Project Setup and Media Management
Sequence and project settings
Start by distinguishing project settings from sequence settings. The project holds scratch disks, media cache location, ingest and proxy preferences, and default timeline settings; the sequence holds frame size, frame rate, pixel aspect ratio, field order, color space, and audio sample rate. Questions often test whether a change belongs to the project or the active sequence: changing a sequence preset after editing does not automatically rescale existing clips, and mismatched frame rates cause interpolation or dropped and duplicated frames rather than a clean match. Match the sequence frame rate to the majority of source footage, then use Set to Frame Size or Scale to Frame Size deliberately; the former scales a clip but leaves Scale adjustable, while the latter rasterizes at the current size and can soften repeated scaling.
Ingest, proxies, and relinking
Understand media management: ingesting or transcoding on import, creating proxies, toggling proxies, and the difference between attaching proxies and replacing media. Proxies improve playback but do not affect export unless you export with proxies enabled, and even then Premiere uses original media where available. Media cache and peak files can be deleted safely; source media cannot. For offline projects, relink by selecting the clip and pointing to the folder, not by re-importing duplicates. Watch for variable frame rate phone footage: interpret footage to a constant rate or transcode.
Worked example: For 4K 23.976 source in a 1080p 29.97 sequence, first decide delivery rate. For a 29.97 delivery, create a 1080p 29.97 sequence, add clips, and apply Set to Frame Size; avoid mixing 23.976 and 29.97 without a cadence plan. Rule of thumb: sequence frame rate equals delivery frame rate, and sequence frame size equals delivery frame size.