How to Use the Adobe Premiere Pro Broadcast Colors Effect

The Broadcast Colors Effect in Adobe Premiere Pro can alter the pixel color values for accurate representation in a television broadcast. While computers represent colors as combinations of red, green, and blue, video equipment represent colors using different signals. You can use the “Broadcast Colors Effect” to reduce luminance or saturation to a safe level.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. First, here are some tips on how to use color in video projects intended for broadcast. Avoid using highly saturated colors, such as red value 255 with blue and green values of 0. You should also avoid pure black and pure white values. You may also try rendering out a test sequence from your project and playing it back on a monitor to be sure colors look OK.

2. If you are adjusting color after the fact, go to the "Effects" menu and expand the arrow next to "Video," then click on “Broadcast Colors” and drag it to the clip you want to adjust.

3. Next go to the "Effects Monitor" window. The “Broadcast Locale” specifies the type of broadcast standard you intend to use. NTSC (National Television Standards Committee) is the North American standard, and the type you will most likely be using. NTSC is also used in Japan, while PAL (Phase Alternating Line) is used in most of Europe and South America.

4. The “How To Make Color Safe” option is where you will choose the method of reducing the signal amplitude. “Reduce Luminance” will reduce the brightness of a pixel and “Reduce Saturation” makes a pixel more gray, by making it less colorful.

5. “Key Out Unsafe” makes unsafe pixels transparent and “Key Out Safe” makes safe pixels transparent.