An additional improvement to the Organizer comes in the form of a very Bridge-like feature called the new “Smart Albums” feature. This allows you to create special tags that can be dragged and dropped on a selection of pictures. These tags can then be isolated so you only see videos or pictures that these tags apply to. This is a very useful (and necessary) feature that allows you to keep track of large libraries, because, unlike Bridge (which allows you to navigate to separate folders); the Elements Organizer imports all of your files and footage to a central database. While this is a great step in the right direction, I would really like to see the ability to navigate to specific folders in Organizer added in a future version.
Value
Each year Adobe adds more to Premiere Elements to make it an even better value for new filmmakers who want to break into editing. This year’s addition of the ability to find edit points on the beats of soundtracks is amazingly useful for many types of dramatic, action, and music-related films. Of course, for folks who want to make a congruent DVD with universal cuts, wipes, and themes, the new themes pack is helpful. (Although, I would have liked to have seen some more basic theme packs for folks who would like to simply use industry standard cuts, dissolves, and scrolling text.) Finally, the improvements in the Organizer to support and facilitate work between the two Elements franchises more than make this program one to consider seriously this year.
The $99 price point is very economical, because you can use all the same plugins in Premiere Elements as you can in Premiere Pro. Therefore, when you’re ready to get the more customizable work area and speedy interface that Premiere Pro allows, you can simply port over any third party plugins you’ve picked up. (Plus, Premiere Elements 4 includes a basic video stabilizing program, similar to SteadyMove, that is noticeably absent in Premiere Pro CS3.)
Of course, your most economical way of picking up this handy software is in the double-pack bundled with Photoshop Elements 6, which retails for $149. For a basic graphics and video editing software, it’s hard to beat a package that costs less than $150 that will do as much as these two packages combined.
Final Comments
When I reviewed Premiere Elements 3, I was impressed with how many useful features Adobe managed to squeeze in. With PE 4 adding an easy edit-to-beat option, improved DVD menus, and additional export options, there is even more to love in the newest incarnation of this program. While it won’t tempt users of CS3: Production Premium, to downgrade, (except for pros that need the SteadyMove-like plug-in or the edit-to-beat functionality), Premiere Elements 4 is a great place to start for your first editing platform.
