.

Is OK. Just have a nice cup of tea, relax, and do the work. It's FUN !

[mishom59220504]

Yes I keep my frequently used assets grouped together and ready to copy.

Okay so I think I am going to make a script which works on the windows itself (not to premiere). Maybe it going to be even harder but I will give it a try.

Meanwhile, can you give me a Premiere Pro advice?

If I set the playhead at the beginning of a clip, how can I place anything on the timeline without deleting part of the clip itself ?

I need this when I place intros. Now I am placing the intro somewhere and move it until it snaps. Is there a faster way?

[gerikp]

Not exactly sure how you are working with your clips but here's an idea for you.

Place your clip in your timeline on V1 and A1. Change your source patching to to V2 and A2. Next, in your timeline park your CTI or playhead where you want it hit your "O" key to set an out point, for instance this would be at the beginning of your clip. Now open your intro video clip in your source monitor (set in and out point if you need to) and hit your "." (period key) which is a short cut for an Overnight edit. This will place the end of your intro clip at the Outpoint you set in your timeline which should be right when your video clip starts. And because you changed your source patching to V2 and A2 your video and audio will land on different tracks and not overwrite anything on your V1 and A1 tracks.

Here's a screenshot of what the source patching should look like.

If you don't change your source patching and just work on your V1 and A1 tracks hitting the "," Comma Key will insert your video at your CTI. But if there is space between your clip to the right of your CTI it will keep that space. And if you CTI is parked in between the start and end of you video clip it will split that clip and insert your video in the middle.

So lots of ways you can tackle that problem. It all depends on how you want to work.

[rodneyb56060189]

I think you can put the CTI anywhere on timeline ( on clips) and make a CUT and then (without moving CTI) choose the clip you want ( your intro ? ) and use "insert". That should push everything else out of the way and just insert it where you want.

If you have other sound and video clips on other levels that are NOT LINKED to the level you insert to , you might experience some difficulty.

Are you like trying to edit stuff without having to edit stuff ??  Is that your main goal here ??

[Stan Jones]

Similar to Neil's and Trevor's response, but a different emphasis:

Yes, it can be done. It requires the PR SDK, and unless you are a programmer, you'd need to hire someone.

Premiere Pro SDK

[rodneyb56060189]

I must be really stupid, cause I don't get this.

First off... the poster is getting different video source material from someone for each project. Totally different video.

Secondly, the poster is getting info via a word document WHAT parts ( PORTIONS ) OF THE BRAND NEW VIDEO he / she is supposed to USE on the timeline. THEN the poster ADDS his / her intro , outro, titles, transitions and so on .. to FINISH the project.

How is God's name does anyone think you can automate that ????   Am I CRAZY ???   I sincerely beg your pardon and forgiveness, because I AM AN IDIOT and don't see how you can AUTOMATE that in ANY WAY WHATSOEVER !!!!!

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE TELL ME WHAT I AM MISSING !  WHAT IS IT I DON'T UNDERSTAND ????

[excited_Genie16B8]

How is God's name does anyone think you can automate that ????   Am I CRAZY ???

I don't believe you are.

This particular task is a slog.  I don't think it can be helped at all.

[rodneyb56060189]

Jim, thank you so MUCH !!!!!   I THOUGHT I WAS GOING CRAZY !  I was beginning to doubt what the REAL WORLD AS I SEE IT.  LIKE, CALL THE VA IMMEDIATELY AND ASK FOR MENTAL HELP !

No doubt I am missing some really important aspects because some really smart people have been promoting the idea of automating this thing one way or another and they must be GENIUSES !  cause I DON'T GET IT.

[rodneyb56060189]

I HATE to harp on this stupid thing... but I'm wondering ( cause I don't use current CC product )

In resolve you can type in a timecode ( just use number keys and type in stuff... like in a 24 fps thing you can type +24 and the CTI will go to 1 second into video clip selected. Or you can type something like the last 6 digits of the timecode 01:20:15..and the CTI will jump to that timecode position. If Premiere does that, and you type in the numbers, mark in and out points, drag that down into timeline, and continue from there to next WORD DOCUMENT TIME CODE NUMBERS, etc... doesn't that sort of speed things up a bit ???  Like instead of trying to drag the CTI to those exact timecodes ???  Is that possible in CC stuff ??

[gerikp]

Rodney... yes you can do that in Premiere, enter time code to jump your CTI to an exact spot.

Also, the OP was just trying to find a way to make his life easier. Sure full automation is probably far fetched but maybe through walking with him through his problem maybe he finds a better and faster ways to do his work. There's really no need to lose your mind over it.

[rodneyb56060189]

Thank you Gerikp, I appreciate the information that the CTI can be put where you want by typing in the code numbers. That way he can make in out points and drag stuff to the timeline according to his instructions via the Word Document.

I'm sure that will be a HUGE TIME SAVER for him.

[Trevor_Asq]

Can it be done programmatically? Yes. A number of ways.

Is it worth it? Almost certainly not, even if the OP had the skills or finance to fund it.

How? At the simplest level you want to get from

===========

Example:  Cut Vid1 - 01:22-03:14.

============

to

===========

X= 82 Y=194 Z=Y-X

============

you also (for easy relinking) need to know start timecode (eg S = 10:00:00:00) of video you are inserting

and the In & out timecodes for the intro & outro (used random numbers with 1 min duration below)

You can then produce (for every XX and YY value parsed from the word document):

===========

001 INTRO VAA C 12:22:16:11 12:23:16:11 00:00:00:00 00:01:00:00

002 VIDEO VAA C (S+XX) (S+YY) 00:01:00:00 (00:01:00:00 + ZZ)

003 OUTRO VAA C 21:18:11:10 21:19:11:10 (00:01:00:00 + ZZ) (00:02:00:00 + ZZ)

============

(No guarantees that EDL is cmx 3600 compliant, been a long time since I’ve looked at an EDL.)

Import the EDLs.

Relink pointing INTRO & OUTRO to correct sources and VIDEO to the new video.

No frames handled this way which means you are likely to get ugly edits & it’s prone to errors from the word document.

Plus, unless you have a *lot* to process there’s not a lot of time saved.

————

I do import an EDL and use automation (using keyboard maestro on a Mac, I’d use AHK if on a PC) regularly for one thing though.

Producer will give me a rough cut they’ve done from camera 1 of a multi camera shot interview.

Having built the multicam clip I recreate their cut, having loaded EDL as an offline sequence as follows:

1. Clear source monitor and load multicam group & rough cut (so I can use keyboard shortcuts to switch between the two sources)

2. Switch to rough, go to next edit, tab to timecode, copy

3. Switch to multicam, tab to timecode, paste, mark in

4. Switch to rough, go to next edit, jog back one frame, tab to timecode, copy

5. Switch to multicam, tab to timecode, paste, mark out, overwrite to sequence

Seems more complicated than it is but allows me to replicate what might be 100 edits in a few seconds. I have to use this every week so it was worth figuring out.

Similarly I regularly add audio transitions to smooth edits that might be 1,2,4,8,16,32 or 75 frames long. Whilst waiting for Adobe to give us better audio translation dialogue Ive just got a bunch of keyboard macros that modify the default transition, add a transition then return it to the default. Use those all day every day.

[mishom59220504]

Yes Rodney, I am already doing that but I am continuing to look for ways to optimize my workflow so I can get more work.

For now the SDK solution looks perfect, but I think I will need a programmer for sure.

Thank you everybody for the answers and the support!

[mishom59220504]

Found the best way (at least for me) for my type of job.

I'm now using AutoHotKey and with little programming I can tell my PC what to do (pressing keystrokes) and the job is done.

Hope this helps somebody else also