How to Crop Zoom Video in Premiere Pro?

To crop a zoom video in Premiere Pro, use the Crop effect. Here's a step-by-step guide:

Steps to Crop a Video Clip in Premiere Pro

Select the Clip: In your Timeline panel, locate the zoom video clip you want to crop. Click on it to select it. Ensure the playhead is positioned over the clip to preview your changes.
Apply the Crop Effect:
- Navigate to the Effects panel (usually found in the upper right area of your Premiere Pro workspace, or go to Window > Effects).
- In the search bar of the Effects panel, type "crop".
- Alternatively, you can find the Crop effect by going to Video Effects > Transform > Crop.
- Drag the Crop effect from the Effects panel onto the selected video clip in the Timeline.
Adjust the Crop Settings:
- Go to the Effect Controls panel (usually located near the Source Monitor). If it's not visible, go to Window > Effect Controls.
- In the Effect Controls panel, you will see the Crop effect listed.
- Adjust the Left, Right, Top, and Bottom percentage values to crop the video as desired. Drag the sliders or enter specific values to control the amount of cropping on each side.

Feather: You can use the "Feather" option within the Crop effect to soften the edges of the cropped area, creating a smoother transition. This is helpful for blending the cropped video with other elements.
Position and Scale: After cropping, you might need to adjust the Position and Scale parameters (also found in the Effect Controls panel under the Motion category) to re-frame your video. This allows you to zoom in or out and reposition the cropped area.
Keyframes: For dynamic cropping (cropping that changes over time), you can use keyframes. Click the stopwatch icon next to the Crop values (Left, Right, Top, Bottom) to add a keyframe at the current playhead position. Move the playhead and adjust the crop values again to create a second keyframe. Premiere Pro will then automatically animate the crop between those keyframes.
Aspect Ratio Considerations: Be mindful of the aspect ratio after cropping. Cropping significantly can alter the video's original aspect ratio and potentially lead to distortion. Consider using the "Scale to Frame Size" option (right-click clip > Scale to Frame Size) if necessary, or adjusting the sequence settings to match the new aspect ratio.