Use Motion effect to edit, animate clips

Use the Motion effect to position, scale, or rotate a clip within the video frame. By default, each clip that you add to the Timeline panel has the Motion effect applied as a fixed effect. You can view and adjust the Motion effect properties in the Effect Controls panel by clicking the triangle next to the Motion name.

You can also animate clips by setting keyframes for Motion properties. For more information, see Animate motion in the Program Monitor.

To adjust a clip in the Program Monitor, do the following:

Scale a clip

To scale a clip in the Program Monitor, do any of the following:

• To position a clip or lighting effect, double-click on the clip. The handles and clip anchor point appear on the clip. Drag the clip to reposition it. Don’t drag a handle to reposition the clip or lighting effect.
• To scale freely, drag a corner handle.
• To scale along one dimension only, drag a side (not a corner) handle.
• To scale proportionally, shift-drag a corner handle.

Scale assets

When you drag an asset into a sequence, by default Premiere Pro preserves its frame size and centers the asset in the program frame. You can rescale the asset without distortion, if its pixel aspect ratio has been interpreted correctly.

Scale assets manually

Scale assets to frame size

Scale assets automatically

Rotate a clip

• To rotate a clip or effect, position the pointer slightly outside any of the handles, so that the pointer changes into the Rotate icon   and drag.
• In the Effect Controls Panel, click the triangle next to Motion to open up the Motion controls. To rotate the clip, enter a value in the Rotation field.
  
• To flip a clip, enter a negative value in the Rotation field.
  

A few important points

• By default, a clip appears at 100% of its original size in the center of the Program Monitor. Position, scale, and rotation values are calculated from the clip anchor point, which lies at the clip’s center by default.
• Position, Scale, and Rotation properties are spatial in nature, so it’s easiest to adjust them directly in the Program Monitor. 

Animate motion in the Program Monitor

You can create animations, insets, and split screens by manipulating a clip directly in the Program Monitor and setting keyframes for the Motion effect. By adjusting a clip’s position and scale in the Program Monitor, you reveal clips in the tracks below it and can create interesting compositions.

When you animate a clip’s position, a motion path represents the clip’s motion in the Program Monitor. Small blue boxes represent keyframed positions, dotted lines represent positions at interpolated frames, and the circular clip anchor point symbol represents a spot in the clip, its center by default, at the current frame. The spacing between dots indicates the speed between keyframes: wide spacing shows fast motion, while tightly spaced dots show slower motion.

Animate a clip in the Program Monitor

When the Motion effect is selected in the Effect Controls panel, you can manipulate a clip to create an animation in the Program Monitor. To animate a clip in the Program Monitor, follow these steps:

Change Position keyframes in a motion path

You can change the value of a Position keyframe, and adjust your motion path, simply by dragging the Position keyframe (indicated by a blue X) in the Program Monitor.

Move a clip along a curve

You can move a clip along a curve using Bezier handles in the Program Monitor.

Adjust or animate clip anchor points

By default, a clip anchor point is set at the exact center of a clip. You can change the position of a clip in relation to its frame or motion path, however, by moving the clip anchor point. Further, you can change the location of the clip anchor point over time, allowing the clip to move in relation to its frame or motion path. Animating the clip anchor point can be used, for example, to create an image-panning effect.

Adjust anchor points in the Program Monitor

You can move the anchor point of the Motion effect directly in the Program Monitor.

1. Open the Motion Controls in the Effect Controls panel and select the Anchor Point property.
2. Move the cursor over the anchor point or drag it, the shape of the cursor changes to.

When you drag the anchor point in the Program Monitor, the anchor point gets relocated in the Program Monitor while the frame remains still. It is achieved by simultaneously updating both the Anchor Point and Position parameters.

Use modifier keys

To update only the Anchor Point parameter and not the Position parameter, press the Alt (Windows) or Option (macOs) key and move the cursor over the anchor point, the cursor changes to . Then, drag the anchor point in the Program Monitor. It drags the frame while the anchor point stays in place.

To enable snapping, press the Ctrl key and start dragging the anchor point. A box is drawn over the target. The anchor point then snaps to the side handles or center point of the frame when close.

A few important points

• To preserve the ability to drag the position of the clip when the Program Monitor is small, the anchor point crosshairs are hidden. Note that it's the size of the Motion Direct Manipulation frame in pixels on screen that matters.
• To achieve a finer control over the anchor point location, use the Anchor Point property in the Effect Controls panel. Any changes to the anchor point in the Program Monitor are updated in the Effect Controls panel and conversely.
• When changing the anchor point through the parameter in the Effect Controls panel, it's the frame that moves in the Program Monitor while the anchor point actually stays in the same place on the screen.
  

Related resources

• Adding, navigating, and setting keyframes
• Use motion effects to composite clips
• Rearrange clips in a sequence

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