Source: 爱上MAC | Software download link: Adobe Prelude CC 2019 for Mac
Adobe Prelude CC 2019 is a professional tool for video asset ingest, logging, transcoding, and rough cuts, designed specifically for the early stages of the post-production workflow. As a member of the Adobe Creative Cloud family, it integrates seamlessly with Premiere Pro and After Effects, aiming to help video professionals efficiently manage and prepare large volumes of assets. This article provides an in-depth look at its interface, workflow, and operational tips.
I. Detailed Overview of the Core Interface and Workspace
After launching Prelude, you will see a highly customizable workspace, primarily composed of the following core panels:
- Project Panel: Located in the lower-left of the interface, it displays all imported assets, subclips, and rough cut sequences in a tree structure. It is the “resource manager” for all project assets.
- Source Monitor: Located in the upper-left, it is used to preview raw assets, set in/out points, add markers, and log information.
- Program Monitor: Located in the upper-right, it is used to play and preview the rough cut sequence being edited.
- Timeline Panel: Located at the bottom of the interface, it is used to assemble rough cut sequences. You can arrange the order of assets and subclips here.
- Record Panel: Usually docked on the right or bottom, used to add detailed metadata, annotations, and keywords to selected assets or markers.
- Histogram/Audio Meter Panel: Provides visual feedback on the video’s luminance distribution and audio levels.
You can switch between preset workspaces (such as “Record” and “Rough Cut”) via the menu bar’s “Window” > “Workspace”, or drag panel edges directly to customize the layout.
II. Complete Workflow from Creating a Project to Exporting
1. Create or Open a Project
Action: After launching the software, click “New Project” on the start screen, or go to the menu bar “File” > “New” > “Project”.
Location/Method: In the dialog that appears, specify the project name and save location. Prelude project files have the extension .plproj.
Shortcut: Command (⌘) + N
2. Ingest and Import Assets
Action: Transfer the raw footage you’ve shot (such as video files from your camera) to your local hard drive and bring it into project management.
Location/Method:
- Ingest: Menu bar “File” > “Ingest”. This feature copies assets from a device to a specified location and can simultaneously transcode and add metadata. In the “Ingest” dialog, set the destination folder, file naming rules, and transcoding presets (e.g., transcode to ProRes 422).
- Import: Menu bar “File” > “Import”, or drag files directly from Finder into the “Project” panel. Suitable for assets already stored on your hard drive.
Shortcut: Import Command (⌘) + I
3. Log and Tag Assets
Action: Preview assets, add tags and notes to provide guidance for rough cuts and later team collaboration.
Location/Method:
- Double-click an asset in the “Project” panel to open it in the “Source Viewer”.
- Play back or use the arrow keys to browse frame by frame. Press
Ito set an in point,Oto set an out point. - Press
Mor click the “Add Marker” button below the source viewer to add a marker at the current frame. - Select a marker or asset, and in the “Log” panel on the right, fill in description, keywords, notes, and other metadata. For example, you can tag it as “Best Take” or “Needs Reshoot”.
- (Optional) Create a subclip based on in/out points: click the “Create Subclip” button or press
Command (⌘) + U. This saves the selected segment as an independent item in the project panel for use during rough cutting.
4. Create and Edit a Rough Cut Sequence
Action: Arrange selected assets or subclips in logical order to form a preliminary storyline.
Location/Method:
- From the menu bar, choose “File” > “New” > “Rough Cut,” or right-click in the “Project” panel and select “New Rough Cut.” Name the rough cut sequence.
- Drag assets or subclips from the “Project” panel to the “Timeline” panel, or use the “Insert” button below the “Source Monitor” to add them at the timeline playhead position.
- On the timeline, you can drag clips to adjust their order and drag their edges to trim them. Use the “Selection Tool” (default) or the “Razor Tool” (press the
Tkey to switch) to perform operations. - Preview the rough cut in the “Program Monitor.”
5. Exporting and Sending to Premiere Pro
Action: After completing the rough cut, hand off the project to the next stage of production.
Location/Method:
- Send to Adobe Premiere Pro: This is Prelude’s core output feature. In the “Project” panel, select the rough cut sequence, then click the menu bar “File” > “Send to Adobe Premiere Pro.” Prelude will create a Premiere Pro project file (
.prproj) containing all associated assets and the rough cut timeline, enabling a seamless handoff. - Export as File: From the menu bar, choose “File” > “Export.” You can choose to export a single clip or the entire rough cut sequence as a video file (such as MP4), but this feature is relatively basic; for in-depth encoding, it is recommended to use Premiere Pro or Media Encoder.
III. Advanced Tips for Common Features
- Batch Logging and Tagging: Select multiple assets in the “Project” panel, then enter metadata (such as keywords and comments) in the “Log” panel to apply it to all selected assets at once, greatly improving efficiency.
- Voice Recording Conversion: In the “Log” panel, click the “Voice Recording” button and start dictating comments. Prelude will attempt to convert the voice into text comments (this feature has requirements for language and recording environment).
- Custom Shortcuts: You can modify the shortcut keys for any operation according to your personal habits via the “Prelude” > “Keyboard Shortcuts” menu.
- Search Using Logs: After entering keywords in the “Log” panel, you can use the search box at the top of the “Project” panel to quickly locate all assets or tags containing those keywords, making it easy to retrieve assets.
- Metadata Templates: For metadata that needs to be added repeatedly (such as photographer name and project number), you can create metadata templates and quickly apply them during capture or logging.
IV. Common Problems and Solutions
Q1: When importing certain video file formats, Prelude cannot recognize or play them.
A1: Prelude supports a limited number of mainstream formats (such as MXF, MP4, MOV, etc.). Make sure the video codec is an industry standard (such as H.264, ProRes, DNxHD). For uncommon codecs, it is recommended to first use Adobe Media Encoder to transcode to an intermediate format such as ProRes 422 before importing.
Q2: Clips on the timeline cannot be trimmed precisely, or the operation is not responsive.
A2: Make sure the timeline display scale is appropriate (use the slider in the lower right corner to zoom in). Use the arrow keys to move frame by frame (Left/Right keys) or five frames at a time (Shift + Left/Right arrow keys) to precisely position the playhead, then use the I/O keys or the trimming tool (T) to make adjustments.
Q3: After “Send to Adobe Premiere Pro,” some media appears offline when opened in Premiere Pro.
A3: This is usually because the original media files were moved or renamed after the Prelude project was created. Be sure to manage media locations in Prelude and avoid arbitrarily moving imported media files in Finder. You can right-click the offline media in the “Project” panel in Prelude and choose “Relink Media” to manually specify the new location.
Q4: The software runs slowly or playback stutters.
A4: Try the following methods: 1) Lower the playback resolution in the “Playback” menu (for example, change from “Full” to “1/2”). 2) Make sure the system has enough memory and close other large applications. 3) Check whether the media is located on a high-speed hard drive (such as an SSD), and avoid playing high-bitrate files directly from slow external hard drives or network drives.
V. Keyboard Shortcuts Summary (Mac Version)
| Function Category | Action Description | Shortcut |
|---|---|---|
| Project & Files | New Project | ⌘ + N |
| Project & Files | Open Project | ⌘ + O |
| Project & Files | Save Project | ⌘ + S |
| Project & Files | Import Files | ⌘ + I |
| Media Browsing & Marking | Play/Pause | Spacebar |
| Media Browsing & Marking | Set In Point | I |
| Media Browsing & Marking | Set Out Point | O |
| Media Browsing & Marking | Add Marker | M |
| Media Browsing & Marking | Clear In/Out Point | Option (⌥) + I / ⌥ + O |
| Media Browsing & Marking | Create Subclip | ⌘ + U |
| Timeline Operations | Switch to Selection Tool | V |
| Timeline Operations | Switch to Trim Tool | T |
| Timeline Operations | Paste in Timeline | ⌘ + V |
| Timeline Operations | Cut (from Source to Timeline) | ， (Comma) |
| Navigation | Move Forward 5 Frames | Shift + → |
| Navigation | Move Backward 5 Frames | Shift + ← |
| Navigation | Jump to Previous Marker | ⌥ + ↑ |
| Navigation | Jump to Next Marker | ⌥ + ↓ |
| Other | Toggle Fullscreen | ⌘ + F |
| Other | Show/Hide All Panels | ` (Above Tab Key) |
