Blog Post 57 - Stage 3 - Adobe Premiere - Titles

Looking back to the original specification that was set out for this stage of the assignment in Blog Post 51, the addition of adding titles over clips is something that is expected as a minimum requirement so this is definitely something that should be explored to ensure that I am fulfilling the necessary requirement specification points. Even though this is a necessary requirement I feel that this is something that I would of looked into anyway as in all promotional videos there is going to be some text of some nature, with in this context being the film title, and I cannot personally think of any film trailer that does not feature the name of the film being emphasises in text. Not only is that something that is expected this is also quite beneficial in regards to advertising especially if the style and font of the title is quite memorable and significant as this is something else for potential customers to remember of the film. The production of the promotional video might be excellent however without a name or title being present then a potential customer is not likely not going to remember the name as if there was one. 

Adding New Title

To begin with it is worth mentioning that titles do not have to be only overlayed over clips that are present in the video as there is also a feature in Premiere called Colour Matte that allows a Matte of colour to be created and placed in the timeline whereas you an then overlay you titles. To find this option you are looking at navigating to File -> New -> Colour Matte. However, this can also be done through creation of the Title itself and to start this process you will be looking at navigating to Title -> New Title and then there are a three options that you can choose from that include Still, Roll and Crawl. To begin with I am going to look at the Still option.

New Title Options

Once the Still option has been selected the following window will be displayed which is in regards to some base options for the title that you are about to create. The title screen that you will be creating is naturally going to be the same size as the video sizes that you have previously chosen so as can be seen here the width and height have been automatically selected. In this case for a test, the sizes are that of 720 pixels by 576 pixels however will change to suit that of your previous selection. It is also worth mentioning that of the timebase which in this case is set to 25 Frames Per Second which is the speed that is the usual standard nowadays for videos - further details and information can be found in regards to this in Blog Post 52 - New Project. The pixel aspect ratio has also been automatically selected for this and once again this is in relation to the previously selected options back when the New Project was created, however this is in regards to the aspect ratio of the display of the video with an example being the 16:9 ratio or you could change to a non wide screen option for instance. 

Title Creation Window

Having now selected and confirmed the details for the New Title, once the OK button on the previous window has been selected this meant that I was now at the stage of creating the title with the following title creation window being displayed. As you can see, the centre of the window contains the black area which is in fact that of the current frame view of the pointer on the timeline - going back to the timeline and adjusting the slider will adjust the view of the display in the middle of this window. In regards to the layout and set up of this particular Title Creation Window, as is visible in the attached screenprint there are a whole host of different options available to choose from. Apart from the usual and expected Type Tool and Vertical Type Tool there are also further options available with this option of the Title screen include the noticeable Type on a Path and Vertical Type on a Path tool that are recognisable from that of Adobe Illustrator when I created the On Disc Label for Stage Two of the assignment. This nicely links into the availability of the Pen Tool as well as the shape tools - once again reminiscent of Adobe Illustrator.

Example Film Title

In regards to actually adding some text for a title, the screen print to the right here shows an example of what can be quickly created by utilising a wide range of Text Properties which are located on the right hand side of the window. In relation to what has been modified, this includes: Font Family; Fill Type; Colour; Outer Stroke; Shadow; Background Colour Gradient. To create the example title screen the first port of call was to select the Type Tool and draw a box that would house the text which I was about to type in. Once this was typed in I could then navigate to the Font Selection drop down box whereby I could select a font that would ideally fit into the rest of the design. As this was just an example title this did not really matter too much however for the real title that I will be creating in the future this will be something that should definitely taken into account especially concerning that of the house theme and style of design too. After the font was selected this meant that I could then select the Fill Colour which is in relation to the colour the font is and in this case by utilising the eye dropper tool. I personally also decided to make use of the Outer Stroke which meant when set to black made for a good contrast between the font fill and the outer stroke which overall made for a much cleaner cut finish to the font. It was important to select a contrasting colour for that of the Outer Stroke otherwise the clean cut effect would not be something that would be beneficial to the overall appearance. Next a Shadow element was added to text, however in this case I decided for this to be white in appearance and this was due to the new stage being the Background selection. For the background I opted to select a Radial Gradient between the two colours of black and red and therefore with the centre of the background by the text being that of black by utilising the white Shadow for the text this ensured that the text was shown. All in all by utilising a large range of different properties for the title this meant that a distinctive title was created. This is most likely not to be something that I will use for my own promotional video, however certainly something to bear in mind for when I get to that stage.

Roll/Crawl Options

In regards to the two previously mentioned element, the Roll and Crawl types of Titles these are in relation to how the Title will appear in that you can choose to have the title either roll or crawl around the screen. The difference between the two are that Roll Title is where the title can roll from the top to bottom of the screen, and the Crawl is where the title can crawl from side to side on the screen. The Options button on the Title screen allows you to select and change these options. The Roll and Crawl type of titles are well known within the film industry with the Roll being very commonly used for that of the film credits at the end of a movie where there are lots of names of the actors and all of the people that are involved with the production of the movie. In my situation for the promotional video I am not sure if there will be such an opportunity for me to use these different options however having looked into them it is certainly something to bear in mind.

Having now explored and thought about how I could use the different types of Titles available in Premiere, I feel that I have explored all of the elements that I need to in regards to fulfilling the minimum requirements of the specification which included importing videos and images (Blog Post 53 - Getting Started), setting up a Premiere project (Blog Post 52 - New Project), Trimming Clips (Blog Post 53 - Getting Started), Adding Transitions to clips (Blog Post 55 - Video Transitions) and Adding Titles over clips (Blog Post 57).  However I do wish to go above and beyond the specification and therefore in Blog Post 56 Audio Transitions were discussed as well as the Toolbox being discussed in Blog Post 54. Following on from this, the next stage of Premiere that I will be exploring and discussing is that of the Audio and Video Effects as I feel these are two elements that I will use in my promotional video and therefore it will be worthwhile doing this to evaluate what is best to use, or not in some cases.

Blog Post 56 - Stage 3 - Adobe Premiere - Audio Transitions

Audio Transitions

Following on from the last Blog Post in regards to the Video Transitions that are available in Premiere I thought it best for this next Blog Post to be in relation to the closely linked Audio Transitions that are available. These are similar in concept to that of the Video Transitions in that when moving between two different clips in a video these transitions give you the option apart from that of the straight and harsh change between two different areas of audio. Certainly in some cases where there is distinctive different between two clips this can cause for an unprofessional outcome. Also, although the video element is what you see when you are watching the promotional video, I feel that the audio element is also something that is very important too can could definitely make a difference to that of the end result. 

In regards to the choice that Premiere offers in relation to that of the Audio Transitions, unfortunately compared to that of the Video Transitions there really is a lot less on offer. However even though there are quite a few less I do not think that they are anything less important, and in some cases can really affect the end result of a video. All of the following three Audio Transitions are based under the effect of Cross Fade:

Cross Fade - Gain - This audio transition is where the second clip's audio is allowed to be gradually played over the first sound clip at an equal rate to that of the first clip being faded down, so then only the second clip can be heard. However, if used over a short space of time this can make the transitions between the two sound rather harsh and not produce a good effect.

Cross Fade - Constant Power - This audio transition is where a smooth and gradual transition is created whereby the first clip is slowly decreased in audio and then quickly at the end of the transmission. By using this step in difference this makes for a smooth transition with a pleased effect. 

Cross Fade - Exponential Fade - This audio transition is rather similar in that to the Cross Fade - Gain however instead of the two clips being played over one another, the first clip is faded down to a point of not being heard and then the second clip is then faded up to be heard. This in theory gives for a seamless fade between the first and second clip's audio.

All in all I am glad that I have looked into each of the Audio Transitions that are available in Premiere and at this early stage I feel that I will be looking at possibly using the Cross Fade - Exponential Fade the most in the future and possibly for my promotional video. With that in mind though, I am not saying that the others do not have their uses as personally I feel that they are all professional in how they go about the transition of audio however my personal favourite is that of the Exponential Fade which I feel gives the smoothest and most seamless transition too.

Having now looked at both the Video and the Audio Transitions that are available to me in Premiere I am started to get to grips with the software and will soon be ready to start that of designing and creating my promotional video. However prior to that the next Blog Post will be in relation to the Titles element of Premiere.

Blog Post 55 - Stage 3 - Adobe Premiere - Video Transitions

Vast array of Video Transitions

Having now looked at the most common tools that are available in Premiere for editing and fine tuning the clips that have been added to the timeline for a video, the next stage that I will be looking into is that of the Video Transitions. Video Transitions play a fairly large part in that of Premiere in that when you have two different clips situated next to each other, these transitions give you the option apart from that of a straight change from the last frame of one clip to the first frame of another clip. Often by not using any transitions this can cause the end result during playback to appear rather jumpy and not flow naturally like that of a seamless production.

However, at the other end of the scale if you was to select the "wrong" transition for the video subject this could mean that the end result during playback gives the wrong impression and does not appear professional which is personally something that throughout this assignment I have been trying to keep away from. By looking into the vast array of video transitions that are available in Premiere this will definitely help me in the future when I come to creating and editing my promotional video for Stage Three of this assignment, as it will save me time and allow me to make an informed judgement into choosing the video transitions that will appear in my promotional video when I am at that stage in the near future.

It really would be a prohibitively large task to go through, list and detail each individual Video Transition that is available in Premiere and therefore I had decided that I will detail a nice range of transitions that I feel that would be best suited as being possibly used in this next stage of the assignment process. With this in mind I have decided to split it down into a much reasonable selection of talking about and discussing each category within the Video Transitions category.

3D Motion

3D Motion - In regards to the 3D Motion category, this category is personally one that I feel that I will not be using much, if at all, for my promotional video. All in all I think that if I was to use video transitions from this category then the end result would be rather unprofessional and not give the correct impression of the piece of work that I am looking to portray. Such transitions I personally think would be best suited in that of the "Microsoft Powerpoint" Slideshow of transitions, with some examples being of Curtain, Spin, Doors and Spin Away. As the names suggest, these effects are such of that for an unprofessional promotional video and could be more suited to that of a Children's movie or animation series. For example the Spin Away transition actually spins the first frame of the second clip prior to starting to play, whilst an good way at emphasising the new frame/scene this is not something that I would be looking to use.

Dissolve

Dissolve - The category of Dissolve in the Video Transitions area of Premiere is a category of effects that I am sure that I will make use of in the future. Certainly in comparison to that of the previously reviewed 3D Motion range of transitions, the Dissolve category really is a class above and looks so much more professional that that of above. In this case, there is a fairly wide range of transitions within this category with some examples being Cross Dissolve, Dip To Black, Dip To White and Film Dissolve. Even from the names they have a significantly more professional sound to them, and this is true in practise too. I feel that it is specifically worth mentioning Dip To Black and Dip To White as these are two transitions that are rather common and used a lot in the film industry. As the names suggest, whilst this transition is in action the screen will momentarily dip to either black or white, prior to fading back to the first frame of the next clip to be played. A further example of the Dip To White being used is that in films whereby a character could be thinking back to the past. All in all the Dissolve category of transitions are certainly very professional looking and certainly something that I will consider using in the future in my promotional video.

Iris

Iris - The next category of video transitions is that of Iris, and as the name suggests it is rather similar in nature to that of the part of your eye. However, the Iris effects are not just limited to that of a round shape like that of your eye as there are a whole host of shapes available such as Iris Box, Iris Diamond and Iris Star. In regards to what these Iris effects actually do, the transitions is where there is a specific shape (eg Box, Diamond or Star) or "wipe" which appears on the screen and in this area (called the "wipe") the next frame is shown through. For example the noticeable shape of a Diamond is shown and within this shape there is the first frame of the next clip showing through. All in all, though, I personally feel that this array of effects under the Iris heading are of a similar quality to that of the 3D Motion transitions and would not be suited to being used in my promotional video.

Page Peel

Page Peel - This next category named Page Peel unfortunately doesn't inspire much confidence for the quality of the transitions that are in this category and futher investigation shows the options such as Centre Peel, Page Peel, Page Turn, Peel Back and Roll Away. As the name suggests these transitions give the effect of a page being turned however once again, like that of the Iris and 3D Motion these are very unprofessional in appearance an personally I feel that I will not be using them at all in my promotional video for these reasons. In regards to how these transitions work, taking the Page Peel option as an example, the last frame of the first clip peels away from the screen whilst leaving a shaded back and revealing the first frame of the second clip behind, thus imitating that of the page turn in book.

Slide

Slide - The category of video effects for that of Slide is one that has a vast array of different options in it, which can be seen on the attached screen print. Unfortunately it once again appears that the different effects that are under the category of Slide are very unprofessional in appearance and certainly something that I would not be looking to use. Such examples such as Slide, Push, Split and Centre Merge are all very "clunky" in nature and do not have that subtle approach in mind at all and therefore for that reason I will not be using them. Taking the specific transitions of Slide as an example this particular effect literally slides the second clip of the two over the top from the left to the right of the screen. Once again, this is very reminiscent of an unprofessional transition and therefore not something that I would be looking to use at all.

Special Effects

Special Effects - This next category certainly sounds much more interesting than that of the previous few categories of effects, however unfortunately there is a limited choice under this heading with there being Displace, Texturize and Three-D being on offer. Taking Displace as the first example this effect works by ever so slightly distorting the clips for a brief moment and then the view is returned to normal. This could be quite useful in some cases however personally I cannot see myself using this feature. In a similar vain, the Texturize feature simply adds a darkened texture over that of the transition area - once again not something that I feel that I "like" or would use in my promotional video either.

Stretch

Stretch - For this category of video transitions there is a good range of different stretch options which include that of Stretch In, Stretch Over and Cross Stretch. In general, all of these different stretch effects work in the same way in that the second clip is basically just stretched over the first clip however dependant on the choice of which stretch option then there will be a slightly different effect. For example, the Stretch Over is where the second clip is literally stretched across the first clip from left to right, whereas the cross stretch is where the second clip is stretched across the first clip but in a vertical manner. All in all I feel that these transitions are not at all professional and not something that I would be look to use in my promotional video. 

Wipe

Wipe - This next category of video transitions of Wipe has a vast array of different options that you can choose from with some examples being Barn Doors, CheckerBoard, Paint Splatter and Radial Wipe. Unfortunately that amount of options available is as far as my enthusiasms goes for this category of effects as once again they are unprofessional in appearance and would be much better suited to videos that are not promotional clips try to get a serious message across. However, in hindsight I am being slightly harsh and should consider what their uses are, namely that of the Checkerboard. Due to my design being based in the era of the 1980s whereas the checkerboard pattern was oh so common perhaps this is something that could be used in a tongue in cheek matter. If I was going to use this, though, I would have to very carefully think about how and where it is used as to not portray an unprofessional appearance of the promotional video. Also, I think in the case of these type of transitions, less is definitely more.

Zoom

Zoom - The final group of video transitions that are available in Premiere are until the title of Zoom, which gives the impression that there will be an element of focussing on a particular area prior to moving to the next clip in the sequence. With this in mind, such examples of the types of Zoom are Cross Zoom, Zoom Boxes and Zoom Trails. Although I do not think that the Cross Zoom effect is professional, I still quite like this effect and the way is works in that the end of the first clip is zoomed in, and then when zoomed out the second clip is shown. Once again admittedly not very professional looking however for the right type of video it could work well, such as a Children's animation or cartoon.

As a conclusion to all of the different Video Transitions that are on offer in Premiere I can definitely conclude that the vast majority of the categories are not what I would consider using at all and what I would deem as being unprofessional. With this in mind I feel that I will personally keep the Dissolve Category of video transitions that are on offer as I feel that these will portray the correct nature of the promotional video.

All in all I can say that I am glad that I have looked into the different video transitions that are on offer and that when I come to the design phase and actually producing my own promotional video I will now definitely have a much better idea as to what could be used and also bring the best effect too to my promotional video. In regards to the next stage, I will be looking at the similarly linked Audio Effects that are available in Premiere.