How to Split a Clip in Premiere Pro?

How to Split a Clip in Premiere Pro? For those interested in learning the fundamentals of film editing, Adobe Premiere Pro is about as good as it gets. It’s simple to learn, but it has a lot of advanced editing features like motion graphics, compositing, and color and sound design.

However, for those who are new to video editing, it can be difficult to quickly become acquainted with this NLE software. But if you’re looking for some basic pointers and tricks, we’ve got you covered.

We’ll go over everything you should know about splitting a clip in Premiere Pro in this short article. We’ll also go over some other basic functions to assist you with these common editing tasks. Let’s get started.

How to Split a Clip in Premiere Pro?

See also:

How to Resize Video in Premiere?

How to import media into premiere pro?

How much is Premiere Pro?

In Premiere Pro, splitting a clip is a fairly simple process. However, it does take just a few clicks and shortcuts to get things moving.

Here are the steps you need to take after you’ve launched Premiere Pro, placed your video assets, produced a sequence, and added your clip to the timeline.

• Choose the razor tool (shortcut: C).
• Choose the point in your clip where you want to split it.
• With the razor tool, tap on the clip.
• Choose the pointer tool (shortcut: V).
• You can rearrange your new clips however you want.

Be aware that when you split a clip with the razor tool, you will also split the audio. Unless your original clip is linked, you’ll have to repeat the steps for the video footage and the separate audio tracks.

Isn’t it straightforward? It’s almost as if there’s an amazing split clip button that allows you to transform a single video file into something entirely different. But before you switch to your project timeline to test it out, there is a few more stuff you can do in the world of Adobe Premiere Pro clip splitting.

Making Use of the Current-Time Indicator

Step 1. Open Premiere Pro and import your video.

Transfer the video from your computer to the app. Navigate to the ‘File’ > ‘Import’ menu. If you already have a sequence, you can drag and drop your clip into the timeline.

Step 2. Adjust the indicator

Then, drag the Timeline’s current-time indicator to the point where you want to split your clip. Then, in the Current-Time Indicator, select ‘Sequence’ > ‘Razor’.

Step 3. Emphasize the video channel

Select the clip that you want to split. Simply navigate to the ‘Toolbox’ and select the ‘Razor’ tool. Left-click the point where you want to split your video clip and move your mouse over it.

Step 4. Split your video

Separate your video into sections. Hold down the ‘Shift’ key and use the ‘Razor’ tool to select the set portion. You can also secure any video that you do not want to split. Select the square to the right of the ‘eyeball’ in your video to do so.

Step 5. Export and apply effects

Your separated clips are now distinct entities. You can apply effects, adjust the speed, and add titles. Once everything is in place, you can export your videos and combine them into a single video file.

With the clips separated, you can work on them however you want:

• Include effects.
• Adjust the color.
• To make speed ramps, change the speed.
• Simply delete any sections that you do not want.

Exporting

When you’re satisfied with your clip, export it to make a single video file.

1. Make sure the In and Out points on either side of the video you want to export are aligned.
2. Navigate to File > Export > Media.
3. Select Clip In/Out > Source Range.
4. Choose the settings appropriate for your platform – you may want a ProRes master file or an H264 file to upload to YouTube.
5. To open Media Encoder, click Queue. While you are still working in Premiere, this step will export the file.
6. Alternatively, you can export your assets and generate your final video file by clicking Export.

Why split clips?

In an ideal world, the job of a video editor would be simple and straightforward. You take footage that you shot (or that was given to you), import it into your editing platform, and export it. You’re done, Violà!

However, in the real world, many cuts, edits, and transitions are required to turn your projects into perfect compositions. Editors cut together sequences in a variety of ways, including splitting clips and organizing them as they see fit.

Splitting a video simply means cutting a full video clip in half digitally to generate different clips. This can be seen very literally with a razor tool in a timeline-based video editor. Once a clip is cut, you can move each split clip around as if it were a new clip.

Tips & Tricks

1. Eliminate Bad Footage

One of the most common reasons for splitting a clip is to eliminate undesirable clips. You can quickly cut around unwanted footage by using the In and Out points.

1. Place the Current Time Indicator at the start of the section you want to remove.
2. To make an in point, press I on your keyboard.
3. Place the Current Time Indicator at the end of the section you want to delete.
4. To make an out point, press O on your keyboard.
5. To remove the highlighted section, press the quotation mark key. The second half of the video will instantly jump back and fill the empty space.

The Trim Back feature can accomplish the same thing.

1. Place the Current Time Indicator at the start of the section you want to remove.
2. To split the clip, press Cmd+K or Ctrl+K.
3. Place the Current Time Indicator at the end of the section you want to delete.
4. To delete that section, press Q. The resulting gap, like the in and out points, will be filled by rearranging the second half of the video in the timeline.

2. Combine two clips.

Assume you have two separate clips on the timeline. Can you combine them into one item? Not if they were never part of the same file.

However, if you make a mistake and want to rejoin something you accidentally split, snap them together on the timeline, right-click, and choose Join Through Edits. This will re-merge the two sections into a single original clip in the same manner as before.

3. Change the length of a clip

If you split the clip too soon or too late, you can choose the end and drag it back and forth to make it as long or as short as you want.

Remember that if the other half of that portion is still on the timeline, you’ll have duplicate clips. If that’s what you want, no problem. If it isn’t, simply cut the other video until you are satisfied with your edit.

4. Can’t get the clip to split?

Are you having trouble splitting the clip in Premiere Pro? You might discover that the Cmd+K function does nothing. Check to ensure that you haven’t accidentally deactivated the channels. On the left, highlight the relevant channel: A1, A2, A3, etc., for audio and V1, V2, V3, etc., for video. 

If that doesn’t work, try the Razor tool and manually create the edit points.

5. Apply Transitions

Adding transitions between clips is one advantage of breaking them up in Premiere Pro. Premiere Pro’s default transition is a Cross Dissolve, which you can change with the keyboard shortcuts.

To add a transition between two clips, right-click on join and choose Apply Default Transitions.

You can adjust the duration of the transition by dragging the indicators on either side or by double-clicking and entering the desired duration.

To use another transition:

1. Navigate to the Effects panel.
2. Look for the transition or select it from the drop-down menu under Video Transitions.
3. Drag the transition to the intersection of two clips.
4. To change the duration, double-click.
5. Single-click to open the transition’s properties and fine-tune it until you’re satisfied.

When using Adobe Premiere Pro, one of the first things you should understand is how to split clips. There is no single way to do it, and certainly, no correct way to do it, as with many aspects of video editing. Look into the various shortcuts and tools available, and you’ll soon be chopping out all the bits you don’t like.

FAQs on How to Split a Clip in Premiere Pro

Originally posted on March 14, 2023 @ 6:07 pm