 Product Review: Adobe
Premiere Elements 9
With the advent of digital cameras with Hi-Def video functions,
and the affordability of video cameras, as well as the
take-anywhere size, anyone and nearly everyone is now making
movies. As always, Adobe listened and responded to the
public's need for artistic creativity. So, it is no surprise that
the biggest new improvement in Adobe Premiere Elements 9 is the
ease of uploading video creations to be viewed online. Now, for the
first time, even Mac users can utilize this powerful, but easy to
use program.
Adobe Premiere Elements 9 is composed of two separate elements
that work together as a cohesive unit: The Organizer and The
Editor. The Organizer (which also shares organizational
duties for still images in Adobe Photoshop Elements) does just as
the name suggests, it organizes your saved videos into one workable
place; whereas The Editor, allows your imagination to
explore and enhance your videos.
Not only has Adobe Premiere Elements 9 made uploading your
images to the Internet easier, it has also made importing your
videos to your favorite social media hangout a one-step process. It
also allows you to instantly import movie clips from digital SLR
cameras, and from popular devices like the Flip camera, into the
Editor to work on, or save to The Organizer for later use.
The Organizer
The Organizer is Elements' primary cataloging tool. The
Organizer will "find" all the video (and image files) on your
computer and not just catalog, but truly organize them into one
easy to grab location. Furthermore, Smart Tags will automatically
sort videos (and images) into several categories (Dialog, Music,
Faces, High Quality, Low Volume, Shaky, etc.), so you can then
easily search for specific tags for your projects. This, like many
of Adobe Premiere Elements 9 functions and features, takes the
frustration out of video editing, and, of course, is a real
timesaver.
New within The Organizer, is the ability to upload your saved
and edited videos directly into Facebook to share with your friends
and family. The Organizer also offers additional sharing options
besides Facebook, like SmugMug and Flickr.
The Editor
If you are an avid Adobe Premiere Elements user, you will be
pleased that the familiar User Interface has remained unchanged.
The preview movie monitor is still located in the top-left panel,
and the workspace, as in past versions, remains customizable;
allowing the user to change the size and position of the panels.
Also, as in previous versions of Premiere Elements, there are two
display modes (Sceneline and Timeline), located below the preview
monitor. In the Sceneline mode, your video is displayed as a
thumbnail in a filmstrip format, which is fine for quick
tweaking.
I prefer to work in the Timeline mode, which allows for precise
frame-by-frame editing. Within the Timeline mode, you are able to
add, delete, and combine scenes. You can also add dialog, music, or
sound effects, as well as mute or delete the video's original
audio.
If you are new to Adobe Premiere Elements, you'll have fun
exploring the large variety of special effects, transitions, and
movie themes.
If you are a long time Premiere Elements user, you will notice
the many enhancements to your old favorites, as well as a new
Cartoon Effect. This new special effect is located under the Edit
Tab. Then, click Effects (making sure Video Effects is selected),
and scroll down to "NewBlue Cartoonr Plus."
Audio plays an important part of your finished video. Premiere
Elements 9 provides a way to eliminate audio problems with its 6
new audio effects: Audio Polish, Auto Mute, Cleaner, Hum Remover,
Noise Fader, and Noise Reducer. Depending on the quality of the
video that was originally recorded, these new tools have the
capability to solve common sound issues that the average
videographer would encounter.
Like the video special effects, the audio effects are also
located under the Edit Tab. Then, click Effects (making sure Audio
Effects is selected), and scroll down to the "NewBlue" audio
series. Within the effects (both audio and video), are options to
use the manual settings or to manipulate the effect to varying
degrees to suit your project.
Support
Although Premiere Elements 9 is both fun and easy to use, many
of the functions are not immediately intrinsic to new users…in
other words, there is a learning curve. Do not stress; Adobe
provides lots of support to help you every step of the way: from
Adobe TV instruction videos, to the built-in Adobe
Community Help (located in the help menu), to Adobe's Online Help and Support site.
Share and Support
Once you are finished creating your movie masterpiece, Adobe
Premiere Elements 9 provides multiple avenues to save, store and
share. The quickest way is to sign up for a free Adobe Photoshop.com
account; which allows you to save up to 2 gigabytes of content. Of
course with videos, 2 gigs will go quickly, so for an additional
yearly fee of $49.99, you can upgrade to a Plus Account
with 20 gigabytes of online backup and storage.
Within the Premiere Elements 9 Editor, under the "Share
Tab" you can also choose from several apps to share your creations:
Web DVD (save automatically to Photoshop.com or to your local hard
drive), Discs (burn to either DVD or Blu-ray discs), Online
(Photoshop.com, YouTube, Podbean), Computer (choose your locations
and settings for sending to email, uploading to websites, or for
editing in specific programs, etc.), Mobile Devices (iPod, iPhone,
Podcasts, Creative Zen, Pocket PC, Smartphone, etc.), and Record to
DV Tape.
Although you have to step outside of Premiere Elements, within
the Elements 9 Organizer, under the "Share Tab," you can
upload directly to your Flickr, Facebook, and/or SmugMug Gallery
pages.
Conclusion
Adobe Premiere Elements 9 is still a 32-bit application and it
does have its limitations. If you are in need of a powerful video
editing program, you should go with Adobe Premiere Pro CS5 and its
64-bit application. However, if you are a weekend video warrior who
wants to share their creations with friends or family, Adobe
Premiere Elements 9 is the perfect software at a
more-than-reasonable price.
New to Adobe Premiere Elements 9
- Easily import clips from compact camcorders like Flip cameras
as well as from DSLR still cameras
- Easily fix audio problems
- Give your movies a fun cartoon look
- Easily create a convenient web DVD viewing experience
- Quickly share on Facebook
- Available for Mac
Enhanced in Adobe Premiere Elements 9
- Get help with how-tos that appear just when you need them
- Enjoy optimized editing, even when working with HD
- Let InstantMovie automatically create a movie using creative
techniques from Hollywood directors
- Jazz up the action with effects, transitions, and movie
themes
- Share videos and photos via fun Online Album
Adobe Premiere Elements 9
- Adobe Premiere Elements 9: $99.99
- Adobe Premiere Elements 9 Plus: $139.99
- Bundled with Adobe Photoshop Elements 9: $149.99
- 30 Day Trial Version: Free
We invite you to explore:
We invite you to visit the Adobe Website to learn more about Adobe
Premiere Elements 9 and other amazing Adobe software
products.
Adobe
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