Introduction to Adobe Premiere Pro CC: First Steps and Presettings

In this tutorial, you will be introduced step by step to the first steps in Adobe Premiere Pro CC. You will learn how to find the program upon first opening, what settings you can adjust, and what to consider when starting out with video editing. The user interface and the preferences will be illuminated from various perspectives to facilitate your entry.

Key Takeaways

• Premiere Pro CC opens by default with a homepage that provides access to previous projects and new files.
• The user interface can be customized by moving windows via drag-and-drop.
• Important preferences include audio devices, autosave, and memory usage settings.

Step-by-Step Guide

Upon the first launch of Adobe Premiere Pro CC, you will find a user interface that may look similar to my example. Typically, you will be offered an internal Adobe training program at this point, which you can simply dismiss.

If a previous project is displayed, you can open it or simply create a new project. Regardless of your choice, both paths lead to the standard interface, which we will explore together below.

If your interface looks different, you can reset the workspace under "Window" to return to the standard layout. This is particularly useful if you have altered the user interface during testing and wish to return to the default settings.

An important concept in Premiere Pro is the drag-and-drop principle. This allows you to move almost any window or element to a location that suits you. For example, you can drag and drop the effects panel to a different position within the user interface.

Now let's look at the preferences. Go to the "Edit" menu and click on "Preferences". Here, we will start with the general settings. You can specify which view should be displayed when the program starts – usually, it is the homepage that provides access to your last project.

If you prefer to work in a lighter layout, you can adjust the corresponding sliders. The highlight color is also customizable. However, I recommend keeping the default values unless you have a specific reason to change them.

An important aspect in the preferences is the audio devices. Here you can set the input and output sources for audio. In my case, I want to use my external USB microphone as the input source to achieve the best possible audio quality.

It is advisable to enable autosave. I recommend setting it to create an automatic backup of your project every 15 minutes. This ensures that you cannot lose more than 15 minutes of your work progress.

Another important point is the memory settings. Here you can specify how much memory Premiere Pro should have access to and how much you want to reserve for other programs. This can contribute to optimizing your workflow.

These are the most important options in the preferences that you should go through before starting your first project. It is perfectly fine to leave everything at default, but I have presented here some options that could help you utilize the software more efficiently.

Lastly, I want to emphasize the importance of adjusting various functions and settings as needed. In the upcoming videos, you will learn how to open and create projects, as well as how to import media to dive into video editing.

Summary

In this guide, you have learned how the program Adobe Premiere Pro CC looks like upon first opening and which basic settings are important to get started. From the user interface to the selection of audio devices to autosave – all these elements are crucial for a smooth start to your video editing projects.