How to Add Keyframes for Animating in Premiere Pro

Keyframes are used in Premiere Pro to create both animation and effects that change over time, such as opacity and sound. A “keyframe” is a mark you make on your timeline where you can save the specified values for these various elements. You create keyframes in multiple numbers on your timeline (at least two) as you will be creating changes over the time of your video project. The first keyframe you create reflects the state of the effect at the beginning of the change, and the next keyframe is used to reflect the end of the change.

Things You'll Need

• Adobe Premiere Pro
• Digitized video footage

Instructions

1. Open the program and your project. Select the Timeline panel by clicking on it and choose the clip with the effects to be animated.

2. Activate the keyframe tool by clicking on the “Show Keyframes” button on your clips controls within the Timeline panel.

3. Go to the Effects panel to the left of your timeline and expand the triangle next to the effects bin you will use. Drag that effect directly to the clip.

4. Go to your Effect Controls panel at the top of your screen and click on the triangle next to the effect property that you added to display its controls and values. Make any necessary changes to the effect at this time.

5. Return to your Timeline panel and move the current-time indicator bar to the position in time where you will be adding the keyframe.

6. Click on the "Add/Remove Keyframe" button on your clips controls within the Timeline panel. The keyframe will “save” whatever values you have given it at that point. You can now move forward in time and give the same clip a different set of values by adding another keyframe and adjusting the effect controls.

7. Use the Selection tool to edit previously added keyframes. You can click on and drag them to different points in time or increase and decrease various values by dragging the keyframes up and down.

8. Adjusting the opacity of a clip is a good way to “fade in or out” of a clip. Add a keyframe to the beginning of your clip where you want it to fade in from black, and then add a keyframe at the point where the video should be at 100 percent opacity. Go back to your first keyframe and drag it down vertically. When you render your clip, you will see your clip begin at black and fade into the picture. You can adjust the distance between the keyframes to make the fade longer or shorter.