In this article, we will go over what our template curators have found to be the most common issues when reviewing Premiere Pro templates. We will present the best solutions and practices to get your template accepted to our catalog as fast as possible.

Preview Video

File Structure

Project Structure

Color Controllers

Missing Elements from Color Controllers

Missing Files

Missing Font Links

Previews Software Versions

Package Size

Description, tags and other info

1. Preview video

The preview video should accurately reflect what your template can achieve, showing exactly how the product works and what the project actually contains. Avoid overselling or unrealistic expectations as this can be especially confusing for our users.

1. The preview video/image should not contain any 4K, HD, rival site, software, third party logos or icons. This makes the browsing page look messy and inconsistent.

2. The music/SFX used in the preview video should be from Motion Array’s library only.

3. Please only use placeholder media and videos from Pexels, Pixabay, Unsplash and assets from Motion Array library that you have a license to use.​ Actual placeholder media should not be included in the final upload.

   
   

2. File Structure

The file structure should follow the example package, found on our upload rules page:

https://artists.motionarray.com/en/articles/9117462-upload-rules-motion-array-artists

1. The package should contain the project file in a folder named “Premiere Pro”

2. A “Fonts” folder that should contain a text document with links to all the fonts used in the template. We recommend using Adobe fonts, Google fonts or fonts from sites such as Font Squirrel or DaFont. It is important that you read the terms and conditions of the font links you are supplying to ensure they are 100% free for personal and commercial use.

1. A “Help” Folder that should contain a video tutorial going over the main features of the specific template you are submitting (target size 10MB) and the generic instructions PDF (Make sure it’s the latest version of the PDF, which can be found in our example package). You should also include links to the images/video you have used in your preview video and any additional sound effects.

3. Project Structure

The project structure needs to be exactly the same as the example project, found on our upload rules page. This consistency is crucial for our users, helping them to easily navigate your template.

1. 01. Edit Placeholders - All the editable placeholders and controllers in their relevant folders: Color, Images/Video, Logo, Music or Text folders. For example, all text placeholders should be in the “Text” folder inside the “01.Edit Placeholders” folder.

2. 02.Finals - The final compositions need to live here, and they should be sized according to what you have marked in the description box.

3. 03. Others - Everything else/None editable compositions.

4. 04. Text/Logo/Media/Audio Placeholders

   
   

Why do we request placeholders? Users often have little to no experience with the software. Without a clear boundary of the amount of text/logo/media accepted in the placeholder, users begin to get very unexpected results**. The idea is not to limit the space of the placeholder, the idea is to make sure that no matter what the user puts in that space, it works 100% of the time. **There is obviously some room for flexibility with small text in large text placeholders but it must add to the design or offer some kind of functionality and not affect the template in any undesired way.

Also, please know that none of the aforementioned placeholders should have anything other than temporary media. Text and shapes should be in their respective sub-sequences, and any animation should be done with keyframes on the subsequences, not the placeholder layers themselves.

How to test your text/logo/media placeholders:

1. Scale the text/logo/media layers to the full size of the text/logo/media compositions you have supplied. Then check out the final compositions to ensure that the design has not been broken.

   
   

2. Make sure the text is not overlapping other elements where it should not be and that it’s fully visible without being masked/matted out.

3. Make sure the logo/media placeholder accurately represents the amount of logo/media we see in the final composition, and that the overall design has not been broken and still “looks” good.

Video Tutorial Link

4. Please leave the text we see in the preview movie inside of the text placeholders and size the text placeholder compositions accordingly. Do not change the text to Text 01,02,03 - Your Text 01.02.03 etc. Users should be able to recreate what they see in the preview movie at the same size and in the same position without the need to edit and adjust keyframes within a scene or text composition sizes etc.

Please know we are no longer approving Premiere Pro templates that utilize the legacy text editor. Please use Premiere 2017, 2018, 2019 and onwards and use the new text tool. The text should be inside their own nests with no keyframes for easy editing.

5. When it comes to Audio, make sure that the placeholder nests have audio tracks that are also in the final sequence. If the customer uses video (with audio track) in Media Placeholders, that audio needs to be heard in the final render:

Video Tutorial Link

6. We cannot approve hybrid projects that utilize .mogrts, .aegraphics, or similar imported content from AE. PP templates must be purely .prproj. Motion Graphic templates are .mogrt. You may resubmit the text as a .mogrt to Motion Graphic Templates category.

5. Color Controllers:

Every template should feature color controller options when it is applicable. Users like to have the ability to customize the template to match their own unique brand and style. The color controllers should live in a subfolder in the 01. Edit Placeholders folder and should be called “Color”.

The color controller options should be neat, well organized, and showcased on the video tutorial.

1. You can create a global color controller or individual color controllers for each element within your template.

2. If your template includes a logo placeholder, make sure it appears in its original colors without too many image-altering effects such as glows, overlaying patterns/elements, reflection maps, etc. Users like to see their logo in its original state.

   
   

Our curators may send you a “Needs Work” request if they feel your project has too many controller options that could be consolidated for a better user experience.​

Video Tutorial Link

6. Missing Elements From The Color Controllers

Please ensure all of the color controllers are working as intended and are applied to relevant elements within the project. You can check this by changing all of the color controller options individually to a different color that is not featured in your project. Then slowly scrubbing through the timeline adding missing elements that our users might want to edit the color of.

Video Tutorial Link

7. Missing Files

Once you finished working on your template, you should collect all of the assets used in your project using the following method:

File → Project Manager→ Select all Sequences

→ Select Destination Path→ OK

This ensures that there are no missing files in the project you submit to the site.

If you have multiple sequences, go to the top of the list and select the first one, move to the end of the list, hold shift and select the last one. This way you can select them all with ease.

9. Missing Font Links

Collecting your project will copy and move all files from the project to a new location, except for the fonts used. You can see what fonts were used in the template by going to “Graphics and Titles” and selecting “Replace Fonts in Project…”

10. Saving Templates Backwards to Previous Versions

It is important that you submit your template in the version it was created in, as certain effects are not available between different versions and third-party plugins might not work properly or work a all.Keep in mind that most of our users are using the latest versions.

11. Package Sizes

Keep your package sizes to a minimum by converting your assets into an .mp4 or .mov files with h.264 or ProRes compression. This also helps our users who have slower internet connections to download your package.

Customers often have slower or older machines and will ask for support or refunds if they come across a slow or resource heavy template, please make sure to do everything you can to make the project as light and streamlined as possible.

12. Description, Tags & Info

1. Please take your time when filling out the description box. Include the amount of editable text/logo/media placeholders wherever it is applicable. Try to come up with unique naming conventions for your submissions. Do not use version numbers or the same names for your submissions. Do not copy and paste descriptions from one template to another.

2. Fill in the information in the drop-down boxes correctly. For example, there are ten 4K sizes, remember that our users can search by resolution size.

3. Use tags that relate to your project. Do not fill the tags with words that do not relate to your project/popular search terms. When entering tags you do not need to repeat words, for example - Modern Titles, Modern Lower thirds, Modern Text, - This should be changed to Modern, Titles, Lower thirds, Text.

Poor description and tagging will slow down the review process as we will have to rewrite it.

Questions? Feel free to reach out! Email us at content@motionarray.com