How To Zoom In On Premiere Pro, Step By Step With Photos

Camera movement can create a more visually exciting video, but if you are filming by yourself, it is harder to do these camera movements in the camera. In most video editing softwares, you can manipulate footage, and Premiere is no different. For example, you can easily add a zoom effect to footage in Premiere using keyframes. But do you know how to zoom into clips in Premiere Pro?

Whether it is a slow zoom that builds tension or a quick zoom to help with transitions between clips, we have got you covered. So take that locked-off shot that makes your video boring and some spice. Adding camera movements in post production can take you from a semi-professional editor to an expert in your field. In this article, learn how to zoom in on Premiere Pro step by step.

Keep in mind that this process will result in some loss in quality. To avoid a pixley image, we recommend using high-quality footage, ideally 4K.

How To Zoom In A Clip

1. Select A Clip In Your Timeline

In your sequence, click on the clip you want to zoom in on and move the playhead to the position you want the zoom to start at.

2. Open Effects Control Panel

Depending on the layout you are using, the Effects Control panel might be in different locations. Regardless of where it is, locate the Scale and Position properties.

3. Click on The Stopwatch

To start the keyframing process, click on the stopwatch icon by Scale and Position. The stopwatch will turn blue when keyframing is turned on. Now any adjustments you make within the Scale and Position will be recorded in this first keyframe.

4. Adjust Scale and Position

To zoom in or reposition the clip, you can either click and drag the numbers next to either value. Or you can click and type in a number to start it at an exact position. Typing in a number is a good option if you are trying to match the level of zoom between two clips.

5. Animate The Zoom

Now that you have a starting point set for your zoom-in. Move the playhead forward in the timeline to where you would like the zoom to end. When you find this point, click into the Effects Control panel and set your scale and position values to where you want the zoom to end.

Because we have already activated keyframing, these adjustments will be automatically keyframed.

6. Fine Tune The Animation

Now that you have a start and end point for your zoom, play through the clip in real-time to see how your animation looks. If you want to speed it up, you can move the two keyframes closer together. To make the zoom slower, move the two keyframes further apart.

Alternatively, you can increase or decrease the value of Scale or Position to fine-tune the zoom.

7. Ease In or Out

If you have played through your animation and the movement seems too linear, there is a perfect tool to make the motion appear smoother. To activate these right, click on the keyframe icon in the Effects Control panel. Then, select Ease Out for the beginning of the movement, and Ease In for the end.

Here is a brief, step-by-step video for further reference:

Dolly Zoom

Now that we have the basic Zoom let’s get fancy with it. The Dolly Zoom effect was made famous by Steve Spielberg in Jaws. The effect is traditionally done by moving the camera on a dolly track and either zooming in or zooming out at the same time.

If you are an independent videographer, this effect is difficult to capture in camera; luckily, if you handle the camera movement part, you can accomplish the zooming part inside Premiere Pro.

1. Select A Clip

Remember, you cannot accomplish this effect with any clip. It would help if you chose a clip you already have forward or backward movement in the camera. This does not have to be accomplished with a dolly shot. For example, you can use footage from a drone or gimbal.

Smooth footage with a clear subject usually produces the best results with this effect, but it is not entirely necessary.

2. Open Effects Control Panel

Depending on the layout you are using, the Effects Control panel might be in different locations. Regardless of where it is, locate the Scale and Position properties.

3. Click on The Stopwatch

To start the keyframing process, click on the stopwatch icon by Scale and Position. The stopwatch will turn blue when keyframing is turned on. Now any adjustments you make within the Scale and Position will be recorded in this first keyframe.

4. Adjust Scale and Position

To zoom in or reposition the clip, you can either click and drag the numbers next to either value. Or you can click and type in a number to start it at an exact position. Typing in a number is a good option if you are trying to match the level of zoom between two clips.

5. Animate The Zoom

Now that you have a starting point set for your zoom-in. Move the playhead forward in the timeline to where you would like the zoom to end. When you find this point, click into the Effects Control panel and set your scale and position values to where you want the zoom to end.

6. Smooth Out The Animation

The dolly zoom effect takes a little more finessing than a standard zoom. However, there are two main points to keep in mind.

1. Align the start and finish keyframes with the beginning and end of the dolly movement in camera.
2. To get the most out of this effect, try to keep the subject of this clip roughly the same size for the duration of the clip.

If you correctly follow these steps, you should get an excellent vertigo effect that can add a lot of drama to your video. However, we would like to note that even though this zoom effect looks cool, try not to overuse it. Dolly Zooms can get overwhelming quickly.

Here is a step-by-step video for further reference:

Conclusion

Congratulations, you now know how to zoom into clips in Premiere Pro, adding another powerful tool to your ever-growing video editor tool belt. Continue to keep playing with keyframing inside Premiere, and you be an expert editor in no time. No more boring locked-off stock footage for your videos.

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The image featured at the top of this post is ©Gorodenkoff/Shutterstock.com.