The Adobe PremierePro Production Panel

A few notes from the San Diego PremierePro Users Group Meeting on 15 July 2020 on PremierePro Production Panel. Karl Soule from Adobe. Karl has been part of the Premiere and video apps team for a long time, and currently works in Hollywood helping filmmakers using Premiere Pro.

PremierePro Productions Architecture - Scalability
PremierePro Productions Architecture – Scalability

“Productions provides a flexible and highly scalable framework for organizing projects, sharing assets between them, and keeping everything streamlined, whether you’re working on your own or collaborating with a team.”

Van Bedient, https://theblog.adobe.com/introducing-productions-in-premiere-pro/ (14Apr2020)

Adobe found that multiple projects open at one time, premiere was auto copying files = not always needed Have option to take sequence and then link back to other project

Deadpool had something like 750k items in their bins.

  • Each episode has its own project
  • Can go into other episodes to get sequences
  • Avoids messy duplications, and huge projects

PremerePro Production Panel Features

PremierePro Production Panel

PremierePro Production Panel detail
  • Media organized by day it was shot
  • Items on timeline no longer have to live in the same project on the timeline
  • KS’ setup more for multiple editors working at once (one editing, another downloading footage, organizing,…)

It’s a Designated Folder on the Finder Level

  • Productions changes name of clip/project on drive
  • Has locking mechanism so only one editor can be changing a file at a time (Dropbox not recommended because of the delay over syncing service)
  • First person has read/write access, anyone afterwards has read only access (see, copy only)
PremierePro Production panel

File>Production Settings>

  • Common place for settings
  • Items that are locked have a red padlock icon in Production Panel, and next to each project. There is also a name listed next to it in the Production Panel.

Really good documentation on how Productions work http://bit.ly/PremiereProductions

TIP: All you need to know is HTML + Javascript to build your own Premiere panel

Possible Setup for All Remote Editors

  • B Bop Technologies – manage virtualization solution (shared storage, workstations) your machine takes over a machine at another location. Runs productions. Group of editors can be working on different machines at home, connects to BBT (use your own Adobe login) but use remote systems (a lot of broadcasters in his area have been using this)
  • Lucid Link – put production and media in centralized location (more experimental)

Aspect Ratio

  • Going from 16:9 to portrait (Quibi) for example
  • Right click on project, click on Auto Reframe Sequence
  • Give new name and a target ratio
  • Adobe magic – PP determines relevant content and reframes content
  • If select clip, can hit ‘Analyze’ to re-analyze a clip (ex. edited AE file)

TIP: To control where graphics go when changing ratios use the Responsive Design section under Essential Graphics

Scene Edit Detection (Beta Version)

Right click on a finished clip. Select Scene Edit Detection. It will automatically detect the cuts and gives a series of pre-cut clips.


O’Connell Design is a consultancy offering creative services in Animation, Motion Graphics, Cinematics, and Visual Effects for film and television.

Green Screen Tips

Green Screen Tips setup

A few notes from San Diego Premiere Pro Meeting 27 February 2019 and more.

Setting Up the Green Screen for Filming

Green Screen tips for setup
Eric Addison sets up a green screen at the San Diego PremierePro Users Group meeting at Platt College.
  • Place subject 6-7′ away from the green screen. This minimizes shadows falling on the screen.
  • Keep green screen as flat/smooth as possible.Light green screen evenly (2 lights, same temperature are ideal). Check with a Light Meter or Phone App.
    1. Lux Light Meter (Google Play) *
    2.  Light Meter (Google Play, free) *
    3.  Smart Luxmeter (Google Play) *
      * This is in no wan an endorsement, only a place to start research.
  • Light subject so they are 1-1.5 stops brighter then the green screen.
  • Knowing what the composited background will be will allow you to setup the lights and light the subject in a more convincing way.
  • If possible adjust depth of field to keep the screen a little out of focus.
  • Higher shutter speeds can help with motion blur
  • Camera/formats
    • Use uncompressed formats for heavy keying (422 recommended)
    • Log is rarely useful because you have to color correct in order to key
    • DSLR: flat as possible, ISO increments of 160

Green Screen Tips – Software

Ultra Key: Premiere Pro Plug-in

Green Screen Tip and Ultra Key in Premiere Pro.
Ultra Key settings in Premiere Pro.

Start with a garbage matte then use Ultra Key to remove the green around the subject. There are different output settings (Composite, Alpha Channel – all keyed areas are black, and Color Channel) to check the results. Settings give a preset depending on how good a green screen you are starting with. Start with the eyedropper to select the color to key out (it doesn’t have to be green).

  • Green screen tip: use a Curves Adjustment before Ultra to get a better green.

Primatte Keyer by Red Giant

Primatte is a plug-in for Premiere Pro, After Effects, Final Cut X, and Apple Motion. It allows you to select your background and foreground, and to separate them out for a great key. Primatte/Red Giant

Green Screen Tips for After Effects
DJ Summit discusses Keylight and After Effects at the San Diego PremierePro Users Group meeting at Platt College.

Keylight: After Effects Plug-In

The drop down menu gives several options including: final result, source alpha (transparent parts shown in black), outside mask, inside mask, status, and more. The inside mask can help if there are parts on the inside of the subject that are being keyed out. Status can help show problems. Despill Bias can help with soft wispy hair. Under Screen Matte, Clip Rollback can also help with hair. For more information Adobe has a page on Keying in After Effects.

Books on Green Screen

  • The Green Screen Handbook by Jeff Foster
  • Green Screen Made Easy by Jeremy Hanke, Michele Yamazaki Tepstra

Additional Green Screen Tips