The Interview: Lower Third Title in Premiere Pro

Topics covered in this Premiere Pro tutorial:

Adding a Lower Third Title

Exercise Preview

Exercise Overview

In this exercise you’ll learn how to create a Lower Third Title.

Getting Started

1. You should still have Your Name - The Interview version 2 open in Premiere Pro. If you closed it, re-open it now by going to File > Open Project then Desktop > Class Files > Premiere Pro Class > The Interview. We recommend you finish the previous exercises (2A–2B) before starting this one. If you haven’t finished it, do the following sidebar.

   If You Did Not Do the Previous Exercises (2A–2B)

   1. If a project is open in Premiere Pro, go to File > Save, then File > Close Project.
   2. Go to File > Open Project and navigate to Desktop > Class Files > Premiere Pro Class > The Interview.

   3. Double–click on The Interview - Ready for Lower Third.prproj.

   4. Go to File > Save As. Name the file Your Name - The Interview version 2.prproj and save it to Desktop > Class Files > Premiere Pro Class > The Interview.

Adding a Lower Third from a Template

While the speaker does introduce himself at the beginning of the video, an onscreen title is commonly added to an interview like this.

1. On the Timeline, move the playhead to 1:10
2. Switch to the Graphics workspace by choosing Window > Workspaces > Captions and Graphics.
3. Choose Window > Workspaces > Reset to Saved Layout.
4. In the Essential Graphics panel’s search field, type basic lower and hit Return (Mac) or Enter (Windows).
5. Drag the Basic Lower Third motion graphics template onto the Video 2 track so the beginning of the clip lines up with the playhead.
6. If it’s not already active, choose the Selection tool .

7. In the Program panel, double–click on the text Your Name Here to select it. (This automatically switches you to the Type tool .)

   NOTE: You can also double–click the layer in the Essential Graphics panel to select the text.

8. Change the text to Dan Rodney
9. With the Type tool now active, click 3 times on the Second Line is Smaller text to select it.
10. Change the second line to Designer and Instructor

11. Choose the Selection tool .

    The second text line should still be selected.

12. In the Essential Graphics panel’s Text section set:

    • Font: Arial Regular
    • Size: 47

    

13. In the Essential Graphics panel’s Align and Transform section, change the first value for Position to 90 and change the second value to 1042.
14. Click on the Dan Rodney text to select it.
15. Change the font to Arial Black and size to 90.
16. Next to Position change the first value to 90 and second to 960.
17. At the top of the Essential Graphics panel, click on the first text layer Designer and Instructor to select it.
18. Hold Shift and click on the second text layer Dan Rodney to select it as well.

19. In the Essential Graphics panel’s Appearance section, click on the Fill color box to open the color picker.

    • At the bottom right of the color picker, next to # type in 000000 (which is black).
    • Click OK.
20. At the top of the Essential Graphics panel, click on the New Layer button and choose Rectangle.
21. Double–click on the new shape layer’s name to make it editable.
22. Type in background and hit Return (Mac) or Enter (Windows) to apply it.
23. Drag the newly named background layer below the 2 text layers.

24. With the background layer selected in the Essential Graphics panel, down in the Appearance section click on the Fill color box.

    • In the color picker, next to # type in FFFFFF (which is white).
    • Click OK.

25. In the Align and Transform section:

    • Click the Align Bottom button .
    • Click the Align Left button .

26. In the Program panel, use the Selection tool to drag the rectangle’s top right control corner to resize it until it looks like the example below, or set W (width) to 1920 and H (height) to 245.

    

27. In the Essential Graphics panel’s Align and Transform section, set Opacity  to 60

28. In the Timeline, click on the graphic clip in Video 2 to select it.

29. Press Cmd–D (Mac) or Ctrl–D (Windows) to apply the default transition cross dissolve to the selected clip.

30. Press the + (plus) a couple times to zoom closer in on the Timeline.

31. Double–click on the transition at the beginning of the clip.

    • Set the Duration to 15 and click OK.

32. Double–click on the transition at the end of the clip.

    • Set the Duration to 15 and click OK.
33. Play from the beginning of the timeline through the Lower Third Title to see your work.

34. Choose Window > Workspaces > Editing.

35. Choose File > Save or hit Cmd–S (Mac) or Ctrl–S (Windows).

Animating the Logo at the Beginning & End

With a couple of finishing touches this sequence will be done. Let’s add a transition to the start and end of the interview with a bit of animation to the Noble logo.

1. Position the playhead at the beginning of the timeline.
2. Open the Effects panel (Window > Effects).
3. In the Effects panel’s search field type dip
4. Drag the Dip to Black transition to the beginning of the first Main Interview clip on the Video 1 track.

5. Double–click the Dip to Black transition in the timeline.

   • Set the Duration to 15 and click OK.

6. Play the beginning of the timeline to see video does a quick fade in from black.

7. Move the playhead to 1:53:20 on the Timeline (the end of the interview).
8. Drag the Dip to Black transition from the Effects panel to the end of the last Main Interview clip on the Video 1 track.

9. Double-click the Dip to Black transition in the timeline.

   • Set the Duration to 15 and click OK.
10. Move the Timeline’s playhead to 0:15
11. Click on the lock to the left of the the Video 3 track to unlock it.
12. Using the Selection tool , click on the Noble Logo clip to highlight it.
13. Open the Effect Controls panel (at the top left, next to the Source panel’s tab).

14. Within Motion, click on the Toggle Animation stopwatch next to both Position and Scale to create 2 keyframes.

15. Move the playhead to the beginning of the Timeline.

16. To the far right Position, click the Reset Parameter button to center the logo in the screen.

17. For Scale also click the Reset Parameter button to return the logo back to the original size as it was imported.

18. Play the beginning of the timeline to see the logo shrink down and move!
19. Move the playhead to 1:53:20 on the Timeline (where the interview ends).
20. Because our edits removed some video, the logo extends past the end of the interview. Click on the logo clip on the Video 3 track to select it.
21. Press Cmd–K (Mac) or Ctrl–K (Windows) to add an edit at the playhead position.
22. Click on the logo clip to the right of the playhead.
23. Press the Delete (Mac) or Backspace (Windows) key to delete the clip.

24. With the playhead still at 1:53:20, we want to go back 15 frames to where the Dip to Black transition starts. Click on the Timeline’s timecode and type in -15 and hit Return (Mac) or Enter (Windows) to go there.

    You should now be at 1:53:05.

    Adding a + or - in front of the number you type into the playhead position moves the playhead forward or back relative to its current position on the timeline!

25. Select the Noble Logo on Video 3.

26. In the Effect Controls panel, click on the Add/Remove Keyframe buttons for both Position and Scale.

27. Move the playhead to 1:53:19

28. In the Effect Controls panel, click Reset Parameter for both Position and Scale.
29. Choose File > Save or hit Cmd–S (Mac) or Ctrl–S (Windows).

30. Play through the video, and enjoy your work.

    That’s a wrap! Keep the project open because you’ll use it in the next exercise.