How to Set Up Premiere Pro for Instagram Reels, TikTok and YouTube Shorts
Instagram, TikTok and YouTube allow you to edit vertical videos right in their platforms, but, to be honest, their editing tools aren’t quite as powerful as some of the other video editing tools on the market. Premiere Pro, for instance, has long been the industry standard for video editing, and many videographers, influencers and business owners have turned to it over the years to create powerful, cinematic content for their feeds. But, with videos turning vertical on social media, many Premiere Pro users that typically create horizontal videos may be wondering how to set up Premiere Pro for Instagram Reels, TikTok and YouTube Shorts. Well, we’re here to show you how to do just that, and it’s actually fairly simple. We’ve even thrown in a simple way to export them for Instagram, TikTok and YouTube too. Ready? Let’s get rolling.
Set Your Sequence to the Right Dimensions
Premiere Pro automatically defaults your sequence to the dimensions of the first video you drop onto the timeline. If you filmed your clips vertically, it should automatically set up your sequence with the correct dimensions for vertical video.
If, like a lot of videographers, you filmed your scenes horizontally, you’ll need to change the dimensions for your sequence. Here’s how you can easily do that:
Click on your timeline / sequence.
Find the “Sequence” drop down menu at the top of the screen, and then select “Sequence Settings.”
A pop up box will appear on your screen, and near the top of the box you’ll see the Sequence’s current dimensions. Change these dimensions to 1080p x 1920p.
Hit save, and you’re good to go.
Your horizontal clips will automatically be cropped to fit your new vertical sequence, which is great, except you may not like how some of the clips were cropped, which leads us to our next point…
Position Your Horizontal / Non-Vertical Clips
One of the biggest issues with short form vertical videos for Instagram Reels, TikTok and YouTube is that most people shoot their videos horizontally. Sure, you can set your sequence to the right dimensions for a vertical video (as we laid out above), which will then reframe your horizontal videos into vertical videos. The only problem is, however, that, when you switch your sequence dimensions from horizontal (1920p x 1080p) to vertical (1080p x 1920p), only the centre of your horizontal footage will be visible in the vertical frame.
If the focal point of your scene is in the middle of the frame anyways, this may not be problematic. But, if your focal point is more to the left or right side of the frame, it will likely be cut off, or not visible at all. This means that you’ll need to reposition your clips so that the right part of the scene is being displayed in the vertical frame.
Positioning the focal point of your horizontal clip properly in your vertical frame is fairly simple:
Select your clip on the timeline.
Head over to Effects Control.
Locate the ”Position” section in the affects control panel, and adjust the first number as needed. (i.e. the first number will likely be at 1920. To shift the clip to the left, put a lower value in there, such as 1820. To shift the clip to the right, place a higher number in there, such as 2020).
Since your original clip is horizontal, you can adjust the x-axis, and essentially “slide” the clip back and forth across your vertical frame until you like how the clip is positioned. This means no more awkwardly cut off video clips in your Instagram Reels, TikToks and YouTube Shorts!
Export Your Short Form Videos
One of the simplest ways to export your videos in Premiere Pro for social media is to utilize the “YouTube 1080p Full HD” Preset. This will ensure that your video comes out at the appropriate quality for social media sharing. This preset, however, won’t automatically work for exporting vertical videos.
When you go to export your vertical video with this preset, Premiere Pro will think you’re trying to export a horizontal video, so you’ll end up with an exported video with black space on the left and right side of your vertical video (not ideal!).
Here’s how you can easily export vertical videos from Premiere Pro that are properly cropped:
Select the “YouTube 1080p Full HD” preset from the dropdown menu.
Select the video dropdown, and then, under Video Settings, locate the frame size dropdown.
Select Custom at the bottom of the list, and then insert the following dimensions: 1080p x 1920p.
Hit export.
Next, all you need to do is transfer your exported video to your phone, write a witty caption, and upload your short form vertical video to your social media channels!
So, if you’re an avid Premiere Pro user looking to create high quality vertical videos in the program, don’t panic. Setting up your project file for vertical videos is easy. All you need to do is ensure your dimensions are adjusted in your sequence settings, and then adjust / position your horizontal clips as needed within your new vertical frame. Then, use our simple exporting process, and you’re good to go.
Toronto Videographer
If you’re looking for a videographer to help you produce short form vertical videos for Instagram Reels, TikTok or YouTube Shorts in the Toronto area, including Oakville, Burlington, Mississauga, Hamilton and Brampton, give us a shout. We’d be happy to learn more about your brand, and provide you with our video packages and pricing. Reach out today!
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