Optimally Shrinking Video File Sizes

[Bodhi Wan]

My videos in Premiere Pro are 4k versions for YouTube, and Square sequences (2160x21260) for social media. My social media scheduling platform (Zoho) limits videos to LinkedIn to 200 MB.

Example --- an 8-minute video:
Adaptive High Bitrate = 2.6 GB

Adaptive Low Bitrate =  802 MB

The goal is best quality that will stay square and not have black framing around it. How do I get there?

[R Neil Haugen]

Neither Premiere nor Resolve are designed to milk long-GOP encoding options for quality at lower bitrates. At least not nearly as easily as say ffmpeg or ShutterEncoder can, both freebies.

ffmpeg is all command-line options, not something many users find easy to master.

ShutterEncoder uses the same tools, just wrapped in an easier to learn UI.

Both give you access to tools to refine your settings with a lot of granularity. It can take some testing, but I've seen people accomplish a lot with them.

What you would do is say export a ProRes 422 or Lt from Premiere as your Master. Take that file into Se or ffmpeg and setup your H.264/5 deliverables export.

Neil

[Bodhi Wan]

Will give that a try, thanks!

[Bodhi Wan]

Succeeded in getting the file down to size. Not terrible quality. Loses clarity and some light.

Wondering why to export as a ProRes 422 or LT file instead of as a Match Adaptive Bitrate - High or Medium or Low?

[R Neil Haugen]

Because the long-GOP compression methods are the cause of the artifacts and banding so commonly seen.

Doing a long-GOP compression out of Premiere, then doubling down with a second, far greater long-GOP compression  ... you probably won't be happy.

Neil

[Bodhi Wan]

Ah, thanks! Doing one as a comp now. Much gratitude!

[Mike Dziennik]

Also, be exporting an intermediate, you are not having to reprocess the timeline everytime you export. The encoder just has one easy to process file which will be quicker and more consistent when you are testing encoding options.

[Bodhi Wan]

Mike, do you mean to use the same test file when messing around with Shutter Encoder's settings to find best options? (That's what I've been doing.) Or something else? Thanks!

[R Neil Haugen]

Yea ...  a very common practice is to finish a sequence, then export a Master file. All deliverables are then made from that Master file.

Neil