In Premiere Pro when talking about full screen, there are Maximize Frame and Cinema Mode. And even if these two options have different purposes, they help in having a big image of our work. And for both options, it can be done on one of your rushe or your sequence.
Almost full screen
Maximize Frame actually makes the panel taking the whole screen and not the actual image, so you still see the progress bar and the buttons (if applied on the Program panel). It is useful when you need to jump from marker to marker during a presentation to a client, for example. There are two ways of using the option:
- ` (grave accent) is the shortcut key to Maximize Frame. It stands next to the shift button on a Macintosh Qwerty keyboard. Pressing the ` key again switches back to the original panel view;
- or press the display panel menu button (in the upper right corner of each panel) > Maximize Frame.
From the display panel menu you can ‘Maximize Frame’ and having your panel taking the whole screen. Then to switch back to the original size, go to the display panel menu > Restore Frame Size.
This option works for all the panels: Effect Controls, Timeline, Project, etc.
Remark: you might have noticed, when going to the display panel menu, the shortcut indicated for Mazimize Frame is shift + ` and not simply `. Indeed shift + ` maximizes the selected panel (the one with a yellow border) whereas the ` key maximizes the panel situated under the mouse cursor, weather the panel is selected or not.
‘Proper’ full screen
One Screen
If you really want a truly full screen mode; a “cinema” mode experience, use another finger and press ctrl + ` (weather you are on Mac or Windows). Now your footage takes the whole screen; clients and producers like it big.
To exit this mode press ctrl + ` again or esc. It also works while playing the sequence.
Two Screens
The way the ctrl + `shortcut works is it displays the Program panel’s video on full screen; so if the Program panel is on a second screen, the full screen is set on the second screen, even if the rest of the panels are on your main screen. Knowing that, in case you have a second screen plugged to your computer, you can simply move your Program panel to your second screen and then activate the full screen mode. But the distance between your timeline and the second screen might be too wide to be comfortable for you to work; or, during a presentation to a client, you might want to temporarily deactivate the client monitor while you quickly tweak something (and then having a preview on your side) before carrying on with the client display after.
So how to get the full screen mode on the second screen while still having all my panels, including the Program panel, on the main screen?
- go to Premiere Pro > Preferences > Playback…
- in the dialog box you will see a list of screens plugged to your system (laptop screen included), tick the one you want to use as the full screen display;
In the Playback’s preferences you can choose which screen to be used as a ‘monitor screen’. - press ok to see how it looks.
Rushes are viewed in the Source panel and sequences in the Program panel. So, when in full screen mode, to switch between the two click on either the Source or the Program panel.
Conclusion: Maximize Frame bring comfort while working as it can be applied on every panels. Full screen mode is useful for showcase and client seduction missions.
Remark: In the Playback dialog box there is an option called Disable video output when in the background. If unchecked, even if you are using another software (having Premiere Pro still opened), the full screened video will still be there; you can’t even put another software window on top of it, the full screened video stays at the front.
The End