Automating Premiere Pro

Create Project

// Open project
var projectPath = "/path/to/project.prproj";
app.openDocument(projectPath);

// Save project
app.project.save();

// Save As
app.project.saveAs("/path/to/new-project.prproj");

// Close project
app.project.closeDocument();

Import Media

// Import files
var filesToImport = [
    "/path/to/video1.mp4",
    "/path/to/video2.mp4",
    "/path/to/audio.mp3"
];

var suppressUI = true;
var targetBin = app.project.rootItem;

for (var i = 0; i < filesToImport.length; i++) {
    app.project.importFiles(
        [filesToImport[i]],
        suppressUI,
        targetBin,
        false
    );
}

Sequence Automation

Create Sequence

// Get sequence preset
var presetPath = app.getSequencePresetPath("HDV - HDV 1080p25");

// Create sequence
var sequence = app.project.createNewSequence(
    "MySequence",
    presetPath
);

// Set as active
app.project.activeSequence = sequence;

Add Clips to Timeline

var sequence = app.project.activeSequence;
var videoTrack = sequence.videoTracks[0];
var audioTrack = sequence.audioTracks[0];

// Get clip from project
var projectItem = app.project.rootItem.children[0];

// Add to timeline
var videoClip = videoTrack.insertClip(projectItem, 0);  // time in seconds
var audioClip = audioTrack.insertClip(projectItem, 0);

// Set in/out points
videoClip.inPoint = 1.0;
videoClip.outPoint = 5.0;

Export Automation

Export Settings

var sequence = app.project.activeSequence;
var outputPath = "/path/to/output.mp4";

// Get export controller
var exporter = app.getExportController();

// Set export settings
exporter.setSourceSequence(sequence);
exporter.setDestinationPath(outputPath);

// Export preset
var presetPath = app.getExportPresetPath("H.264");
exporter.setExportPresetPath(presetPath);

// Start export
exporter.startBatchExport();

Batch Export Sequences

function batchExportSequences(outputFolder) {
    var project = app.project;

    for (var i = 0; i < project.sequences.numSequences; i++) {
        var sequence = project.sequences[i];
        var outputPath = outputFolder + "/" + sequence.name + ".mp4";

        // Set active sequence
        project.activeSequence = sequence;

        // Export
        var exporter = app.getExportController();
        exporter.setSourceSequence(sequence);
        exporter.setDestinationPath(outputPath);
        exporter.setExportPresetPath(app.getExportPresetPath("H.264"));
        exporter.startBatchExport();
    }
}

batchExportSequences("/exports");

Markers and Metadata

Add Markers

var sequence = app.project.activeSequence;

// Create marker at time
var marker = sequence.markers.createMarker(5.0);  // 5 seconds

// Set marker properties
marker.name = "Scene Change";
marker.comments = "Switch to wide shot";
marker.setColorByIndex(0);  // Red

// Chapter marker
var chapterMarker = sequence.markers.createMarker(10.0);
chapterMarker.type = "Chapter";
chapterMarker.name = "Chapter 1";

Read Markers

var sequence = app.project.activeSequence;
var markerCount = sequence.markers.numMarkers;

for (var i = 0; i < markerCount; i++) {
    var marker = sequence.markers[i];
    $.writeln("Marker: " + marker.name + " at " + marker.start);
}

Effect Automation

Apply Effects

var clip = app.project.activeSequence.videoTracks[0].clips[0];

// Add effect
var effect = clip.components[0];  // Video component
effect.addVideoEffect(app.findComponentByName("Gaussian Blur"));

// Get effect properties
var blur = effect.properties[0];
blur.setValue(10.0);

Best Practices

1. Test on copies before automation
2. Use try/catch for error handling
3. Save incrementally during batch operations
4. Validate paths before import/export
5. Monitor exports for errors

References

• Premiere Pro Scripting Guide
• ExtendScript Toolkit
• CEP Resources