Q&A for How to Crop a Video in Adobe Premiere Pro

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Does cropping a video result in a loss of quality?

João Homem
Film & Media Industry Expert
João Homem is a Professional Colorist and Film & Media Industry Expert based in Vancouver, British Columbia. As the Co-Founder and Creative Director of Escuro Studios, a Canadian full-service production company, he oversees creative development and both pre- and post-production for diverse projects, including music videos, commercials, films, and TV series. He is also the CEO and founder of Cromatic Elements, an online asset store for filmmakers that supports emerging professionals by providing a platform to share high-quality tools, insights, and assets across multiple creative fields. Originally created to develop filmic assets for personal use, Cromatic has grown into a community-driven space where up-and-coming creatives can access resources designed by top industry professionals. João’s commitment to fostering a collaborative environment and offering accessible, authentic tools has positioned Cromatic as a valuable resource for filmmakers around the world.

João Homem

Film & Media Industry Expert

Expert Answer

Yes, cropping a video can result in quality loss. It's because when you crop, you're essentially cutting out a part of the frame and zooming in on the remaining portion. This reduces the overall resolution of your video because you're working with fewer pixels than the original video. If you crop your video into a smaller frame and then try to display the video at the same size as the original, the image can look pixelated or less sharp. To minimize quality loss, avoid cropping too much unless it's necessary for the visual impact. If you do need to crop, try to start with the highest resolution footage possible so that even after cropping, the resolution remains adequate for your project.

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Question

Is there a way to crop the actual output video without the black borders?

Community Answer

Yes. Under the Motion drop down, there is a Scale and Position option which you can use to scale the video clip up to fit the frame. Keep in mind though, you will likely lose some clarity if you keep it the same resolution.

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Question

Is there a way to specifically make it a square?

Community Answer

Yes. Setting equal percentage values under "effects," then "transform," then "crop" should do the thing.

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Is there a way to crop a video into a shape so that it's not square nor has straight edges?

Community Answer

in the effect control, below crop menu, click pen, and draw the shape you want.

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