Capturing and Importing Source Clips > Obtaining source material for your project
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Obtaining source material for your project


You can import clips from any source--videotapes, motion-picture film, audio, still images--as long as they exist as digital files stored on disk. Source material exists in two main forms:
  • Digital media is stored in a file format that a computer can read and process directly. Many newer cameras and audio recorders can save images and sound in a digital format. All digital-video (DV) camcorders and decks record video and audio in digital format. Digital media stored on tape must be transferred to disk before Premiere can use it in a project. Premiere can capture digital video from tape and save it to disk as clips that you can then add to your project.
  • Analog media must be digitized, or converted to digital form, before a computer can store and process it. Some examples of analog media are motion-picture film, conventional audio tape, and slides. Premiere, in conjunction with a capture card, can digitize analog videotape such as Hi-8 and save it to disk as clips that you can then add to your project.

    • Although digital media equipment is becoming increasingly common, a great amount of video and audio continues to be recorded and stored using analog equipment. For this reason, you may need to capture analog video and audio as part of your workflow. You can digitize analog video directly into Premiere if you use digitizing hardware to connect an analog video player or camera to your computer. Video-digitizing hardware is built into some personal computers, but usually must be added to a system by installing a compatible hardware capture card. For a list of compatible cards, see the Adobe Premiere Web site (http://www.adobe.com/premiere).

    Capturing and Importing Source Clips > Obtaining source material for your project