How to trim in Adobe Premiere? [2022]

How to trim in Adobe Premiere? The razor tool, the ctrl+K/+K shortcut, and the Ripple and Trim editing methods in Premiere Pro will all be covered in this guide.

Undoubtedly, one of the most crucial aspects of editing is cutting. The primary purpose of editing software is to shorten footage and arrange them in a specific order to build a narrative.

After everything is arranged, you might need to make even more cuts and go through more video and music tracks. What’s the most excellent strategy for cutting when you reach that point?

How to trim in Adobe Premiere?

Fortunately, Premiere Pro provides three unique methods to alter and cut up a video clip—or your timeline:

• The Razor Tool
• Ripple and Trim Cutting
• The “Command/Ctrl + K” Shortcut / Playhead Splitting

Other cutting methods exist, such as the slip-and-slide technique, but in this post, we’ll just focus on some of the essential editing tools.

In our opinion, this kind of editing for these tools is a crucial step in learning how editing functions in general and, more precisely, how to edit in Premiere Pro.

Even if you are familiar with every cutting technique, knowing which tool would enhance your particular edit is still a good idea.

The Razor Tool

Of course! The classic Razor blade. Since it’s the most straightforward cutting tool, it’s the first item you learn to use while editing your first project. Because it is so simple, this is an easy tool for novices to learn how to use.

Additionally, it helps when creating montage jump cuts because you can simply shorten the line and remove the clip segments you don’t need.

When editing with lengthy timelines with numerous clips, the Razor tool is also helpful because you can choose the clip you wish to chop by dragging your razor over it. So the Razor is the instrument to use if you have to make a lot of cuts quickly.

However, the Razor tool has some drawbacks. You must choose the magnetize option if you want it to adhere to your playhead. Additionally, changing between your cursor and the Razor tool may get tiresome.

Additionally, it can be challenging to utilize on a dispersed timeline and might remove some frames that you didn’t plan to. Since I mainly utilize the +K approach, it’s not a component of my editing process, but everything is arranged correctly.

Ripple and Trim Cutting

The Ripple and Trim tools help trim or widen the ends of clips, regardless of whether you prefer using Razor tools or +K.

When you notice the red block arrow emerge, place your mouse over the end of the video clip and drag it if you want to cut or enlarge it. If you want to edit several tracks down to a single point, you can also choose multiple clips in your timeline to edit. These are only time-saving techniques, like anything else.

Jumping to the later part of your clip and cutting it while pressing shift will enable you to “ripple delete,” which causes the clip next to the one being cut to snap to the edit point.

Without having to edit individual clips, the Ripple/Trim tools are helpful for final-pass editing, where you need to remove sections of your sequence to try and make it match a specific length. But a keyboard shortcut is also available for ripple in the following clip.

The “Command/Ctrl + K” Shortcut / Playhead Splitting

If you’re addicted to keyboard shortcuts like I am, +K (or Ctrl+K if you’re editing on a PC) is probably your go-to cutting method.

Playhead Splitting splits your selected clip strictly at the playhead marker when you enter the command and clicked into your timeline. No problem, isn’t it?

Since your playhead is typically over the area you want to clip when scrubbing through film, it’s one of the most accessible and successful cuts you can make.

Holding shift while pressing +K will also cause all records on the playhead to be cut, not just the ones you choose. This is fantastic if you need an extensive trim right away and have a ton of videos on your timeline.

The +K shortcut is simple to use and effective for producing cuts when the playhead is already located in the appropriate cut area, but when making many cuts at once, it lags behind the Razor tool’s speed.

Editors have long argued over the relative merits of the +K and Razor tool techniques, and each editor will have a different take. It compares to Chicago Deep Dish vs. New York Pizza in that preference is all that matters.

The In and Out Points

A specific clip or sequence section is defined by its In and Out points. Establishing the In and Out points of a video is known as marking. The first frame in a sequence should be the “In point.” The final frame you add to a sequence is the Out point. In and Out locations for a clip are generally characterized in the Source Monitor in a workflow.

Trimming is the process of changing a clip’s In and Out points after it has been edited into a sequence. Trimming clips usually change how they play back in a series. For instance, as you watch the edit, you decide that while marking clips, you should cut to the following clip a little earlier than you had intended. Trim the footage using Premiere Pro’s trimming tools to solve that issue.

The Program Monitor, Source Monitor, or timeline can all be used to modify clips. By moving a clip’s edge, you can trim it. The In or Out point or edit point of a clip is considered its “edge.” Multiple clips can be edited simultaneously. With the use of specialized tools, you can trim an edit point quickly and precisely while retaining the consistency of the clip.

Entice your Audience by Impressively Timing the Cutting of your Video

Timing is crucial, and your film’s success will depend on how you edit the film. Timing will influence whether a sequence of videos you’ve prepared makes viewers laugh, cry, or just sit there annoyed and uninterested. Timing is mastered by trimming and changing the beginning and end times of a portion or all of your video. A chunk of a single scene or one that is already a part of a sequence can alter its timing in Premiere Pro. It only requires a few simple actions.

• By using the Timeline

You could use rolling edits or ripple edits to change the transition between two clips. You could change something by utilizing these tools all at once. The clips impacted by your adjustments appear side by side in the Program Monitor when you edit in the Timeline’s Trim mode. By displaying the final frame of the clip, you are editing and the initial frame of the subsequent clip, the Program Monitor assists you in choosing the content you wish to use. To change the clip on the Timeline, press and drag it.

There can be a void in the Timeline where you completed the video trimming after you do your edit. This gap can be filled by selecting it and doing a ripple delete, which would minimize the sequence’s total length. You can ripple in or out among two clips depending on which part of the edit point you press when using the ripple edit tool to select an edit point. The Rolling Edit tool is displayed when you Control-click (on Windows) or Command-click (on Mac OS) on the edit spot using the Ripple Edit tool.

Use a rolling edit to keep the sequence’s overall duration constant. With this, you may simultaneously reduce and lengthen two clips by precisely the same amount. Without creating gaps in the sequence, move the In point or Out point of a video to the playhead.

• By using the Program Monitor

The Program Monitor is the ideal tool for making precise edits. Double-click the clip’s endpoint to switch to Trim mode in the Program Monitor.

To trim, simply click any spot on a clip. You have a broader area to click on when using the Program Monitor to make exact modifications. Click between the recordings in the Program Monitor and drag to simultaneously change the lengths of both clips. Holding down the Control or Command key while clicking allows you to choose between ripple and rolling trims in the Program Monitor.

Because there are fine adjustment controls under the video that let you cut one or five frames at once, utilizing the Program Monitor as a video trimmer has its advantages. You can exit the Trim mode by clicking anywhere on the Timeline and view your work in advance.

With only a few clicks in Premiere Pro, you can trim your video whether you’re editing a music video, sizzle reel, or feature film. Remember that successful video editing can either make or break your project.

• By using the Source Monitor

Double-clicking your video clip in the Project panel will open it in the Source Monitor.

To choose which part to include in your sequence, use the space bar to view your montage in the source monitor. The mark-in and mark-out options are located at the Source Monitor’s bottom. Play the video again, then tap the mark in and out buttons to mark the beginning and conclusion of the clip, respectively. You can also indicate the in point and out point more quickly by using the shortcut keys “I” and “O” on your keyboard.

Working in this way makes editing much simpler because you no longer have to drag a bunch of extraneous material into your sequence. You can simplify your clips just to include the information that is truly necessary and so produce shorter clips.

Keep in mind that you don’t need to be incredibly detailed when specifying the in and out points in the source monitor. Simply place your in and out points in the dull sections you desire, and once it is in your sequence, you can begin to fine-tune the real edit spots. There, you see how smoothly it transitions from the preceding tape and how the beginning and end have been cleaned up.

Whichever one helps you to accomplish more in a shorter time is the answer to this complex topic. You’ll be able to choose which one to utilize once you’ve practiced each tool.

You’ll also discover which one best fits your workflow; some people prefer to work with a mouse, whereas others prefer to work mostly with a keyboard. Everything comes down to personal preference. No one will criticize your editing process as long as it is completed correctly.

FAQs on How to Trim in Adobe Premiere

Originally posted on September 14, 2022 @ 4:04 am