Install & Edit Premiere Pro MOGRTs With Ease (Video Tutorial)

Premiere Pro June 21, 2019 5 min read

Adobe Premiere Pro CC is unquestionably a fantastic piece of software for editing your project, but it does have its limits. Animating elements in Premiere can be challenging when your ambitions begin to push the boundaries of the program. And if you don’t know how to use After Effects, you can start to feel a bit stuck. Fortunately, Adobe has a solution in the form of Premiere Pro MOGRTs.

MOGRTs can allow Premiere Pro editors access to a small sample of what After Effects can do, without leaving needing to learn a new program. Even if you do know how to use After Effects, MOGRTs can save you vast amounts of time and makes re-edits a piece of cake.

Part 1: What is a MOGRT?

MOGRT stands for Motion Graphics Template. Essentially, a motion graphics animation is created in After Effects and is turned into a template which can be imported and edited within Premiere Pro.

Motion Graphics Templates will give you some of the tools you need to create a more advanced style of animated video from within Premiere Pro. There are many different types of .mogrt files, including text animations, video frames, and in some cases, even transitions. Each template will have its own customizable options using the Essential Graphics panel controls inside of Premiere Pro.

.MOGRT vs. .AEP Files

Okay, let’s clear up the difference between these 2 types of file formats.

A .aep file is a project that can only be opened in After Effects. There are multiple ways to work between After Effects and Premiere Pro, such as Dynamic Linking, but .mogrt is the only method for which you need no prior knowledge of After Effects. Instead, you can load them into Premiere and make all your edits there.

MOGRTs are still limited, and you won’t have as much control over the animation elements as you would in After Effects. Text, fonts, colors, and styles are all still editable using MOGRTs, which makes them great for creating branded Motion Graphics videos that can be used again and again with new footage and text.

Part 2: How to Install a Motion Graphics Template File

Before you begin your project, it’s essential to consider why and how you are going to use Motion Graphics Templates. Some options may require a little planning while some templates can also be used alongside footage and photos. Once that’s complete, you’ll be ready to install your template!

How to Install a Single MOGRT File

Here are the steps to install one MOGRT into Premiere Pro. We’ll be importing the Infographic Timeline template in the video example below.

  1. In Premiere, open up the Graphics workspace and go to the Essential Graphics panel.
  2. Click on the + symbol at the bottom of the panel.
  3. In the Finder, navigate to your .mogrt file and click open.
  4. In the Essential Graphics panel search bar, type in the name of your template.

How to Install Multiple MOGRT Files

If you have several templates you want to import, you can install multiple ones through the Finder. It’s a good idea to have two Finder windows open to do this.

  1. In the first Finder window, navigate to the folder of .mogrt files that you want to import.
  2. In the second Finder window, open theses folders in sequence: Library > Application Support > Adobe > Common > Motion Graphics Templates.
  3. Drag and drop your templates folder into the Motion Graphics Folder.
  4. If you’ve successfully followed the steps, your templates will now be searchable in the Essential Graphics panel! If you can’t see them, try reopening Premiere Pro.

Part 3: How to Edit MOGRTs in Premiere Pro

Since there is a wide selection of different types of Motion Graphics Templates, the available customizations can vary. It’s always worth testing a MOGRT to make sure it’s possible to make the customizations you want to make.

Step 1: Add the MOGRT File into the Timeline

Before you can start editing your MOGRT Template, you’ll need to first add it to your timeline.

  1. Drag and drop your chosen template from the Essential Graphics panel to your timeline.
  2. Click on the template to highlight it in the timeline.
  3. In the Essential Graphics panel, click on the edit tab, here you will find all the various options related to the template.

Step 2: Edit the Text Elements

Unlike other titles in Premiere Pro, you can’t edit the text by clicking in the viewer. All of the usual text controls are available, but you will find them in the Essential Graphics panel.

  1. Find the Text element in the Essential Graphics panel.
  2. Type your titles into the boxes provided, the viewer will update automatically.
  3. Below each text box, you will find the character controls. You do not need to highlight the text as you would with your usual Premiere Pro titles.
  4. To change the font, click on the Font drop-down menu. You can also change the size and weight of the text element, but you need to take care to ensure it still fits in the template.
  5. To change the color, click on the Color Controller below the text element. You can choose to do this manually, enter a Hex code, or use the Color Picker.

Step 3: Edit the Colors in the Template

Motion Graphics Templates can be extremely customizable when it comes to colors. Not only can you change the color of the text, but you can alter the animated elements too.

  1. Click the color drop-down in the Essential Graphics panel to access all the main graphic color controls.
  2. Each graphic element will be named by element type, such as ‘Icons.’ Click on the color controller box next to the element you wish to alter.
  3. You can use the Color Picker or enter Hex codes to get the exact color you want.

Step 4: Edit Shapes & Line Elements

For the graphics in the template, there are options to turn various elements on and off. These additional customizations can help you create something completely different from the original version of the MOGRT.

  1. If your template does have elements you can remove, these will be displayed in the Essential Graphics edit panel.
  2. Each element will be named, and have a checkbox next to it. Most will be selected as standard.
  3. Try unchecking the boxes to see how the graphic looks. This will give you a better idea of the various editing options you have within the template.

Step 5: Removing Backgrounds

Some MOGRTs will allow you to turn the background of the graphic off, allowing you to add your own background by placing a clip below the template on the timeline.

  1. The first step is to remove the background color that is automatically included with the template.
  2. In the Essential Graphics edit panel, find the checkbox labeled Background or BG, and uncheck it.
  3. In the sequence, make sure the template is on the second channel.
  4. Import your footage or background image, and place on the channel below the template.
  5. With these steps, your new background should be displaying instead of the original template placeholder.

Part 3: Pro Tips & Troubleshooting

Installing Template Fonts

Occasionally a template will use a font that is not installed on your editing device and will display a small yellow T in the corner of the element in the Essential Graphics panel. If you have downloaded the template, a font file should be included.

  1. To find the missing font, right click on the yellow T and select Sync Missing Fonts.
  2. In your Finder, locate the font and install by double-clicking to open the Font Book.
  3. In Premiere Pro, click Sync in the window.
  4. The new template font should be available to edit now.

Can MOGRTs Be Used in Premiere Rush?

Premiere Rush is a video editing program for online video creators, with export options expressly set up for various social media platforms. It’s a simplified version of Premiere Pro, with the Essential Graphics animation capabilities. Rush still has all the essential tools you need to edit your clips and audio, add titles, and apply basic color grading filters.

Rush has a lot of built-in Motion Graphics Templates, all of which can be used in Premiere Pro CC. You can also import MOGRTs into Rush, but the program currently only supports templates created in Premiere Pro. If you want them to work on the mobile version of Rush, they need to be created under very specific conditions.

Those created in After Effects will not work in Rush at all. Adobe is still working on the platform, so expect updates in the future.

MOGRT files have been around for a while, but more and more editors are beginning to realize the potential of this great tool. Not only can .mogrt files save you time; they can help you create some fantastic compositions.

There are a considerable number of Motion Graphics Templates available to download, including this Infographic Timeline package used in the video examples above. Now that you know how to install and edit your .mogrt Premiere Pro files, it’s time to get creative and have fun!