Category Archives: Trimming

Intro to Video Editing in Premiere Pro

Cuts, Editing and Writing, Match Action, S.W.A.P, Trimming, Video Editing 101
Update 05/08/24

During the height of the pandemic, I decided to create videos using editing tutorials. Even though Premiere Pro has changed significantly since 2020, this video still relates to anyone beginning their video editing journey in Premier Pro. 

Video Editing 101 is a 25-minute video tutorial.  The rundown of this video is below.

  1. :28-Recording media on a memory card and not editing off your memory card
  2. 1:00-Never edit video off a memory stick
  3. 1:55-Folder hierarchy
  4. 3:25-Naming conventions
  5. 4:04-External Hard Drives
  6. 5:21-Setting up Scratch Disk
  7. 8:30-buried preview files
  8. 9:28-Workspaces
  9. 10:04-Import into the project
  10. 11:11-Importing pointer not actual files
  11. 11:44- (~) key expanding a panel full frame
  12. 12:16-Project panels list view and icon view
  13. 12:35-Scrubbing video in the icon view in project panel
  14. 13:01-Naming convention of raw clips
  15. 13:56-Putting clips in the source monitor
  16. 14:34-J, K, L keyboards shortcuts
  17. 15:16-Playhead
  18. 15:20-Timecode
  19. 16:12-Mark IN
  20. 16:41-Mark OUT
  21. 16:57-Dragging 1st edit to New Item Icon
  22. 17:38-Labeling sequence
  23. 19:44-Up and down arrow keyboard shortcuts
  24. 20:11-Adjusting Mark IN and Mark OUT in the source panel
  25. 20:52-Dragging edit to timeline or insert function
  26. 21:45-Patch panel
  27. 23:44-Match-action edit

After you watch the 101 video, you are ready to edit a VO/SOT in Premiere Pro. The rundown of this video is below.

  1. :30 – Making sure scratch disk is set
  2. 1:00 – Changing autosave
  3. 1:54 – Going through labeling of clips in the Project panel
  4. 3:55 – S.W.A.P – Synchronize Words and Pictures
  5. 4:30 – Writing the script and editing the VO simultaneously
  6. 5:58 – Starting a new sequence with the new item icon
  7. 6:12 – Title your VO sequence
  8. 6:46 – Zooming in on the timeline
  9. 7:17 – Going through my process of reading script and editing VO
  10. 7:25 – Using match action to for a cut
  11. 8:06 – (.) key – keyboard command to insert video
  12. 10:15 – Using into the frame to decide an edit
  13. 11:56 – Using motion to select and IN point
  14. 12:05 – 10 seconds of pad on your VO
  15. 13:31 – Editing the SOT
  16. 13:50 – Using timecode to set IN point
  17. 14:23 – Drag SOT to new item icon to create a new sequence
  18. 15:07 – Modify a stereo pair to dual mono in your raw video
  19. 16:51 – Using solo to listen to one audio track
  20. 17:20 – Using the option key to eliminate one channel
  21. 17:45 – Auto Gain function for audio
  22. 18:33 – Pad at beginning of SOT using ripple tool
  23. 20:27 – Pad at end of SOT using ripple tool
  24. 21:00 – Export VO & SOT using H.264

Ripple Tool (Roll Tool in Avid) in Video Editing

Trimming

I’ve been editing on non-linear systems for nearly 20 years.  I edited on Avid, Final Cut Pro and Adobe Premiere.  Each time I learned the process of editing on these platforms, I somehow skipped trimming.  It wasn’t until I re-learned each NLE that I started to grasp trimming.  Once you get clips marked and into the timeline, you should never go back to the original clip.  All adjustments should be made in the timeline.  Other than undo, mark in and mark out, your next most used Tool in your NLE arsenal should be ALL trim tools.

What is trimming?  I took this definition from Final Cut Pro HD Hands-On Training by Larry Jordan.  “Trimming is the process of removing, or adding, frames to the beginning and end of your shots so that the edits flow naturally, maintaining your story, without calling attention to your editing.”

The first Tool in your NLE trim arsenal is the Ripple Tool (Rool Tool in Avid).  In both Avid and Final Cut, the Tool removes or adds frames to one side of an edit.  The Tool allows you to adjust just one side of an edit.  How about a video explanation for this?

Watch the clip below, 5 Minute Lesson The Ripple Tool

This is a lesson in Final Cut.  Ordinarily, I don’t like to focus on one NLE in this blog, but the Tool is an essential tool in editing. Plus, the fact that in Avid and Final Cut the Tool operates, in the same manner, I thought you could grasp no matter what your NLE is.