Learn More About Premiere Pro Classes in Philadelphia
Adobe Premiere Pro is a nonlinear video editing software application created by Adobe as part of their Adobe Creative Cloud suite. Initially launched in 1991, it has since been updated several times and is one of the primary editing programs available on the market today. Geared toward the professional market, it provides far more powerful editing tools than Adobe Premiere Elements, which is a consumer-market product. For example, it has been used by companies as big as CNN and BBC and to edit films like Deadpool and Everything Everywhere All At Once.
When Adobe initially released Premiere, nonlinear video editing was a revolutionary new concept. It allows editors to change video or audio without fixing other areas first. In the past, editing was a front-to-back process, meaning you started at the beginning and made edits to the footage in order. Doing so helped streamline the process and create a coherent end result. With the advent of digital nonlinear editing, filmmakers were free to make changes wherever and whenever they wanted in their footage: the industry as a whole rejoiced at this freeing change!
While Philadelphia isn’t known as a filmmaking mecca like Hollywood and even New York City, it’s large enough to have a surprisingly diverse number of creatives in this field. For example, the Greater Philadelphia Filmmakers Program (GPFM) provides support for screenwriters, directors, and editors and can help you find work in this area. That said, Premiere Pro is useful beyond general filmmaking and applies to many other industries. As a result, it’s a great idea to master this program utilizing in-depth in-person or online classes throughout the Philly region.
What Can You Do with Premiere Pro Training?
Obviously, most people learning Premiere Pro want to transition to a professional career in video editing. Since this program is so expansive, complex, and expensive, anyone learning it likely wants to become a full-time editor. While you could try to learn it on your own after finishing a filmmaking program, taking a course dedicated to this software helps you master its complex user interface (UI) and tools more efficiently. Getting a certificate also shows employers that you understand this program on a professional level and can use it for their projects.
That said, you can use Premiere Pro outside a professional career in a variety of ways. For example, let’s say you’re the go-to video maker for your family when planning weddings, graduations, and reunions. You’ve been using basic (but limited) open-source programs to save money, but your videos always seem a little cheap or slapped together. You know you can do better: mastering Premiere Pro can help you produce professional-grade videos that your family will love. They might even compensate you a little for your hard work if you’re lucky.
Note, too, that Premiere Pro also has audio-editing capabilities, meaning you can use it to produce presentations for work or even podcasts. Podcasting is a fun hobby that some experts turn professional, and mastering Premiere Pro can help you produce more appealing, listenable, and enjoyable productions for your listeners. Depending on how much time you’re willing to spend with it, you could produce excellent listening experiences that can help you capture a wider audience and ensure that your hard work doesn’t go to waste when recording podcasts.
What Will I Learn in a Premiere Pro Class?
When taking an Adobe Premiere Pro course in Philadelphia, you’ll learn multiple lessons that will enhance your career and ensure that you transition to a better and more exciting field. These include multiple hard skills focused on video editing and digital production such as nonlinear editing and video splicing. However, you’ll also learn several soft skills that apply not only to a career in editing but to the rest of your life. Knowing what you’ll practice in these programs can help you direct your education and ensure you receive the help you need.
Nonlinear Editing
Practicing nonlinear editing requires understanding video servers, solid-state drives, hard discs, video frames, scrub/shuttle, metadata, timecodes, localization, take numbers, clip names, player names, characters, and cut-and-paste editing. Your Premiere Pro course should focus heavily on these concepts and help you master them on a deeper level. For example, your professor will discuss how nonlinear editing differs from linear editing and highlight important skills that make mastering Premiere Pro easier for people of any prior editing experience level.
Video Splicing
In the past, video splicing literally required editors to cut sections of physical film and glue them together, creating a seamless flow of footage from multiple sources. Splicing remains an essential skill in digital production but requires far less demanding work. For example, Premiere Pro lets you produce edits like a cut splice (i.e., an abrupt change in footage), a cross dissolve (i.e., a smooth and gradual fade between footage), and jump cuts (i.e., an even more jarring sudden edit). Mastering these can ensure you produce fascinating footage for your clients.
Sound Editing
Adobe Premiere Pro includes extensive sound editing programs that help you produce even better films. Modern, professional filmmaking typically records video using one channel and audio using another, allowing you to edit them separately for even more creative freedom in your work. As a result, Premiere Pro and other nonlinear video editing tools provide expansive sound editing options, including overdubbing, splicing, and adding effects. Effects include artificial reverb, echo, and other unique stylizations that make your videos more exciting.
Special Video Effects
When you’re watching your favorite shows or movies, you probably marvel at the amazing special effects that make modern productions so immersive. While Premiere Pro might not exactly set the world afire with its basic video effects, you can still integrate some pretty powerful stylization into your work. Remember, though: professional film studios have used this program to integrate some surprisingly strong special effects. By mastering these tools, you can produce expert-level work that will give each of your productions more dazzle and excitement.
Computer Skills
You simply can’t master Adobe Premiere Pro if you lack strong computer skills. Just knowing how to turn on your laptop or desktop to check your email or play a few games isn’t enough. While you won’t have to become a computer programmer, you’ll need to understand concepts like opening and saving video files, using different video formats, compressing footage, and working with the user interface. Premiere Pro’s UI is pretty streamlined, and most people pick up on its basic usage quickly; more complex skills may take a lot more time to properly master.
Communication
Video editing is about far more than simply creating an appealing and exciting production. You could splice together dozens of amazing clips that dazzle the eye but mean nothing to the viewer. Instead, every edit you make should focus on communicating a coherent and consistent message to the audience to keep them engaged. Throughout your Premiere Pro learning experience, you’ll learn the importance of using every edit to tell a specific story. You aren’t just making changes for no reason; every tweak should make your message stronger and focused.
How Hard is It to Learn Premiere Pro?
Adobe’s products are popular for a reason: they’re designed to be easy to use and master without expert-level skills. That said, Premiere Pro is a little different because it’s focused so heavily on professional production. It’s not like some of the consumer-grade programs that Adobe produces, which makes it far more complex to use. That said, you should feel comfortable using its basic editing tools fairly quickly. Some can even put together basic videos in days or weeks. That said, mastery might take months or even a year…so get practicing.
What Are the Most Challenging Parts of Learning Premiere Pro?
The trickiest part about learning Premiere Pro isn’t necessarily the user interface (which is mostly pretty intuitive) but simply getting used to nonlinear editing. Knowing how each of your changes affects your overall project is critical because tweaking a single scene might change your timeline and impact how well your film is presented. Put simply, getting to the next level as a Video Editor will take practice and getting over that initial skill hump with Premiere Pro’s UI.
How Long Does It Take to Learn Premiere Pro?
Mastering Premiere Pro will take a different amount of time for varying people. Someone who has lots of computer experience or who has worked with Adobe products before might find it pretty easy to understand Premiere Pro’s unique tools. Raw beginners might struggle and require a little more support through their training program. Generally speaking, theory is that it takes 10,000 hours to master a skill…though that idea has been challenged pretty heavily in recent years. Expect it to take 6-12 months to feel comfortable using Premiere Pro expertly.
Should I Learn Premiere Pro in Person or Online?
Deciding whether to learn in-person or online will depend on your preference. Some people learn best when working hands-on with their professors in a more intimate and friendly environment. If you’re someone who needs extra help mastering complex ideas like video splicing and nonlinear editing, you might want to try an in-person course. Benefits include not only more time with a professor but socialization opportunities with fellow students and material support i.e., your class provides computer and Premiere Pro access for your educational needs.
Thankfully, Philadelphia has many in-person learning experiences that you can try that should improve your overall experience. However, if you’d rather not drive through Philly’s awful traffic (particularly during rush hour), online courses might work well for you. These include live and asynchronous programs. Asynchronous lessons provide extensive video suites you can practice at your own pace. That makes them perfect for people who don’t have time to attend live courses or who simply want to take their education a little more slowly (or quickly).
By contrast, live virtual classes provide a great middle-ground for people who want to learn online but who miss the more hands-on approach common with in-person courses. These programs include real-time education with your professor: they schedule classes at specific times, and you must attend them online. As a result, the feeling is more akin to a traditional learning environment. You’ll also get more time with your professor, particularly in courses with extra one-on-one learning support. Some even record their classes if you have to miss them.
Can I Learn Premiere Pro Free Online?
Sure, you can try learning Premiere Pro for free using YouTube, free seminars, and other unique resources. These tools can help you practice specific learning experiences such as troubleshooting an editing problem and finding a reasonable solution. However, it’s important to note that these courses do have limitations. Put simply, they’re not immersive enough to provide a truly comprehensive learning experience. Yes, you can learn a few tips and tricks using free virtual tools. But you’ll leave gaps in your education that are hard to fill without expert training.
What Should I Learn Alongside Premiere Pro?
If you’re interested in mastering Adobe Premiere Pro, it’s also important to practice a few other related skills to improve your overall video editing knowledge. For example, you might want to learn related Adobe tools such as After Effects, Acrobat, Lightroom, InCopy, and Audition. These tools help with things like producing video effects, creating unique copy elements, editing software, and much more. Similarly, learning general video editing can enhance your knowledge base and make you a better Premiere Pro user with more advanced skills in filmmaking.
Similarly, to transition into this unique field, you might want to expand your overall design knowledge to include user interface (UI) design. How would this be helpful in the world of video production? Well, imagine that you’re working for a web design company as a Video Editor. They want you to create a simple digital interface that lets viewers control your videos. Understanding UI design can ensure you produce an attractive overall design that works smoothly and efficiently. Besides that, there’s no harm in simply expanding your resume with more skills!
You can also learn Adobe XD to master user experience or UX Design. This concept focuses on streamlining a consumer’s interaction with a product or service to make it more efficient and effective. Mastering this skill alongside Premiere Pro could help you expand your resume and potentially find even better jobs. For instance, you could use UX design concepts to produce more attractive and engaging video productions. After all, your film should satisfy the customers: utilizing UX can help you find what viewers like and focus on what works in your videos.
Industries That Use Premiere Pro
Philadelphia is the economic center of Pennsylvania and a powerhouse among the Delaware Valley states: Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, and Maryland. As the ninth-largest economic hub in the nation, it’s considered a “beta” city or one that serves many important industries internationally. In recent years, it’s shifted to an information tech and service economy and is a hub for many biotechnology careers. Thankfully, there are also many industries that use Premiere Pro you can tap introduction to transform your career with this software and other products.
Filmmaking
Over the years, Philadelphia has slowly built a filmmaking industry. It might not threaten Hollywood but can provide video editors unique job opportunities. For example, the Walt Disney Company has an office in Philly and is likely the largest filmmaker in the region. However, there are also smaller firms like Anonymous Content and LivePlanet centered in this city. That said, even major studios like Paramount, Warner Brothers, and ESPN have headquarters here, meaning you could find a job in filmmaking more easily than you might have anticipated.
Video Production
How does video production differ from filmmaking? Well, you’ll likely work more on industrial training films, educational videos, and marketing products rather than making creative films. Some people transition into this field and thrive because it’s a steady and productive market with many job opportunities. Video producers in Philly include Maestro Filmworks, JTwo Films, True Film Production, and New Pace Productions. These companies often need people with Premiere Pro expertise who can provide hands-on support in many production types.
Information Technology
Information technology or IT firms may need experts who understand Premiere Pro. That might seem strange at first but think of it this way: these firms often need people like web developers, digital designers, and user interface designers who can use Premiere Pro. For example, web developers may use Premiere to produce engaging videos online, while digital designers use it when creating production presentations for new projects. No matter what your interest in tech, there should be at least some IT firm in Philly looking to hire people with your specific skill sets.
Marketing and Advertising
Within Philly’s marketing and advertising world, agencies like Sparks Marketing Group, NAPCO Media, DMi Partners, 160over90, LeagueSide, Neff Associates, and Braithwaite Communications need people who deeply understand Premiere Pro. Creating attractive and engaging advertising videos is a fine art form: by understanding Premiere Pro, you better prepare yourself for this unique skill set. Furthermore, you can transition these skills to other related fields such as filmmaking, video production, and other fascinating industries.
Education
Philadelphia is not just an economic hub for the Delaware Valley region but an educational one as well. Facilities like Temple University, the University of Pennsylvania, the University of Delaware, Drexel University, Penn State, Rutgers University, Thomas Jefferson University, and The Goddard School may all need video makers who understand Premiere Pro. Whether you get a teaching job with these schools or become a marketer or videographer for events, you should be able to find fascinating careers at these facilities that may challenge you.
Fundraising
If you’re interested in non-profit work to help make Philadelphia a better place to live, there are many companies that may interest you. These fundraising firms include Graham-Pelton, Gail Perry Group, CCS Fundraising, Campbell Company, and Fairmount Ventures. Companies like these typically need video production teams to help advertise and market their events. You may also film footage to share online to raise interest in your events. Though your pay may not be high, you can rest easy knowing you are doing great work for Philly’s most needful residents.
Premiere Pro Job Titles and Salaries
The fascinating thing about Premiere Pro is that you can utilize it for many fascinating careers with a broad range of earning potentials. These include multiple jobs throughout Philadelphia that could intrigue you. Within these different jobs, multiple opportunities exist to move up in your field. For example, video editors may become video managers or other high-earning careers that could help you earn even more money. Check out the following fields (including their roles and salaries) to ensure you pick the best for your needs and career.
Video Editor
As a Video Editor, you’ll work hands-on in many different potential industries to produce attractive and appealing films for your clients. You’ll work closely with scriptwriters, storyboarders, sound editors, and directors to actualize their vision for a production. For example, you might edit a film to more closely follow the storyboard, edit out mistakes that make a film less professional, and ensure that everything is coherent throughout the work. Continuity is critical with video editing and includes sound editing and even effect management.
Earnings in this industry can vary heavily based on your location. Expect a national average of about $52,000, with higher earning options in places like California, Texas, and Virginia. In Philadelphia, expect to make an average of $62,000 for your hard work. That’s about 11.63% higher than the national median! The highest-earning video editors make about $82,000 in Washington, D.C., which might make relocating here a smart idea if you have the option.
Video Manager
A job as a Video Manager is fascinating, exciting, and potentially very rewarding financially! In this field, you’ll work on digital advertisements, television shows, movies, video games, and much more, and will work on planning and overseeing video production. You might not use Premiere Pro in your day-to-day tasks (as you’ll oversee filmmakers and editors) but must understand it anyway. For example, if one of your editors struggles to understand proper editing techniques, you can help correct their mistakes and ensure they produce great work.
The US average salary for this job is $51,000, though there are higher-earning careers available around the country. For example, New York City (not far from Philly and often similar in its salary levels) pays video managers about $69,000, as does Washington, D.C. Note that you can also progress to bigger careers in this field or even try freelance video management! Starting a video management company could raise your earning potential but may create more work for you. For example, you’ll have to hustle and advertise your firm to bring in customers and make cash.
Digital Marketer
The marketing field focuses heavily on producing attractive webpages, advertisements, and videos that appeal to customers and increase loyalty. As a Digital Marketer, you’ll likely use Premiere Pro to produce engaging video ads that capture an audience’s attention. For example, you might film short (often 5-15 seconds) videos for YouTube and other platforms that must quickly engage with the audience and convert them before they skip them. Knowing Premiere Pro will make this process easier and give you a better understanding of this process.
The average salary for this position in America is $64,000, which is a pretty solid wage. In Philadelphia, you can earn a median of about $68,000, which is 6.37% higher than the national average. Throughout the Philly region, areas like Washington, D.C. ($71,000 or 11.14% higher) and New York City ($80,000 or 25.42% higher) make more money than Philadelphia, so it may be worth relocating to either area. That said, you can also move up the corporate ladder if you want, including trying to become marketing managers who oversee larger teams of employees.
Web Designer
How exactly does a Web Designer utilize Premiere Pro in their day-to-day job? Well, you might integrate marketing, training, or promotional videos on your websites and use Premiere Pro to make them more attractive! Imagine being able to take raw video and edit it to make boring or uninteresting ads zing on the page and draw in the user. Even if you don’t use this program every day in your career, understanding it deeply can ensure that you produce better work and create webpages that your customers will enjoy…which can greatly improve your success!
Currently, the national average salary for web designers is $53,000 or so. That’s fairly low compared to Philadelphia, which is actually one of the highest-earning areas for this profession. With a median earning potential of $91,000, Philly web designers make over 73% more than the national average! As a result, it’s a great field to join in this region, particularly if you’re interested in the tech field. Even better, mastering Premiere Pro can help you advance in this career by helping you create interesting and fascinating web videos your customers will enjoy.
Motion Graphics Designer
Working as a Motion Graphics Designer can be a very rewarding experience, both professionally and financially. According to Glassdoor, motion graphics designers can make about $71,000 nationally, depending on their location and role. Typically, you’ll work in various fields such as television, tech, software, live video, video games, applications, web products, and film productions. As a MoGraph expert, you’ll use video effects and animations made in Premiere Pro and other software to finalize innovative productions in multiple markets.
For example, you may work heavily with video game products to create innovative graphics using live video or integrate animation into your work to make it even more appealing. Premiere Pro lets you edit large amounts of video quickly and integrates some simple effects, which should make it easier for you to produce attractive and engaging work. Note: you’ll likely have to work your way up to this role from other positions such as a Video Editor, so make sure that you’re willing to put in the time to master this role after completing your Premiere Pro training.
Premiere Pro Classes Near Me
If you’re interested in learning Premiere Pro in Philadelphia, there are many in-person and online courses that might appeal to you. These classes come primarily from private institutions, though there’s at least one community college program that may appeal to you. No matter what your skill level, you can find a course that fits your interests and helps advance your career. Please read through each option carefully here. We’ll discuss what makes each school interesting before highlighting one or more programs or classes that you might enjoy.
Community College of Philadelphia
Community College of Philadelphia or CCP is a well-respected educational team that provides hands-on learning on a variety of subjects. With a broad range of degrees and certificates, CCP is a good place to start your video editing career. Earning an associate degree or a certificate can show employers that you understand video production (including Premiere Pro) and help advance your career exponentially. Note that this will take a little more time than a traditional training certificate but does provide more hands-on learning opportunities.
Digital Video Production
Digital Video Production is a comprehensive class that immerses you in various photo and video editing techniques that can prepare you for a career in this field. As an associate degree program, you’ll not only take courses related to Premiere Pro and other software but focus heavily on electives like algebra, English composition, and United States history. These classes give you a more rounded education during your course. Thankfully, a vast majority of your credits go towards video editing, meaning it should be easy for you to begin your career.
Note that you must complete PHOT 104 with a B or higher grade to continue your curriculum in this program, so pay close attention to that course to avoid any issues. Also, don’t forget that this is a two-year associate degree program. That means it will cost thousands of dollars and require full-time attendance across four semesters. If you have that kind of money (financial aid is accepted here, thankfully) and time, it’s a good way to start your career. If you’re a little uncertain about your interest or time, it might be better to try out a shorter, cheaper option.
Certstaffix Training
Available nationally across multiple locations, Certstaffix Training is a respected and high-quality training team that can help you prepare for tech-related careers. For example, Certstaffix can teach you about end-user/desktop design, professional-level IT skills, online marketing, business management, and even programming/development. With multiple courses that cover Adobe Premiere (with a fast-paced and inexpensive learning environment), this school is a good choice if you’re ready to just jump into your career with minimal waiting.
Adobe Premiere
This live course comes with a certificate of completion, a digital badge, printed coursework, and a six-month retake that you can use if you want to refresh your skills or if you fail the class. It’s a hands-on learning opportunity with a software lab that will teach you in-depth Premiere Pro skills. Just as importantly, you’ll get live feedback from your teacher during each session. As a result, you can ask questions and get clarifications to ensure that you fully understand your lessons with minimal to no difficulty.
During this course, you’ll learn about nonlinear editing, get hands-on work with Premiere Pro’s interface, set up keyboard shortcuts, create a project, produce a sequence, examine settings, integrate media files, understand voice-over work, get help with still images, and so much more. It’s very fast-paced, so pay close attention if you decide to work through this class. When you’re done, you’ll have a real project you can share on your resume, one that shows off what you learned with this course and that your potential employer can use to gauge your skills.
Ledet Training
Over the years, Ledet Training has built a reputation for excellence in both in-person courses (available in multiple major US cities, the closest to Philly being Washington, D.C.) as well as online learning opportunities. If you’re interested in mastering Premiere Pro, this facility provides multiple courses, including more advanced and introduction classes. We’ll focus on the introductory courses for people who have minimal experience with video production. However, we’ll also briefly highlight the more advanced classes to help you make an informed choice.
Adobe Premiere 101 – Premiere Essentials
Adobe Premiere 101 is a two-day course costing just $899. It’s designed to teach you how to bring video media to life utilizing this powerful software. You’ll create various projects, use best editing practices (such as three-point editing and transitions), integrate visual effects, and much more. Though it’s fast, you’ll learn a lot if you pay close attention to your in-depth professor. They’ll provide insights into what you’re doing right, where you could improve your skills, and so much more. With their insights, it should be easy to progress to more advanced courses.
For example, Premiere 201 covers more advanced subjects, including integrating After Effects, Photoshop, and Media Encoder from Adobe’s suite of tools. Just as importantly, you’ll learn about HD format, cinematic layouts, warp stabilizers, ultra keys, and even slip-and-slide edits. Finally, you can try Adobe Video 501 to learn all about this company’s many video-editing tools. This class is best for people who are truly serious about their career and who have already completed beginner and intermediate classes from Ledet.
Noble Desktop
When it comes to online training, Noble Desktop practically wrote the book. Among the first teams to innovate live virtual training, Noble has provided excellent part- and full-time courses in New York City and beyond since 1990. With a hands-on learning method that includes dynamic activities, portfolio-building exercises, and fantastic bootcamps, they remain one of the most respected and award-winning training teams around. As recently as 2023, they were named one of the best bootcamps in the nation, meaning you’re getting industry-leading excellence.
Premiere Pro Bootcamp
Do you want an immersive bootcamp experience that will take you from beginning knowledge to mastery or at least get you started a good way on that path? Premiere Pro Bootcamp from Noble Desktop includes 18 hours of training in a fast-paced environment. Costing just $975, it’s a great opportunity if you’re looking to get ready for a new job quickly and efficiently. Subjects you’ll learn include nonlinear editing, Premiere Pro UI tips and tricks, and basic media integration. It’s a strong opportunity to take your life in a better, more profitable direction.
Furthermore, Noble Desktop offers more Premiere Pro classes than other providers! Premiere Pro in a Day is exactly what the name says on the tin: a six-hour class (costing just $425) that will immerse you in the basics of Adobe Premiere Pro. You can then try Premiere Pro Advanced (12 hours at $695) to boost your skills even further. Note: these two courses are the same you’ll study in the bootcamp, just available separately.
Premiere Pro Corporate Training
If you’re looking to prepare a whole squad of video editors on Premiere Pro and want to get it all done at once, consider corporate training with Noble Desktop. This educational team provides a myriad of unique benefits that make working with them a great opportunity. For example, they provide in-person learning in New York City and online, meaning your Philly crew can learn from the comfort of the office. With setup assistance, discounted bulk vouchers, and highly personal teachers, your team should feel comfortable learning Premiere Pro. You will need computers with high-speed internet and Premiere Pro to start your training, so prepare that first.
You can then contact corporate@nobledesktop.com to learn more about available times and costs. Typically, they can set up a program based on your availability. For example, if your team meets between 9 and 5 every Tuesday through Saturday, they can book classes that make sense. Note that you also get benefits like video suites that help keep your team’s knowledge level high. These videos can be watched at any time after you complete the course. Did anybody fail the class or need extra help? You get a free retake for up to one year after finishing.