To adjust keyframe curves in Premiere Pro, you'll primarily be manipulating Bezier handles to control the rate of change between keyframes. Here's how:
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Reveal Keyframes: Open the Effect Controls panel for the clip you're working with. Locate the property (e.g., Position, Scale, Opacity) containing the keyframes you want to modify. Click the small triangle to reveal the keyframe graph for that property.
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Select the Right Tool: Ensure you have either the Selection tool (V) or the Pen tool (P) active. Both allow you to manipulate keyframe curves.
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Access Bezier Handles: Click on the small dot representing a keyframe to select it. If the keyframe isn't already set to a temporal interpolation method that allows curve adjustment (e.g., Linear, Bezier, Auto Bezier, Continuous Bezier), you will need to right-click on the keyframe in the timeline and choose one of those options from the "Temporal Interpolation" menu. Bezier and Auto Bezier are the most common for manual adjustments.
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Adjust the Slope: Once the Bezier handles are visible (extending out from the keyframe), click and drag them up or down. This will adjust the steepness of the curve leading into and out of the keyframe, thus changing the rate of the animation at that point. Steeper curves result in faster changes, while shallower curves create smoother, slower transitions.
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Adjust the Range of Influence: Drag the Bezier handles left or right. This changes how far away from the keyframe the curve's influence extends. A longer handle means the smoothing effect starts earlier and lasts longer.
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Independent Handle Adjustment: If you want to adjust each handle independently (to create asymmetrical curves), hold down Alt (Windows) or Option (macOS) while dragging a handle. This unlocks the handles, allowing you to control the incoming and outgoing slopes separately.
Tips and Considerations:
- Auto Bezier vs. Bezier: Auto Bezier automatically creates smooth curves. Bezier gives you more manual control. Experiment to see which works best for your animation.
- Continuous Bezier: This type keeps the handles linked to maintain a smooth curve even when you move the keyframe itself.
- Reset to Linear: If you want to remove the curve and return to a straight, linear interpolation, right-click the keyframe and choose Temporal Interpolation > Linear.
- Graph Editor: The Graph Editor within the Effect Controls panel provides a more detailed view and control over keyframe values and curves. You can even draw custom curves in some cases.
- Practice: Experiment with different handle positions to understand how they affect the animation. The best way to learn is by doing!
