I am new to media software. I have some experience with editing photos in Photoshop Elements 4. Since that program was unable to make slideshows that played on a TV, I purchased the new bundle with Photoshop Elements 6 and Premiere Elements 4. I have been having great difficulty finding good instructions on how to do things in these programs. Their online manuals and Help section seem to be for people who are already familiar with these kinds of programs. So, I am here, to try to get some help.

I made a slideshow in Photoshop Elements 6 and sent it to Premiere Elements 4. I was able to burn it and it plays on our TV. Now I want to add music to it. I first looked at the slideshow in Premiere Elements 4 but could not figure out how to add the music using that program.

Therefore, I went back to the slideshow I created in Photoshop Elements 6 and have been trying to add music in that program with the idea of sending it to Premiere Elements 4 again when it is time to burn. I need to add Mulitiple Music Selections to the slideshow. I am trying to coordinate different music with the different cities we visited in Alaska. This has been a bit difficult for me to do. I am getting there, but it is not effecient. I posted on the Photoshop Elements Forum and it was suggested I try this forum. Someone thought it might be easier to do using Premiere Elements 4. If there is a link somewhere with directions on how to add the music in either program, I would be most grateful for that information. I am looking for instructions on how to add MULTIPLE music selections to ONE slideshow. I found the instructions for adding one music selection, and I understand that. I just need to take it further. Thank you for any help you can provide.

Hello Mary,
I'm doing this already for years.
In the project bin I create a folder music.
For me the most easy way is open Windows explorer besides Premiere Elements and just drag the file from explorer to the folder in the project bin.
The manual will say: use the import function from the menu or right click on the folder an choose add media from your hard drive, but the first way of importing is for me the most easy one.
And for the rest after sending to Premiere the photos on the timeline are all seperated with the default transition. After deleting all the pictures from the timeline I drag them again to the time line. All the transition are gone now and you can choose (if necessary) the transition you like.
O yes and add as many music files to the audio track(s) as you want, but be sure you do that after completing the video part.
Take care that the default duration of a picture is about the time you want to show them (edit/preferences/general).
A lot of pleasure with your work!
Rob

Hi Rob, Thanks for responding. I have a few things to clear up if you don't mind me asking.

If I understand you, I can send my completed slideshow that I made in Photoshop Elements 6 to Premiere Elements 4. Since my slideshow is complete with transitions, I am guessing I would not have to delete the photos from the timeline. Am I correct? Am I ready to add the music as soon as I import the slideshow into Premiere Elements 4? If I am correct up to this point, this is where I need the help adding the music. As an example, let's say I have 60 slides in my slideshow and want to add 3 different music selections. I want each song to last for 20 slides. Could you give me some steps as to how I would accomplish this. Thanks.

Mary

One more thing, I don't know if I made myself clear. I do understand how to find the music selections on my computer. I just don't know how to place them where I want them in the slideshow. All I have done so far with Premiere Elements 4 is import a completed slide show from Photoshop Elements 6 and burn the slide show onto a DVD.

Hello,
Due to different timezones (I guess) there is rather much delay in answering.
First of all PE is the right tool for making slideshows. I think transitions made in PSE will not be used in PE.
The sequence I follow is here:
1. Select the pictures in PSE organiser. If necessary create a new album for the pictures in the show.
2. Right click the whole selection and send them to PE.
3. Clean the timeline and place the pictures agaain (without transitions)
4. Keep in mind that if a certain scaling is necessary for all the photos you can do it now. Just do it for the first photo and copy the attributes to all the others (Just right click first photo and choose copy and then select al others, rigt click and choose paste attributes)
5. Check whether the duration of the photos is conform your thoughts and apply transitions where (and IF at all necessary) to the photos.
6. Save regularly your project (My automatic save is 5 minutes, but still I do it "by hand". The stability of the program is not as in the past and certainly the program is not idiotproof....
7. Then the selection of the music. All mu music selection is on my external harddisk, so I can choose them directly. In Windows exporer I've choosen in "choose details" the duration, so when I open the music folder all my music is sorted on duration available.
8 Just look in the timeline (always timeline, no sceneview)how long the music should be, choose in the explorer and drag it to your projectmap. So you are able to fill the project exactly wwith the music of your choice.
I'm so glad with this workflow, that sometimes I have only photo's of an occasion.
And if you are e newbee, keep in mind that almost 90% of all the tips and tricks I've learnt on this forum
So make a new start with Premiere and forget Photoshop for interesting slideshows
(BTW I'm using version 3 of PE)
Rob

Thanks again Rob. I will keep your directions handy for the next slideshow. I managed to come up with a slideshow in PSE. For a first attempt I am satisfied. However, I know that my next slide show has to be made in PE. I have learned enough to know that it will be even better. I think I have to get down to the real basics. Even in your directions, there are many terms I do not know. Perhaps I tried to do too much too soon. I will try again to go through the online manual for PE and see if it will start to make more sense. Once I have more of a handle on the program and the terminology, I will attempt a slideshow in PE. Thanks again for your help.

Rob, I didn't wait to long to begin an attempt at a slide show in PE. I started reading the online manual again and got stumped immediately. Before I get too involved in this redo of my slideshow I have a question. Since I already have my photos in a slideshow in PSE and they are in the order I want them, can I send the slideshow to PE and then work with it there, or must I start all over with a new slide show by selecting the photos I want from the Organizer that is in PE? I was looking for my slideshow in the Organizer in PE but could not find it, even though it appears in the Organizer in PSE. I know how to send it from PSE to PE, but I thought the Organizer was supposed to share everything. Any help would be appreciated.

Since I already have my photos in a slideshow in PSE and they are in the
order I want them, can I send the slideshow to PE and then work with it
there, or must I start all over with a new slide show by selecting the
photos I want from the Organizer that is in PE? I was looking for my slideshow
in the Organizer in PE but could not find it, even though it appears in
the Organizer in PSE. I know how to send it from PSE to PE, but I thought
the Organizer was supposed to share everything.




Yes, I do think that you should be able to Send the slide show to Premiere Elements. Reference the PDF Help/User Guide file for PSE 6 Chapter 18, topic "Publish a slide show" and the last option shown is Send to Premiere Elements".

If you are sending the entire slide show (and I think that is your intent here) I would suggest that you not have any Premiere elements project open when you do that Send. A new project will be created by Premiere Elements and the slide show will be placed in that project.

When you start working in Premiere Elements, you will probably need to Break Apart the slide show so that you can see the individual slides. The Premiere Elements 4 PDF says "1 In the Sceneline, right-click the slide show, and choose Break Apart Photoshop Elements Slide Show." However, I am sure that there must also be an option to do the Break Apart from the Premiere Elements Timeline also.

In Premiere Elements 4:
More than likely, the length of each song will not match the duration of the clips that you want to cover. Many songs have a silent portion at the beginning and end.

When you insert 3 songs to the same audio track (say audio track 1), you will cut the individual songs to fit, usually the beginning and/or the end portions. To make the music transition from one song to the other, you will fade in or fade out the beginning and/or end points' volume (either the "canned" fade or manual adjustment).

A better way is to use multiple audio tracks. For example, insert the 1st song on audio track 1, the 2nd song on audio track 2, and the 3rd song on audio track 1 or 3; each song should be placed under the appropriate video/picture clips. By doing this, the length of each song will not matter since they will overlap. You can then shift the songs in the various audio tracks so that they begin exactly under the appropriate video (without the silent part). Where two audio track contents overlap, fade out the 1st song's volume to zero, and fade in the 2nd song's volume from zero to the appropriate level. When the song's length becomes a problem, cut the song(s) in the audio track(s).

Despite your planning, the duration of a set of clips will rarely match the timing of songs. A solution is to lengthen/shorten the duration of the clip(s); another is to fade out the song; or use both strategies.

Mary, first let me say I am by no means an expert on Premiere elements. However, I struggled with the same problem you are experiencing and may have another approach (hopefully simpler) for you to try. I got around this issue by creating multiple slideshows in photoshop elements and then sending them to premiere elements for burning to dvd. If I understand your issue correctly, you could create City 1 slideshow (20 slides), add music (click on "Fit Slides to Audio", and save in photoshop elements. Create City 2 slideshow in same manner. Same for City 3, etc. With both photoshop elements and premiere elements open, then just send the 3 separate slideshows to premiere elements in the sequence you want them to play. After you get more comfortable with premiere elements, you can use it to "dress up" the slideshow(s) with fancy titles, effects, etc. Hope this helps.