Adobe Premiere Pro CS4 - Manual (Page 405)

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Last updated 11/6/2011
Chapter 12: Animation
Animating effects
About animating effects
Although commonly used to mean “move a figure across the screen,” we use the word animate here to mean “change
an attribute through time.” In this sense, moving a clip move from one corner of the screen to another over a few
seconds animates its position. Changing it from sharp to blurry over a few seconds animates its sharpness. Changing
it from a shade of pink to a shade of blue over a few seconds animates its color. Here, animation means “change
through time,” not “moving object.”
You can animate most, though not all, of the effects that come with Premiere Pro. Once an effect has been applied to
a clip, you specify one or more frames of the clip as keyframes. Then, you set the values for the effect at each of the
keyframes.
More Help topics
“ Adjust or reset controls in the Effect Controls panel ” on page 271
“ Animate motion in the Program Monitor ” on page 282
About keyframes
Keyframes are used to set properties for motion, effects, audio, and many properties, usually changing them over time.
A keyframe marks the point in time where you specify a value, such as spatial position, opacity, or audio volume.
Values between keyframes are interpolated. When you use keyframes to create a change over time, you typically use at
least two keyframes—one for the state at the beginning of the change, and one for the new state at the end of the
change.
Working with keyframes
When you use keyframes to animate the Opacity effect, you can view and edit the keyframes in either the Effect
Controls or a Timeline panel. Sometimes, a Timeline panel alternative can be more appropriate for quickly viewing
and adjusting keyframes. The following guidelines may indicate the appropriate panel for the task at hand:
• Editing keyframes in a Timeline panel works best for effects that have a single, one-dimensional value, such as
opacity or audio volume. The Effect Controls panel is usually easier for editing keyframes of properties that have
multiple, angular, or two-dimensional values, such as Levels, Rotation, or Scale, respectively.
• In a Timeline panel, variations in keyframe values are indicated graphically, so you can see at a glance how keyframe
values change over time. By default, values change between keyframes in a linear manner, but you can apply options
that refine the rate of change between keyframes. For example, you can bring motion to a gradual stop. You can
also change the interpolation method and use Bezier controls to fine-tune the speed and smoothness of an effect’s
animation.
• The Effect Controls panel can display the keyframes of multiple properties at once, but only for the clip selected in
a Timeline panel. A Timeline panel can display the keyframes for multiple tracks or clips at once but can display
the keyframes of only one property per track or clip.