You can change the dimensions of a video clip within your sequence in Premiere Pro primarily by adjusting its Scale property.
Changing the "dimensions" of a video clip in Premiere Pro most commonly refers to altering its size within your sequence frame. This is done using the Scale property found in the Effects Controls panel.
Here's how to do it:
- Select Your Clip: Click on the video clip you want to resize in your Timeline. This will make its properties available in the Effects Controls panel.
- Open Effects Controls: If the Effects Controls panel isn't visible, go to Window > Effects Controls.
- Find Motion Properties: In the Effects Controls panel, expand the Motion dropdown.
- Adjust the Scale: Under the Motion dropdown, locate the Scale option. You will see a slider next to it, often defaulting to 100%.
- Use the Slider: Click and drag the slider to the right to increase the clip's size (scale up) or to the left to decrease its size (scale down) within the frame.
- Enter a Specific Value: You can also click on the number next to the slider and type in an exact percentage value for the scale.
- Reference Tip: As noted, you'll Go to your Effects workspace (or just the Effects Controls panel), Find the “Scale” option under the Motion drop down and use the slider to scale the size of your clip inside the frame.
Practical Tips for Scaling
- Uniform Scale: By default, Scale adjusts both width and height proportionally. The "Uniform Scale" checkbox links these dimensions. Uncheck it if you need to scale width and height independently (though this will distort your video).
- Scaling Up: Be cautious when scaling a clip up significantly (above 100%). Doing so can reduce the video's sharpness and quality as you are essentially enlarging existing pixels.
- Fit to Frame Size: For quick adjustments, you can right-click on a clip in the Timeline and select "Scale to Frame Size" (adjusts the clip to fit the sequence frame without affecting resolution) or "Set to Frame Size" (resizes the clip to fill the frame, potentially scaling it up or down). Using the Scale property in Effects Controls gives you manual control.
Sequence Dimensions vs. Clip Dimensions
It's important to distinguish between the dimensions of your sequence and the dimensions of your clip.
- Sequence Dimensions: This is the overall size of your video output frame (e.g., 1920x1080 for HD). You set this when you create a new sequence or by changing Sequence > Sequence Settings. This is the "canvas" your clips sit on.
- Clip Dimensions: This refers to the original size of your source footage and how it is displayed within the sequence frame, which you control using the Scale property as described above.
Using the Scale property in the Effects Controls panel allows you to change how large your video clip appears relative to your sequence's frame dimensions.
