When you upgrade to the latest version of your favorite NLE, it can get pretty frustrating not being able to move as quickly or efficiently as you did before simply because you're not as familiar with it as you might like to be. I had this experience recently while cutting together a fresh version of my cinematography reel in Premiere Pro CC, and quite frankly it made me a little angry that simple functions weren't working as they had previously. However, I found an excellent tutorial that has everything you'll ever need to know about the new features in Premiere. Hit the jump to watch the video:


So, I went to add a transition to a video track with my nifty keyboard shortcut, and low and behold, the transition ended up somewhere entirely different from where I wanted it. A couple of tries and ctrl z's later, I realized that the new version of Premiere emphasizes clip selection over where the playhead is when adding transitions.

It got me thinking, how well do I really know the new version of Premiere? What other little surprises did Adobe throw in there that might throw me for a loop in the future? Several YouTube searches later, I came across the holy grail of new feature videos on Premiere Pro CC. Here's David Clarke to guide us through the new features in Premiere:

While this video sheds light on my previously mentioned "transitions dilemma," it also brought to light some other really useful features that I can see becoming staples in my editing toolbag.

First and foremost, I am elated that Premiere finally has a Reconnect Media tool that slightly resembles the one in FCP7. Since I switched to Premiere two years ago, I've always dreaded when media went offline. It was a nightmare to deal with, and it made me want  to rip out my hair, especially on larger projects. Luckily, the new tool works just as advertised -- so my hair is safe for now.

Another new feature that looks to be a real time-saver is the Clip Mixer. Trying to do track-based keyframe work was a gamble in previous versions of Premiere, because one little ripple edit could push everything out of whack. With the new Clip Mixer, you have the ability to automate your audio clip properties using the familiar mixing interface instead of keyframing on the timeline or in the effect editor.

Speaking of audio, the fact that Audition CC is now a 64-bit program means that more components, such as audio plugins, can be shared between Audition and Premiere. While there are only a few "crossover effects" currently (like the fantastic iZotope Multiband Compressor), the future of working with audio directly in Premiere looks brighter than ever.

What do you guys think? What are your favorite new features in Premiere Pro CC? Let us know in the comments!

Link: An Introduction to Premiere Pro CC - Youtube