415

Chapter 12: Animation and keyframes

Adding, navigating, and setting keyframes

To animate a property is to change its value over time. In Premiere Pro, effect properties can be animated by assigning keyframes to them.

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. To create a change in a property over time, you set at least two keyframes— one keyframe for the value at the beginning of the change, and another keyframe for the value at the end of the change.

Maxim Jago explains and demonstrates animating using keyframes in a video from “Getting Started with Adobe Premiere Pro” on the Video2Brain website.

View keyframes and graphs

The Effect Controls panel and Timeline panels let you adjust the timing and values of keyframes, but they work in different ways. The Effect Controls panel displays all effect properties, keyframes, and interpolation methods at once. Clips in a Timeline panel show only one effect property at a time. In the Effect Controls panel, you have complete control over keyframe values. In a Timeline panel, you have limited control. For example, you can’t change values that use x and y coordinates, such as Position, in a Timeline. However, you can make keyframe adjustments without moving to the Effect Controls panel.

The graphs in the Timeline and Effect Controls panels display the values of each keyframe and the interpolated values between keyframes. When the graph of an effect property is level, the value of the property is unchanged between keyframes. When the graph goes up or down, the value of a property increases or decreases between keyframes. You can affect the speed and smoothness of the property changes from one keyframe to the next. Just change the interpolation method and adjust Bezier curves.

More Help topics

“Modify keyframe values” on page 420

View keyframes in the Effect Controls panel

If you’ve added keyframes to a sequence clip, you can view them in the Effect Controls panel. Any effect containing keyframed properties displays Summary Keyframe icons when the effect is collapsed. Summary keyframes appear across from the effect heading and correspond to all the individual property keyframes contained in the effect. You cannot manipulate summary keyframes; they appear for reference only.

1Select a clip in a Timeline panel.

2If necessary, click the Show/Hide Timeline View button in the Effect Controls panel to show the effects timeline. If necessary, widen the Effect Controls panel to make the Show/Hide Timeline View button visible.

3In the Effect Controls panel, click the triangle to the left of the effect name to expand the effect you want to view. The keyframes display in the Effect Controls timeline.

4(Optional) To view the Value and Velocity graphs of an effect property, click the triangle next to the Toggle Animation icon .

Last updated 1/16/2012

Animation and keyframes

A B

Effect Controls

A. Value graph B. Velocity graph

View keyframes and properties in a Timeline panel

If you’ve added keyframes to animate an effect, you can view them and their properties in a Timeline panel. For video and audio effects, a Timeline panel can display the keyframes specific to each clip. For audio effects, a Timeline panel can also display the keyframes for an entire track. Each clip or track can display a different property. However, you can display the keyframes for only one property at a time within an individual clip or track.

A

B

C D E

Track keyframe controls in Timeline panel

A. Collapse/Expand Track triangle B. Show Keyframes (video) C. Go To Previous Keyframe button D. Add-Remove Keyframe button E. Go To Next Keyframe button

The segments connecting keyframes form a graph that indicates changes in keyframe values along the duration of the clip or track. Adjusting keyframes and segments changes the shape of the graph.

A B C D E

Track keyframe controls in Timeline panel

A. Track effect properties B. Keyframe graph C. Audio track keyframes D. Video clip keyframes E. Clip effect properties

Last updated 1/16/2012

Animation and keyframes

A B

Keyframe tool tip

A. Timecode B. Property value

1(Optional) If the track is collapsed, click the triangle to the left of the track name to expand it.

2For a video track, click the Show Keyframes button , and choose any of the following from the menu:

Show Keyframes Displays the graph and keyframes of any video effect applied to clips in the track. An effect menu appears next to the clip name so you can choose the effect you want to view.

Show Opacity Handles Displays the graph and keyframes of the Opacity effect for each clips in the track.

Hide Keyframes Hides the graphs and keyframes for all clips in the track.

3 For an audio track, click the Show Keyframes button , and choose any of the following from the menu:

Show Clip Keyframes Displays the graph and keyframes of any audio effect applied to clips in the track. An effect menu appears next to the clip name so you can choose the effect you want to view.

Show Clip Volume Displays the graph and keyframes of the Volume effect for each clips in the track.

Show Track Keyframes Displays the graph and keyframes of any audio effect applied to the entire track. An effect menu appears at the beginning of the track so you can choose the effect you want to view.

Show Track Volume Displays the graph and keyframes of the Volume effect applied to the entire track.

Hide Keyframes Hides the graphs and keyframes for all clips in the track.

4(Optional) Use the Zoom In control to magnify the clip so that the effect menu appears at the top of the track. You can also drag the boundaries above and below the track name to increase the track height.

Dragging to increase the height of a track

5(Optional) Drag the boundaries of a track header to change the height of a track. For a video track, drag the top of the track. For an audio track, drag the bottom of the track. To resize all expanded tracks, hold down the Shift key while dragging.

6(Optional) If you chose Show Keyframes, Show Clip Keyframes, or Show Track Keyframes in steps 2 and 3, click the effect menu. Then choose the effect that contains keyframes.

Last updated 1/16/2012