Adobe Premiere Pro CC: Wish List Scorecard

Premiere Pro CC Scorecard based on my list of CS6 Gripes: 26 of 88* items checked off the list…so far

* That score may sound low given the length of my list, but 26 is an impressive number. So much so, that I’m pretty sure they used my previous post as a roadmap. I’m usually pleasantly surprised if a major software update addresses one or two of my concerns. (I’m looking at you, Dreamweaver.)

1. Hardware acceleration support for more AMD/ATI GPUs

   I give this a “neutral” because moving forward, it looks like Adobe will support hardware acceleration in high-end Apple hardware whether equipped with AMD or NVIDIA GPUs, but if your current system’s AMD card is not supported, don’t hold out hope that it ever will be.

2. Thumbnail images/show frames bug

   In my original list, I called this a bug because I figured there was be no way it could be intentional behavior. After two major updates, I now realize that it’s not a bug. It’s just weak implementation.

   There is no persistent cache for thumbnail images in the Timeline. The images get recreated every time a project is opened.

   This is also the case for bin thumbnails, although that may have something to do with hover scrub.

   In Final Cut Pro 7, you could set the thumbnail image disk cache size, and I would set it high enough that I could go back to a project months later and still have thumbnails load instantly as I scrolled through the Timeline. The only real limitation was the memory setting for the cache, which had to stay pretty low in a 32-bit app, but that shouldn’t be a problem in a 64-bit app.

   If you set your Timeline for continuous thumbnails, Adobe’s behavior is extremely annoying in a long sequence. It slows you down. I understand that the thumbnails may have to regenerated after changes to track size or as clips are adjusted, but a RAM cache already exists (or else thumbnails would get regenerated every time you scrolled, which is not the case). So save it to disk! It won’t take up much space.

3. Assign source/target tracks/selected tracks/active tracks/are you kidding?/WTF?

   This gets a double check mark because it’s huge. Track patching has been vastly simplified and improved. It’s much more like Final Cut Pro 7, only more customizable.

   This was my explanation of the problem in previous versions:

   If you’ve switched to Premiere from Final Cut Pro, you know what I’m talking about, and you’re pissed. The source track/target track/selected track system at the head of the Timeline and at the heart of Premiere’s basic editing operations is remarkably overcomplicated and inconsistent. Since it’s clear that Adobe has been listening, there must be some licensing issue, some esoteric use, or some bizarre nostalgic embrace of this craziness by John Adobe himself that has allowed this mess to continue to exist.

   In order to target a track to insert or overwrite a clip (V, A1, A2, etc.), you also have to separately select it at the front of the Timeline (Video 1, Video 2, Audio 1, Audio 2, etc.). In many cases, you also have to individually unselect every other track that you don’t want to target, because Premiere will just pick the top selected track as the target regardless of the one you have targeted.

   I’ll try to break it down with an example, but there are so many permutations, it’s difficult to be concise.

   So you have a clip open in the source viewer and you want to perform an overwrite edit. Being accustomed to FCP, you slide the clip over the Program viewer and drop. Simple enough. It will land in the Timeline in whichever track is the lowest of those that are selected. Okay, weird, but no biggie, and yes, you can select multiple video tracks, although only one will be used. (The selected tracks are the ones in the wider of those 2 columns at the head of the Timeline.) Just ignore the source track indicators (the V, A1, etc.). I know what you’re thinking. It would be easier just to slide those into place, rather than all the clicking it takes to select your target track and unselect the others, but the source track target makes no difference in this operation.

   Of course, you’re a pro. So you want to learn the keyboard commands as quickly as possible. Try the same exact thing, only this time, press the period key. That’s the overwrite shortcut. At this point, any number of surprising things can occur. One possibility is that nothing will happen. That’s because you have to slide the source track indicator to your target track AND make sure the track is selected in the next column. Forget the whole lowest selected track thing. That no longer applies.

   It used to be even worse. Try repeating those same steps in CS5.5 using the Insert button instead of the associated keyboard shortcut, and you’ll get a third set of entirely distinct behaviors.

   Thinking this was still too simple, Adobe threw in “sync lock” for good measure. It’s kind of like a reverse track lock, which is a nice idea. The supposed function is to push all sync locked tracks down the Timeline after an insert edit and keep the others in place, but turn it off for a track and you’ll find it makes no difference — unless you also deselect the track. Be sure to select at least one of the tracks that is supposed to move as well.

   I won’t even get into more insert edit nonsense.

   Finally, just as a final fuck you, it’s actually possible to click on the source track indicators (as opposed to sliding them) and select or deselect them, much like the target tracks. What this abominable combination of unselected, yet kind of selected, source track and selected and/or unselected target tracks can accomplish, I don’t know. Frankly, I don’t want to know.

   The “slideable” V and A1, etc. markers should set the target tracks both in function and name. Personally, I would get rid of the track selection altogether (We never missed it in FCP.), but at the very least, those selections shouldn’t have any impact on standard insert and overwrite edits, regardless of whether an editor prefers keyboard shortcuts, mouse clicks, or telepathy.

   Even if the behaviors were consistent, what’s with all the track selection/deselection? You can assign keyboard shortcuts to some of these behaviors (e.g. to select all tracks), but why make such a fundamental element — no, the fundamental element — of editing so convoluted?

   Lastly, the two columns of Source and Target or whatever, take up more space than necessary. There’s nothing I hate more than a waste of perfectly good pixels!

4. Premiere Pro CS6 is simply buggy on a Mac: frequent crashes, “serious error” messages, and spinning beach balls

   The first time you see the message that Premiere Pro has encountered “a serious error” and has to shut down, you assume from the tone that it is a rare circumstance and that the authorities have been notified. But this error and other fatal errors are flat out common. They can happen at any time, and when they do, I find myself Googling “what’s new in FCPX” and start to wonder if I’ve made a mistake.

   From my CS6 gripes:

   Every time I open a project file in Premiere, I get a little anxious watching the progress bar trudge along, especially if it has been a few weeks or months since I last opened the file. This fear is born of not-entirely-infrequent encounters with messages such as one that ominously states that a “serious error has occurred that requires Adobe Premiere to shut down.”

   It’s polite of Premiere to give the heads up that it’s about to crash, but the end result is the same: a quickened pulse and flashes of second-guessing my backup routine. Frequently, the project file will open after a system restart, but this does little to inspire confidence.

   In Final Cut Pro 7, I expect even the oldest project files to open painlessly and have been rarely let down.

   Difficultly opening project files is just one example of Premiere’s instability. Many other operations have led to crashes as well. Hopefully, I will soon be able to describe the Mac version of Adobe Premiere Pro as being “rock solid,” but it’s not there yet in CS6.0.2.

5. Deleting an item from a bin should not delete it from the Timeline

   I frequently create temporary bins for copies of “maybe” clips. In Premiere, I can’t clean up those bins, i.e. delete them, if I end up using even just one of the clips. This really becomes a problem because of the way I create iterations of sequences. I regularly copy my current sequence and drop it in a bin called “incremental”, sometimes renaming it to indicate the most recent changes. That way, when I screw something up down the line, I can go back to that sequence. Auto backup is great in emergencies, but it does not give me that kind of control or freedom to experiment.

   Those sequences add up though and suddenly I can’t remove a clip from a bin because it was used in some early draft.

   This is all part of a bigger problem, though, which is the whole master file versus instance versus subclip versus dup clip thing. There aren’t any good indicators regarding the relationships of these clips, and there are few ways to adjust them.

   If clips are going to be connected, then they should be fully connected. For instance, changing the name of a clip in the bin should change it in the Timeline. Adding an effect or trimming should affect the corresponding clips between bin and Timeline. Otherwise, the clips should just be completely separate instances. I haven’t been able to find an option to turn a clip into an independent instance, although it has to exist. Right?

   In my view, every clip is basically a subclip: a set of in/out markers referencing the original source material. That’s non-destructive editing. An option to “link” clips together (in terms of name, in/out points, filters, etc.) is a great idea, but make it useful and definitely include the ability to break the links.

   Also, editing an instance of a title does change every other instance of that title throughout the sequence. I would prefer to be able to edit them separately without having to duplicate them in the title editor.

6. Bin effects

   Related to the above, it should be possible to add effects to clips in bins or keep effects on clips added to bins from the Timeline. It would also be nice to be able to group effects together in bins for a specific project. The effects list window is better suited for global collections.

7. Capability to open multiple projects simultaneously

   Maybe if we say, “pretty, please?”

8. Background rendering

   Until I can preview any sequence full-screen at full-res with multiple effects, rendering will be part of my workflow, and therefore background rendering would be beneficial.

   I don’t mind dropping the playback to low resolution temporarily as my footage renders, but I shouldn’t have to export an entire project to preview it at high res.

   Quality hardware is an important investment, but requiring everyone to work on pimped-out towers (or cylinders) is not the answer. Sometimes, the available hardware is not your call, and there are many jobs where being able to cut on a laptop is crucial. I have found this to be the case with large corporate events where work areas are often set up quickly, sometimes in tight corridors, and subject to change. There are many other forms of production where mobility is even more important.

   Also, with each bump in processor power comes a new, more demanding codec. Adobe’s solution for editing raw is to use a proxy format. What? This completely upends their no intermediate codec ideology. And now 4K is here.

   I do believe there should be a choice in the way that background rendering initiates. Per the user’s preference settings, background rendering should start: automatically (instantly), only through manual initiation, or during idle time.

   However, the real potential of background rendering lies in combining it with an export format, which brings us to the next item…

9. Background rendering + ProRes + “Use Preview Files” could be awesome

   Put more simply, “background rendering + smart rendering” would be awesome.

   Adobe did make a very important upgrade to smart rendering in CC. Smart rendering and the “user preview files” export option now work with Apple ProRes. This is huge for those of us who are accustomed to the Final Cut Pro 7 workflow.

   Yet, by adding ProRes smart rendering, Adobe is acknowledging that rendering as you work is a legitimate Premiere workflow. Of course it is, because it can save substantial time when exporting, especially when it comes to re-exporting after making minor adjustments in the Timeline.

   For much more on this topic: Why Adobe Premiere Pro needs background rendering
10. Improved render selection options

    You can now select a range of clips directly in the Timeline to render.

11. DisplayPort/Thunderbolt out to HDMI

    I give this a “neutral” because the newest Macs have HDMI outputs and Thunderbolt, but it’s still a major problem on my iMac. I accept that a third-party card is required for the most accurate color correction on an external display, but there’s no reason this ability shouldn’t exist as it does in both FCP7 and X (with a simple adaptor).

12. Cursor icons for tools are too big and embarrassingly crude

    It’s surprising that such a fundamental element of Premiere is still so unrefined.

    The cursor icons for the various editing tools are too big, too imprecise, and just ugly. The trim tool and the ripple tool should have different shapes that indicate their function, not just different, non-semantic colors.

13. Button icons at head of Timeline are too small and embarrassingly crude

    I’m going to give them this one only because the Timeline head has been so drastically improved.

14. Really annoying cut selection behavior

    Clicking near a cut with the trim tool highlights it in such a way that it blocks other edit tools, such as the ripple edit tool, from working on the edge of the adjacent clip. You have to unselect by clicking somewhere else in the Timeline.

15. Edit tool hover areas at edges of clips are too big

    I could be imagining things, but I think they got this one. It used to be that when you zoomed out on strings of short clips, it was hard to click on the middle of an individual clip to select it (partly due to those those bulky tool icons). I think they shrunk the hover area around the edit point, which is a nice improvement.

16. Better clip selection indication in Timeline

    Much better! It used to be very difficult to discern what, if anything, was selected in the Timeline. Transitions always looked selected!

17. Sometimes the standard trim tool refuses to switch to ripple edit and vice versa

    I thought this was a bug, but it might just be a manifestation of problem #14.

18. Option to show frames in Timeline without any text labels

    The timeline looks significantly more polished with a variety of options.

19. Previous/next edit with up/down arrow: almost got it right

    This was something they really fixed in CS6. The up and down arrow keys replaced CS5.5′s page up and page down keys as the previous/next edit navigation controls, freeing the paging keys to, get this, page through the Timeline.

    Much more importantly, they added the ability to skip to the next edit across all tracks (by using shift-up and shift-down), as opposed to whatever track happened to be selected at the head of the Timeline.

    Unfortunately, they really got the shift thing backwards. So although I try to stick with the CS6 default keyboard layout, the first thing I do is make this the other way around. Shift-down goes to the next edit among selected tracks (a feature I’ve never needed), and plain old down-arrow-down goes to the next cut — always.

    With the introduction of Creative Cloud preference synching, this little nuisance has become…littler. So count it!

20. Up-arrow/down-arrow should go to in/out of clips in Source Monitor

    The up and down arrow keys currently do nothing in this window, which is inconsistent and inefficient, since my fingers are often already on the left/right arrow keys going frame by frame. In other words, the up and down arrow keys should behave the same way as shift-i and shift-o.

21. Remember size and position of bin windows

    It’s hard to believe they haven’t fixed this yet. When you double-click a bin, it always opens a small, default-size window.

22. Hide mouse pointer in full screen mode

    Pretty basic. Having to hide the mouse pointer in the corner is pretty irritating.

23. Project browser should auto refresh/sort

    After renaming a clip, you have to click on the column name (twice really), to get it to sort.

24. Color labels in Project Panel should change the appearance of the actual text

    The FCP way was much more useful. The color boxes in a separate column all blend together. They don’t allow me to really highlight clips or make much use of color coding at all. Also, what’s with the default color names? Righ-clicking on a clip gives you a list of exotic names without any visual indication of the label’s color.

25. Copy should always be option-drag on a Mac

    Always. Copy is currently command-drag in the Project panel.

26. Stop auto save from hijacking my screen while Premiere is in the background

    They fixed this in a point update to CS6. Previously, while working in other apps, Premiere would force itself into the foreground to show that it was performing an auto save. This was especially disruptive because Premiere keeps performing auto saves even if nothing has changed since the last one (see gripe #28).

27. Stop auto save from interrupting adjustments in Timeline

    I give it a “neutral” because it appears to at least wait until you’re not in the middle an adjustment now. Classy. But I haven’t had time to verify that in all cases. Ideally, the auto save would just be a background function.

28. Auto save location preference and functionality

    This gripe should have been split in two, but as of the first update to CC, they got them both!

    From my CS6 gripes:

    In FCP7 I set the number of auto saves to the maximum of 100 and Premiere can go even higher. I have always used this feature as an additional backup and archive system, which has come in very handy. Those files add up, however. So, I wish I could set up Premiere to auto-save to an external drive.

    Also, auto saves continue to occur whenever there are unsaved changes. This means that if you make a small adjustment and then leave Premiere for a while, it will keep auto saving the same iteration, which is not only inefficient but leads to my next point…

29. Auto save: delete oldest

    Rather than delete the oldest auto save file once it has reached the limit set in the preferences, auto save starts reusing the same set of file names. This makes it unnecessarily difficult to determine which file is the latest version.

30. Clicking to new CTI position shouldn’t stop playback

    If you move the CTI while it’s in play mode, it should continue to play from that spot after you release the mouse, not stop there. This isn’t a minor thing. It’s the way I audition cuts.

    If this would bother long-time Premiere users (if such a thing even exists), make it a preference.

31. Snapping (CTI, blade tool, clips)

    Done!

    From my CS6 gripes:

    Currently, there is no way to turn on snapping of any kind for the blade tool, which is stupid. The command-K option to cut at the CTI position does make this less of an issue, but the blade tool is pretty useless if it can’t snap to the CTI position or the edges of clips in other layers.

    For the CTI, the standard “s” toggle for snapping does nothing. In CS6, holding down the shift key does temporarily engage snapping, which is an improvement, but it presents a very inconsistent behavior, because holding down shift does not engage snapping for clip adjustments.

32. Fine control over trim adjustments without having to zoom in

    Holding down shift would be a good option to allow adjustments in single frame increments at any zoom level.

33. Conforming audio

    The ability of CS6 to work natively with DSLR footage is awesome, but it’s not fully DSLR native if it has to pre-render a major component of the footage before it can play, even if it’s just the audio.

34. Media loading

    They may have sped this process up. I will re-evaluate after I’ve worked on some bigger projects.

    From my CS6 gripes:

    When launching a project, it can take a long time for all the media in the project to “load” as tracked in the status bar. I’m sure there’s a reason for this, but since the program is able to determine which source media files are missing before this step (and gives you the option to reconnect them at that time), what is it doing and why must it load every clip in the project, even those not in use by any sequences?

35. Smoother scrubbing

    I’m sure this comes back to the lack of supported hardware acceleration on so many Macs, but scrubbing is pretty awful. While this is understandable with native footage, FCPX is silky smooth at full resolution.

    I give it a “neutral” because it seems to have improved somewhat and other reviewers have raved about the speed on systems with hardware acceleration.

36. Increase undo limit

    You can now increase the limit to 100 in the preferences. That’s a big improvement. I challenge them to get it to 1000.

37. After an undo, CTI should return to where it was at that point in “history”
38. Clearer visual indicators that a clip has been adjusted in the effect controls panel

    Clips in the Timeline now sport an “Fx” indicator that turns orange when effects have been applied.

    I would take it a step farther and add better visual indicators to the effect panel itself as to what specific parameters have been adjusted.

39. Ability to switch off all effects for a given track

    This would allow you to edit more quickly when effects are forcing you to render after every cut.

40. Color correction shape mask

    In cleaning up the 3-way color correction effect in CS6, Adobe took my advice almost to the letter. (Yes, I take full credit!) They put the most important adjustments up top and replaced the confusing highlights/mid-tone/shadows drop-down selector with three dedicated wheels.

    However, a simple shape mask is sorely needed. I find masks are much more useful and ultimately faster than relying on shaky ranges that rarely nail skin tones with any precision.

    Basic color correction is one of the things that Apple really got right with FCPX. Speedgrade and DaVinci Resolve are great for big projects, but I shouldn’t have to leave the NLE for color correction as often as I currently do.

41. Audio scrubbing without pitch change

    I guess the pitch change is intended to mimic linear editors, which was fun for a few seconds, but I have a much easier time navigating dialogue with the stutter-style scrubbing.

42. Border controls for still images
43. Ability to place a marker on a clip in the Timeline without opening clip

    I’ve changed this from an X to a dash because it is possible to set up a keyboard shortcut for “Add Clip Marker”. I have chosen control-m. This works, but it would be much more intuitive to have “m” mark either all selected clips under the CTI or the timeline if no clips is selected.

    Also, Add Clip Marker is extremely buggy with merged clips. It doesn’t always work and sometimes even causes Premiere to freeze up, requiring a Force Quit. This may be related to the fact that Match Frame for merged clips is broken in CC as well.

    Lastly, sometimes it places the Clip Marker on the audio track and not the video track, which is very odd.

44. Better support for shared media access

    If Adobe Anywhere performs as promised, then they have more than checked this one off the list. Anyone have any first-hand reports?

45. More robust “find” function

    Truthfully, I don’t remember exactly what my problem was with this and haven’t had much chance to test it out in CC.

46. The button editor is unbelievably buggy

    They fixed this somewhat. It no longer cuts off buttons the way it used to, but it still doesn’t even center! Do I need to teach them some CSS?

47. Show number of frames being adjusted during keyframe adjustments
48. Enable/disable specific effect parameters/keyframes
49. Button that resets effect and clears all keyframes

    This gets a “neutral” because I’ve gotten used to clearing keyframes and reseting the overall effect separately.

50. Position controls starting point

    There should be a preference to make the default position 0.0 x 0.0 (as opposed to 50% of whatever the resolution happens to be), and include a reset button.

51. When clip is double-clicked in Timeline, CTI position in source viewer should match location in Timeline

    You would think Match Frame would accomplish this, but it opens a different instance of the clip. Also Match Frame for Merged Clips is broken in CC.

52. When CTI reaches end of sequence, play/pause shouldn’t jump back to the start

    A preference has been added to address this.

    From my CS6 gripes:

    This is particularly irritating when playing video near the end of the sequence and you hit the spacebar to pause it. If the CTI happens to reach the end first, it will jump all the way back to the very beginning. If I wanted to go back to the start, I would have just used the “home” key as always.

53. Dragging clip from Timeline to Project panel should make a copy (not a subclip that has to be named)
54. Copy/paste clip from Timeline into bin
55. Drag from Source Monitor panel to Project panel to create copy of clip
56. Peak files get “lost” and have to be regenerated

    Peak file generation can now be turned off in the preferences. I don’t know if there are still problems with the files getting disconnected, but the whole process should be invisible to the user.

57. Use top-half waveforms for a cleaner look that saves space

    Fine. Call them “rectified” if it makes you feel superior. Looking good.

58. Control-k should cut through selected clip(s) within the Timeline instead of using the track selection at the head

    Now that the blade tool has snapping, I can live with this.

59. Faster top speed in J-K-L control
60. “Esc” out of window maximize

    The grave accent window maximize is a truly awesome feature. So yeah, I know, pressing it once maximizes. Pressing it again snaps it back. Don’t ever lose that behavior. But I get used to hitting “Esc” to leave full screen mode. I would consider it a personal favor if that button snapped-back maximized windows as well.

61. Save changes to current workspace (without having to retype exact name as a new workspace)
62. Ability to cancel New Project dialogue without having to reload current project

    In other words, don’t close the current project until a new project is actually started. (This would be moot if you could open multiple projects.)

63. Tab between panels to make them active

    Here it is: “Ctrl+Shift+” to tab left and “Ctrl+Shift+.” to tab right.

    I will probably switch the second one to Ctrl-tab but all right!

    I would rather it not take pit stops at the tool and audio level panes though.

64. “Automate to Sequence” with merged clips causes loss of audio sync

    I don’t yet know if this bug has been fixed, but merged clips is definitely still buggy. Match Frame is now broken, and syncing audio by waveform analysis has yet to work for me.

65. Merged clips mysteriously become audio only and cause crashes when opened

    Merged clips were very buggy in previous versions. I need to do more testing in CC.

66. Return and Enter should have different behaviors

    They fixed this in a CS6 point update. “Return” now moves to the next line. “Enter” simply enters.

67. Currently have to click “close” twice to close properties window

    This got fixed in a CS6 point update.

68. Better track coloring

    So they went with a darker shade instead of a lighter shade just to make it look like they weren’t stealing all of my ideas, but it’s a nice improvement in addition to the prettier waveforms.

    From my CS6 gripes:

    The new track coloring feature is great, but it makes audio tracks the exact same color as video tracks. Audio tracks should be a lighter shade of the selected color or look otherwise distinct even when waveforms are hidden. The [A] and [V] designations are too indistinct and frequently get cut off.

69. Better markers for sequences and clips

    They added more functionality in CS6, but they should include colors and more keyboard shortcut controls.

70. More logical clip sliding with keyboard commands

    “Opt-,” (that’s option-comma) and “Opt-.” (option-period) should cause a clip collisions, not overwrite, because a good use of those keyboard commands is to slide a clip up to but not over the adjacent clip.

71. Opt-up-arrow and opt-down-arrow should allow you to shift the track position of selected clips in Timeline

    They call it a nudge. That works.

72. Add ability to select a cut directly and add default transition

    This was added in a CS6 point update. Nice.

73. Add through edit indicator in Timeline and “Join Through Edit” option

    You almost missed out on a check mark here, Adobe! You can now right click on an edit point and select “Join Through Edits”. I’m not sure why it’s plural, but more importantly, in order to see the through edit indicators, you need to select “Show Through Edits” in the Timeline settings. Why this wouldn’t be on by default is beyond me.

74. Default sliding behavior should move the clip’s audio track to correspond with the video track

    You could then use the shift-drag technique if you want to choose a different track for the audio.

75. More/clearer control over cache locations

    Done. But there should also be an option to reset the cache/render file locations to their defaults.

76. Remember last used setting of export source range (or default to “entire sequence”)
77. Larger timecode display with h,m,s,f instead of colons

    I think the large timecode display in FCPX is too often dismissed as eye candy, but it’s a legitimately brilliant interface element. It really helps you effortlessly keep your bearings with much less eye strain.

78. Simple slug

    In CS5.5 you had to create a black matte. In CS6 they added “Black Video”, but it still involves an extra step to take it from the Project panel to the Timeline.

79. More detailed tool tips or hover explanations in preferences

    For example: The options regarding XMP data should make it clear that the original files will be modified by Premiere. This caused me problems in other applications. (After researching these settings, I understand that various Adobe applications use this information to share resources, but it’s still very unclear what the specific benefits are or what functions are lost without this option.)

80. More detailed support documents

    The online support documents on the Adobe site are actually very good at this point, and Adobe employees are also active in the support forums. Try finding an official representative of Apple in a support forum.

81. Footage auto-analysis: shot recognition, color correction, and color match

    If only Apple had just added these features and others to the FCP7 framework instead of reinventing the wheel and taking the train “off the tracks” in the process.

    Adobe can do it better by using smart folders in addition to the traditional bins that we know and trust (anything besides those dreadful iMovie-style “events”).

82. Effect previews

    There has to be a quicker way to preview effects, perhaps along the lines of the Lumetri Looks preview thumbs (minus the guy with the mohawk).

83. Built-in syncing for dual audio recordings

    Theoretically, you can now automatically sync and merge clips by audio waveform analysis, but it has yet to work for me.

84. Add user defined list of favorite folders in Media Browser

    And let us set the default directory.

85. Many, many more effects!

    Some very basic effects are missing: vignette, border, and motion blur to name a few. Adobe’s stock response to this has been to use After Effects or Photoshop. Round-tripping with Dynamic Link is a great option, but I see no reason that more effects shouldn’t be built it. Obviously, Adobe sees the benefit of including effects within Premiere or they would provide zero.

86. Many, many more looks!

    Lumetri Looks. Cool. Keep them coming.

87. More speed!

    You can always use more speed. I’ll revisit this with my next hardware upgrade.

88. Cheap-looking CTI head

    I saved this one for last because it has absolutely no impact on my ability to edit, but I’ve always found the unrefined appearance of the CTI amusing. They wisely dropped the rudimentary 2-frame animation that existed in CS5.5 and earlier, but it still looks like a crappy gif icon.