Sometimes, as a video editor, you might find yourself having to create another format for a video that you’ve already edited in Premiere Pro, and be curious about things like the correct TikTok video dimensions for Premiere Pro or sizes for YouTube, etc. This isn’t always as easy as simply changing the sequence settings.

For instance, if you’ve created a horizontal long-form video and need to transform it into a vertical short-form video for Instagram Reels, TikTok, or even YouTube shorts, or even a square format, you might run into issues like cropped clips, glitched layers, or black screens in the preview.

Here’s the best way to resize your video while keeping control over individual clips and maintaining their quality.

The Best Method for Resizing a Video In Premiere Pro

If you want to adjust individual clips without having to re-edit everything from scratch, follow the step-by-step guide below.

Step 1: Nest Your Original Sequence

• Select all clips in the timeline of your existing project.

• Right-click and choose [Nest] to create a single nested sequence.

Step 2: Create a New Sequence In Your Desired Format/Ratio

• Go to File > New > Sequence.

• In the [Settings] tab, manually adjust the frame size to your required ratio, depending on the needs of the platform you will be posting your video on.

• Name your new sequence something that makes it clear that this edit is in a new format, e.g., ‘square version’

Step 3: Add the Nested Sequence to the New Sequence

• Drag the nested sequence from the Project panel into your new sequence.

• Right-click the nested sequence in the timeline and select [Set to Frame Size].

• Then, right-click again and choose [Scale to Frame Size/Set to Frame Size] for best resizing results.

Step 4: Use Scene Edit Detection (If Needed) To Adjust Certain Frames

• If your video is a montage with many edits, you can use Premiere Pro’s [Scene Edit Detection] to break the nested sequence back into individual clips.

• Right-click the nested sequence and select [Scene Edit Detection].

• This will split the sequence into separate shots, allowing you to manually reposition each one as needed.

Step 5: Adjust Each Clip for the New Format

• Click each individual clip and adjust its position in the Effect Controls > Motion panel.

• If necessary, manually resize or crop clips to fit within the new frame.

Step 6: Preview and Export

• Play through your sequence to ensure clips are properly aligned.

• Go to File > Export > Media.

• Choose [H.264] and a preset like ‘Instagram 1080 x 1080’ or ‘Custom 1200 x 1200’.

• Click [Export].

Resizing Video Troubleshooting Methods

If your workflow is glitchy or causing black screens, try these alternative fixes:

• Copy and paste your timeline into a new sequence in your desired format instead of nesting it.

• Manually adjust clips instead of using Scene Edit Detection if Premiere is lagging.

• Check effects layers to ensure they apply correctly to the new sequence.

By following these steps, you can effectively resize your video into any new format in Premiere Pro, without having to re-edit your video from scratch. This method ensures that your clips maintaining in their original composition while fitting into the new aspect ratio that you’ve chosen.

For more Premiere Pro editing tips and tricks, explore our latest content on the Cutback blog or Cutback’s official YouTube channel.