PE: Slideshow Photos at Music Beats

INTRODUCTION

Placing slideshow photos at music beats has been feature of Premiere Elements at least from 4 through 2019 soundtrack/music track. These versions include

• "detect beats" choice with manual placement of photos at the beat markers automatically set by "detect beats" choice 

or instead

• unnumbered markers manual placement coupled with media's Create Slideshow choice for automatic placement of photos at the unnumbered markers.

Especially for Premiere Elements 11 through 2019, refer to HERE for the Adobe document "Using soundtracks" and its section titled "Create beat markers for soundtracks". That document has "Applied to: Premiere Elements" and "Last Published: July 28, 2017". Also, refer to HERE for my comments in the old forum thread titled "Beat Markers" and dated March 26, 2014.

ISSUE

It was decided to share some notes on the subject, pointing out that even the media's Create Slideshow option has survived through Premiere Elements 2019.


OBSERVATIONS

For automatic placement of beat markers and manual placement of photos at those Timeline beat markers -
I used Beat Detect option in called Timeline workspace (versions at least 4 to 10) or called Expert workspace (versions 11 through 2019). Beat Detect Settings dialog and its default settings shown in Figure 1 are representative of that dialog from all the versions.

Figure 1. Beat Detect Settings Dialog And Its Default Settings Representative Of That Dialog In Premiere Elements Versions At Least 4 Through 2019.

Each photo was then dragged to an automatically placed beat marker, and photo was manually  adjusted as needed.



For manual placement of unnumbered markers at music beats heard by user and Create Slideshow automatic placement of photos at Timeline unnumbered markers -
I ran the audio clip, and, as the music played, I hit the * key to place the unnumbered marker(s) across the audio clip duration at spots where I believed I heard a music beat. This worked using the * key of the computer auxiliary keyboard (not the * key above the 8 of the computer main keyboard). Then I went to Project Assets (versions 11 through 2019), selected more than one photo at a time, right clicked in the selection, and clicked on Create Slideshow option. In the Create Slideshow dialog, I made sure that I had a check mark next to "Place Images/Clips at Unnumbered Markers". The Create Slideshow dialog and its settings shown in Figure 2  are representative of that dialog from all the versions.

Figure 2. Create Slideshow Dialog And Its Default Settings Representative Of That Dialog In Premiere Elements Versions At Least 4 Through 2019.

Note: "Place Images/Clips at Unnumbered Markers" was grayed out unless I had the unnumbered markers placed before going to the Create Slideshow which was available from the project media area. In some earlier versions of Premiere Elements (like 4 and 7), the Create Slideshow option was not present unless the media were being viewed and selected in the Project header/List View and a file thumbnail right clicked to get at the Create Slideshow option and dialog.

COMMENTARY

It was interesting to follow the evolution of this topic. Back in the days of Premiere Elements 4 and 7, that Create SlideShow dialog worked for automatic placement of photos at beat markers or unnumbered markers even though the selected option in the Create Slideshow option reads "Place Images/Clips at Unnumbered Markers".

More information to be posted when available.*

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*Generalization for Premiere Elements 11 - 2019 versions with Video Story and Instant Movie features: Adobe's placement of beat markers as part of an Instant Movie theme can be seen after the completed Instant Movie is broken apart at the Premiere Elements Expert workspace Timeline. There was no sighting of beat marker placement in a Video Story theme, another one of the "template based movie" features.