USER GUIDE: MULTIGROUPING IN ADOBE PREMIERE

This user guide teaches Assistant Editors how to create synced sequences with two or more cameras in Adobe Premiere. The process involves two steps:

  1. Create sequences for each camera

  2. Combine single camera sequences into a master sequence

NOTE: This process works only with jam-synced cameras and audio.

Create Single-Camera Sequences

Follow the steps below to create single-camera sequences.

  1. Copy a scene’s camera and audio clips to a single work bin. Label the bin with the scene name and date.

  2. Sort the clips from each camera into assigned folders within the work bin. Label each folder with the camera name: A-Camera, B-Camera, and so on.

  3. Move the field audio clips to a folder within the work bin. Label the folder Audio.

  4. Label the field audio clips with a different color than the camera clips, if needed. Premiere may have done this automatically.

  5. Open the A-Camera and Audio folders. Highlight all the clips in both folders.

  6. Right click the highlighted clips. Select Create Multi-Cam Source Sequence to open the Create Multi-Camera Source Sequence pop-up box.

    Fig. 1: Timecode Settings for Single-Camera Sequence
    Fig. 1: Timecode Settings for Single-Camera Sequence

  7. Select Timecode under Synchronize Point. See Fig. 1 above for this setting.

  8. Select Create single multicam source sequence in the checkbox under Timecode. See Fig. 1 above for this setting.

    Fig. 2: Move Source Clips Settings
    Fig. 2: Move Source Clips Settings

  9. Uncheck the box labelled Move source clips to Processed Clips bin. See Fig. 2 above for this setting.

    Fig. 3: Camera Name Settings
    Fig. 3: Camera Name Settings

  10. Select Enumerate Cameras under Camera Names. See Fig. 3 above for this setting.

  11. Use defaults for all other settings. See Fig. 4 below for full multi-camera settings. Double-check that your settings match those in Fig. 4.

    Fig. 4: Full Multi-Camera Source Settings
    Fig 4: Full Multi-Camera Source Settings

  12. Click OK at the bottom of the pop-up box to create your A-Camera sequence.

  13. Navigate back to your work bin and right click the A-Camera sequence. Select Open in Timeline in the dropdown menu.

  14. Scrub through the A-Camera sequence and fix any out-of-sync clips.

  15. Relabel the A-Camera sequence as your master scene sequence. Save this sequence. You will add the remaining camera clips to this sequence in the next section.

  16. Repeat Steps 5–14 with your B-Camera clips, and with any additional camera clips if applicable.

Create Multi-Camera Sequence

Follow the steps below to combine your single-camera sequences into a multi-camera master sequence.

  1. Open your B-Camera sequence in the timeline. Highlight the camera clips on V1. Leave the audio unselected.

  2. Move the playhead to the first frame of the timeline. Write down the timecode displayed in the top left of the timeline window. See Fig. 5 below for an example.

    Fig. 5: Premiere Sequence Timecode
    Fig. 5: Premiere Sequence Timecode

  3. Copy the B-Camera clips from the timeline by typing Command + C (Mac) or Ctrl + C (Windows).

  4. Open your master sequence in the timeline. (This is the A-Camera master sequence you saved in Step 15 of the Previous Section.)

  5. Right click below the master sequence timecode and select Add Tracks… In the Add Tracks pop-up box, add a new video track (V2) to the master sequence. Click OK to save and exit. See Fig. 6 below for these settings.

    Fig. 6: Add Tracks Settings
    Fig. 6: Add Tracks Settings

  6. Move the master sequence playhead to the timecode you wrote down in Step 2.

  7. Select video track V2 on the left of the timeline, then paste the B-Camera clips to V2.

  8. Sync the B-Camera clips to the A-Camera and audio. You may only need to move a few clips, depending on the jam sync.

  9. Repeat Steps 1–8 for any additional cameras, if applicable.

  10. Zoom in fully on your master sequence by clicking and dragging the zoom slider below the timeline. See Fig. 7 below.

    Fig. 7: Timeline Zoom Slider
    Fig. 7: Timeline Zoom Slider

  11. Carefully scrub through your master sequence and delete all camera audio, leaving only external field audio. Camera audio may appear in single-frame gaps between two field audio clips. See Fig. 8 below for an example.

    Fig. 8: Camera Audio Between Field Audio Clips
    Fig. 8: Camera Audio Between Field Audio Clips

    NOTE: You must complete Step 11 to ensure that all audio waveforms appear in your project. Any camera audio present in your sequence prevents its waveforms from displaying.

  12. Double-check that your master sequence is complete and fully synced.

  13. Load your master sequence into the source monitor. Splice a clip from the source monitor into an empty timeline.

  14. Double-check the clip in the timeline for the following:

    • You can see the clip’s audio waveforms
    • You can hear the clip’s audio
    • You can switch between cameras on the clip’s video track