Sequence presets and settings

Learn about sequence presets and settings in Adobe Premiere Pro to ensure your project matches the right resolution, frame rate, and codec from the start.

The sequence settings must be correct when you create the sequence. Sequence settings like time base are locked once the sequence is created. It prevents unwanted inconsistencies that could result from changing sequence settings later.

When creating a sequence, you can select from among the standard sequence presets. Alternatively, you can customize a group of settings and save the group in a custom sequence setting preset. If you want full control over almost all the sequence parameters, start a new sequence and customize its settings.

Creating a sequence opens the New Sequence dialog box. The New Sequence dialog box contains three tabs, each with various settings: Sequence Presets, General, and Tracks.

Sequence Presets options

Available Presets are groups of sequence settings. Premiere Pro comes with several categories of sequence settings presets installed, like the following:

• AVC-Intra
• AVCHD
• Digital SLR
• DV-24p
• DV-NTSC (North American standard)
• DV-PAL (European standard)
• DVCPRO50
• DVCPROHD
• Mobile and devices
• XDCAM EX
• XDCAM HD422
• XDCAM HD

These sequence settings presets contain the correct settings for the most typical sequence types. For example, use the AVC-Intra, DVCPRO50, and DVCPROHD sequence setting presets to edit AVC-Intra or DVCPRO material shot on Panasonic P2 video cameras. For DV25 material recorded in Panasonic P2 format, use a preset for DV-NTSC or DV-PAL, depending on the television standard of the footage.

Selecting a Sequence Presets

A sequence can contain different types of assets in different formats and with various parameters. However, Premiere Pro performs best when the settings for a sequence match the parameters of most of the assets used in that sequence. To optimize performance and reduce rendering times, find out the asset parameters for the primary assets you want to edit before creating a sequence. After learning the asset parameters, you can create a sequence with settings to match. Before capturing assets from a tape-based device, learn these parameters so that you can select the correct capture settings. Asset parameters include the following:

• Recording format (for example, DV, or DVCPRO HD)
• File format (for example, AVI, MOV, or VOB
• Frame aspect ratio (for example, 16:9, or 4:3)
• Pixel aspect ratio (for example, 1.0, or 0.9091)
• Frame rate (for example, 29.97 fps, or 23.976 fps)
• Time base (for example, 29.97 fps, or 23.976 fps)
• Fields (for example, progressive or interlaced)
• Audio sample rate (for example, 32 Hz or 48 Hz)
• Video codec
• Audio codec

Use the Properties panel to discover many of these parameters for your assets.

Alternatively, you can use a third-party application, such as the freeware MediaInfo or GSpot Codec Information Appliance. You can also choose Window > Show Movie Inspector in Apple QuickTime Player to find the codecs used to generate a file.

Assets can use codecs not supported natively by Premiere Pro. Often, you can edit these assets after installing the relevant codecs. However, beware of installing untested codecs that introduce severe problems with your computer system.

Using multiple sequences

A single project can contain multiple sequences with different settings. You select settings for each sequence when you create it, but you can change some of these settings after a sequence is created.

• To switch sequences, in the Program Monitor or in the Timeline panel, select the tab of the sequence you want to use. The sequence becomes the frontmost tab in both panels.
• To view a sequence in a separate Timeline panel, drag the Sequence tab away from the panel to an empty area. Ctrl-drag (Windows) or command-drag (macOS) to prevent the panel from docking.
• To open a sequence in the Source Monitor, press Ctrl or Command and double-click the sequence in the Project panel. In the Timeline panel, use Ctrl or Command and double-click a nested sequence.