60 Producing Rolling Credits

#60 Producing Rolling Credits

Most television shows and movies end with rolling credits. Let's go through the basics of creating rolling credits in Premiere Pro, assuming that you have the Titler open and are ready to type.

Preview with Transitions Inserted

If you're adding transitions to the beginning and end of your rolling or crawling credits, remember that these transitions can affect what's viewable in your title. If you add a transition and don't specify a sufficient Preroll or Ease-In duration, the transition may obscure the first few names or items in your credits.

1.	Click the Type Tool and start typing your credits. Press Enter on your keyboard to add additional lines, and use the scrollbars to move the Design window with the text (Figure 60a). Figure 60a. Here's the list of credits to scroll. Note how they extend below the Titler's visible area; use the scrollbar to read or edit the names.
2.	Click the Roll/Crawl Options button. Premiere Pro opens the dialog (Figure 60b). Figure 60b. The Roll/Crawl Options dialog has lots of great options. To Produce Crawls Click Crawl in the Title Type section of the Roll/Crawl Options dialog, and choose the desired direction. Beyond that, the process is identical to producing rolls.
3.	In the Title Type section, choose Roll.
4.	In the Direction section, choose Crawl Left.
5.	In the Timing (Frames) section, choose among the following options. Start Off Screen/End Off Screen Select these checkboxes to start or end the title with text completely off screen. If you elect to start off screen, the Preroll option is grayed out; if you end off screen, the Postroll option is grayed out. Preroll This specifies the number of frames during which the title appears on screen before starting the movement. It's a useful option when you're dissolving into the title and don't want to obscure the initial frames. Ease-In This specifies the number of frames during which the title slowly accelerates to full rolling speed. Ease-Out This specifies the number of frames during which the title slowly decelerates from full rolling speed. Postroll This specifies the number of frames during which the title stays on screen after the rolling stops. It's useful when you have "THE END" as the final text in your rolling credits and want to keep that on screen for a few extra moments before fading to a dramatic close.
5.	After making your selections, click OK to close the Roll/Crawl Options dialog. Use Motion Controls for Other Motion The controls in the Roll/Crawl Options dialog make rolls and crawls very easy to implement. You can also add motion to your text via the Motion Controls that Premiere Pro assigns to each clip on the timeline. See #53 for details on how to animate a track matte.
6.	Click the X in the upper-right corner to close the Titler.
7.	Drag the title to the timeline. Rolling speed is set by the duration of the title on the timeline. That is, if you drag the title over a 20-second duration on the timeline, it will roll faster than if you set it for a 30-second duration.