To trim a video to Premiere Pro, apply the effect Reframing on your music video from the Effects panel.Adobe Premiere Pro is software for video editing which also offers a AI-powered automatic cropping (Adobe Sensei) to convert your video to a different format in just a few clicks.
Follow this step-by-step tutorial to master both methods.
Manually trim a video to Adobe Premiere Pro
The manual method is based on the’Crop Effect, filed under Video Effects > Transformation. Drag this effect onto your video clip in the timeline, then adjusts the margins in the Effect Options. This is the most precise way to crop exactly what you want.
This video explains in detail how to manually trim a clip on Premiere Pro :
Explanatory video in French by Alucare, ideal complement to the page. View video (you can use YouTube's automatic translation)
Here are the steps to follow:
- Open the software and Upload your video in your project.
Video imported into Premiere Pro. ©Antonin for Alucare.fr - Go to the Effects window and click on Video effects.
Video Effects option in Premiere Pro. ©Antonin for Alucare.fr - Go down to the’"Transformation" tab. You can also use the search bar from the Effects panel to quickly find the Crop effect.
Transform option in Premiere Pro. ©Antonin for Alucare.fr - Slide the’Crop Effect directly on your video clip in the timeline.
Slide the Crop effect. ©Antonin for Alucare.fr - Open the "Effect Options" window.
"Effect Options" section in Premiere Pro. ©Antonin for Alucare.fr - Unfold the section Reframing.
Cropping in Premiere Pro. ©Antonin for Alucare.fr - Select each side (left, right, top, bottom) and changes the percentage : Left-click and hold, then move the cursor in the desired direction.
The Zoom value In the Effect Options, this enlarges the image to fill the black borders left over from cropping. This way, you keep a clean aspect ratio without any empty space.
To Add an audio fade in Premiere Pro, take a look at this article.
Automatically crop a video to Premiere Pro
the automatic cropping is based on the’AI Adobe Sensei. It detects the main subject in the shot and tracks its movement to adapt the video to a different format. This is useful for adapting a video clip for Instagram, Facebook or any other network. Depending on what you want to crop, you have two options: just one music video Where an entire sequence.
Automatic cropping of a single element
Open your video in Premiere Pro, then follow these steps:
- Open the Effects window and click on Video effects.
Video Effects option in Premiere Pro. ©Antonin for Alucare.fr - Go to the tab Transformation.
Transform option in Premiere Pro. ©Antonin for Alucare.fr - Select Automatic cropping, then drag the effect directly onto the video clip you want to crop in the timeline.
Automatic cropping option in Premiere Pro. ©Antonin for Alucare.fr
You can refine the results using the option Motion Tracking in the "Effect Options" window. The software generates motion keyframes who are following the action. Here are a few tips on the three available speeds:
- In slow motion : for static shots or shots with little movement, such as a close-up of a face.
- By default : works well for most video clips, but may not perform as well if the action is very fast-paced.
- Fast forward : Ideal for action-packed videos, such as extreme sports. The subject stays in frame even during rapid movement.
You can also fine-tune the result with these additional settings: Position Adjustment, Cropping Scale, Cropping Offset and Rotation of the crop. It is also possible to replace the automatically generated path.
On a related note, check out this article to Add a logo to your video in Premiere Pro.
Automatic cropping of an entire sequence
To crop a complete sequence, there are two ways to open the tool:
- Go to the menu Sequence at the top, then click on Automatically crop sequence.
- Or make a Right-click on your sequence in the Project pane and select Automatically crop sequence in the context menu.
Automatically crop a sequence in Premiere Pro. ©Antonin for Alucare.fr
Next, choose the Format : You can use a preset or define a custom aspect ratio.
Premiere Pro then creates a duplicate sequence in the requested dimensions. You can find it in the automatic cropping folder, at the root of the Project panel.
A few important points to keep in mind:
- The same speed options as above are available here as well.
- To preserve the original movements, enable the’interlocking of elements : The software places your video clips in a “box” and reuses the cut points and track masks without altering the video or audio.
- Nesting is useful if your sequence contains movements you want to keep, or adjustments to the speed and duration.
- Please note: nesting does not guarantee that the smooth transitions. Nested clips do not contain media.
- For a complex sequence with a fast movement or multiple points of interest, sets the key images directly into the sequence once the cropping is complete.
FAQs
How do you adjust your video to fit your screen after cropping?
After cropping to Adobe Premiere Pro, of the black borders often appear on the sides of the video. Here are the steps to resize your image and fill the screen:
- Open the "Effect Options" window, then go to the tab Trajectory.
Effect Options and Trajectory in Premiere Pro. ©Antonin for Alucare.fr - Use the tool Scale and increases the value to enlarge your image and fill the entire space.
Scale option to resize the video on the screen. ©Antonin for Alucare.fr - Then adjust the Position in the same tab to fine-tune the final framing.
- You can also check the box Zoom to automatically adjust the cropped video to fit the project screen.
Zoom option to fit the cropped video to the screen. ©Antonin for Alucare.fr
What are the common mistakes to avoid when trimming?
Here are a few tips for avoiding the most common pitfalls when trimming a video in Premiere Pro :
| Mistakes to Avoid | Details |
|---|---|
| Do not leave any’space around topics | The space left around the subjects allows you to’adapt the footage Next, for any medium. |
| Do not Create the titles on Premiere Pro | When you automatically crop a video, the software provides best results if the securities are created directly on it. |
| Using still images | Automatic cropping doesn't work with still images. You'll need to crop these images separately. |
| Do not preview result | The preview gives you a glimpse of the cropping before exporting and lets you correct any errors. Make sure your cropping limit is justified and that it does not affect the content. |
| Do not check the aspect ratio | The aspect ratio of your cropped video must be identical to that of the requested output format. |
| Do not consider the video quality | The selected output format affects the the quality of your videos cropped. If you record a short video in a larger format, the quality will decrease. Instead, choose an output size of smaller. |
| Apply automatic cropping several times | Do not apply the automatic cropping effect only once via video. Applying it multiple times (especially to nested elements) can create black bars. If you need to redo it, use this instead on the original part. |
Which video format is best for Premiere Pro ?
The best export format for Adobe Premiere Pro is the H.264, also known as Advanced Video Coding (AVC).
This is a standard format available in the export presets drop-down menu, compatible with all major online streaming protocols.
When it comes to professional video editing software, many people prefer to work with intermediate codecs such as the ProRes where the DNxHR as source formats.
Since they are less compressed, they ensure a smoother video editing in Premiere Pro. Unlike DaVinci Resolve, Premiere Pro also allows you to export directly to the following formats AVI, MP4 or a sequence TIFF without any intermediate steps.
If you haven't downloaded it yet Adobe Premiere Pro, you can download the trial version directly from the website at’Adobe. Do you have a question about cropping? Feel free to ask it in the comments.
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