90 Customizing DVD Menus in Premiere Pro

#90 Customizing DVD Menus in Premiere Pro

Premiere Pro offers several DVD menu configuration options. Here's how to access them. Start in the DVD Layout dialog box (choose Window > DVD Layout) with the menu you're editing in the Edit window (Figure 89b).

Who Wins the Audio Battle?

If the file you've selected for the video background contains audio, and you insert a separate audio file as background for the menu, Premiere Pro will play the audio file exclusively.

1.	To move any menu item, click and drag the bounding box to the new location.
2.	To resize any menu item, click and drag any selection point of the bounding box to the new size. Drag and Drop Works Okay Too If the media you're using for the menu background is already in the Project panel, you can simply drag it into either the selected menu in the DVD Layout dialog, or the video, audio or still image thumbnail in the Effect Controls panel. Premiere Pro will then insert it into the menu.
3.	To change any menu-related text, double-click the text box. If the text is part of the template, Premiere Pro will open the Change Text dialog box (Figure 90a). Modify the text in the Change Text field and click OK to close the dialog box. Figure 90a. Use the Change Text dialog box to modify template-related text. If the text is from a marker, Premiere Pro will open the DVD Marker dialog box (Figure 88b). Modify the text in the Name field and click OK to close the dialog box.
4.	To change the text font or related characteristics, click the text in the DVD Layout dialog box, then click the Effect Controls tab to open that panel (Figure 90b). Figure 90b. Change fonts and font-related characteristics in the Effect Controls tab. Note Note the handy Apply to all Text Items button, which can save lots of time when making universal changes. Create Motion Backgrounds in After Effects After Effects has a superb library of motion backgrounds that work well as menu backgrounds. See #63 for details.
5.	To change the menu background and audio, click the background (making sure no text or buttons are selected), and then click the Effect Controls tab to open that panel (Figure 90c). Here you can add any image or audio track you like to customize your menu. Figure 90c. Change the menu background and audio in the Effect Controls tab. Note Though controls for the Main Menu and Scenes Menu vary slightly, it's relatively straightforward to choose a still image, video, or audio background. The most significant limiting factor is that all motion menus loop after 30 seconds, which can look and sound very repetitive (I'd say like a broken record, but my copy editor would comment about my age).