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Watch the tutorial
Step 1: Type the first year
Pick the Type Tool (T) in the toolbar and click in the Program monitor. Type the first year, then press the Space bar and type the next one, and so on. Put all the years on one line, separated by spaces. A background clip such as an old paper texture sets the mood nicely.
Step 2: Paste a long list of years
Typing every year by hand is slow. To speed it up, ask an AI chat assistant to write out all the years between your start and end year without commas, then copy the result and paste it into your text box. The video does this for 1939 up to 1974, and the text runs far off the right side of the screen. That is exactly what you want.
Step 3: Size and position the text
With the text layer selected, open Effect Controls and expand the Text section. Make the text big, then reposition it so the first year sits in the center of the screen. The rest of the years will continue off to the right, waiting to scroll in.
Step 4: Keyframe the scroll
Move the playhead to the point where the animation should start. Click the stopwatch next to Position under Vector Motion to create the first keyframe. Then move forward to where you want the scroll to end. Change the horizontal Position value, making it a big negative number, until the final year you want to show is in the center of the screen. Premiere Pro adds the second keyframe automatically.
Step 5: Ease the keyframes
Select both keyframes, right-click one of them and open Temporal Interpolation. Choose Ease In first, then repeat the steps and choose Ease Out. This takes away the constant, robotic speed, so the years start slowly, race past in the middle and settle on the last year.
Smoother with EaseFlow: select the keyframes and apply a real easing curve in one click instead of dragging Bezier handles. See EaseFlow
Step 6: Customize the speed graph
For even more control, click the small arrow next to Position to reveal the Velocity graph. Each keyframe has a blue handle. Drag these handles to reshape the curve: a tall, narrow peak makes the scroll burst fast in the middle, while a lower, wider one keeps it gentler. Press the spacebar to preview after each change.
Tips
- Add motion blur. A bit of directional blur on the fast part of the scroll makes the years look like they are really speeding by.
- Add a sound. A whoosh or ticking sound effect that follows the scroll sells the feeling of time passing.
- Use it for stats. The same idea works for scrolling numbers. See the number counting animation for a related effect.
FAQ
How do I make text scroll across the screen in Premiere Pro?
Keyframe the horizontal Position of the text layer, starting with the text on screen and ending with it shifted far to the left.
How do I make the scroll feel smooth?
Right-click the keyframes and apply Ease In and Ease Out, then adjust the curve in the velocity graph.
Can I use it for something other than years?
Yes. Any long line of text, like dates, prices or names, works for a scrolling animation.
Want real easing curves in one click? See EaseFlow for Premiere Pro.
