Even if you’re a professional filmmaker, you’d still need to edit your videos for perfection. If you are looking for a tool to remove unwanted moments, Premiere Pro should be one of your top choices.
The Adobe video editing software is an industry-leading tool that has been used to produce high-quality films.
As a whole, it can be challenging to learn, but cutting a video with it is easy to grasp regardless of your level of experience.
In this tutorial, we will teach you how to do just that, along with tricks and tips to make your project run smoothly.
How to Cut a Video in Premiere Pro
One of the benefits of using Premiere Pro to edit your footage is the different ways to cut a video clip.
Not just different shortcuts to perform the same action, but alternative means to chop a video clip or timeline. The best way often comes down to individual workflow or your stage in the overall editing process.
In this section, we will talk about the most straightforward way to cut a video in Premiere Pro, The Razor Tool.
It is the easiest way for beginners to cut a video because it is the most direct cutting tool.
It works on a point-and-cut rule. You can just cut down a video and delete the clips you don’t need, which makes it a valuable tool for making montage jump cuts.
There are other advantages and it has its limitations, but before we talk about them, here is how to use it.
STEP 1 - Import your footage
Unless you already have a sequence in the timeline, start by importing the video into Premiere Pro.
You can do this by pressing CTRL + I or CMD + I for Mac devices. You can also go to File in the menu bar and select Import.
If you have imported a video and have an existing sequence, drag the video into the timeline. Otherwise, right-click and choose New Sequence From Clip, as seen above.
STEP 2 - Select the Razor tool and split the clip
Yes, it is that easy. But first, make sure you have selected the right clip in your timeline. When you do, there will be a white border around it.
Confirm it is there to avoid cutting the wrong clip.
Now, select the Razor tool from the panel beside the timeline. It is the one with the blade icon.
Alternatively, you could press C on your keyboard.
Now, hover the razor to the point you want to cut and left-click. Repeat this at different points along the timeline to make multiple cuts.
For a more accurate cut, move the playhead to the exact timestamp you want to cut. Then place the razor tool there and make your cut, as seen above.
After making the cuts, you can move unwanted sections by selecting each clip and hitting Delete. If you are a Mac user, press Forward Delete.
That’s it. Clear and Easy, and that’s not the only reason to use the Razor method.
It also comes in handy when you are working with large timelines with multiple tracks. Maybe you are creating a movie or marketing video.
With the Razor tool, you can simply select each lengthy clip and make multiple cuts in a row. (as long as you’ve identified the correct timestamps)
There are a couple of limitations, however.
One, you have to select the magnetize option if you want to magnetize your playhead. That means going back and forth from the cursor to the Razor tool.
Second, when working with spaced-out timelines, there is a higher risk of cutting the wrong frames. That is why it is necessary to identify your timestamps beforehand.
Neither of these is a major functionality issue but rather more of a subjective workflow issue. If you don’t mind the work, it is fine.
Other Ways to Cut Video in Premiere
If the Razor tool is too disruptive for your workflow, there are a couple of other ways to cut a video in Premiere like,
- Current - Time Indicator
- In and Out Points
Each one has its advantages, but they are both easy to use, with minimal out-of-the-way learning necessary.
Here is how to use them.
Current - Time Indicator
Don’t let the name confuse you. The Current-Time indicator is the blue triangle that shows where you are in the timeline.
It is a reference to the playhead and how this cutting method works. Instead of applying the cuts over the video track in the timeline, you cut in reference to the playhead marker.
To use it,
- Place the Current-Time Indicator at the point you want to cut.
Ensure that you have selected the correct video if there are different clips in the timeline.
- Press CTRL + K or CMD + K to split the clip
That’s it. It is an effective method for editors who prefer working with shortcuts.
Here is another reason to consider the Current-Time Indicator method. You can cut all the tracks over the playhead at once, not just the ones you selected.
To do this, press Shift + CTRL + K, and Premiere Pro will slice everything along that timestamp in half.
Something to note, though.
If the audio is linked to the video, this method will cut the audio track. If it is not, it won’t, but the chances of your video going out of sync increase.
That is because you might move the newly split clip and leave the accompanying audio behind. So, pay attention to that.
In and Out Points
The third way to cut video in Premiere Pro is using In and Out points. The feature is adept at removing stretches of film at once.
Since most cutting in video cutting involves removing unwanted footage, the method comes in handy.
Beginner and intermediate Premiere Pro users are more likely to be familiar with it as part of the video import process.
However, since we’ve already imported our footage for this tutorial, we will first learn how it works in the timeline. Then we will work our way back.
- Mark the In and Out point
Think of this method as highlighting a section in a text before deletion. The first thing you would do is place your mouse or cursor at the starting point of that text.
Similarly, move the Current Time Indicator to the beginning of the part you want to remove. Press I to mark the point.
Do the same for the out point. Drag the Current Time Indicator to the end part of the section and press O on the keyboard.
When you finish, it should look like this.
- Cut the section
As you would after reaching the endpoint of a highlighted text in MS Word, press ‘ (quotation key) on your keyboard to cut out the section.
The cool thing about this method is that instead of leaving a blank space, the second half of the video automatically fills the void.
How to Cut a Video in Adobe Premiere (Alternative Solution): EZGIF
Premiere Pro is up there with Final Cut Pro and DaVinci Resolve as a leading desktop video editing tool. But it still has its limitations.
The Adobe software costs money, and it is best suited for heavy editing.
If you ever find yourself needing a quick cut without access to one or Pro feels like overkill, it may be more convenient to use an online editor like EZGIF.
It doesn’t have the multidimensional cutting options of Premiere Pro. Still, you can extract the relevant part of any clip with it.
Here is a quick breakdown of how to do that.
STEP 1 - Import the video
Open the web app by visiting here.
Press Choose file to select the video you want to cut.
Click Upload Video to import your footage.
STEP 2 - Cut the video
When the upload is complete, tap the Cut Video button with the scissor icon.
EZGIF is a quick editing application, so there is no timeline to manipulate. Instead, you have to set the start and end times of the clip you need.
Use the playback window to get the accurate timestamp of each point. Once you have them, press Cut Video.
STEP 3 - Save and Download the video
Preview the result below the Cut Video button. If it needs additional work, scroll back up to recut the clip.
Otherwise, press the Save button to download the clip.
Best Practices to Cut Video in Premiere Pro
While cutting in Premiere Pro is a precision task, the implementation itself is smooth and enjoyable enough that it is easy to get carried away.
Here are a few best practices to keep in mind while you slash and chop.
- Don’t forget the narrative - remember you are trying to craft a tale. Before removing a clip, consider how it affects the overall story. When in doubt, follow the storyboard.
- Preview before exporting - Editing can be tedious at times, especially when you’re working with a lengthy clip. But don’t be in haste to export. Check and double-check before exporting.
- Don’t overuse jump cuts - Jump cuts help you streamline your footage but try not to overuse them, even when editing online content.
How to Cut Video in Premiere CC: Tips and Tricks
As a bonus, here are some quick tips and tricks that will smoothen your workflow.
- Cut before importing into the timeline
Importing the entire footage into your timeline makes it cluttered with unnecessary footage. By using In and Out points in the Source Monitor, you can extract only the relevant parts of your video.
After setting the In and Out markers, drag the clip from the Source Monitor to the timeline. You can repeat this for multiple sections of the clip.
Just reset the In and Out points to place a new selection in the timeline.
- Unlink the Video and Audio before cutting
Ideally, keeping the video and the audio track linked is how you keep everything in sync. But it can be creatively limiting.
Without unlinking them, you can’t apply stylish cuts like the L and J Cuts, which improve the overall dynamics of video content.
To unlink, select and right-click on the video track. Choose Unlink from the options. Now you can get creative.
- Color code your clips
Once you start chopping up your footage, things might start getting confusing, especially when you have a lot of clips in multiple tracks. To keep things organized, color-code your clips.
In the bins inside Premiere’s Project browser, right-click on a clip or a group of clips and select Label. Then choose a color. The highlighted clip(s) will appear as the selected color in the timeline.
You can use it to keep track of each scene or the type of shot.
- Set your keyboard shortcuts
Shortcuts smoothen your workflow and speed up your work. Premiere Pro has default shortcuts, but you can set additional ones and modify existing options.
Go to Edit in the menu bar and choose Keyboard Shortcuts. You can also use CTRL + Alt + K. The page shows a keyboard layout with the function of each key.
Click the dropdown button beside Keyboard Layout Preset and set it to Custom to create your own shortcuts.
Here is a tip within a tip. Instead of scanning the entire keyboard layout, use the search field to find the action you want to map.
Finally…
That’s it. These are the ways to cut video in Premiere Pro. They may be different, but each method does the same thing, which is why we wouldn’t recommend a particular one.
Instead, we advise that you master all of them. Using that knowledge, you will be in the best position to know which one to use and when. Learning all three also helps you decide which one fits best into your workflow.
For something simpler, try Keevi Video Editor. It is a timeline-based online editor with all the advantages of an advanced editor like Premiere Pro without the complex functionalities.
To learn more about video editing and crafting high-engagement videos, visit our learning page.
.jpg)
