the step of replacing a photo’s static
sky with a range of animated presets
such as clouds floating past a sunset.
The guide introduces you to the
concept of keying, where you replace
a selected color or tone on one layer
with footage from a background
layer. You can then explore keying in
more detail using the tools in the
Expert workspace.PILLAR BOXING
One problem faced by novice video
makers is how to display portrait–
oriented clips in a landscape–shaped
screen. If you film with your iPhone
held vertically then you’ll see black
bars on either side of the clip when
watching it on a TV or computer display.
Premiere Elements 2020’s new Fill
Frame Guided Edit shows you how to
fill the pillar–boxed black edges of theframe with a magnified and blurred
version of the video clip. This is a
common post–production technique
used by news and documentary
programs to present iPhone sourced
portrait–oriented video clips in a more
palatable way.
Another new Guided Edit is Time–
lapse. This shows how to import a
series of stills (such as those shot on
a camera’s burst mode) and use the
Time Stretch command to change their
duration en masse so that they run
together as an animated sequence.
You can also apply Time Stretch to
video clips and make them run faster
like a classic time–lapse sequence.USEFUL FIXES
When shooting in low–light conditions
most cameras will increase their ISO
speed to capture more detail. This hasthe downside of adding nasty noise
to the clip. Premiere Elements 2020
boasts a new Reduce Noise effect that
can smooth away the digital noise
without blurring key features in your
clip. This is a very useful post–
production tool as it gives you the
freedom to work with footage filmed
indoors or at night.
Adobe Premiere Elements 2020
certainly helps you gain video editing
skills, taking you through the stages
from newbie to more accomplished
editor. It has the edge over iMovie
when it comes to post–production
filters and effects, though its titles
aren’t as slick and polished as iMovie’s.
THE BOTTOM LINE. Develop at
your own pace, from video editing
novice to an expert familiar with
advanced post–production tools.
GEORGE CAIRNSADOBE PREMIERE
ELEMENTS 2020
Useful guided edits
Edit on multiple layers
Reduce picture noise
Can’t import .mov files
SOLIDSmooth out nasty noise while preserving
detail in your low–light clips.Use a range of drag–and–drop templates to
produce creative video collages.46 FEB 2020 maclife.com
Replace a static sky with a colorful animation using new Guided Edits.