Help reducing huge project file (.prproj)

[duanecwilson]

I have a 2 hour memorial service with 2 video tracks (2 separate cameras) and a few short B-Roll clips on a 3rd track. Probably because of my inexperience and making many back and forth edits, my project file (not including media) is almost 1GB in size, and every time I save it, or it is auto-saved, it creates another 1GB file. Even though I have a good computer with an SSD, it still takes a full minute or two to save it.

I had tried putting in stabilization on one of the tracks which had about 10 clips total in one sequence, but undid it when I found out I should be doing other edits first.

I want to put in some more edits and re-stabilize it near the end. But I don't want it to crash or get corrupted.

Can someone help me reduce this file? This is not some enormous, theatrical production, so I wouldn't think it would take this much room. I must just be doing something wrong.

[Averdahl]

I had tried putting in stabilization on one of the tracks which had about 10 clips total in one sequence, but undid it when I found out I should be doing other edits first.

The stabilization is the reason behind the big project file since the actual data is stored in the project file. Since you undid it one expect that the project file goes back to a more normal size.

I would have tried to either use the File > Save a Copy or File > Save As to see if the size goes down. If that don´t do the trick i would have tried File > Project Manager to see if that feature is smart enough to reduce the file size. Personally i would delete any render files as well before, iow Sequence > Delete Render Files. If you render your timelines this will delete those files, so use it with care if you render the timelines for previews.

Are you sure that you have not played around with Stabilization and then forgot that you did? I had a annoying message about a obsolete audio filter when i opened an older project in CC2019 but could not find it and remove it. Three weeks later i discovered that i had a "test timeline" and there was the audio filter...

[duanecwilson]

Thank you. That may be it. I did back up or duplicate the stabilized sequence. Not sure how to remove it, though.

[Averdahl]

Thank you. That may be it. I did back up or duplicate the stabilized sequence. Not sure how to remove it, though.

To delete a sequence you can just select it in the Project panel and press Delete on your keyboard or right click on it and choose Clear.

[duanecwilson]

I did remove it, but the project is the same size. Not one bit smaller. I even saved it as another name.

[Averdahl · Accepted solution]

I did remove it, but the project is the same size. Not one bit smaller. I even saved it as another name.

I did a small test here in CC2019, 13.0.2. If i create a project and import one file and save the project size is 13 KB. If i apply Warp Stabilizer to 15 seconds and save the project size goes up to 3 227 KB. If i then close Premiere Pro and re-open the project and delete the sequence and re-save the project the file size goes down to 15 KB.

Are you sure that Warp Stabilizer is not used on a clip you may have missed?

What OS are you on and what exact version of Premiere Pro are you using? (Help > About Premiere Pro)

[duanecwilson]

Thank you for your help.

It turns out I had a sequence that accidentally got renamed with the same name as one of the clips (I have no idea how it happened), and that sequence was the one stabilized. So I removed that, and my project went from almost 1GB down to 72KB. Amazing. I guess the question now is, when I do re-stabilize later, and I do need to, what is the best way to do it so I don't end up with an unmanageable project? I will ask this, I guess, in a new thread.

[Averdahl]

I guess the question now is, when I do re-stabilize later, and I do need to, what is the best way to do it so I don't end up with an unmanageable project? I will ask this, I guess, in a new thread.

Hurray, you found it and fixed it!

This topic regarding Warp Stabilzer and file sizes was hot a while back ago and if i remeber correctly the general tip was to use a dedicated project for Warp Stabilizer and then when the clip is stabilized, export it as an intermediate file using either ProRes/CineForm/DNxHD as the codec and import the stabilized file into the original project.

Or, move the clip you need to stabilize to a new sequence in the current project, stabilize it, export it to a file using either ProRes/CineForm/DNxHD, import the file and replace it in the original timeline and then delete the Warp Stabilizer effect from the clip on the dedicated Warp stabilizer timeline. Two different workflows, choose the one that fit your needs and personal preference.

[duanecwilson]

This is excellent - just what I was looking for. I thought it may be right to do it separately like you said, but I did not know what format to export to, etc. It took a long time to do it the first time and I had to throw it away, so I didn't want to do it again without knowing.

[Averdahl]

Depending of the version of premiere Pro i would coose either Apple ProRes 422 HQ or CineForm YUV 10-bit with the Quality slider set to 3.

[duanecwilson]

I am on a Windows 10 system. I suppose that my choice could not be Apple ProRes 422 HQ. Am I correct about this?

I am using the Premiere Pro CC (2019) download, I think version 13. I guess it should be CineForm YUV 10-bit then.

[Averdahl]

Yes, you can export Apple ProRes from CC2019 on Windows. This was added in CC2019.

I am using Windows 10 as well.

[Ikejohn1979]

Hi, I am having the same problem as the Duane, but I don't understand why I would export using the ProRes/CineForm/DNxHD as the codec. Why wouldn't I use the same codec as I plan to export in at the end, H.264.  Thanks in advance!

[Averdahl]

Why wouldn't I use the same codec as I plan to export in at the end, H.264.

Because H.264 is a lossy codec that is heavily compressed. You do loose quality each time you take a file and compress it to H.264, so in the end when you have done this multiple times the quality hit will be visible. You can of course do it, but be prepared for quality issues.

ProRes/CineForm/DnxHD as well as some other intermediate codes are designed for workflows like this and the quality hit is near zero and that´s what most people aim for.

[defaultbpq5zgsb4wt9]

Thanks for this advice. I had no idea about the stabilize data storage issue. This is still a thing on Premiere Pro 2024. 

[R Neil Haugen]

I would never apply Warp without doing a full render & replace of the clip on the timeline.

Why?

Warp is the single heaviest resource hog possible! Even more so than Neat Video video noise remover. With both, I apply the effect, test to see it's getting the result I want, then right-click, render & replace to typically ProRes 422. 

Now all the heavy work is done. The computer doesn't have to process that simply to play back, and my exports will be a ton faster also.