INTRODUCTION
An announcement of the Premiere Elements 15 release has just been seen today October 5, 2016 online. Some initial findings on the release were noted at
http://www.adobe.com/products/premiere-elements.html
https://helpx.adobe.com/premiere-elements/system-requirements.html
http://www.digitaltrends.com/photography/adobe-photoshop-elements-15-premiere-elements-15-released/
Full "First Look" details of the new release will be focused on in this blog post. Besides the details of the new release, comparison of it to the prior version (14/14.1) will be made in depth - "What is New" and "What Is the Same".
Premiere Elements 15 Windows 64 bit is currently being downloaded from the Adobe web site.
It appears to be a 2 GB file named PremiereElements_15_LS31_win64.exe. At Internet speed of 4.6 MB/second, the completion of the download took less than 10 minutes. Download was from
http://www.adobe.com/downloads.html
(to see Premiere Elements 15 on that download page, click on "view all available free trials" at bottom left)
Coming soon.
ATR
INTRODUCTION
Today October 11, 2016 let us begin the First Look of the Premiere Elements 15 tryout (using Windows 7 Professional SP1 64 bit which Adobe lists as compatible with Premiere Elements 15).
Premiere Elements 15 First Look Details to follow will include
PART 1. New And Different
PART 2. Export And Share
PART 3. Content
In the course of this First Look, comparisons will be made to the prior version named Premiere Elements 14/14.1. This report will be entered in these PARTS in installments. This will be a work in progress until this blog post is labelled as completed.
The tryout was installed on October 5th, and a new project opened to its Expert workspace. No work was done in that initial project. When the tryout was opened to a new project today October 11th, Premiere Elements 15 tryout gave the message that Premiere Elements 15 was not working. A run through with the cleaner part of the free ccCleaner appeared to resolve the issue so that I could begin the First Look.
PART 1.
New And Different
1. Workspaces
The 15 and 14.1 workspace headers are the same eLive, Quick, Guided, and Expert.
The actual 15 Guided workspace has been sectioned into Basic, Video Adjustments, Audio Adjustments, and Fun Edits.
Basic
- Add Transitions between clips
Video Adjustments
- Fix Brightness, Color & Contrast
Audio Adjustments
Fun Edits
- Create Slow or Fast Motion Effect
- Create a Picture-in-Picture (PIP)
Besides the lessons being categorized, there appears to be one more lesson in 15 as compared to 14/14.1. New in 15 seems to be "Add Adjustment Layer" (thus 14 lessons in 15 and 13 lessons in 14/14.1).
2. Expert Workspace
a. The Edit area monitor's bounding box (image's blue outline) is now allowed to be seen outside as well inside the area of the monitor space.
This was not true for Premiere Elements 14/14.1.
b. The bottom horizontal options bar of 14/14.1 (Tools, Transitions, Titles & Text, Effects, Music, and Graphics) is gone and replaced with a vertical bar with Fix, Edit, and Add sections displaying on the right edge of the workspace.
Fix
- Icon for access to Smart Fix, Shake Reduction, Auto Smart Tone, Color, Color (RGB), Gamma Correction), Lighting, Temperature and Tint, Volume, Balance, Treble, Bass, Audio Gain...this icon looks the same as the Adjust Tab icon used in 14/14.1.
- Icon for access to Video/Freeze Frame, Movie Menu, Pan & Zoom, Smart Trim, Time Remapping, Favorite Moments, Motion Tracking; Audio/Audio Mix, Narration, Smart Mix...this icon looks the same as the Tools Tab icon used in 14/14.1.
Edit
- Icon for access to Motion Palette and Opacity Palette...this icon contains the graphics of fx and pen and was not seen previously.
- Icon for access to Video and Audio fx Effects...this icon looks the same as the fx Effects Tab icon used in 14/14.1.
- Icon for access to Video and Audio Transitions...this icon looks the same as the Transitions Tab icon used in 14/14.1.
Add
- Icon for access to the Motion Titles and Classic Titles...this icon looks the same as the Titles & Text Tab icon used in 14/14.1.
- Icon for access to Music Scores and Sound Effects...this icon looks the same as the Music Tab icon used in 14/14.1.
- Icon for access to Graphics...this icon uses a smiley face whereas a boat was used for the Graphics Tab icon in 14/14.1.
No way has been found so far to reorient the bar from vertical right to bottom horizontal (neither in Preferences nor mouse maneuvers). In "b", going from 14/14.1 to 15, choices appear to be relocated rather than discontinued. More on this in the CONTENT PART.
c. The major headers are the same in 15 as in 14/14.1 (Add Media, Projects Assets, Create, and Export & Share). However, 15 now has a new feature "Video Collage" which joins 14/14.1's choices of Video Story and Instant Movie under the Create major header. See
HERE for initial details of this Video Collage feature. First Looks suggests that these Video Collages created in the feature can be saved as a .vc file to the hard drive or sent to the project's Timeline, or sent to Export & Share. These vc files appear to be usable in 15 only. More "Video Collage" information coming later in this blog post.
Note: The Elements Organizer 15 still has the Create Menu/Slideshow option including a Save to 720p or 1080p mp4 file with AVCHD format or to Facebook. Adobe has not gone back to the Elements Organizer format/layout seen in Premiere Elements 12/12.1 and earlier.
d. For all intense and purposes the menus and their choices at the top left of the Expert workspace (File, Edit, Clip, Timeline, Text, Tools, Window, and Help) are the same in 15 and 14/l4.1. The only exception found so far is the inclusion of a "Reveal Logs Folder" choice under the Help Menu in 15.
3. Quick Workspace
The 15 Quick and Expert workspace both deviate from 14/14.1 in that both workspaces have
- 14, not 13, Guided lessons
- The bottom horizontal options are replaced with options displaying in a vertical bar on the right edge of the workspace.
4. Question Mark Icon To Right Of Marker Setting Area Of Expert And Quick Workspaces
Both the Expert and Quick workspaces show a question mark icon to the right of the marker setting area. Clicking on the icon takes the user
In Expert workspace
Adobe Premiere Elements Help/Arranging Clips in the Expert View Timeline
https://helpx.adobe.com/premiere-elements/using/arranging-clips-expert-view-timeline.html
In Quick workspace
Adobe Premiere Elements Help/Arranging Clips in the Quick View Timeline
https://helpx.adobe.com/premiere-elements/using/arranging-clips-quick-view-timeline.html
5. Camera Raw
The Adobe Photoshop Elements 15 and Adobe
Premiere Elements 15 tryouts were each received with Adobe Photoshop
Camera Raw 9.6.0.625 with the option to update to Adobe Photoshop Camera
Raw 9.7.
See Premiere Elements 15 Help Menu/Updates.
6. "What's New" In 15 According To An Adobe Web Page Description.
http://www.adobe.com/products/premiere-elements/features.html?trackingid=BDDS3P45&mv=other#x
Access to the new fx effect "Haze Removal" can be found via the right vertical bar's Edit section/fx icon/Video/Advanced Adjustments. Adjustments for this and other fx effects can be accessed via that Edit section/icon for reviewing and editing Applied Effects. Adobe details of its Haze Removal fx effect can be found
HERE. See
HERE for Adobe's overall "What's New" for Premiere Elements 15.
Commentary
The above covers "surface" areas of the program. In what follows, a First Look will be taken into the deeper aspects of the Premiere Elements 15 features and workflows.
Last edit made October 14, 2016.
PART 2.
Export & Share
For all intents and purposes the Export & Share down to the export choices and export default settings of 15 is the same as for 14/14.1. Consequently, refer and use the already detailed 14/14.1 Export & Share information. Premiere Elements 14 First look PART 2 - EXPORT
& SHARE (Quick Edit, Devices, Discs, Online, Audio, Image) is found
HERE. A minor exception is that 15's Export & Share/Online/YouTube has choices of 1920 x 1080,
1280 x 720, or 640 x 480 upload; whereas 14/14.l has Export & Share/Online/YouTube uses upload of 1920 x 1080,
1440 x 1080, or 640 x 480.
The Export & Share headers, export choices, and default settings have been looked at one for one 15 versus 14/14.1 and found the same. This 15 First Look has not gotten into whether or not 15 Export & Share exports work worse, the same, or better than 14/14.1.
PART 3.
Content
Movie Menus
Tools Menu/Movie Menu
The movie menu choices are the same in 15 and 14/14.1. Consequently see the Premiere Elements 14 First Look blog details for this already described content.
http://atr935.blogspot.com/2015/09/premiere-elements-14-first-look-details.html
Instant Movie Themes
Create/Instant Movie
The Instant Movie theme choices are the same in 15 and 14/14.1. Consequently see the Premiere Elements 14 First Look blog details for this already described content.
http://atr935.blogspot.com/2015/09/premiere-elements-14-first-look-details.html
Like 14/14.1, version 15 continues to use the flawed Instant Movie theme named Outdoor Adventure. This theme is characterized by scattered footage of colorful media offline message.
See
HERE for our suggested how to fix this issue.
Transitions
Right Vertical Bar/Edit Section/Icon For Access To Transitions
The Video and Audio transition selection are the same in 15 and 14/14.1.
Access to these transition can be via the right vertical bar and its icon for transition under the Edit section there.
fx Effects
Right Vertical Bar/Edit Section's fx Icon
Video and Audio fx Effects of 15 appear to be the same as for 14/14.1 with the exception of introduction of the fx effect named Haze Removal in 15. See 15's right vertical bar's Edit section/icon for fx Effects and icon for viewing and editing fx Effects.
Music (Music Scores and Sound Effects)
Right Vertical Bar/Add Section Music Icon
The Music Scores and Sound Effects choices appear to be the same in 15 and 14/14.1 and are accessed in 15 via the right Vertical Bar/Add Section/icon for music.
Graphics (Clip Arts)
The graphics (clip arts) choices appear to be the same in 15 and 14/14.1 and are accessed in 15 via the right Vertical Bar/Add Section/smiley face for the Graphics Tab icon.
Titles or Text
Right Vertical Bar/Add Section
The Classic Titles choices appear to be the same in 15 and 14/14.1 with regard to design of choice as well as its file name. In the case of the comparison of 15 and 14/14.1 Motion Titles comparison, "Same" except for
- a missing "lower third" file for Motion Title/Fun/Sports in 15
- difference between 15 and 14/14.1 with regard to file name for same file presenting in each (See Motion Titles/Fun or Decorative/motion title thumbnails and associated file names
- question about Custom category appearance in the Motion Titles list of Contempory, Decorative, Formal, Geometric, Typography, "Custom".
ELEMENTS ORGANIZER 15 CREATE/SLIDESHOW FEATURE AND THEMES
The Elements Organizer 15 and 14/14.1 Create/Slideshow feature have the same format which is unlike that which Adobe uses in Premiere Elements 12/12.1 and earlier. The 7 Elements Organizer Slideshow theme are the same for 15 and 14/14.1 (Classic Dark, Array, The Minimalist, Memories, Album, Party Poppers, and Holiday Season.
COMMENTARY
Significant similarities between 15 and 14/14.1 seem striking. So why a Premiere Elements 15 First Look when the point back for details is to Premiere Elements 14/14.1 First Look? It is being decided whether or not to end the 15 First Look and then target the individual Premiere Elements 15 workflows in order to determine the depth of the 15 and 14/14.1 similarities. Although the "same", does the same feature in each of these versions work better, worst, or the same?
To be continued....
ATR
