PremierePro

Work with offline files

An offline file is a placeholder for a source file that isn’t currently available on disk. Offline files contain information about the missing source files they represent, and they give you flexibility when actual files are not available. If an offline file appears in the Timeline panel, “Media Offline” appears in the Program Monitor and in the track.

When you use the Capture panel to log clips from a tape, Adobe Premiere Pro automatically creates offline files containing the exact information required to capture the clips later. You can also create offline files manually. Use offline files in situations such as the following:

  • Clips are logged but not yet captured. Because offline files behave like captured clips, you can organize the logged offline files in the Project panel and even lay out sequences with them in the Timeline panel before the offline clips are actually captured. When the offline files are captured (or located, if they were captured but missing), they replace the corresponding offline files.

  • You want to capture logged clips using device control or batch capturing. In Adobe Premiere Pro, a batch‑capture list is a set of offline clips; selecting specific offline clips sets them up for batch capturing.

  • You want to recapture clips used in the project. This requires making the online clips offline by using the Unlink Media command.

  • A source file is unavailable when you open a project, so that Adobe Premiere Pro can’t locate it automatically and you can’t locate it manually. Adobe Premiere Pro provides Offline and Offline All buttons in this case.

    Note: Online and offline clips in Adobe Premiere Pro are not related to the concepts of online and offline editing.

Create an offline file

  1. In the Project panel, click the New Item button  at the bottom of the panel and choose Offline File from the menu.
  2. For Contains, select an option as needed.
  3. For Tape Name, type the name of the tape containing the source video for the offline clip.
  4. For File Name, type the name of the file as you want it to appear on disk when you capture it using Adobe Premiere Pro. If you’re creating an offline file for a source file that is captured but isn’t on your computer yet, type the name of that file.
  5. Enter a description, scene, shot/take, and log note as needed.
  6. Enter the timecode for the entire untrimmed clip, including any extra frames you plan to capture for editing and transitions.
    Note: To be eligible for capture, an offline file must contain at least a tape name, file name, and Media Start and Media End settings.

Edit an offline file

 In the Project panel, double‑click the offline file, edit options as needed, and then click OK.

Replace an offline file with a captured source file

  1. In the Project panel, select one or more offline files.
  2. Choose Project > Link Media.
  3. Select the source file, and click Select.
    Note: If you selected more than one offline file, the Attach Which Media dialog box appears in turn for each file you selected. Pay attention to the offline file name in the title bar of the dialog box so that you relink the correct source file to each offline file.

Convert an online file to offline

  1. In the Project panel, select one or more online files.
  2. Choose Project > Make Offline.
  3. Select one of the following options:
    Media Files Remain On Disk
    Makes the selected files offline in the project but doesn’t erase the source files from the disk.

    Media Files Are Deleted
    Makes the selected files offline in the project and erases the source files from the disk.

    Note: If you select Media Files Remain On Disk and recapture a clip using the same file name as the file left on disk, the original media file is replaced. To preserve original clips without changing their names, move them to another folder or disk, or specify different file names for the clips you recapture.