There have been several questions/problems concerning Premiere Elements Text Animation. The following is presented in the hope that the information provided will prove helpful to the understanding of the basics of the feature and to working through them to successful text animations.
Premiere Elements (4 through 11) offer Text Animation which is an interesting way to enhance the project's Titles. The first time that this feature is tried by the user, a frequent report is that it is "not working". Possible reasons for "not working" include:
- Use of Roll or Crawl options instead of Still Title option
- Trying to apply Text Animation feature to more than one line of text
the text animation of more than one line of text is involved in one Title
(as originally suggested online by ID JohnnyO).
SOLUTION
Understanding of basics of Premiere Elements Text Animation is gained by going step by step through the How To details. Premiere Elements 11 (current version) underwent major changes in its interface as compared to earlier versions. So, for the convenience of those with versions of Premiere Elements earlier than 11, details are presented for Premiere Elements versions earlier than 11 (using version 10 as demo model) as well as for Premiere Elements 11.
HOW TO
PREMIERE ELEMENTS 10*
STEP 1
Open Premiere Elements 10 Titler by clicking on the T (Add Default Text icon) at the lower right corner of the Edit Mode Monitor or by clicking on the Title Menu**/New Title/Default Still. The Titler monitor presents with the default text of "Add Text" backed by gray inside a rectangular border.
STEP 2
With the Titler opened and the Horizontal Type Tool selected, if described as above, type a single line of text (no clicking of the text in the Titler monitor, just typing from the computer keyboard). In this example the words Premiere Elements were typed as the first line of text.
STEP 3
Next switch to the Selection Tool and click on the "Premiere Elements" text in the Titler monitor. The rectangular border around the text will now appear as a bounding box with handles. The gray backing for the text is gone in the rectangle. At this point, if wanted, change the font, select a Style, and reposition the text bounding box. See Figure 1.
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| Figure 1. Premiere Elements 10 Titler |
STEP 4
In the Text Animation section of the Titler, there are several categories and options from which to choose. For this example, select the Twist and Turn category and the Spin Out By Line option. With the text still selected from STEP 3, click Apply or drag the Text Animation into the text's bounding box. In this example, select Apply.
STEP 5
In Premiere Elements 10, there is no Preview Button/Preview Window to view the text animation results before clicking the Done button. When finished, click Done button to close the Titler. Render the Timeline title to get the best possible preview of it when viewed in the Edit Mode Monitor. If not OK, double click the title file on the Timeline to re-open the Titler. With the Titler Selection Tool, select the text in the Titler monitor, go to Text Animation, and there click Remove, then select another Text Animation option, click Apply, click the Done button which closes the Titler.
Note: Premiere Elements 9.0/9.0.1 Text Animation, like Premiere Elements 10's, has no Preview Button/Preview Window for viewing results before hitting Done; whereas, versions 4, 7, and 8.0/8.0.1 have.
STEP 6.
At this point, there is one Title file with a copy in the Media area and a copy in the Timeline where it was automatically placed at the position of the Timeline Indicator (CTI) by Premiere Elements. After the Titler is closed, re-edit of the title is possible by double clicking it in the Timeline to bring up the Titler again.
But, what if 2 or more lines of text per Title instead of 1 are wanted with Text Animation for each of the lines? Here is the rest of the story.
Applying Text Animation to 2 or more lines of text per Title (in this example 3 lines of text)
STEP 1a
Create the first line of text as described above in STEP 1, STEP 2, and STEP 3, that is
Open Premiere Elements 10 Titler by clicking on the T (Add Default Text icon) at the lower right corner of the Edit Mode Monitor or by clicking on the Title Menu**/New Title/Default Still. The Titler monitor presents with the default text of "Add Text" backed by gray inside a rectangular border.
With the Titler opened and the Horizontal Type Tool selected, if described as above, type a single line of text (no clicking of the text in the Titler monitor, just typing from the computer keyboard). In this example the words Premiere Elements were typed as the first line of text.
Switch to the Selection Tool and click on the text in the Titler monitor. The rectangular border around the text will now appear as a bounding box with handles. The gray backing for the text is gone in the rectangle. At this point, if wanted, change the font, select a Style, and reposition the text bounding box.BUT, when finished typing the first line of text, DO NOT press the Enter key of the computer main keyboard to type the second text line.
No applying of text animation to the first line of text yet.
STEP 2b
Instead, click the T (Add Default Text icon) again. In the Titler monitor, a new "Add Text" backed by gray inside a rectangular border will present for the second line of text. Type the second line of text (in this case the second line of text consists of the words Check It Out). Switch to the Selection Tool and click on the text in the Titler monitor in order to generate the bounding box with handles for use in dealing with the second line of text.
Again, no applying of text animation to the second line of text yet.
STEP 3c
Now, instead of pressing the Enter key to type the third text line, click the T again to generate another "Add Text" backed by gray inside a rectangular border. Type the third line of text (in this case the third line of text consists of the words Text Animation). Switch to the Selection Tool and click on the text in the Titler monitor in order to generate the bounding box with handles for use in dealing with the third line of text. After the typing of the third line of text is completed, stay with the Selection Tool selected and DO NOT click Done.
STEP 4d
With the Selection Tool, do the following one line at a time. Click on the text line to show its bounding box, select the Text Animation, and click Apply. After this is done for each of the 3 lines of text, click Done to close the Titler. Note that each line of text can have a different Text Animation type.
STEP 5e
Notice that this process generated one Title file containing 3 lines of animated text, not 3 Titles files, each containing one of the 3 animated lines. If necessary, re-edit this Title by double clicking its Timeline copy to bring up the Titler again.
Presented as a quick demo is the following DV AVI standard video displaying the results of the 3 lines of animated text, with "Premiere Elements" text using Twist and Turn/Spin Out By Line, "Check It Out" text using Move In and Out/Fly Out To Bottom, and "Text Animations" text using Twist and Turn/Spin In By Line. Butterfly is from Premiere Elements 10's animated Clip Arts/Animated Objects.
HOW TO
PREMIERE ELEMENTS 11*
STEP 1
Open Premiere Elements 11 directly to the Titler via Text** Menu/New Text/Default Text. Or click on Titles & Text Tab at bottom of interface/General/Default Text, and then drag the Default Text thumbnail to the Timeline or into the Edit Mode Monitor. The Titler then opens.
There are four sections to the Titler. They are Text, Styles, Animation, and Shapes. The Titler opens with the Text section options revealed. The default text of "Add Text" presents in the Titler monitor as that "Add Text" surrounded by a rectangular border and a blinking vertical line at the left edge of the rectangle. With the mouse cursor, click/drag across the text horizontally from left to right vertical edge of the rectangular border which surrounds the Add Text, creating a gray text backed in gray in the rectangle.
STEP 2
Now with the Titler opened to the Text section and the Horitzontal Type Tool selected, if described as above, type a single line of text. In this example the words Premiere Elements were typed as the first line of text.
STEP 3
Switch to the Selection Tool in the Text section of the Titler, and click on the text in the Titler monitor. At this point, if wanted, change the font, select a Style, and reposition the text bounding box. See Figure 2.
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| Figure 2. Premiere Elements 11 Titler. |
STEP 4
Make sure the text in selected in the Text section, and then click on the Animation Tab to open that section of the Titler. There are several categories and options from which to choose. For this example, select the Twist and Turn/Spin Out By Line. Click Apply at the bottom of the Animation section. An alternative to clicking Apply there is dragging the animation choice to the Titler monitor and dropping it on top of the title text. In this example, select Apply. See Figure 3 to view the Animation section opened.
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| Figure 3. Premiere Elements 11 Titler Animation Section Opened |
STEP 5
Although no Preview option is seen, the option to Remove the Animation choice is found at the bottom of the Animation Section to the right of the Apply option. At the top right of the Titler, to the right of the header named Adjustments, are two small triangles facing right. Click on them to close the Titler. They appear to represent the Premiere Elements 11 Titler's Done button. See Figure 1 and Figure 2.
STEP 6
At this point, there is one Title file with a copy in Project Assets and a copy in the Timeline where it was automatically placed at the position of the Timeline Indicator (CTI) by Premiere Elements. After the Titler is closed, re-edit of the title is possible by double clicking it in the Timeline to bring up the Titler again.
But, what if 2 or more lines of text per Title instead of 1 are wanted with Text Animation for each of the lines? This is a can do operation for Premiere Elements 11 when using special steps similar to those just described for versions of Premiere Elements earlier than 11.
Applying Text Animation to 2 or more lines of text per Title (in this example 3 lines)
STEP 1a
Create the first line of text as in Premiere Elements 11's STEP 1, STEP 2, and STEP 3 above, that is
Open Premiere Elements 11 directly to the Titler via Text** Menu/New Text/Default Text. Or click on Titles & Text Tab at bottom of interface/General/Default Text, and then drag the Default Text thumbnail to the Timeline or into the Edit Mode Monitor. The Titler then opens.
There are four sections to the Titler. They are Text, Styles, Animation, and Shapes. The Titler opens with the Text section options revealed. The default text of "Add Text" presents in the Titler monitor as that "Add Text" surrounded by a rectangular border and a blinking vertical line at the left edge of the rectangle. With the mouse cursor, click/drag across the text horizontally from left to right vertical edge of the rectangular border which surrounds the Add Text, creating a gray text backed in gray in the rectangle
Now with the Titler opened to the Text section and the Horizontal Type Tool selected, if described as above, type a single line of text. In this example the words Premiere Elements were typed as the first line of text.
Switch to the Selection Tool and click on the text in the Edit Titler monitor. At this point, if wanted, change the font, select a Style, and reposition the text bounding box. See Figure 2.BUT, when finished with the first line of text, DO NOT press the Enter key of the computer main keyboard to type the second text line.
No applying of text animation to the first line of text yet.
STEP 2b
Instead, again click the T icon (Horizontal Type Tool) at the bottom of the Text section and then click in the Titler monitor and just type the second line of text. There is no "Add Media" default text to get rid of first. DO NOT press the Enter Key of the computer main keyboard to type the third text line. Use the Selection Tool to select this second line of text and reposition it etc, as necessary.
STEP 3c
To create the third line of text, once more click on the T icon (Horizontal Type Tool) and then click in the Titler monitor and just type the third line of text. Again, there is no "Add Media" default text to get rid of first. After the typing of the third line of text is completed, switch back to the Selection Tool to select this third line of text and reposition it etc, as necessary.
STEP 4d
The rest will be a go between the Text section Selection Tool and the Animation section Animation choice. Do the following one line at a time.. In the Text section select the Selection Tool, and click on the text line to show its bounding box, open Animation section, select the Animation there, and click Apply. After all that is done for each of the 3 lines of text, close the Titler, render the Timeline, and play back the animated text lines in the Edit Mode Monitor.
STEP 5e
Again notice that this process generated one Title file containing the 3 lines of animated text, not 3 Title files, each containing one of the 3 animated lines. If necessary, re-edit this Title by double clicking its Timeline copy to bring up the Titler again.
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*Premiere Elements 10, NTSC DV Standard project on Windows 7 Professional SP1 64 bit.
Premiere Elements 11, NTSC DV Standard project on Windows 7 Professional SP1 64 bit.
**Premiere Elements 10. Title Menu also contains options for Default Roll and Default Crawl titles besides the Default Still title. Default Roll and Default Crawl titles cannot be used with Text Animations.
Premiere Elements 11. Text Menu also contains options for Default Roll and Default Crawl titles besides the Default Text title. Under Titles & Text tab at bottom of interface/General/also contains the Default Row and Default Crawl titles besides the Default Still title. Default Roll and Default Crawl titles cannot be used with the Text Animations.
ATR
