Choose File > Project Manager.
Use Premiere Pro's powerful Project Manager to copy projects and associated media files, or consolidate and transcode projects into a single codec for easy archiving.
The Premiere Pro Project Manager helps facilitate an efficient archiving or transcoding workflow by performing two functions:
- Collecting or copying the current project and all of its associated media files to a single location for sharing
- Consolidating files associated with a project for transcoding into a single codec for easy archiving
Copying projects to a new location
The Project Manager can help you collect a project to a new location. Collecting files copies the current project and all of its associated media files to a single storage location. There is no conversion of files when the files are copied.
When collecting a project, you can specify whether the new project retains any of the unused clips from the original project. You also reduce storage requirements by using only the media required to create and export the sequences in the project.
You can use this workflow to gather and copy a project’s source media files stored in various locations into a single location for easy sharing.
Consolidating and archiving projects
The Project Manager lets you effectively manage media and projects, especially large projects with many clips and different media formats.
You can easily archive large projects by transcoding all relevant files in projects and sequences into an intermediate or mezzanine codec.
The Project Manager provides several options to consolidate relevant files into a mezzanine codec based on user-defined preferences. While consolidating the files, the Project Manager copies only portions of source footage used in sequences and automatically creates a trimmed project.
You can easily archive this single codec, or share with other teams and systems. At any point, you can re-edit the archived projects in Premiere Pro.
The functionality of the Create New Trimmed Project option, available in previous versions of Premiere Pro, is included the Consolidate And Transcode option. That is, you can choose to trim your media while archiving a project.
How to copy, transcode, or archive a project
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In the Project Manager window, under Sequence, select the check box next to each sequence that you want to select. To check all boxes, Shift-click any one box.
Obs!Nested sequences are not automatically selected. If the sequences you are selecting contain nested sequences, ensure that you include these nested sequences in your selection.
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You can copy or transcode your project by selecting one of the following options:
Collect Files and Copy to New Location
To collect and copy the footage you used in the selected sequences to a single storage location.
Obs!Project Manager does not collect and copy After Effects compositions that are dynamically linked to an Adobe Premiere Pro project. Project Manager does save the Dynamic Link clip in the trimmed project as an offline clip, however.
Consolidate and Transcode
To consolidate the footage you used in the selected sequences and transcode into a single codec for archiving.
- Match: Match the settings of the newly created media with the sequence settings, individual clip settings, or presets.
Sequence
Uses the frame size, frame rate, field type, and pixel aspect ratio of the selected sequence, and transcodes the matching clips to these settings.
Clips that don't match these settings are only copied and not transcoded.
Individual Clips
Uses the frame size, frame rate, field type, and pixel aspect ratio of each individual clip in the sequence, and transcodes them using their individual settings.
When the source cannot be matched, the clip is only copied and not transcoded. For example, if the clip contains an attribute that the chosen format or preset does not support.
Preset
Uses the frame size, frame rate, field type, and pixel aspect ratio of the chosen preset and transcodes all clips to these settings.
When the sources cannot be matched, the clips are only copied and not transcoded.
- Format: You can choose from MXF OP1a files, MXF OP1a files in DNXHD format, or QuickTime format.
- Preset: Based on the selected format, the applicable preset options appear.
Obs!The only preset that supports alpha is the GoPro CineForm With Alpha preset. All other presets flatten any alpha channel.
- Match: Match the settings of the newly created media with the sequence settings, individual clip settings, or presets.
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Premiere Pro creates a new project file that links to the selected media based on the following options.
Obs!The options that are available depend on the option you choose in the previous step.
Exclude Unused Clips
Specifies that Project Manager will not include, or copy, media you did not use in the original project.
Include Handles
Specifies the number of additional frames to retain before the In point and after the Out point of each transcoded clip. You can set a value from 0 to 999 frames.
For example, a value of 30 means that 30 frames are retained before the In point, and 30 frames are retained after the Out point. Handles function as extra frames that allow for additional minor adjustments to the edits in the new project.
Include Audio Conform Files
Ensures that the audio you conformed in the original project remains conformed in the new project. When not selected, the new project occupies less disk space, but Premiere Pro conforms the audio again when you open the project. This option is available only if you select Collect Files And Copy To New Location.
Convert Image Sequences To Clips
Specifies that Project Manager converts a sequence of still-image files into a single video clip. Where, each still image becomes one frame of video. Selecting this option often improves playback performance.
Include Preview Files
Specifies that effects you rendered in the original project remain rendered in the new project. When not selected, the new project occupies less disk space, but the effects are not rendered. This option is available only if you select Collect Files And Copy To New Location.
Rename Media Files To Match Clip Names
Renames the copied footage files with the same names as your captured clips. Select this option if you rename your captured clips from within the Project window and want the copied footage files to have the same name. (Captured files that you import, especially those captured using scene detection, may not have intuitive names, so you may want to rename them from within the Project window.) This option ensures that the filename of the actual captured footage is updated to reflect the new name in the Project window, greatly simplifying the organization of your footage files. Selecting this option for an MXF file will not change the User Clip Name in the file’s XML; however, it will change the filename of the clip copied for the trimmed project to match the clip name shown in the project panel.
Convert After Effects Compositions To Clips
Converts any After Effects compositions in your project into flattened video clips.
If your project contains dynamically linked After Effects compositions, selecting this option flattens the composition into a video clip. The advantage of selecting this option is that you can play back the converted video clips even on systems that don't have After Effects installed.
Obs!Once you flatten the compositions into video clips, you cannot edit the original compositions in the newly created project. You can however edit the original compositions in the source project using Dynamic Link.
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Destination Path
Designates where Project Manager saves the files you specified. Click Browse to navigate to a location other than the default.
When copying a project, Project Manager creates a folder named “Copied_[Project Name]” and copies the project, footage files, and other specified files into the folder.
When consolidating a project for transcoding, Project Manager creates a folder named "Transcoded_[Project Name]” and saves the project, footage files, and other specified files into the folder.
Obs!If a folder already exists in the same location with a name identical to the project you are copying or transcoding, Project Manager appends a number to the name. For example, identically named successive projects may have appendages of “_001, _002, _003, _004,....”
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Disk Space
Displays a comparison between the size of the current project’s files and the estimated size of the copied or consolidated files. Click Calculate to update the estimate.
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Click OK.
When copying files or consolidating files for transcoding, the Project Manager does not produce a P2-compliant MXF file structure for media files that came from a P2 source.