Top tips for workflow management on Adobe Premiere Pro

How to make sure even the largest project doesn’t get away from you and that you keep the drama where it belongs: in the edit not the edit suite.

We’ve all been there, or at least somewhere similar. You’re on a tight deadline for a project, juggling multiple creative and technical tasks, and the clock is ticking. These situations can quickly spiral into chaos. And this one does; crucial file x turns out not to be in folder y; version 13 turns out to not have saved all the changes from version 12; and you have a vague memory of a particular take being the one you want to use, but can you find it? Can you ever. Not even if you had all the time in the world, and you quote conspicuously don’t.

However, with proper workflow management on Premiere Pro, you can regain control and beat the clock. Maybe not this time, but definitely next time. Being organized ensures that your edit goes smoothly. A well-structured workflow will save you time and reduce the likelihood of errors. So ensure you organize the project before diving into the edit. 

To help improve your workflow management, consider the following three strategies. 

• Folder Organization
• Proxies
• Markers

In this article, we’ll look at each of these strategies and explain how to implement them into your workflow. These organizational tips will equip you with the skills to handle complex, larger projects. 

Organizing folders

Every Premiere Pro project should have a folder on your computer containing all the necessary assets. An organized folder system is the first step to editing large-scale projects. If you aren't organized, you will be stuck searching for a needle in a haystack.

An organized folder needs to have a hierarchy that clearly outlines the different assets and files you will be working with. At the very least, your primary folder should include the following folders: 

• Project File
• Audio
• Graphics
• Assets
• Exports

Within this folder, you will create subfolders to categorize the assets further. For example, you can organize all the video footage based on shooting days, camera angles, scenes, or takes. The audio folder should have subfolders for dialogue, music, and sound effects.

Naming conventions

Consistent naming conventions are also an essential strategy for staying organized. Adopt a naming style that conveys relevant details such as the project name, date, and content type. It should look something like this:

ProjectName_Scene_Day_CameraA_Clip1. This highlights all the important information related to the clip. Based on the stage of your edit, you can also add final, draft, or review tags to the start of each name as a form of version control.

Proxies

Editing high-resolution camera footage demands a lot from a computer. Without a dedicated desktop, viewing clips with constant lag and performance issues can be daunting. This is where proxies come in handy. Proxies are lower-resolution carbon copies of your original media. When editing with lower-sized files, the edit will be much smoother. 

Access the media in the Project panel to set up Proxies in Premiere Pro. Right-click the file and select Create Proxies.

Here, you can adjust the resolution, format, and location of the proxy files. Make sure to save the proxies files near the source media. Once you click Ok, Premier Pro will automatically create the proxy files and attach them to their original counterparts. 

This process does not affect the original media and keeps them intact for export. Make sure that the proxy files have similar naming conventions as the source media, and include the word proxy in the file name to avoid any confusion. 

You can also easily switch between the proxies and source footage on the timeline. Simply click the Toggle Proxies button on the Program Monitor or Timeline panels. Once you're ready to put the finishing touches, you can toggle back to the source footage before exporting. 

Using proxies will significantly help when rendering footage. Large files take much longer to render and can cause delays. But with proxies, you can curate a much more fluid editing experience with even the highest-quality footage. 

Using Markers for review

Reviewing edits can be a convoluted process. It’s challenging to keep track of all the notes when working on a large-scale project such as a feature film. To streamline this process, you can use markers to keep track of notes in Premiere Pro. They are a great way to highlight important moments with notes, comments, or other feedback. 

To add a marker, simply move the play head to the exact moment on the timeline and press M on the keyboard. Markers aren’t confined to the sequence, either. You can also add markers to individual clips if you’d like to note down important information. Once you have placed a marker, double-click it to open the Dialog Box. 

In the dialog box, you can add a name, description, or other information in the comments box. Here, you can also color-coordinate different notes to further organize your timeline. This can be super helpful for noting down comments during the assembly, rough, and final stages of the edit. Using color coordination (as opposed to deleting the notes) allows you to stay organized and keep track of all the notes for different stages of the review process. 

When working on corporate or commercial content, editors will need to collaborate with the creative team and the client to deliver the final project. This collaboration involves a lot of back-and-forth with creative and technical notes. Premiere Pro’s built-in Frame IO functionality allows you to easily share the timeline with markers. This reduces friction during the review process, allowing the whole team to collaborate on the project with the editor.

Wrapping up

Effective workflow management is essential if you’re working on large or complex projects. Using the strategies mentioned above will eliminate any time wasted on organizational challenges, freeing editors up to hone their creativity. Working on a larger project could take months, and in such a large time span, it can be easy to make mistakes. However, the strategies above also reduce the risk of error, giving you the confidence to deliver professional-quality content on time and without a complex side-order of chaos and confusion.

tl;dr Cheat sheet

• Organize your project folders with a clear hierarchy to streamline editing.
• Use consistent naming conventions for files to convey relevant details and ensure organization.
• Create proxies of original media to facilitate smoother editing without overloading your computer.
• Utilize markers in Premiere Pro to highlight important moments and add comments or notes for streamlined review and feedback.
• Implement these strategies to improve workflow management and effectively handle complex, larger projects.