Setting Up Your Dream Machine for Premiere Pro: A Beginner’s Guide

System Requirements for Running Premiere Pro: How to Set Up Computer

Benjamin Arango

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

We all know that Adobe Premiere Pro is one of the best professional video editing software, while to run such a powerful video editing software, you may need a powerful windows PC or Mac as well. Though most modern computer systems can run Adobe Premiere out of the box, there are some steps to take, and potential decisions to make, before installing the software, or if you are building or buying a new computer to make sure you get the best experience possible with the software.

You may also like:Best Adobe Premiere Alternatives >>

---

Minimum system requirement to run Premiere Pro on Windows and Mac in 2019

Your computer should at least to meet the minimum specification below to run Premiere Pro, and if you need to edit some VR videos, your computer configuration should be higher according to the minimum specifications list on their website .

• Intel 6th or newer CPU
• Windows 10 (64-bit) 1703 or later/ MacOS V10.12 later
• 16GB RAM; 4GB GPU VRAM
• Fast internal SSD
• 1920*1080 Display resolution
• 32-bit video card
• Internet connection

However, it is important to remember this is the minimum specification, and will not necessarily give a satisfactory user experience. The recommended specifications are far more likely to provide the kind of performance expected of the software and those would be the ones to use as a guide for the minimum spec for a new computer or any upgrades being planned prior to installation.

---

How to check Computer Specifications

Since Premiere Pro CC only works on Windows 10 system after 2018 13.0 release, we will show you how to check if your PC meets the requirements to run Premiere Pro on Windows 10

• Press Windows Key+ E on the keyboard to bring up Windows Explorer.
• Right click the This PC option in the sidebar and then select Properties from the context menu.

• The system specification window will show up which you see the Processor, RAM, system type and other system information.

Checking the specification on your Mac is easy, just click the Apple icon in the top-left corner of your Mac, and then select About This Mac option. In the pop-up window you will see the information including Processor speed, memory and graphic card etc.

---

How to Set Up Computer for Premiere

1. Processor

Whilst the software will run on a Core2Duo intel or Phenom II AMD processor, it is worth noting that rendering can be highly intensive work for the processor and the fastest possible processor within your budget will pay dividends in speed of editing. In general, even a Core I3, the cheapest of the current Intel range, will be significantly faster than older processors, but because Premiere happily uses multi cored processors to their full, if the budget can reach to a quad core or more processor then do so, Premiere is a piece of software that benefits from the computational power increase more than most.

2. Memory

The next consideration is memory. The minimum specification suggests 4GB of RAM with 8GB recommended, for reliable and smooth running consider 8GB minimum, and go for as much as you can. For a computer that is used for other activities as well, multitasking can see even 24GB of Ram being fully utilized, especially if you are working on HD content. Speaking of content, this is the other aspect of memory to look at. Whilst you can use a storage drive that contains everything else on your computer to keep the media you are working on, for HD content especially, and for trouble free and the fastest possible operation it is advisable to reserve a single drive, preferably a 7200 RPM or faster one, exclusively for your media. Bandwidth and access times means Premiere will be significantly faster in operation with its media on a dedicated drive.

3. Graphic

The final aspect of specification to consider is graphics. Adobe Premiere uses a feature called the Mercury Playback Engine that allows much faster and smoother playback of video without rendering, it has two modes, software only and GPU acceleration mode (Using either CUDA or OpenCL). The GPU acceleration mode offers significant performance increases and is therefore highly desirable. However, not all GPU’s are compatible with the Mercury Playback Engine, the list of those that are is found on the previously linked specification page, so if a new computer is being built or purchased, or upgrades are being considered prior to install, it is highly desirable to utilize a compatible GPU where possible.

5. Settings

Having covered the basic specifications of a computer that will enhance the operation of Premiere, it is now time to look at the computer settings and how this can affect Premiere’s performance and usability.

The first thing to understand is that video editing, especially HD video, is bandwidth intensive, in effect, it fills up the lanes between the CPU, RAM, GPU and Hard Drive during operation. Spreading the use of that bandwidth over several devices can see huge performance gains, so one of the best ways to optimize the computer for Premier is to adjust how the hard drives are used. How effective this can be depends on the computer you are using, so we will try to cover a few different possibilities here.

6. Drive

If your computer contains a single drive, simply install Premiere and start using it, there are no options available here. If there are two drives, keep one for the operating system, programs and cache files. Use the second drive exclusively for video project files, exported projects and previews.

If the computer has three drives then keep one for the operating system and programs, the second one for the video project files, and use the third for previews, cache files and exported projects.

If you have access to even more drives, then split the cache from the previews, and ultimately have one drive each for previews, exports and cache. Spreading the files across as many drives as possible enhances performance by enabling the different read/write operations to occur without interference from each other.

That is the theory, but how do you achieve this? This is done within Premiere itself, there are two parts, accessing where the media cache files are placed is done though the edit menu, following the path edit > preferences > media.

Changing where the project files, previews and exports are stored is just as easy, and is accessed via the project menu by taking the path project > project settings > scratchdisks.

7. Sequence Setting

When working with Premiere it is important to have the correct settings for the type of media you are using and the nature of the final output. This is done within Premiere by a function known as a Sequence.

After creating a new project you are presented with the sequence dialogue box. You can have as many sequences in a single project as you like, but Premiere always assumes you require at least one and so needs the first one to be created to allow work on a project. Any media, both audio and video, placed into a sequence is automatically adapted to the settings of that sequence, so you will want to choose settings that match the original media as closely as possible. Each sequence in a project can have different settings if required, as this lessens the workload on the CPU and makes the process faster and smoother.

The sequence dialogue has three tabs, Sequence Presets, Settings and Tracks

The Preset Tab makes setting up a new sequence much simpler. Choosing a preset enables Premiere to choose the settings that best match the chosen video and audio format. There are a wide range of presets available to suit the most commonly used media types, they are organized based on camera formats. Within each group there are numerous settings and configurations to choose from based around frame sizes and interlacing. Whilst choosing the correct preset can be a little daunting to the uninitiated, ensuring the number of frames per second, the frame size and codec are correct is all that is required.

Once the preset is chosen you can move to the settings tab to adjust the preset manually. Some settings will not be adjustable in this tab due to the specific optimization required for the input media.

Because the presets do such a good job it is not really necessary to adjust anything in the settings tab, and unless you are trying to do something very specific.

While the standard presets are usually suitable, on occasion you may desire a custom setting. To do this, choose a sequence preset that is close to your media, and then make custom selections in the Settings tab. By selecting the Save Preset option on the Settings tab you can then create a custom setting with those parameters. Give the preset a suitable name in the Save Settings dialog and add any notes that are needed. The preset can be found in the Custom folder under Available Presets.

Those with the Apple Prores Codec on their computers can use this as the preview codec if required. By choosing Quicktime as the preview format in a custom editing mode, and lastly Apple Prores as the required codec.

Conclusion

If your computer failed to meet the requirement to run Premiere Pro, you may need to spend some money to buy a powerful computer or choose another professional video editing software similar to Premiere Pro, or choose a video editing software. If your computer isn’t powerful enough to run Premiere Pro, you will get awful experience at editing footage because of the long loading time and stuck playback.

Benjamin Arango

Benjamin Arango is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Benjamin Arango

Benjamin Arango

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

We all know that Adobe Premiere Pro is one of the best professional video editing software, while to run such a powerful video editing software, you may need a powerful windows PC or Mac as well. Though most modern computer systems can run Adobe Premiere out of the box, there are some steps to take, and potential decisions to make, before installing the software, or if you are building or buying a new computer to make sure you get the best experience possible with the software.

You may also like:Best Adobe Premiere Alternatives >>

---

Minimum system requirement to run Premiere Pro on Windows and Mac in 2019

Your computer should at least to meet the minimum specification below to run Premiere Pro, and if you need to edit some VR videos, your computer configuration should be higher according to the minimum specifications list on their website .

• Intel 6th or newer CPU
• Windows 10 (64-bit) 1703 or later/ MacOS V10.12 later
• 16GB RAM; 4GB GPU VRAM
• Fast internal SSD
• 1920*1080 Display resolution
• 32-bit video card
• Internet connection

However, it is important to remember this is the minimum specification, and will not necessarily give a satisfactory user experience. The recommended specifications are far more likely to provide the kind of performance expected of the software and those would be the ones to use as a guide for the minimum spec for a new computer or any upgrades being planned prior to installation.

---

How to check Computer Specifications

Since Premiere Pro CC only works on Windows 10 system after 2018 13.0 release, we will show you how to check if your PC meets the requirements to run Premiere Pro on Windows 10

• Press Windows Key+ E on the keyboard to bring up Windows Explorer.
• Right click the This PC option in the sidebar and then select Properties from the context menu.

• The system specification window will show up which you see the Processor, RAM, system type and other system information.

Checking the specification on your Mac is easy, just click the Apple icon in the top-left corner of your Mac, and then select About This Mac option. In the pop-up window you will see the information including Processor speed, memory and graphic card etc.

---

How to Set Up Computer for Premiere

1. Processor

Whilst the software will run on a Core2Duo intel or Phenom II AMD processor, it is worth noting that rendering can be highly intensive work for the processor and the fastest possible processor within your budget will pay dividends in speed of editing. In general, even a Core I3, the cheapest of the current Intel range, will be significantly faster than older processors, but because Premiere happily uses multi cored processors to their full, if the budget can reach to a quad core or more processor then do so, Premiere is a piece of software that benefits from the computational power increase more than most.

2. Memory

The next consideration is memory. The minimum specification suggests 4GB of RAM with 8GB recommended, for reliable and smooth running consider 8GB minimum, and go for as much as you can. For a computer that is used for other activities as well, multitasking can see even 24GB of Ram being fully utilized, especially if you are working on HD content. Speaking of content, this is the other aspect of memory to look at. Whilst you can use a storage drive that contains everything else on your computer to keep the media you are working on, for HD content especially, and for trouble free and the fastest possible operation it is advisable to reserve a single drive, preferably a 7200 RPM or faster one, exclusively for your media. Bandwidth and access times means Premiere will be significantly faster in operation with its media on a dedicated drive.

3. Graphic

The final aspect of specification to consider is graphics. Adobe Premiere uses a feature called the Mercury Playback Engine that allows much faster and smoother playback of video without rendering, it has two modes, software only and GPU acceleration mode (Using either CUDA or OpenCL). The GPU acceleration mode offers significant performance increases and is therefore highly desirable. However, not all GPU’s are compatible with the Mercury Playback Engine, the list of those that are is found on the previously linked specification page, so if a new computer is being built or purchased, or upgrades are being considered prior to install, it is highly desirable to utilize a compatible GPU where possible.

5. Settings

Having covered the basic specifications of a computer that will enhance the operation of Premiere, it is now time to look at the computer settings and how this can affect Premiere’s performance and usability.

The first thing to understand is that video editing, especially HD video, is bandwidth intensive, in effect, it fills up the lanes between the CPU, RAM, GPU and Hard Drive during operation. Spreading the use of that bandwidth over several devices can see huge performance gains, so one of the best ways to optimize the computer for Premier is to adjust how the hard drives are used. How effective this can be depends on the computer you are using, so we will try to cover a few different possibilities here.

6. Drive

If your computer contains a single drive, simply install Premiere and start using it, there are no options available here. If there are two drives, keep one for the operating system, programs and cache files. Use the second drive exclusively for video project files, exported projects and previews.

If the computer has three drives then keep one for the operating system and programs, the second one for the video project files, and use the third for previews, cache files and exported projects.

If you have access to even more drives, then split the cache from the previews, and ultimately have one drive each for previews, exports and cache. Spreading the files across as many drives as possible enhances performance by enabling the different read/write operations to occur without interference from each other.

That is the theory, but how do you achieve this? This is done within Premiere itself, there are two parts, accessing where the media cache files are placed is done though the edit menu, following the path edit > preferences > media.

Changing where the project files, previews and exports are stored is just as easy, and is accessed via the project menu by taking the path project > project settings > scratchdisks.

7. Sequence Setting

When working with Premiere it is important to have the correct settings for the type of media you are using and the nature of the final output. This is done within Premiere by a function known as a Sequence.

After creating a new project you are presented with the sequence dialogue box. You can have as many sequences in a single project as you like, but Premiere always assumes you require at least one and so needs the first one to be created to allow work on a project. Any media, both audio and video, placed into a sequence is automatically adapted to the settings of that sequence, so you will want to choose settings that match the original media as closely as possible. Each sequence in a project can have different settings if required, as this lessens the workload on the CPU and makes the process faster and smoother.

The sequence dialogue has three tabs, Sequence Presets, Settings and Tracks

The Preset Tab makes setting up a new sequence much simpler. Choosing a preset enables Premiere to choose the settings that best match the chosen video and audio format. There are a wide range of presets available to suit the most commonly used media types, they are organized based on camera formats. Within each group there are numerous settings and configurations to choose from based around frame sizes and interlacing. Whilst choosing the correct preset can be a little daunting to the uninitiated, ensuring the number of frames per second, the frame size and codec are correct is all that is required.

Once the preset is chosen you can move to the settings tab to adjust the preset manually. Some settings will not be adjustable in this tab due to the specific optimization required for the input media.

Because the presets do such a good job it is not really necessary to adjust anything in the settings tab, and unless you are trying to do something very specific.

While the standard presets are usually suitable, on occasion you may desire a custom setting. To do this, choose a sequence preset that is close to your media, and then make custom selections in the Settings tab. By selecting the Save Preset option on the Settings tab you can then create a custom setting with those parameters. Give the preset a suitable name in the Save Settings dialog and add any notes that are needed. The preset can be found in the Custom folder under Available Presets.

Those with the Apple Prores Codec on their computers can use this as the preview codec if required. By choosing Quicktime as the preview format in a custom editing mode, and lastly Apple Prores as the required codec.

Conclusion

If your computer failed to meet the requirement to run Premiere Pro, you may need to spend some money to buy a powerful computer or choose another professional video editing software similar to Premiere Pro, or choose a video editing software. If your computer isn’t powerful enough to run Premiere Pro, you will get awful experience at editing footage because of the long loading time and stuck playback.

Benjamin Arango

Benjamin Arango is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Benjamin Arango

Benjamin Arango

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

We all know that Adobe Premiere Pro is one of the best professional video editing software, while to run such a powerful video editing software, you may need a powerful windows PC or Mac as well. Though most modern computer systems can run Adobe Premiere out of the box, there are some steps to take, and potential decisions to make, before installing the software, or if you are building or buying a new computer to make sure you get the best experience possible with the software.

You may also like:Best Adobe Premiere Alternatives >>

---

Minimum system requirement to run Premiere Pro on Windows and Mac in 2019

Your computer should at least to meet the minimum specification below to run Premiere Pro, and if you need to edit some VR videos, your computer configuration should be higher according to the minimum specifications list on their website .

• Intel 6th or newer CPU
• Windows 10 (64-bit) 1703 or later/ MacOS V10.12 later
• 16GB RAM; 4GB GPU VRAM
• Fast internal SSD
• 1920*1080 Display resolution
• 32-bit video card
• Internet connection

However, it is important to remember this is the minimum specification, and will not necessarily give a satisfactory user experience. The recommended specifications are far more likely to provide the kind of performance expected of the software and those would be the ones to use as a guide for the minimum spec for a new computer or any upgrades being planned prior to installation.

---

How to check Computer Specifications

Since Premiere Pro CC only works on Windows 10 system after 2018 13.0 release, we will show you how to check if your PC meets the requirements to run Premiere Pro on Windows 10

• Press Windows Key+ E on the keyboard to bring up Windows Explorer.
• Right click the This PC option in the sidebar and then select Properties from the context menu.

• The system specification window will show up which you see the Processor, RAM, system type and other system information.

Checking the specification on your Mac is easy, just click the Apple icon in the top-left corner of your Mac, and then select About This Mac option. In the pop-up window you will see the information including Processor speed, memory and graphic card etc.

---

How to Set Up Computer for Premiere

1. Processor

Whilst the software will run on a Core2Duo intel or Phenom II AMD processor, it is worth noting that rendering can be highly intensive work for the processor and the fastest possible processor within your budget will pay dividends in speed of editing. In general, even a Core I3, the cheapest of the current Intel range, will be significantly faster than older processors, but because Premiere happily uses multi cored processors to their full, if the budget can reach to a quad core or more processor then do so, Premiere is a piece of software that benefits from the computational power increase more than most.

2. Memory

The next consideration is memory. The minimum specification suggests 4GB of RAM with 8GB recommended, for reliable and smooth running consider 8GB minimum, and go for as much as you can. For a computer that is used for other activities as well, multitasking can see even 24GB of Ram being fully utilized, especially if you are working on HD content. Speaking of content, this is the other aspect of memory to look at. Whilst you can use a storage drive that contains everything else on your computer to keep the media you are working on, for HD content especially, and for trouble free and the fastest possible operation it is advisable to reserve a single drive, preferably a 7200 RPM or faster one, exclusively for your media. Bandwidth and access times means Premiere will be significantly faster in operation with its media on a dedicated drive.

3. Graphic

The final aspect of specification to consider is graphics. Adobe Premiere uses a feature called the Mercury Playback Engine that allows much faster and smoother playback of video without rendering, it has two modes, software only and GPU acceleration mode (Using either CUDA or OpenCL). The GPU acceleration mode offers significant performance increases and is therefore highly desirable. However, not all GPU’s are compatible with the Mercury Playback Engine, the list of those that are is found on the previously linked specification page, so if a new computer is being built or purchased, or upgrades are being considered prior to install, it is highly desirable to utilize a compatible GPU where possible.

5. Settings

Having covered the basic specifications of a computer that will enhance the operation of Premiere, it is now time to look at the computer settings and how this can affect Premiere’s performance and usability.

The first thing to understand is that video editing, especially HD video, is bandwidth intensive, in effect, it fills up the lanes between the CPU, RAM, GPU and Hard Drive during operation. Spreading the use of that bandwidth over several devices can see huge performance gains, so one of the best ways to optimize the computer for Premier is to adjust how the hard drives are used. How effective this can be depends on the computer you are using, so we will try to cover a few different possibilities here.

6. Drive

If your computer contains a single drive, simply install Premiere and start using it, there are no options available here. If there are two drives, keep one for the operating system, programs and cache files. Use the second drive exclusively for video project files, exported projects and previews.

If the computer has three drives then keep one for the operating system and programs, the second one for the video project files, and use the third for previews, cache files and exported projects.

If you have access to even more drives, then split the cache from the previews, and ultimately have one drive each for previews, exports and cache. Spreading the files across as many drives as possible enhances performance by enabling the different read/write operations to occur without interference from each other.

That is the theory, but how do you achieve this? This is done within Premiere itself, there are two parts, accessing where the media cache files are placed is done though the edit menu, following the path edit > preferences > media.

Changing where the project files, previews and exports are stored is just as easy, and is accessed via the project menu by taking the path project > project settings > scratchdisks.

7. Sequence Setting

When working with Premiere it is important to have the correct settings for the type of media you are using and the nature of the final output. This is done within Premiere by a function known as a Sequence.

After creating a new project you are presented with the sequence dialogue box. You can have as many sequences in a single project as you like, but Premiere always assumes you require at least one and so needs the first one to be created to allow work on a project. Any media, both audio and video, placed into a sequence is automatically adapted to the settings of that sequence, so you will want to choose settings that match the original media as closely as possible. Each sequence in a project can have different settings if required, as this lessens the workload on the CPU and makes the process faster and smoother.

The sequence dialogue has three tabs, Sequence Presets, Settings and Tracks

The Preset Tab makes setting up a new sequence much simpler. Choosing a preset enables Premiere to choose the settings that best match the chosen video and audio format. There are a wide range of presets available to suit the most commonly used media types, they are organized based on camera formats. Within each group there are numerous settings and configurations to choose from based around frame sizes and interlacing. Whilst choosing the correct preset can be a little daunting to the uninitiated, ensuring the number of frames per second, the frame size and codec are correct is all that is required.

Once the preset is chosen you can move to the settings tab to adjust the preset manually. Some settings will not be adjustable in this tab due to the specific optimization required for the input media.

Because the presets do such a good job it is not really necessary to adjust anything in the settings tab, and unless you are trying to do something very specific.

While the standard presets are usually suitable, on occasion you may desire a custom setting. To do this, choose a sequence preset that is close to your media, and then make custom selections in the Settings tab. By selecting the Save Preset option on the Settings tab you can then create a custom setting with those parameters. Give the preset a suitable name in the Save Settings dialog and add any notes that are needed. The preset can be found in the Custom folder under Available Presets.

Those with the Apple Prores Codec on their computers can use this as the preview codec if required. By choosing Quicktime as the preview format in a custom editing mode, and lastly Apple Prores as the required codec.

Conclusion

If your computer failed to meet the requirement to run Premiere Pro, you may need to spend some money to buy a powerful computer or choose another professional video editing software similar to Premiere Pro, or choose a video editing software. If your computer isn’t powerful enough to run Premiere Pro, you will get awful experience at editing footage because of the long loading time and stuck playback.

Benjamin Arango

Benjamin Arango is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Benjamin Arango

Benjamin Arango

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

We all know that Adobe Premiere Pro is one of the best professional video editing software, while to run such a powerful video editing software, you may need a powerful windows PC or Mac as well. Though most modern computer systems can run Adobe Premiere out of the box, there are some steps to take, and potential decisions to make, before installing the software, or if you are building or buying a new computer to make sure you get the best experience possible with the software.

You may also like:Best Adobe Premiere Alternatives >>

---

Minimum system requirement to run Premiere Pro on Windows and Mac in 2019

Your computer should at least to meet the minimum specification below to run Premiere Pro, and if you need to edit some VR videos, your computer configuration should be higher according to the minimum specifications list on their website .

• Intel 6th or newer CPU
• Windows 10 (64-bit) 1703 or later/ MacOS V10.12 later
• 16GB RAM; 4GB GPU VRAM
• Fast internal SSD
• 1920*1080 Display resolution
• 32-bit video card
• Internet connection

However, it is important to remember this is the minimum specification, and will not necessarily give a satisfactory user experience. The recommended specifications are far more likely to provide the kind of performance expected of the software and those would be the ones to use as a guide for the minimum spec for a new computer or any upgrades being planned prior to installation.

---

How to check Computer Specifications

Since Premiere Pro CC only works on Windows 10 system after 2018 13.0 release, we will show you how to check if your PC meets the requirements to run Premiere Pro on Windows 10

• Press Windows Key+ E on the keyboard to bring up Windows Explorer.
• Right click the This PC option in the sidebar and then select Properties from the context menu.

• The system specification window will show up which you see the Processor, RAM, system type and other system information.

Checking the specification on your Mac is easy, just click the Apple icon in the top-left corner of your Mac, and then select About This Mac option. In the pop-up window you will see the information including Processor speed, memory and graphic card etc.

---

How to Set Up Computer for Premiere

1. Processor

Whilst the software will run on a Core2Duo intel or Phenom II AMD processor, it is worth noting that rendering can be highly intensive work for the processor and the fastest possible processor within your budget will pay dividends in speed of editing. In general, even a Core I3, the cheapest of the current Intel range, will be significantly faster than older processors, but because Premiere happily uses multi cored processors to their full, if the budget can reach to a quad core or more processor then do so, Premiere is a piece of software that benefits from the computational power increase more than most.

2. Memory

The next consideration is memory. The minimum specification suggests 4GB of RAM with 8GB recommended, for reliable and smooth running consider 8GB minimum, and go for as much as you can. For a computer that is used for other activities as well, multitasking can see even 24GB of Ram being fully utilized, especially if you are working on HD content. Speaking of content, this is the other aspect of memory to look at. Whilst you can use a storage drive that contains everything else on your computer to keep the media you are working on, for HD content especially, and for trouble free and the fastest possible operation it is advisable to reserve a single drive, preferably a 7200 RPM or faster one, exclusively for your media. Bandwidth and access times means Premiere will be significantly faster in operation with its media on a dedicated drive.

3. Graphic

The final aspect of specification to consider is graphics. Adobe Premiere uses a feature called the Mercury Playback Engine that allows much faster and smoother playback of video without rendering, it has two modes, software only and GPU acceleration mode (Using either CUDA or OpenCL). The GPU acceleration mode offers significant performance increases and is therefore highly desirable. However, not all GPU’s are compatible with the Mercury Playback Engine, the list of those that are is found on the previously linked specification page, so if a new computer is being built or purchased, or upgrades are being considered prior to install, it is highly desirable to utilize a compatible GPU where possible.

5. Settings

Having covered the basic specifications of a computer that will enhance the operation of Premiere, it is now time to look at the computer settings and how this can affect Premiere’s performance and usability.

The first thing to understand is that video editing, especially HD video, is bandwidth intensive, in effect, it fills up the lanes between the CPU, RAM, GPU and Hard Drive during operation. Spreading the use of that bandwidth over several devices can see huge performance gains, so one of the best ways to optimize the computer for Premier is to adjust how the hard drives are used. How effective this can be depends on the computer you are using, so we will try to cover a few different possibilities here.

6. Drive

If your computer contains a single drive, simply install Premiere and start using it, there are no options available here. If there are two drives, keep one for the operating system, programs and cache files. Use the second drive exclusively for video project files, exported projects and previews.

If the computer has three drives then keep one for the operating system and programs, the second one for the video project files, and use the third for previews, cache files and exported projects.

If you have access to even more drives, then split the cache from the previews, and ultimately have one drive each for previews, exports and cache. Spreading the files across as many drives as possible enhances performance by enabling the different read/write operations to occur without interference from each other.

That is the theory, but how do you achieve this? This is done within Premiere itself, there are two parts, accessing where the media cache files are placed is done though the edit menu, following the path edit > preferences > media.

Changing where the project files, previews and exports are stored is just as easy, and is accessed via the project menu by taking the path project > project settings > scratchdisks.

7. Sequence Setting

When working with Premiere it is important to have the correct settings for the type of media you are using and the nature of the final output. This is done within Premiere by a function known as a Sequence.

After creating a new project you are presented with the sequence dialogue box. You can have as many sequences in a single project as you like, but Premiere always assumes you require at least one and so needs the first one to be created to allow work on a project. Any media, both audio and video, placed into a sequence is automatically adapted to the settings of that sequence, so you will want to choose settings that match the original media as closely as possible. Each sequence in a project can have different settings if required, as this lessens the workload on the CPU and makes the process faster and smoother.

The sequence dialogue has three tabs, Sequence Presets, Settings and Tracks

The Preset Tab makes setting up a new sequence much simpler. Choosing a preset enables Premiere to choose the settings that best match the chosen video and audio format. There are a wide range of presets available to suit the most commonly used media types, they are organized based on camera formats. Within each group there are numerous settings and configurations to choose from based around frame sizes and interlacing. Whilst choosing the correct preset can be a little daunting to the uninitiated, ensuring the number of frames per second, the frame size and codec are correct is all that is required.

Once the preset is chosen you can move to the settings tab to adjust the preset manually. Some settings will not be adjustable in this tab due to the specific optimization required for the input media.

Because the presets do such a good job it is not really necessary to adjust anything in the settings tab, and unless you are trying to do something very specific.

While the standard presets are usually suitable, on occasion you may desire a custom setting. To do this, choose a sequence preset that is close to your media, and then make custom selections in the Settings tab. By selecting the Save Preset option on the Settings tab you can then create a custom setting with those parameters. Give the preset a suitable name in the Save Settings dialog and add any notes that are needed. The preset can be found in the Custom folder under Available Presets.

Those with the Apple Prores Codec on their computers can use this as the preview codec if required. By choosing Quicktime as the preview format in a custom editing mode, and lastly Apple Prores as the required codec.

Conclusion

If your computer failed to meet the requirement to run Premiere Pro, you may need to spend some money to buy a powerful computer or choose another professional video editing software similar to Premiere Pro, or choose a video editing software. If your computer isn’t powerful enough to run Premiere Pro, you will get awful experience at editing footage because of the long loading time and stuck playback.

Benjamin Arango

Benjamin Arango is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Benjamin Arango

Getting Started with HD Video: A Beginner’s Guide to Pixels and Resolution

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Video resolution is a way to determine how realistic or clear your video appears. You can measure it with the number of pixels in a standard aspect ratio (16:9).

16:9 is one of the most common aspect ratios for TV or computer screens. Also, a higher number of video aspect ratio pixels means high resolution.

The 720 or 1080 resolutions have naming conventions usually based on the pixels running in the vertical line of the display area. Whereas resolutions like 2K, 4K, or 8K have naming conventions based on pixels numbers in the horizontal lines across digital frames.

The growth of video sharing on social media has ensured the adoption of HD definition screens. So, let us know more about its concepts.

In this article

01 [What is HD Video?](#Part 1)

02 [What is the Pixel Size of HD Video?](#Part 2)

03 [Video Resolution and Corresponding File Sizes?](#Part 3)

04 [Are 480P, 720P, 960P Considered HD?](#Part 4)

05 [Is HD 2K or 1K?](#Part 5)

06 [How to Change Video Resolution Easily?](#Part 6)

Part 1 What is HD Video?

High-definition video (HDV) is a third-generation technology for videos. Its video resolution, file size, and screen size are more significant than a standard video or other video forms. It provides more flexibility, including technical variables of videos.

Generally, it is a video with 1280×720 (720p) or 1920×1080 (1080p) resolutions. It’s all formats are widescreen and display 24 to 60 frames in a second.

Part 2 What is the Pixel Size of HD Video?

HD Video is the lowest video resolution accepted for the web content of smaller size. However, most screens are available in HD nowadays. So, it would be best to use a resolution higher than 720 p for streaming or web.

Pixel Size of HD video is 1280 x 720.

Part 3 Video resolution and corresponding file sizes

Video resolutions are the standards set by video manufacturers or broadcasting companies. Video resolution is similar to a haircut. You can always decrease a high-resolution video to a lower one but can never increase the low resolution.

So, decide the video resolutions keeping storage space and other aspects in mind. Here are different formats that can help you to make a wise decision:

1. Standard Definition

Standard Definition does not have many pixels; as a result, it has low resolution. Two common SD resolutions are 640× 480 and 640×360. These resolutions are the best for small mobiles.

It is an excellent option to consider if you have a slow internet connection.

2. 720 Resolution (HD)

It is the lowest video resolution and is often called HD. Usually, you shoot most videos at 1080p, but 720p can still be acceptable to create smaller web content. However, it would be best to aim for a resolution higher than 720p.

3. 1080 Resolution (Full HD)

1080 (1920 * 1080 pixels), often known as Full HD, is the industry standard for making a digital video. It does not need much storage space and is a typical screen resolution for digital phones.

4. 2K Resolution or QHD (Quad High Definition)

2K resolution (2048 x 1080 pixels)or QHD (2560 x 1440 pixels) formats provide room for photo edits. In addition, they offer larger displays or reframing files without their lost quality.

5. 4K Resolution (Ultra HD)

Ultra HD, often known as 4K resolution, is 3840 x 2160 pixels technically. It looks similar to 2K to the viewers but gives videomakers some room to zoom in or edit.

Part 4 Are 480P, 720P, 960P Considered HD?

• 720p is also popular with the name HD (high-definition). It is a display resolution that measures 1280 x 720 pixels.
• 480p often known as Standard Definition (SD). It usually starts at 240 p and ends at 480 p. So, 480 p is a semi-HD.
• 960 X 480 p is a progressive camera scan format usually used in surveillance cameras, webcams, or action POV cams. It adds a wide horizontal view as compared to the standard definition. But it is less than HD.

Part 5 Is HD 2K or 1K?

1K means there are 1000 pixels. So 1080p, as in the vertical portion of a screen, is 1K. In contrast, a typical 1080p resolution with the horizontal part is 1920, or 2K.

Although 1080p has the exact vertical resolution like DCI 2K resolutions (1080 pixels), it has a smaller horizontal resolution. As a result, it is below the range of 2K resolution formats.

1080p is almost equivalent to 2K. It is because “p” and “i” measure the height of an image in pixels, while “K” measures the width of an image in thousands of pixels.

So with a size of 1080 pixels, the corresponding width of 1920 pixels uses a 16:9 aspect ratio.

Part 6 How to Change Video Resolution Easily?

Sometimes, you need to change the video resolutions due to different circumstances. For instance, when you upload videos from a system to the smartphone, the resolution needs to decrease. Because some devices may support specific video resolutions only.

In the steps below, you can learn how to change the video resolutions using the best video editor- Wondeshare Fimora. It is very easy to use tool that allow you to change or convert the video resolution quickly.

You just need to click on export and choose the resolution from Export window. Then, video will be of resolution you want.

Step 1 Download and Install Filmora Video Editor

You can download Wondershare Filmora video editor from Filmora or click on the Download button you see on the system. Then, double click the downloaded file.

Now, follow the instruction to start the installation. Wondershare Filmora supports Windows and Mac OS both. So, you will not face any difficulty while installing it.

Step 2 Import and Add Videos to the Filmora

Open the program and find the button for importing your video whose resolution you like to change. You will see the “Import” button in a primary window. Just click on a button to select the video files you need to resize.

You can check the video resolution by right clicking on it and then, choose “Properties.

Once you import the files, drag it to the timeline. Now, you can trim or remove unwanted section to reduce the size of a video.

Step 3 Pick up the Export Format & Video Resolution

After video editing in Filmora, decide and select the format or resolution for your saved video. Click the Export button to enter in the Export Window.

Step 4 Find and Confirm Video Conversion

You can change the folder to save the altered files by going to the “Browse” button. Then go to “Destination” field. Now, select any existing folder for saving the files or create a new folder.

Then, click on the “OK” button to save each altered file to that folder.

After all the selections, click on the “Export” button. This process will take some minutes. Till then wait to let the process finish. Click on the “Find Target button” to find the saved video.

Wondershare Filmora

Get started easily with Filmora’s powerful performance, intuitive interface, and countless effects!

Try It Free Try It Free Try It Free Learn More >

AI Portrait – The best feature of Wondershare Filmora for gameplay editing

The AI Portrait is a new add-on in Wondershare Filmora. It can easily remove video backgrounds without using a green screen or chroma key, allowing you to add borders, glitch effects, pixelated, noise, or segmentation video effects.

Conclusion

Video resolution is an easy topic if you understand a practical view well. By learning about video aspect ratio pixels, you can save a lot of time and effort. In addition, you can ensure that you are creating the right videos.

The best video resolution varies with different platforms. But it will help in the basic understanding of aspect ratios or frame size.

Try It Free Try It Free

Video resolution is a way to determine how realistic or clear your video appears. You can measure it with the number of pixels in a standard aspect ratio (16:9).

16:9 is one of the most common aspect ratios for TV or computer screens. Also, a higher number of video aspect ratio pixels means high resolution.

The 720 or 1080 resolutions have naming conventions usually based on the pixels running in the vertical line of the display area. Whereas resolutions like 2K, 4K, or 8K have naming conventions based on pixels numbers in the horizontal lines across digital frames.

The growth of video sharing on social media has ensured the adoption of HD definition screens. So, let us know more about its concepts.

In this article

01 [What is HD Video?](#Part 1)

02 [What is the Pixel Size of HD Video?](#Part 2)

03 [Video Resolution and Corresponding File Sizes?](#Part 3)

04 [Are 480P, 720P, 960P Considered HD?](#Part 4)

05 [Is HD 2K or 1K?](#Part 5)

06 [How to Change Video Resolution Easily?](#Part 6)

Part 1 What is HD Video?

High-definition video (HDV) is a third-generation technology for videos. Its video resolution, file size, and screen size are more significant than a standard video or other video forms. It provides more flexibility, including technical variables of videos.

Generally, it is a video with 1280×720 (720p) or 1920×1080 (1080p) resolutions. It’s all formats are widescreen and display 24 to 60 frames in a second.

Part 2 What is the Pixel Size of HD Video?

HD Video is the lowest video resolution accepted for the web content of smaller size. However, most screens are available in HD nowadays. So, it would be best to use a resolution higher than 720 p for streaming or web.

Pixel Size of HD video is 1280 x 720.

Part 3 Video resolution and corresponding file sizes

Video resolutions are the standards set by video manufacturers or broadcasting companies. Video resolution is similar to a haircut. You can always decrease a high-resolution video to a lower one but can never increase the low resolution.

So, decide the video resolutions keeping storage space and other aspects in mind. Here are different formats that can help you to make a wise decision:

1. Standard Definition

Standard Definition does not have many pixels; as a result, it has low resolution. Two common SD resolutions are 640× 480 and 640×360. These resolutions are the best for small mobiles.

It is an excellent option to consider if you have a slow internet connection.

2. 720 Resolution (HD)

It is the lowest video resolution and is often called HD. Usually, you shoot most videos at 1080p, but 720p can still be acceptable to create smaller web content. However, it would be best to aim for a resolution higher than 720p.

3. 1080 Resolution (Full HD)

1080 (1920 * 1080 pixels), often known as Full HD, is the industry standard for making a digital video. It does not need much storage space and is a typical screen resolution for digital phones.

4. 2K Resolution or QHD (Quad High Definition)

2K resolution (2048 x 1080 pixels)or QHD (2560 x 1440 pixels) formats provide room for photo edits. In addition, they offer larger displays or reframing files without their lost quality.

5. 4K Resolution (Ultra HD)

Ultra HD, often known as 4K resolution, is 3840 x 2160 pixels technically. It looks similar to 2K to the viewers but gives videomakers some room to zoom in or edit.

Part 4 Are 480P, 720P, 960P Considered HD?

• 720p is also popular with the name HD (high-definition). It is a display resolution that measures 1280 x 720 pixels.
• 480p often known as Standard Definition (SD). It usually starts at 240 p and ends at 480 p. So, 480 p is a semi-HD.
• 960 X 480 p is a progressive camera scan format usually used in surveillance cameras, webcams, or action POV cams. It adds a wide horizontal view as compared to the standard definition. But it is less than HD.

Part 5 Is HD 2K or 1K?

1K means there are 1000 pixels. So 1080p, as in the vertical portion of a screen, is 1K. In contrast, a typical 1080p resolution with the horizontal part is 1920, or 2K.

Although 1080p has the exact vertical resolution like DCI 2K resolutions (1080 pixels), it has a smaller horizontal resolution. As a result, it is below the range of 2K resolution formats.

1080p is almost equivalent to 2K. It is because “p” and “i” measure the height of an image in pixels, while “K” measures the width of an image in thousands of pixels.

So with a size of 1080 pixels, the corresponding width of 1920 pixels uses a 16:9 aspect ratio.

Part 6 How to Change Video Resolution Easily?

Sometimes, you need to change the video resolutions due to different circumstances. For instance, when you upload videos from a system to the smartphone, the resolution needs to decrease. Because some devices may support specific video resolutions only.

In the steps below, you can learn how to change the video resolutions using the best video editor- Wondeshare Fimora. It is very easy to use tool that allow you to change or convert the video resolution quickly.

You just need to click on export and choose the resolution from Export window. Then, video will be of resolution you want.

Step 1 Download and Install Filmora Video Editor

You can download Wondershare Filmora video editor from Filmora or click on the Download button you see on the system. Then, double click the downloaded file.

Now, follow the instruction to start the installation. Wondershare Filmora supports Windows and Mac OS both. So, you will not face any difficulty while installing it.

Step 2 Import and Add Videos to the Filmora

Open the program and find the button for importing your video whose resolution you like to change. You will see the “Import” button in a primary window. Just click on a button to select the video files you need to resize.

You can check the video resolution by right clicking on it and then, choose “Properties.

Once you import the files, drag it to the timeline. Now, you can trim or remove unwanted section to reduce the size of a video.

Step 3 Pick up the Export Format & Video Resolution

After video editing in Filmora, decide and select the format or resolution for your saved video. Click the Export button to enter in the Export Window.

Step 4 Find and Confirm Video Conversion

You can change the folder to save the altered files by going to the “Browse” button. Then go to “Destination” field. Now, select any existing folder for saving the files or create a new folder.

Then, click on the “OK” button to save each altered file to that folder.

After all the selections, click on the “Export” button. This process will take some minutes. Till then wait to let the process finish. Click on the “Find Target button” to find the saved video.

Wondershare Filmora

Get started easily with Filmora’s powerful performance, intuitive interface, and countless effects!

Try It Free Try It Free Try It Free Learn More >

AI Portrait – The best feature of Wondershare Filmora for gameplay editing

The AI Portrait is a new add-on in Wondershare Filmora. It can easily remove video backgrounds without using a green screen or chroma key, allowing you to add borders, glitch effects, pixelated, noise, or segmentation video effects.

Conclusion

Video resolution is an easy topic if you understand a practical view well. By learning about video aspect ratio pixels, you can save a lot of time and effort. In addition, you can ensure that you are creating the right videos.

The best video resolution varies with different platforms. But it will help in the basic understanding of aspect ratios or frame size.

Try It Free Try It Free

Video resolution is a way to determine how realistic or clear your video appears. You can measure it with the number of pixels in a standard aspect ratio (16:9).

16:9 is one of the most common aspect ratios for TV or computer screens. Also, a higher number of video aspect ratio pixels means high resolution.

The 720 or 1080 resolutions have naming conventions usually based on the pixels running in the vertical line of the display area. Whereas resolutions like 2K, 4K, or 8K have naming conventions based on pixels numbers in the horizontal lines across digital frames.

The growth of video sharing on social media has ensured the adoption of HD definition screens. So, let us know more about its concepts.

In this article

01 [What is HD Video?](#Part 1)

02 [What is the Pixel Size of HD Video?](#Part 2)

03 [Video Resolution and Corresponding File Sizes?](#Part 3)

04 [Are 480P, 720P, 960P Considered HD?](#Part 4)

05 [Is HD 2K or 1K?](#Part 5)

06 [How to Change Video Resolution Easily?](#Part 6)

Part 1 What is HD Video?

High-definition video (HDV) is a third-generation technology for videos. Its video resolution, file size, and screen size are more significant than a standard video or other video forms. It provides more flexibility, including technical variables of videos.

Generally, it is a video with 1280×720 (720p) or 1920×1080 (1080p) resolutions. It’s all formats are widescreen and display 24 to 60 frames in a second.

Part 2 What is the Pixel Size of HD Video?

HD Video is the lowest video resolution accepted for the web content of smaller size. However, most screens are available in HD nowadays. So, it would be best to use a resolution higher than 720 p for streaming or web.

Pixel Size of HD video is 1280 x 720.

Part 3 Video resolution and corresponding file sizes

Video resolutions are the standards set by video manufacturers or broadcasting companies. Video resolution is similar to a haircut. You can always decrease a high-resolution video to a lower one but can never increase the low resolution.

So, decide the video resolutions keeping storage space and other aspects in mind. Here are different formats that can help you to make a wise decision:

1. Standard Definition

Standard Definition does not have many pixels; as a result, it has low resolution. Two common SD resolutions are 640× 480 and 640×360. These resolutions are the best for small mobiles.

It is an excellent option to consider if you have a slow internet connection.

2. 720 Resolution (HD)

It is the lowest video resolution and is often called HD. Usually, you shoot most videos at 1080p, but 720p can still be acceptable to create smaller web content. However, it would be best to aim for a resolution higher than 720p.

3. 1080 Resolution (Full HD)

1080 (1920 * 1080 pixels), often known as Full HD, is the industry standard for making a digital video. It does not need much storage space and is a typical screen resolution for digital phones.

4. 2K Resolution or QHD (Quad High Definition)

2K resolution (2048 x 1080 pixels)or QHD (2560 x 1440 pixels) formats provide room for photo edits. In addition, they offer larger displays or reframing files without their lost quality.

5. 4K Resolution (Ultra HD)

Ultra HD, often known as 4K resolution, is 3840 x 2160 pixels technically. It looks similar to 2K to the viewers but gives videomakers some room to zoom in or edit.

Part 4 Are 480P, 720P, 960P Considered HD?

• 720p is also popular with the name HD (high-definition). It is a display resolution that measures 1280 x 720 pixels.
• 480p often known as Standard Definition (SD). It usually starts at 240 p and ends at 480 p. So, 480 p is a semi-HD.
• 960 X 480 p is a progressive camera scan format usually used in surveillance cameras, webcams, or action POV cams. It adds a wide horizontal view as compared to the standard definition. But it is less than HD.

Part 5 Is HD 2K or 1K?

1K means there are 1000 pixels. So 1080p, as in the vertical portion of a screen, is 1K. In contrast, a typical 1080p resolution with the horizontal part is 1920, or 2K.

Although 1080p has the exact vertical resolution like DCI 2K resolutions (1080 pixels), it has a smaller horizontal resolution. As a result, it is below the range of 2K resolution formats.

1080p is almost equivalent to 2K. It is because “p” and “i” measure the height of an image in pixels, while “K” measures the width of an image in thousands of pixels.

So with a size of 1080 pixels, the corresponding width of 1920 pixels uses a 16:9 aspect ratio.

Part 6 How to Change Video Resolution Easily?

Sometimes, you need to change the video resolutions due to different circumstances. For instance, when you upload videos from a system to the smartphone, the resolution needs to decrease. Because some devices may support specific video resolutions only.

In the steps below, you can learn how to change the video resolutions using the best video editor- Wondeshare Fimora. It is very easy to use tool that allow you to change or convert the video resolution quickly.

You just need to click on export and choose the resolution from Export window. Then, video will be of resolution you want.

Step 1 Download and Install Filmora Video Editor

You can download Wondershare Filmora video editor from Filmora or click on the Download button you see on the system. Then, double click the downloaded file.

Now, follow the instruction to start the installation. Wondershare Filmora supports Windows and Mac OS both. So, you will not face any difficulty while installing it.

Step 2 Import and Add Videos to the Filmora

Open the program and find the button for importing your video whose resolution you like to change. You will see the “Import” button in a primary window. Just click on a button to select the video files you need to resize.

You can check the video resolution by right clicking on it and then, choose “Properties.

Once you import the files, drag it to the timeline. Now, you can trim or remove unwanted section to reduce the size of a video.

Step 3 Pick up the Export Format & Video Resolution

After video editing in Filmora, decide and select the format or resolution for your saved video. Click the Export button to enter in the Export Window.

Step 4 Find and Confirm Video Conversion

You can change the folder to save the altered files by going to the “Browse” button. Then go to “Destination” field. Now, select any existing folder for saving the files or create a new folder.

Then, click on the “OK” button to save each altered file to that folder.

After all the selections, click on the “Export” button. This process will take some minutes. Till then wait to let the process finish. Click on the “Find Target button” to find the saved video.

Wondershare Filmora

Get started easily with Filmora’s powerful performance, intuitive interface, and countless effects!

Try It Free Try It Free Try It Free Learn More >

AI Portrait – The best feature of Wondershare Filmora for gameplay editing

The AI Portrait is a new add-on in Wondershare Filmora. It can easily remove video backgrounds without using a green screen or chroma key, allowing you to add borders, glitch effects, pixelated, noise, or segmentation video effects.

Conclusion

Video resolution is an easy topic if you understand a practical view well. By learning about video aspect ratio pixels, you can save a lot of time and effort. In addition, you can ensure that you are creating the right videos.

The best video resolution varies with different platforms. But it will help in the basic understanding of aspect ratios or frame size.

Try It Free Try It Free

Video resolution is a way to determine how realistic or clear your video appears. You can measure it with the number of pixels in a standard aspect ratio (16:9).

16:9 is one of the most common aspect ratios for TV or computer screens. Also, a higher number of video aspect ratio pixels means high resolution.

The 720 or 1080 resolutions have naming conventions usually based on the pixels running in the vertical line of the display area. Whereas resolutions like 2K, 4K, or 8K have naming conventions based on pixels numbers in the horizontal lines across digital frames.

The growth of video sharing on social media has ensured the adoption of HD definition screens. So, let us know more about its concepts.

In this article

01 [What is HD Video?](#Part 1)

02 [What is the Pixel Size of HD Video?](#Part 2)

03 [Video Resolution and Corresponding File Sizes?](#Part 3)

04 [Are 480P, 720P, 960P Considered HD?](#Part 4)

05 [Is HD 2K or 1K?](#Part 5)

06 [How to Change Video Resolution Easily?](#Part 6)

Part 1 What is HD Video?

High-definition video (HDV) is a third-generation technology for videos. Its video resolution, file size, and screen size are more significant than a standard video or other video forms. It provides more flexibility, including technical variables of videos.

Generally, it is a video with 1280×720 (720p) or 1920×1080 (1080p) resolutions. It’s all formats are widescreen and display 24 to 60 frames in a second.

Part 2 What is the Pixel Size of HD Video?

HD Video is the lowest video resolution accepted for the web content of smaller size. However, most screens are available in HD nowadays. So, it would be best to use a resolution higher than 720 p for streaming or web.

Pixel Size of HD video is 1280 x 720.

Part 3 Video resolution and corresponding file sizes

Video resolutions are the standards set by video manufacturers or broadcasting companies. Video resolution is similar to a haircut. You can always decrease a high-resolution video to a lower one but can never increase the low resolution.

So, decide the video resolutions keeping storage space and other aspects in mind. Here are different formats that can help you to make a wise decision:

1. Standard Definition

Standard Definition does not have many pixels; as a result, it has low resolution. Two common SD resolutions are 640× 480 and 640×360. These resolutions are the best for small mobiles.

It is an excellent option to consider if you have a slow internet connection.

2. 720 Resolution (HD)

It is the lowest video resolution and is often called HD. Usually, you shoot most videos at 1080p, but 720p can still be acceptable to create smaller web content. However, it would be best to aim for a resolution higher than 720p.

3. 1080 Resolution (Full HD)

1080 (1920 * 1080 pixels), often known as Full HD, is the industry standard for making a digital video. It does not need much storage space and is a typical screen resolution for digital phones.

4. 2K Resolution or QHD (Quad High Definition)

2K resolution (2048 x 1080 pixels)or QHD (2560 x 1440 pixels) formats provide room for photo edits. In addition, they offer larger displays or reframing files without their lost quality.

5. 4K Resolution (Ultra HD)

Ultra HD, often known as 4K resolution, is 3840 x 2160 pixels technically. It looks similar to 2K to the viewers but gives videomakers some room to zoom in or edit.

Part 4 Are 480P, 720P, 960P Considered HD?

• 720p is also popular with the name HD (high-definition). It is a display resolution that measures 1280 x 720 pixels.
• 480p often known as Standard Definition (SD). It usually starts at 240 p and ends at 480 p. So, 480 p is a semi-HD.
• 960 X 480 p is a progressive camera scan format usually used in surveillance cameras, webcams, or action POV cams. It adds a wide horizontal view as compared to the standard definition. But it is less than HD.

Part 5 Is HD 2K or 1K?

1K means there are 1000 pixels. So 1080p, as in the vertical portion of a screen, is 1K. In contrast, a typical 1080p resolution with the horizontal part is 1920, or 2K.

Although 1080p has the exact vertical resolution like DCI 2K resolutions (1080 pixels), it has a smaller horizontal resolution. As a result, it is below the range of 2K resolution formats.

1080p is almost equivalent to 2K. It is because “p” and “i” measure the height of an image in pixels, while “K” measures the width of an image in thousands of pixels.

So with a size of 1080 pixels, the corresponding width of 1920 pixels uses a 16:9 aspect ratio.

Part 6 How to Change Video Resolution Easily?

Sometimes, you need to change the video resolutions due to different circumstances. For instance, when you upload videos from a system to the smartphone, the resolution needs to decrease. Because some devices may support specific video resolutions only.

In the steps below, you can learn how to change the video resolutions using the best video editor- Wondeshare Fimora. It is very easy to use tool that allow you to change or convert the video resolution quickly.

You just need to click on export and choose the resolution from Export window. Then, video will be of resolution you want.

Step 1 Download and Install Filmora Video Editor

You can download Wondershare Filmora video editor from Filmora or click on the Download button you see on the system. Then, double click the downloaded file.

Now, follow the instruction to start the installation. Wondershare Filmora supports Windows and Mac OS both. So, you will not face any difficulty while installing it.

Step 2 Import and Add Videos to the Filmora

Open the program and find the button for importing your video whose resolution you like to change. You will see the “Import” button in a primary window. Just click on a button to select the video files you need to resize.

You can check the video resolution by right clicking on it and then, choose “Properties.

Once you import the files, drag it to the timeline. Now, you can trim or remove unwanted section to reduce the size of a video.

Step 3 Pick up the Export Format & Video Resolution

After video editing in Filmora, decide and select the format or resolution for your saved video. Click the Export button to enter in the Export Window.

Step 4 Find and Confirm Video Conversion

You can change the folder to save the altered files by going to the “Browse” button. Then go to “Destination” field. Now, select any existing folder for saving the files or create a new folder.

Then, click on the “OK” button to save each altered file to that folder.

After all the selections, click on the “Export” button. This process will take some minutes. Till then wait to let the process finish. Click on the “Find Target button” to find the saved video.

Wondershare Filmora

Get started easily with Filmora’s powerful performance, intuitive interface, and countless effects!

Try It Free Try It Free Try It Free Learn More >

AI Portrait – The best feature of Wondershare Filmora for gameplay editing

The AI Portrait is a new add-on in Wondershare Filmora. It can easily remove video backgrounds without using a green screen or chroma key, allowing you to add borders, glitch effects, pixelated, noise, or segmentation video effects.

Conclusion

Video resolution is an easy topic if you understand a practical view well. By learning about video aspect ratio pixels, you can save a lot of time and effort. In addition, you can ensure that you are creating the right videos.

The best video resolution varies with different platforms. But it will help in the basic understanding of aspect ratios or frame size.

Ken Burns Effect in Minutes: Quick and Easy Tutorial

How to Make Ken Burns Effect in Final Cut Pro?

Liza Brown

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Ken Burns Effect is an advanced feature of Final Cut Pro that allows users to add creative animations to their videos and images within minutes. You just need to select your picture, add movements to the clip, and choose the start and the end position to produce high-resolution stills. Besides, you can do a tilt, zoom in, a pan, or a combination of these three moves on a single image. This way, you can use the Ken Burns Effect to highlight the stimulating features in your photograph and save your memories in the form of innovative and high-definition animated clips.

This article introduces the readers to Final Cut Pro and explains how to add the Ken Burns Effect in 8 simple steps.

• Part 1: How to Make a Ken Burns Effect in Final Cut Pro?[detaied steps]
• Part 2: How to add the Ken Burns Effect to Multiple Camera Movements?
• Extensive Reading: Why Ken Burns Effect is Named after Ken Burns?

Part 1: How to Make a Ken Burns Effect in Final Cut Pro?

Final Cut Pro is user-friendly software and makes it easy for you to create a Ken Burns Effect without having advanced skills and expertise. So, are you interested in knowing the best part? Given below are a few simple steps to create Ken Burns Effect and make your pictures and videos look adorable.

Step 1: Add Images to the Timeline

First of all, you should specify a name for your project and add photos to the timeline in Final Cut Pro. For this purpose, select multiple photos and press E. A clip will be added to the timeline as shown in figure 1.

Step 2: Check Your Settings

As you can see, our timeline has no other video clip. Hence, Final Cut Pro will not recognize the clip until you adjust the video properties such as format, resolution, and rate, etc. For this purpose, click OK to use your preferred settings and press Shift + Z to fit the picture to your timeline window. Once you’re done it’s time to apply the Ken Burns Effect.

Step 3: Add the Ken Burns Effect

The Ken Burns Effect is used to focus on specific parts of an image and bring motionless content in to provoke emotional reactions. Follow these steps to add the Ken Burns Effect:

1. Select the clip or picture;
2. See the lower left of the viewer;
3. Go to the Viewer window using the drop-down menu;
4. Tap on the pop-up menu located in the bottom left-hand corner;
5. Choose the Crop option from the menu or press Shift + C;
6. Press the Ken Burns button in the Crop onscreen controls to add the effect; and
7. Finally, notice the start frame and the end frame controls.

Step 4: Customize Your Effect

In the Ken Burns display, you can see the controls for adjusting the panning and zooms effects by changing the size and position of two-colored rectangles overlaying on the clip. To customize the Ken Burns effect:

1. Adjust the green rectangle’s size and position to set the start position;
2. Adjust the red rectangle’s size and position to set the end position;
3. The arrow depicts the direction of camera position between start and end position;
4. In the top left-hand corner, click on the Swap button to exchange the two positions as per your requirements;
5. You can see the preview of the animation on the screen.

Step 5: Add a Freeze Frame

You’re not done yet because you need to hold your picture at the end of the animation. For this purpose, you should create a freezing frame at the end of the clip to make Ken Burns do this. Here’s the deal:

1. Press the Down arrow followed by the Left arrow to go to the last frame;
2. Press Option-F to add a freeze-frame;
3. Make sure that your added frame matches the ending frame of the Ken Burns Effect.

Step 6: Adjust the Duration of the Freeze Frame

The users can also adjust the speed of the animation and the duration of the freeze-frame by trimming your clip. For this purpose, trim the length as per your requirement and it will optimize the speed as shown in figure 6.

Step 7: Swap the Start and End Frame

Now, swap the start and ending frame as per your preference for the Ken Burns animation. Here’s how you can do this:

1. Click on the Swap button;
2. The start frame will match the still frame (previous one);
3. Grab the end frame and move it to your desired position;
4. Apply enough zoom in to make the black areas disappear;
5. Preview to see how your animation looks.

Step 8: Play/Preview Looping

After you have optimized the speed of the Ken Burns Effect by trimming the clip’s length and have widened the shot to include everyone, it’s time to preview the changes you have made. Given below are simple steps:

• Press the Play Loop button;
• Tap on the Pause icon and return to editing;
• Click Done and enjoy your animation.

Seems a little complicated? Filmora allows users to do Ken Burns effect, or pan and zoom effect, in much easier steps, click to download and have a try!

Part 2: How to add the Ken Burns Effect to Multiple Camera Movements?

Although you can apply a single Ken Burns movement to your image, you can still give the impression of multiple movements being used. This means the Ken Burns Effect can be added to multiple camera movements by duplicating the photo and building numerous movements in sequence.

1. Add the first camera movement to your image;
2. Duplicate the clip by click and drag option or copy and paste option;
3. Press the Swap button in the Ken Burns settings to reverse the start and end positions;
4. Verify if multiple camera movements have been added.

Extensive Reading: Why Ken Burns Effect is Named after Ken Burns?

What is the Ken Burns Effect?

The Ken Burns Effect is a feature in Final Cut Pro to create a pan and zoom effect by using your predefined start and end positions. Basically, it is a crop effect with one crop at the start of the clip while the other at the end. Ken Burns Effect can be further customized by adjusting the smoothness of the animation. While creating a Ken Burns Effect, the motion applied to the video clips gets automatically smoothed to accelerate and decelerate the movement slowly at the start and the end of the animation.

Why the Effect is named after Ken Burns?

Now, as you have learned the purpose of the Ken Burns Effect, you must be curious about its name. It is named after American documentarian Ken Burns, who is known for his instantly recognizable and highly influential visual aesthetic. Surprisingly, Ken Burns did not invent this Ken Burns Effect; rather, it has existed for decades. You might be wondering why the technique was then named after Ken Burns. This was due to the persistent and adroit use of this technique that it is now known as the Ken Burns Effect.

What are the Applications of Ken Burns Effect?

Primarily, the Ken Burns Effect is used due to the unavailability of a film or video. The technique gives action to still photographs to glorify the subjects of interest like couples in wedding photography. It gets better and better as you apply simulated parallax with Ken Burns Effect to make your 2D images appear as 3D plus advanced zooming visuals. You can also use the Ken Burns effect to make a video of your graduation ceremony pictures or memorable moments of reunion. Ken Burns Effect is also used in documentaries by professional filmmakers and editors.

Conclusion

Adding animated effects to your pictures and videos makes them look gorgeous. This is crazy, isn’t it, when you impress your peers with your editing skills. So, what’s the bottom line of this whole discussion? Try adding the Ken Burns Effect with Final Cut Pro to create a pan and zoom effect on your pictures and clips get the output in your desired format.

Liza Brown

Liza Brown is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Liza Brown

Liza Brown

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Ken Burns Effect is an advanced feature of Final Cut Pro that allows users to add creative animations to their videos and images within minutes. You just need to select your picture, add movements to the clip, and choose the start and the end position to produce high-resolution stills. Besides, you can do a tilt, zoom in, a pan, or a combination of these three moves on a single image. This way, you can use the Ken Burns Effect to highlight the stimulating features in your photograph and save your memories in the form of innovative and high-definition animated clips.

This article introduces the readers to Final Cut Pro and explains how to add the Ken Burns Effect in 8 simple steps.

• Part 1: How to Make a Ken Burns Effect in Final Cut Pro?[detaied steps]
• Part 2: How to add the Ken Burns Effect to Multiple Camera Movements?
• Extensive Reading: Why Ken Burns Effect is Named after Ken Burns?

Part 1: How to Make a Ken Burns Effect in Final Cut Pro?

Final Cut Pro is user-friendly software and makes it easy for you to create a Ken Burns Effect without having advanced skills and expertise. So, are you interested in knowing the best part? Given below are a few simple steps to create Ken Burns Effect and make your pictures and videos look adorable.

Step 1: Add Images to the Timeline

First of all, you should specify a name for your project and add photos to the timeline in Final Cut Pro. For this purpose, select multiple photos and press E. A clip will be added to the timeline as shown in figure 1.

Step 2: Check Your Settings

As you can see, our timeline has no other video clip. Hence, Final Cut Pro will not recognize the clip until you adjust the video properties such as format, resolution, and rate, etc. For this purpose, click OK to use your preferred settings and press Shift + Z to fit the picture to your timeline window. Once you’re done it’s time to apply the Ken Burns Effect.

Step 3: Add the Ken Burns Effect

The Ken Burns Effect is used to focus on specific parts of an image and bring motionless content in to provoke emotional reactions. Follow these steps to add the Ken Burns Effect:

1. Select the clip or picture;
2. See the lower left of the viewer;
3. Go to the Viewer window using the drop-down menu;
4. Tap on the pop-up menu located in the bottom left-hand corner;
5. Choose the Crop option from the menu or press Shift + C;
6. Press the Ken Burns button in the Crop onscreen controls to add the effect; and
7. Finally, notice the start frame and the end frame controls.

Step 4: Customize Your Effect

In the Ken Burns display, you can see the controls for adjusting the panning and zooms effects by changing the size and position of two-colored rectangles overlaying on the clip. To customize the Ken Burns effect:

1. Adjust the green rectangle’s size and position to set the start position;
2. Adjust the red rectangle’s size and position to set the end position;
3. The arrow depicts the direction of camera position between start and end position;
4. In the top left-hand corner, click on the Swap button to exchange the two positions as per your requirements;
5. You can see the preview of the animation on the screen.

Step 5: Add a Freeze Frame

You’re not done yet because you need to hold your picture at the end of the animation. For this purpose, you should create a freezing frame at the end of the clip to make Ken Burns do this. Here’s the deal:

1. Press the Down arrow followed by the Left arrow to go to the last frame;
2. Press Option-F to add a freeze-frame;
3. Make sure that your added frame matches the ending frame of the Ken Burns Effect.

Step 6: Adjust the Duration of the Freeze Frame

The users can also adjust the speed of the animation and the duration of the freeze-frame by trimming your clip. For this purpose, trim the length as per your requirement and it will optimize the speed as shown in figure 6.

Step 7: Swap the Start and End Frame

Now, swap the start and ending frame as per your preference for the Ken Burns animation. Here’s how you can do this:

1. Click on the Swap button;
2. The start frame will match the still frame (previous one);
3. Grab the end frame and move it to your desired position;
4. Apply enough zoom in to make the black areas disappear;
5. Preview to see how your animation looks.

Step 8: Play/Preview Looping

After you have optimized the speed of the Ken Burns Effect by trimming the clip’s length and have widened the shot to include everyone, it’s time to preview the changes you have made. Given below are simple steps:

• Press the Play Loop button;
• Tap on the Pause icon and return to editing;
• Click Done and enjoy your animation.

Seems a little complicated? Filmora allows users to do Ken Burns effect, or pan and zoom effect, in much easier steps, click to download and have a try!

Part 2: How to add the Ken Burns Effect to Multiple Camera Movements?

Although you can apply a single Ken Burns movement to your image, you can still give the impression of multiple movements being used. This means the Ken Burns Effect can be added to multiple camera movements by duplicating the photo and building numerous movements in sequence.

1. Add the first camera movement to your image;
2. Duplicate the clip by click and drag option or copy and paste option;
3. Press the Swap button in the Ken Burns settings to reverse the start and end positions;
4. Verify if multiple camera movements have been added.

Extensive Reading: Why Ken Burns Effect is Named after Ken Burns?

What is the Ken Burns Effect?

The Ken Burns Effect is a feature in Final Cut Pro to create a pan and zoom effect by using your predefined start and end positions. Basically, it is a crop effect with one crop at the start of the clip while the other at the end. Ken Burns Effect can be further customized by adjusting the smoothness of the animation. While creating a Ken Burns Effect, the motion applied to the video clips gets automatically smoothed to accelerate and decelerate the movement slowly at the start and the end of the animation.

Why the Effect is named after Ken Burns?

Now, as you have learned the purpose of the Ken Burns Effect, you must be curious about its name. It is named after American documentarian Ken Burns, who is known for his instantly recognizable and highly influential visual aesthetic. Surprisingly, Ken Burns did not invent this Ken Burns Effect; rather, it has existed for decades. You might be wondering why the technique was then named after Ken Burns. This was due to the persistent and adroit use of this technique that it is now known as the Ken Burns Effect.

What are the Applications of Ken Burns Effect?

Primarily, the Ken Burns Effect is used due to the unavailability of a film or video. The technique gives action to still photographs to glorify the subjects of interest like couples in wedding photography. It gets better and better as you apply simulated parallax with Ken Burns Effect to make your 2D images appear as 3D plus advanced zooming visuals. You can also use the Ken Burns effect to make a video of your graduation ceremony pictures or memorable moments of reunion. Ken Burns Effect is also used in documentaries by professional filmmakers and editors.

Conclusion

Adding animated effects to your pictures and videos makes them look gorgeous. This is crazy, isn’t it, when you impress your peers with your editing skills. So, what’s the bottom line of this whole discussion? Try adding the Ken Burns Effect with Final Cut Pro to create a pan and zoom effect on your pictures and clips get the output in your desired format.

Liza Brown

Liza Brown is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Liza Brown

Liza Brown

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Ken Burns Effect is an advanced feature of Final Cut Pro that allows users to add creative animations to their videos and images within minutes. You just need to select your picture, add movements to the clip, and choose the start and the end position to produce high-resolution stills. Besides, you can do a tilt, zoom in, a pan, or a combination of these three moves on a single image. This way, you can use the Ken Burns Effect to highlight the stimulating features in your photograph and save your memories in the form of innovative and high-definition animated clips.

This article introduces the readers to Final Cut Pro and explains how to add the Ken Burns Effect in 8 simple steps.

• Part 1: How to Make a Ken Burns Effect in Final Cut Pro?[detaied steps]
• Part 2: How to add the Ken Burns Effect to Multiple Camera Movements?
• Extensive Reading: Why Ken Burns Effect is Named after Ken Burns?

Part 1: How to Make a Ken Burns Effect in Final Cut Pro?

Final Cut Pro is user-friendly software and makes it easy for you to create a Ken Burns Effect without having advanced skills and expertise. So, are you interested in knowing the best part? Given below are a few simple steps to create Ken Burns Effect and make your pictures and videos look adorable.

Step 1: Add Images to the Timeline

First of all, you should specify a name for your project and add photos to the timeline in Final Cut Pro. For this purpose, select multiple photos and press E. A clip will be added to the timeline as shown in figure 1.

Step 2: Check Your Settings

As you can see, our timeline has no other video clip. Hence, Final Cut Pro will not recognize the clip until you adjust the video properties such as format, resolution, and rate, etc. For this purpose, click OK to use your preferred settings and press Shift + Z to fit the picture to your timeline window. Once you’re done it’s time to apply the Ken Burns Effect.

Step 3: Add the Ken Burns Effect

The Ken Burns Effect is used to focus on specific parts of an image and bring motionless content in to provoke emotional reactions. Follow these steps to add the Ken Burns Effect:

1. Select the clip or picture;
2. See the lower left of the viewer;
3. Go to the Viewer window using the drop-down menu;
4. Tap on the pop-up menu located in the bottom left-hand corner;
5. Choose the Crop option from the menu or press Shift + C;
6. Press the Ken Burns button in the Crop onscreen controls to add the effect; and
7. Finally, notice the start frame and the end frame controls.

Step 4: Customize Your Effect

In the Ken Burns display, you can see the controls for adjusting the panning and zooms effects by changing the size and position of two-colored rectangles overlaying on the clip. To customize the Ken Burns effect:

1. Adjust the green rectangle’s size and position to set the start position;
2. Adjust the red rectangle’s size and position to set the end position;
3. The arrow depicts the direction of camera position between start and end position;
4. In the top left-hand corner, click on the Swap button to exchange the two positions as per your requirements;
5. You can see the preview of the animation on the screen.

Step 5: Add a Freeze Frame

You’re not done yet because you need to hold your picture at the end of the animation. For this purpose, you should create a freezing frame at the end of the clip to make Ken Burns do this. Here’s the deal:

1. Press the Down arrow followed by the Left arrow to go to the last frame;
2. Press Option-F to add a freeze-frame;
3. Make sure that your added frame matches the ending frame of the Ken Burns Effect.

Step 6: Adjust the Duration of the Freeze Frame

The users can also adjust the speed of the animation and the duration of the freeze-frame by trimming your clip. For this purpose, trim the length as per your requirement and it will optimize the speed as shown in figure 6.

Step 7: Swap the Start and End Frame

Now, swap the start and ending frame as per your preference for the Ken Burns animation. Here’s how you can do this:

1. Click on the Swap button;
2. The start frame will match the still frame (previous one);
3. Grab the end frame and move it to your desired position;
4. Apply enough zoom in to make the black areas disappear;
5. Preview to see how your animation looks.

Step 8: Play/Preview Looping

After you have optimized the speed of the Ken Burns Effect by trimming the clip’s length and have widened the shot to include everyone, it’s time to preview the changes you have made. Given below are simple steps:

• Press the Play Loop button;
• Tap on the Pause icon and return to editing;
• Click Done and enjoy your animation.

Seems a little complicated? Filmora allows users to do Ken Burns effect, or pan and zoom effect, in much easier steps, click to download and have a try!

Part 2: How to add the Ken Burns Effect to Multiple Camera Movements?

Although you can apply a single Ken Burns movement to your image, you can still give the impression of multiple movements being used. This means the Ken Burns Effect can be added to multiple camera movements by duplicating the photo and building numerous movements in sequence.

1. Add the first camera movement to your image;
2. Duplicate the clip by click and drag option or copy and paste option;
3. Press the Swap button in the Ken Burns settings to reverse the start and end positions;
4. Verify if multiple camera movements have been added.

Extensive Reading: Why Ken Burns Effect is Named after Ken Burns?

What is the Ken Burns Effect?

The Ken Burns Effect is a feature in Final Cut Pro to create a pan and zoom effect by using your predefined start and end positions. Basically, it is a crop effect with one crop at the start of the clip while the other at the end. Ken Burns Effect can be further customized by adjusting the smoothness of the animation. While creating a Ken Burns Effect, the motion applied to the video clips gets automatically smoothed to accelerate and decelerate the movement slowly at the start and the end of the animation.

Why the Effect is named after Ken Burns?

Now, as you have learned the purpose of the Ken Burns Effect, you must be curious about its name. It is named after American documentarian Ken Burns, who is known for his instantly recognizable and highly influential visual aesthetic. Surprisingly, Ken Burns did not invent this Ken Burns Effect; rather, it has existed for decades. You might be wondering why the technique was then named after Ken Burns. This was due to the persistent and adroit use of this technique that it is now known as the Ken Burns Effect.

What are the Applications of Ken Burns Effect?

Primarily, the Ken Burns Effect is used due to the unavailability of a film or video. The technique gives action to still photographs to glorify the subjects of interest like couples in wedding photography. It gets better and better as you apply simulated parallax with Ken Burns Effect to make your 2D images appear as 3D plus advanced zooming visuals. You can also use the Ken Burns effect to make a video of your graduation ceremony pictures or memorable moments of reunion. Ken Burns Effect is also used in documentaries by professional filmmakers and editors.

Conclusion

Adding animated effects to your pictures and videos makes them look gorgeous. This is crazy, isn’t it, when you impress your peers with your editing skills. So, what’s the bottom line of this whole discussion? Try adding the Ken Burns Effect with Final Cut Pro to create a pan and zoom effect on your pictures and clips get the output in your desired format.

Liza Brown

Liza Brown is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Liza Brown

Liza Brown

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Ken Burns Effect is an advanced feature of Final Cut Pro that allows users to add creative animations to their videos and images within minutes. You just need to select your picture, add movements to the clip, and choose the start and the end position to produce high-resolution stills. Besides, you can do a tilt, zoom in, a pan, or a combination of these three moves on a single image. This way, you can use the Ken Burns Effect to highlight the stimulating features in your photograph and save your memories in the form of innovative and high-definition animated clips.

This article introduces the readers to Final Cut Pro and explains how to add the Ken Burns Effect in 8 simple steps.

• Part 1: How to Make a Ken Burns Effect in Final Cut Pro?[detaied steps]
• Part 2: How to add the Ken Burns Effect to Multiple Camera Movements?
• Extensive Reading: Why Ken Burns Effect is Named after Ken Burns?

Part 1: How to Make a Ken Burns Effect in Final Cut Pro?

Final Cut Pro is user-friendly software and makes it easy for you to create a Ken Burns Effect without having advanced skills and expertise. So, are you interested in knowing the best part? Given below are a few simple steps to create Ken Burns Effect and make your pictures and videos look adorable.

Step 1: Add Images to the Timeline

First of all, you should specify a name for your project and add photos to the timeline in Final Cut Pro. For this purpose, select multiple photos and press E. A clip will be added to the timeline as shown in figure 1.

Step 2: Check Your Settings

As you can see, our timeline has no other video clip. Hence, Final Cut Pro will not recognize the clip until you adjust the video properties such as format, resolution, and rate, etc. For this purpose, click OK to use your preferred settings and press Shift + Z to fit the picture to your timeline window. Once you’re done it’s time to apply the Ken Burns Effect.

Step 3: Add the Ken Burns Effect

The Ken Burns Effect is used to focus on specific parts of an image and bring motionless content in to provoke emotional reactions. Follow these steps to add the Ken Burns Effect:

1. Select the clip or picture;
2. See the lower left of the viewer;
3. Go to the Viewer window using the drop-down menu;
4. Tap on the pop-up menu located in the bottom left-hand corner;
5. Choose the Crop option from the menu or press Shift + C;
6. Press the Ken Burns button in the Crop onscreen controls to add the effect; and
7. Finally, notice the start frame and the end frame controls.

Step 4: Customize Your Effect

In the Ken Burns display, you can see the controls for adjusting the panning and zooms effects by changing the size and position of two-colored rectangles overlaying on the clip. To customize the Ken Burns effect:

1. Adjust the green rectangle’s size and position to set the start position;
2. Adjust the red rectangle’s size and position to set the end position;
3. The arrow depicts the direction of camera position between start and end position;
4. In the top left-hand corner, click on the Swap button to exchange the two positions as per your requirements;
5. You can see the preview of the animation on the screen.

Step 5: Add a Freeze Frame

You’re not done yet because you need to hold your picture at the end of the animation. For this purpose, you should create a freezing frame at the end of the clip to make Ken Burns do this. Here’s the deal:

1. Press the Down arrow followed by the Left arrow to go to the last frame;
2. Press Option-F to add a freeze-frame;
3. Make sure that your added frame matches the ending frame of the Ken Burns Effect.

Step 6: Adjust the Duration of the Freeze Frame

The users can also adjust the speed of the animation and the duration of the freeze-frame by trimming your clip. For this purpose, trim the length as per your requirement and it will optimize the speed as shown in figure 6.

Step 7: Swap the Start and End Frame

Now, swap the start and ending frame as per your preference for the Ken Burns animation. Here’s how you can do this:

1. Click on the Swap button;
2. The start frame will match the still frame (previous one);
3. Grab the end frame and move it to your desired position;
4. Apply enough zoom in to make the black areas disappear;
5. Preview to see how your animation looks.

Step 8: Play/Preview Looping

After you have optimized the speed of the Ken Burns Effect by trimming the clip’s length and have widened the shot to include everyone, it’s time to preview the changes you have made. Given below are simple steps:

• Press the Play Loop button;
• Tap on the Pause icon and return to editing;
• Click Done and enjoy your animation.

Seems a little complicated? Filmora allows users to do Ken Burns effect, or pan and zoom effect, in much easier steps, click to download and have a try!

Part 2: How to add the Ken Burns Effect to Multiple Camera Movements?

Although you can apply a single Ken Burns movement to your image, you can still give the impression of multiple movements being used. This means the Ken Burns Effect can be added to multiple camera movements by duplicating the photo and building numerous movements in sequence.

1. Add the first camera movement to your image;
2. Duplicate the clip by click and drag option or copy and paste option;
3. Press the Swap button in the Ken Burns settings to reverse the start and end positions;
4. Verify if multiple camera movements have been added.

Extensive Reading: Why Ken Burns Effect is Named after Ken Burns?

What is the Ken Burns Effect?

The Ken Burns Effect is a feature in Final Cut Pro to create a pan and zoom effect by using your predefined start and end positions. Basically, it is a crop effect with one crop at the start of the clip while the other at the end. Ken Burns Effect can be further customized by adjusting the smoothness of the animation. While creating a Ken Burns Effect, the motion applied to the video clips gets automatically smoothed to accelerate and decelerate the movement slowly at the start and the end of the animation.

Why the Effect is named after Ken Burns?

Now, as you have learned the purpose of the Ken Burns Effect, you must be curious about its name. It is named after American documentarian Ken Burns, who is known for his instantly recognizable and highly influential visual aesthetic. Surprisingly, Ken Burns did not invent this Ken Burns Effect; rather, it has existed for decades. You might be wondering why the technique was then named after Ken Burns. This was due to the persistent and adroit use of this technique that it is now known as the Ken Burns Effect.

What are the Applications of Ken Burns Effect?

Primarily, the Ken Burns Effect is used due to the unavailability of a film or video. The technique gives action to still photographs to glorify the subjects of interest like couples in wedding photography. It gets better and better as you apply simulated parallax with Ken Burns Effect to make your 2D images appear as 3D plus advanced zooming visuals. You can also use the Ken Burns effect to make a video of your graduation ceremony pictures or memorable moments of reunion. Ken Burns Effect is also used in documentaries by professional filmmakers and editors.

Conclusion

Adding animated effects to your pictures and videos makes them look gorgeous. This is crazy, isn’t it, when you impress your peers with your editing skills. So, what’s the bottom line of this whole discussion? Try adding the Ken Burns Effect with Final Cut Pro to create a pan and zoom effect on your pictures and clips get the output in your desired format.

Liza Brown

Liza Brown is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Liza Brown

Do You Recently Update to Mac OS X Yosemite? Do You Need to Edit Video Files on This New System. This Article Tells You How

How to Edit Video Files on Mac OS X Yosemite

Liza Brown

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Although Apple’s new operating system - Mac OS X 10.10 Yosemite will bring new vigor to your Mac computer, you may have to face the roadblock when it comes to video editing, since its built-in video editing software iMovie only supports a limited formats. So what would you do then? Have no direction to edit video on Mac OS X 10.10?

Don’t worry. Here a comprehensive and easy-to-use video editor for Yosemite – Wondershare Filmora for Mac is recommended. It supports almost all the popular video formats including AVI, WMV, MP4, FLV, MKV, MOV, 3GP, etc. With it, you can put together your video clips or split to segments to get creative and customized brand new videos. Here is a detailed guide on how to create videos on Yosemite with this smart video editor.

Step 1. Import media files to edit

To import videos, audio, photos to edit, you can go to “File”>”Import Media” or directly drag and drop them to the Media Library of this app. By the way, there is a window which allows you to import media files from your iTunes or iMovie etc. To activate it, just go to “File” > “Resources”. You can also capture a video with the built-in iSight by clicking the “Video Recording” icon above the timeline.

Step 2. Edit videos, audio and photos

When all the media files have been imported to the software, drag and drop them to the respective timeline. Then you can do various video editing tasks as you like.

Basic editing

You have two different ways to edit the video. One is to double click the video and then choose different editing options. The other is to hit the corresponding Trim, Crop, Rotate, Voiceover button on the tool bar.

Edit and enhance audio

If you want to add an additional audio file as the background music to the videos and photos, just drag your favorite audio clip to the music track. To further edit the audio file, just double click the clip. Then the Audio Inspector will pop up for you to adjust different settings like pitch, volume, and speed or add Fade in/out effect. You can also right click the audio to cut, copy or trim the audio file.

Add transition and other effects

This app also allows you to add cool transitions and other effects to your videos and photos. To achieve this, just go to the respective tab in near the Media Library. For more details, please go to the user guide of Filmora for Mac.

Step 3. Export your video creation

After you preview the effect, just click the “Export” button to export the video creator. There are totally five methods: Devices, Formats, YouTube, Vimeo and DVD. Just select any one you want to save or share the edited videos.

Liza Brown

Liza Brown is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Liza Brown

Liza Brown

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Although Apple’s new operating system - Mac OS X 10.10 Yosemite will bring new vigor to your Mac computer, you may have to face the roadblock when it comes to video editing, since its built-in video editing software iMovie only supports a limited formats. So what would you do then? Have no direction to edit video on Mac OS X 10.10?

Don’t worry. Here a comprehensive and easy-to-use video editor for Yosemite – Wondershare Filmora for Mac is recommended. It supports almost all the popular video formats including AVI, WMV, MP4, FLV, MKV, MOV, 3GP, etc. With it, you can put together your video clips or split to segments to get creative and customized brand new videos. Here is a detailed guide on how to create videos on Yosemite with this smart video editor.

Step 1. Import media files to edit

To import videos, audio, photos to edit, you can go to “File”>”Import Media” or directly drag and drop them to the Media Library of this app. By the way, there is a window which allows you to import media files from your iTunes or iMovie etc. To activate it, just go to “File” > “Resources”. You can also capture a video with the built-in iSight by clicking the “Video Recording” icon above the timeline.

Step 2. Edit videos, audio and photos

When all the media files have been imported to the software, drag and drop them to the respective timeline. Then you can do various video editing tasks as you like.

Basic editing

You have two different ways to edit the video. One is to double click the video and then choose different editing options. The other is to hit the corresponding Trim, Crop, Rotate, Voiceover button on the tool bar.

Edit and enhance audio

If you want to add an additional audio file as the background music to the videos and photos, just drag your favorite audio clip to the music track. To further edit the audio file, just double click the clip. Then the Audio Inspector will pop up for you to adjust different settings like pitch, volume, and speed or add Fade in/out effect. You can also right click the audio to cut, copy or trim the audio file.

Add transition and other effects

This app also allows you to add cool transitions and other effects to your videos and photos. To achieve this, just go to the respective tab in near the Media Library. For more details, please go to the user guide of Filmora for Mac.

Step 3. Export your video creation

After you preview the effect, just click the “Export” button to export the video creator. There are totally five methods: Devices, Formats, YouTube, Vimeo and DVD. Just select any one you want to save or share the edited videos.

Liza Brown

Liza Brown is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Liza Brown

Liza Brown

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Although Apple’s new operating system - Mac OS X 10.10 Yosemite will bring new vigor to your Mac computer, you may have to face the roadblock when it comes to video editing, since its built-in video editing software iMovie only supports a limited formats. So what would you do then? Have no direction to edit video on Mac OS X 10.10?

Don’t worry. Here a comprehensive and easy-to-use video editor for Yosemite – Wondershare Filmora for Mac is recommended. It supports almost all the popular video formats including AVI, WMV, MP4, FLV, MKV, MOV, 3GP, etc. With it, you can put together your video clips or split to segments to get creative and customized brand new videos. Here is a detailed guide on how to create videos on Yosemite with this smart video editor.

Step 1. Import media files to edit

To import videos, audio, photos to edit, you can go to “File”>”Import Media” or directly drag and drop them to the Media Library of this app. By the way, there is a window which allows you to import media files from your iTunes or iMovie etc. To activate it, just go to “File” > “Resources”. You can also capture a video with the built-in iSight by clicking the “Video Recording” icon above the timeline.

Step 2. Edit videos, audio and photos

When all the media files have been imported to the software, drag and drop them to the respective timeline. Then you can do various video editing tasks as you like.

Basic editing

You have two different ways to edit the video. One is to double click the video and then choose different editing options. The other is to hit the corresponding Trim, Crop, Rotate, Voiceover button on the tool bar.

Edit and enhance audio

If you want to add an additional audio file as the background music to the videos and photos, just drag your favorite audio clip to the music track. To further edit the audio file, just double click the clip. Then the Audio Inspector will pop up for you to adjust different settings like pitch, volume, and speed or add Fade in/out effect. You can also right click the audio to cut, copy or trim the audio file.

Add transition and other effects

This app also allows you to add cool transitions and other effects to your videos and photos. To achieve this, just go to the respective tab in near the Media Library. For more details, please go to the user guide of Filmora for Mac.

Step 3. Export your video creation

After you preview the effect, just click the “Export” button to export the video creator. There are totally five methods: Devices, Formats, YouTube, Vimeo and DVD. Just select any one you want to save or share the edited videos.

Liza Brown

Liza Brown is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Liza Brown

Liza Brown

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Although Apple’s new operating system - Mac OS X 10.10 Yosemite will bring new vigor to your Mac computer, you may have to face the roadblock when it comes to video editing, since its built-in video editing software iMovie only supports a limited formats. So what would you do then? Have no direction to edit video on Mac OS X 10.10?

Don’t worry. Here a comprehensive and easy-to-use video editor for Yosemite – Wondershare Filmora for Mac is recommended. It supports almost all the popular video formats including AVI, WMV, MP4, FLV, MKV, MOV, 3GP, etc. With it, you can put together your video clips or split to segments to get creative and customized brand new videos. Here is a detailed guide on how to create videos on Yosemite with this smart video editor.

Step 1. Import media files to edit

To import videos, audio, photos to edit, you can go to “File”>”Import Media” or directly drag and drop them to the Media Library of this app. By the way, there is a window which allows you to import media files from your iTunes or iMovie etc. To activate it, just go to “File” > “Resources”. You can also capture a video with the built-in iSight by clicking the “Video Recording” icon above the timeline.

Step 2. Edit videos, audio and photos

When all the media files have been imported to the software, drag and drop them to the respective timeline. Then you can do various video editing tasks as you like.

Basic editing

You have two different ways to edit the video. One is to double click the video and then choose different editing options. The other is to hit the corresponding Trim, Crop, Rotate, Voiceover button on the tool bar.

Edit and enhance audio

If you want to add an additional audio file as the background music to the videos and photos, just drag your favorite audio clip to the music track. To further edit the audio file, just double click the clip. Then the Audio Inspector will pop up for you to adjust different settings like pitch, volume, and speed or add Fade in/out effect. You can also right click the audio to cut, copy or trim the audio file.

Add transition and other effects

This app also allows you to add cool transitions and other effects to your videos and photos. To achieve this, just go to the respective tab in near the Media Library. For more details, please go to the user guide of Filmora for Mac.

Step 3. Export your video creation

After you preview the effect, just click the “Export” button to export the video creator. There are totally five methods: Devices, Formats, YouTube, Vimeo and DVD. Just select any one you want to save or share the edited videos.

Liza Brown

Liza Brown is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Liza Brown

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