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Start a new project

Last updated on Apr 28, 2022 03:33:27 AM GMT

Adobe Premiere Pro User Guide
Beta releases
1. Beta Program Overview
2. Premiere Pro Beta Home
Getting started
Hardware and operating system requirements
Creating projects
Workspaces and workflows
Capturing and importing
1. Capturing
2. Importing
3. Importing from Avid or Final Cut
  1. Importing AAF project files from Avid Media Composer
  2. Importing XML project files from Final Cut Pro 7 and Final Cut Pro X
4. Supported file formats
5. Digitizing analog video
6. Working with timecode
Editing
Video Effects and Transitions
Graphics, Titles, and Animation
1. Graphics and titles
2. Animation and Keyframing
Compositing
Color Correction and Grading
Exporting media
Collaboration: Frame.io, Productions, and Team Projects
Working with other Adobe applications
Organizing and Managing Assets
Improving Performance and Troubleshooting
Monitoring Assets and Offline Media
1. Monitoring assets
  1. Using the Source Monitor and Program Monitor
  2. Using the Reference Monitor
2. Offline media

Import mode provides a starting point in Premiere Pro for creating new projects, browsing and selecting media, and creating video sequences for editing. 

Media, such as video clips, audio, and graphics files, can be selected from multiple locations for new projects or for adding to existing projects. As media is selected, it is collected in a tray at the bottom of the window, providing a visual representation of the emerging story.

Once you have selected your media, click Create to open the new sequence.

Import media into a new project

On the home screen, click New Project to open the Import mode.

Give your project a name.

Choose a location for your project file.

In the left-hand column, navigate to your media storage location.

Your media is presented on the Import desktop.

Select video clips and other media assets to add to your project.

As you choose your media, the assets are collected in the Selection Tray at the bottom of the window. You can right-click an asset in the tray to remove them or clear the whole tray if needed.

You can hover scrub over individual clips to review them.
Switch to list view to see more information about your media.
For locations you use frequently, click the star next to a storage location to add it to your favorites.

Click Create to import your media as a sequence in Premiere Pro.

Import options

Toggle Copy media on if you want to copy your media files from a temporary location, like a camera card or removable drive. You can begin editing while Premiere Pro copies the media in the background. Use MD5 checksum verification to ensure no files are corrupted while copying.

Create a New bin if you want to organize your project media – and give the bin a name. The media is not copied to a new location but is displayed in that bin inside the project panel.

With Create new sequence toggled on, when you click Create, the assets in the tray are added directly to a new timeline, in the order they were selected.

Sequence settings: Premiere Pro assigns the sequence settings, such as resolution and frame rate, based on the first asset selected. If needed, you can change the sequence setting in Edit mode.

For more information, see:

Import media into an existing project

In an existing project, choose Import on the top left of the new header bar, and start selecting your media. All media you select are imported into the existing project.

If you have Create new sequence toggled on, the new media is added as a new sequence in your project.
If you have Create new sequence toggled off, the new media is added in the Project panel.

Other Import options

For specialized import workflows, Premiere Pro has several other import options:

From the menu bar choose File > Import.
In Edit mode you can use the Media Browser to navigate to locations on your system and add new media.
Double-click in the Project panel to open the Windows or macOS Finder window.
Open Finder windows in Windows or macOS and drag media or folders into the Project panel.

Frequently asked questions

A project file (.pproj) stores information about sequences and assets, such as settings for capture, transitions, and audio mixing. As you work, the project file records your edits. Edits are applied non-destructively, meaning that Premiere Pro does not alter the source files. When you export, Premiere Pro encodes a new file incorporating all your edits.

Premiere Pro creates a folder on your hard disk at the start of each project. By default, this is where it stores the project file, a record of all the media you have added to the project, and any preview files or conformed audio files you create during the edit.

In Edit mode, the Project panel displays all the media used in the project and the sequences you have created. You can organize that media and sequences using bins in the Project panel.

A sequence is an assembly of video clips and other media that you can edit on the timeline. Premiere Pro saves a file for your sequence in the Project panel, and updates that file as you make changes.

A project may contain multiple sequences, and each sequence can have its own settings. Within a single project, you can edit individual segments as separate sequences, and then combine the segments into a finished program by nesting them into a longer sequence. Similarly, you can store variations of your edit, as separate sequences in the same project.

You can have multiple sequences open in the Timeline panel. Move between them by clicking on the tab for each sequence at the top of the Timeline panel.

Have a question or an idea?

If you have a question on import, ask away in our Premiere Pro community. We would love to help you out.