After years of domination in the pro video field, Apple, many believe, made a strategic error with the release of Final Cut Pro X ($299.99 in the Mac App Store), a misstep rival Adobe has benefitted from in its efforts to reclaim lost market shares for Premiere Pro ($799, adobe.com). The front line in this ongoing battle now shifts to the consumer market with the release of Premiere Elements 10, Adobe’s latest video editing suite for regular folks.
Despite the double-digit version number, PE10 is only the second iteration on the Mac after a decade of popularity on Windows. Adobe makes up for lost time quickly, offering a feature-packed refuge for those averse to Cupertino’s reimagined iMovie ($14.99 in the Mac App Store), assuming you’re willing to pay the higher price tag of $99.99, or $149.99 bundled with Photoshop Elements 10. (An optional Plus version—an additional $30 for the bundle or $40 for the individual software—is also available.)
PE10 offers two ways to work. An easy-to-use Sceneline view displays each piece of content as a large icon with space for transitions on each side—an interface reminiscent of the long-lost iMovie HD 6. One click switches to Timeline mode, which offers traditional clip-based editing features for more advanced users.
Premiere Elements 10 provides Sceneline editing for novice users while keeping more traditional Timeline editing a click away.
Project presets are included for common cameras ranging from AVCHD (which PE10 edits natively) to DV, HDV, and Flip. While there’s no preset for iOS devices, this media can indeed be imported—but oddly, PE10 uses two different windows for importing video and photos. Dragging iPhone 4 video onto a new timeline gives you the option to automatically select a compatible preset (Flip Mino HD, in this case).
Ever dream of throwing clips at an editing program and having it do all the work for you? PE10 can oblige with the newly enhanced InstantMovie, which spits out one-click movies based upon themes, complete with titles, music, effects, and transitions. The feature does what it claims, but the results are often on the cheesy side. You’ll also need at least five minutes of footage; otherwise clips will repeat. Thankfully, you can use InstantMovie to create a first draft, then break apart the results and further tweak them into something more usable.
Another new feature is SmartSound, previously a Windows-only tool for automatic music soundtrack creation. This feature taps into the power of Sonicfire Pro 5, but is hamstrung by the limited choice of free tracks included and a clunky, completely separate application that’s more trouble than it’s worth. Worse yet, full albums of music sell for more than PE10 itself!
Other features likely to please include full-featured pan and zoom for incorporating moving photos into your project with extensive control over the results, easy tagging of Facebook friends, and automatic adjustments to enhance the look of your footage, with manual color correction that rivals more expensive pro software.
The bottom line. On the Mac, the target audience for Premiere Elements 10 is largely the same as Premiere Pro: users unhappy with the direction Apple is taking. However, with iMovie ’11 a whopping $85 less than PE10 in the Mac App Store and the far more powerful Final Cut Pro X only $200 more, Adobe may have an uphill battle ahead. That hurdle aside, Premiere Elements 10 offers a respectable alternative for consumers and prosumers alike, especially with the cost-effective Photoshop Elements 10 bundle.
Premiere Elements 10
Multicore Intel processor, Mac OS 10.5.8 or later, 2GB of RAM, 4GB disk space for install, 5GB disk space for content, 1024x768-pixel display or higher, QuickTime 7
Offers a compelling alternative to Apple’s video editing solutions. Wide array of features, import, and sharing options, including Blu-ray burning, HD movies on standard DVD-R discs, and AVCHD format.
32-bit compatibility mode only on 64-bit systems. Price high compared to Apple’s editing software. SmartSound is a chore to use and expensive to buy additional tracks.
