After effects vs. Premiere is an evergreen topic in the editing world. Basically, both are products of Adobe, and in this article, you will find out which one you should choose to use when you’re working with video.
Let’s get started!
Using the right tools and software is crucial, especially in these times of fierce competition. If you want to be one step in front of it, you need to know which one of the two programs applies to your needs in the best way possible.
It’s not that After Effects and Premiere are poles apart, but they share a few similarities. However, there are some specific uses of each that you need to be well aware of when you’re deciding which one you’ll use for your projects.
Adobe Premiere Pro
It is a non-linear editor or shortly NLE. Now, what does that mean? It means that you can edit different video sequences, add various clips and different soundtracks on the same timeline.
Premiere was firstly launched in 2003, and since then, Adobe kept adding additional features that made it more user friendly and more powerful. So, no matter your skill level, either you’re a complete beginner or video editing veteran, this software will completely fulfill your every editing requirement.
It works as a multi-functional application and supports both Windows or Mac operating systems. Also, it will run quite smoothly on moderately good devices. So you can edit your clips and color correct them with ease, even if you don’t have the latest or the fastest computer.
Besides being an efficient video editing software, you can also tweak the audio with it. This feature is great because you do not need a separate audio editor to work with on your project, and that saves you a lot of time and money at the same time.
The Premiere comes with a great option of importing material directly from the camera, so you can start editing it in no time. Either you’re working on a video clip or a music file, Adobe Premiere Pro is a go-to program that helps you get your job done with the maximum ease and efficiency.
Do you want to add a text to your video? No problem! Premiere gives you the complete freedom to choose between all system installed fonts, styles, and sizes. Besides that, you can wrap it freely.
The next amazing feature is the possibility of adding transitions. If you’re in the video editing industry, you know that transitions enrich the footage and make it more pleasant for the viewers. Moreover, you may add some basic effects to your shots to make them stand-out.
As you can see, the application offers you a mixture of different features so that you can express your creativity in every way possible.
Why is Adobe Premiere Pro Better?
When it comes to After Effects vs. Premiere Pro, the second of the two has some edge compared to the first one. Here are the details!
As we already find out at the beginning of this article that Premiere is an NLE program and gives you the possibility of fine-tuning multiple recordings on a single timeline. It’s impossible to do the same task in AF because different clips would just stack up on top of each other.
The straightforward use of the timeline adds speed and precision to your work.
Also already mentioned feature of Premiere Pro that gives it a leg up is the audio editing functionality, which AF doesn’t have. You may perfect the sound no matter the material type you’re working with.
If we focus back on the video editing capabilities, the process of color correcting and color grading is much easier and quickly achieved with Premiere.
Where Premiere falls short in contrast to After Effects is the ability to add some special effects to make your shots more extravagant looking. Moreover, it lacks the power of creating animations from scratch.
Despite being limited to some features that will spice up your footage, Premiere Pro is the go-to application for everyone who wants to put together the next YouTube video or state of the all-night art movie with the least effort possible.
Adobe After Effect
After Effects is a video compositing software where you can create advanced digital visual effects, sophisticated motion graphics, and complex compositions from scratch. There is a high probability that the fancy animations and effects you see in videos, films, and ads were created in AF.
Why is Adobe After Effect better?
If you want to get the basic understanding of After Effects superiority, contrary to Premiere is to determine what type of work requires the use of AE and its features.
One of the main reasons you should choose AE over Premiere and I’ve already touched this before is when you want to create advanced video effects and motion graphics from the ground up. Let me illustrate that. If you’re going to produce a remarkable intro for your footage with a complex animation, you can accomplish that with AE and not Premiere Pro.
Working with all three axes – X, Y, and Z in After Effects is a cakewalk, and you can create advanced 3D animations with that feature. On the other hand, Premiere doesn’t come with this attribute, so you can only influence different object perspectives.
Now that we are already talking about the 3D space, another great option of AF is camera tracking, where you can attach different objects or text to the walls or ground of your footage.
Another aspect where AE thrives is in the keyframe control. In this fashion, you can affect all the tiny details with the advanced panel. Thus, you can speed up or slow down desired elements with extreme precision.
Are you familiar with the Stamp Tool from Photoshop? It is a tool where you can remove the unwanted things from the photo. The same widget can be found in After Effects, and you can use it to cover undesirable spots throughout the whole footage.
One thing that Premiere Pro can’t do is face tracking, so if you want to replace a face in a video with a desirable one, you can do it easily in AF. Moreover, you can only affect only one specific area of the face, such as eyes, and you can make them bigger or change their color.
Another strong point of After Effects is its advanced masking feature. Yes, you can mask with Premiere as well, but is not as sophisticated as one in AF.
In this framework, the features of the program really shine. On the other hand, for video editing, choose Premiere Pro.
Final Words: After Effects vs. Premiere
When you’re selecting the proper software for your video project work, ask yourself what do you want to achieve with the specific program?
If you’re going to cut the footage and merge it with other clips into a final product, then Premiere Pro is the best option for you. However, if you are in the industry of animation or you want to add a bit of flair to your clips, then pick After Effect.
Both applications complement each other. One falls short in specific areas where other shines. Yet if you’re an all-rounder, you will probably work with both.
I need to add one more thing. You can connect both through Adobe Dynamic Link for maximum ease of usability. It stores all your data in one place, so you can import or export the files from one application to another in a blink of an eye. This function is great because it saves you a lot of your precious time!
