Automating Premiere Pro via Spreadsheets
Recently, we faced an exciting challenge: creating 200 custom invite videos for a conference. Each video needed to personally welcome the recipient, making every invite feel unique and special. Here’s a peek into how we tackled this project efficiently and effectively.
The Challenge
The task was clear: craft 200+ videos that would greet each individual by name and invite them to the conference. The primary hurdle was ensuring consistency across all videos while adding a personalised touch to each.
Our solution revolved around filming two distinct parts:
The Generic Body: A standard welcome message that would be the same in all 200 videos.
Personalised Greetings: Short clips where we addressed each recipient by name.
The Execution
Filming
We filmed the main body of the invite video once. This part would serve as the core content for all videos.
Next, we recorded 200+ unique greetings, each addressing the recipient by name. This required meticulous planning and organization.
We used a spreadsheet to list all 200 names and ensure we captured each greeting accurately. On filming day, we methodically worked through the list, ensuring every name was recorded correctly. This list will also be used in the post production process.
Post-Production
The challenge now shifted to post-production. We needed a way to merge the personalised intros with the generic body efficiently.
Master Sequence Creation: We edited the master sequence, leaving a gap at the beginning for the personalised greeting.
Automation through Scripting: Manually duplicating and renaming sequences for 200 videos was impractical. Enter Adobe ExtendScript CC.
The Role of Automation
We leveraged Adobe ExtendScript CC, a JavaScript-like scripting language, to automate the sequence creation. Here’s how it went down:
Script Development: We turned to ChatGPT for help. After some back-and-forth iterations, we developed a script that could:
- Duplicate the master sequence.
- Pull names from our spreadsheet.
- Rename each sequence with a unique number prefix and the recipient’s name.
Execution: Running the script created all 200+ sequences in about 10 minutes. This automation ensured consistency and saved us countless hours.
The Final Touches
With all sequences ready, our editor’s task was to:
- Open each sequence.
- Insert the correct personalised greeting at the start.
- Finalise the video for delivery.
Conclusion
The project was a perfect blend of creative filming and smart automation. By leveraging technology and scripting, we ensured every invite was personalised while maintaining efficiency and accuracy.
This approach not only streamlined our workflow but also guaranteed a personal touch for each conference invitee, making them feel valued and welcomed. The combination of creativity and technology truly made this project a success.
You can find a link to the ExtendScript CC script on my GitHub here.
