How to Edit Footage from Multiple Cameras with Adobe Premiere

On more advanced film shoots, you may be using multiple cameras to cover one scene. While more complex and involved, it just requires a bit more organization and thought. Use the Multi-Camera Monitor to edit footage from up to four cameras and simulate live camera switching.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Adobe Premiere Pro
• Footage from multiple cameras
• Firewire

1. First capture all the footage into the program. Add clips from multiple cameras to a sequence in the Timeline.

2. “Stack” the clips from each camera by adding each one to a separate track on a sequence.

3. Next, you will need to synchronize all of the clips in the sequence. Do this by marking each of the sync points with numbered clip markers.

4. The final edits of your multi-camera edits are made in the target sequence. You can create the target sequence by “nesting," or combining, sequences of synchronized clips into a new sequence. Enable the clip in the target sequence for multi-camera editing, by going to the Clip menu, then Multi-Camera and then Enable.

5. Record the multi-camera edits by viewing the footage of all four cameras simultaneously on the Multi-Camera Monitor. Open the Multi-Camera Monitor from the Program Monitor’s panel menu. You can switch back and forth between cameras to choose footage for the final sequence.

6. Finally, adjust and refine edits. You can substitute footage from other cameras, or edit as you would any other sequence of clips. Use the basic editing tools and techniques, or you can add effects, or compositing to multiple tracks.

Tips & Warnings

• Make sure when you are taping or shooting that each camera records a sync point. You can do this using a clapper slate or other similar technique. Keep each camera recording the whole time to synchronize.