About three years ago Pinnacle Systems fatefully decided to end its lucrative relationship with Adobe, and its hardware and software support for Premiere. Part of that was not even updating their popular Hollywood FX transitions plug-ins to work in the new Premiere Pro. Pinnacle System’s thinking was if their customers couldn’t use the Hollywood FX plugins in Premiere Pro, they would switch to Pinnacle’s Liquid Edition, where they did work. Well as we know, that plan was a dismal failure. It angered a lot of loyal customers, dealers and anyone else who had to deal with Pinnacle Systems. In 2005 Avid Technology purchased Pinnacle Systems. If you are one of those Hollywood FX customers who was left out in the cold, here is the solution. FYI this procedure may work with other plug-ins. I have also used this procedure with Smartsounds Quicktracks and Granger FX before they had there new installer programs to make them work with Premiere Pro 1 ‘ 2.0.

STEP 1: Install
If Hollywood FX is not yet installed on the system install as normal.
STEP 2: Import Hollywood FX into Program Files
Using Windows Explorer go to the Program Files folder on the system drive, then locate and enter the Pinnacle folder and then enter the Hollywood FX folder. In the Hollywood FX folder look for the Host Plugins. In the Host Plugins file enter the Premiere6 folder. Select the Fx-HfxP646.prm file then copy it. Back in the Program Files folder locate the Adobe folder. In the Adobe folder go into the Adobe Premiere Pro 2 then into the Plug-ins folder. In the Plug-ins folder open the en_US folder and paste the Fx-HfxP646.prm file in the en_US folder and close Windows Explorer.
STEP 3: Run Premiere Pro 2
Once Premiere 2 is running add a couple clips to the timeline. Expand the video transition folder and you will notice the Hollywood FX transition. Put it between the clips.
STEP 4: Apply Hollywood FX
Under the Effects Control palette click on the custom button, this will bring up the Hollywood FX control panel where you can choose the desired transition.

Your Guide
Marc Franklin has been producing video at his company Franklin Video Productions, and consulting on video production with other companies and government organizations for since 1991. He writes for a wide spectrum of publications in the production industry.

Marc Says Keep In Mind…
This process will allow you to use Hollywood FX as you have in the past, except for two things. One limitation is that if you have the timeline needle between the clips, or anywhere that will be over lapped by the Hollywood FX transition when you put it there, no matter what you choose in the HFX menu, it will only render the default transition.

The other limitation may be more serious. If you never activated HFX on the computer you are using and don’t have an activation code, you maybe SOL. Avid took the Hollywood FX registration page for Premiere plug-ins off there web site. I’m currently lobbying them to put it back. I’ll let people know when I get results.

Franklin Video Productions
Oak Park, CA
www.franklinvideoproductions.com