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Jeff930
Inspiring
December 30, 2023
Answered

Black borders on clip

  • December 30, 2023
  • 1 reply
  • 1358 views

I am using Premiere Elements 2024 on an iMac.  I put the main video and audio on track 1.  I put another clip with a green screen on video track 2, and did a video merge to remove the green.  This worked perfectly.  The problem was, the effect was too large in relation to the main video.  I selected the added clip, and used the resize handles to reduce the size of it.  There were black borders (letterbox?) visible at the top and bottom of the added clip that were now visible in the video, a result of the sizing down.  Is there a way to get rid of these borders?

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    Correct answer Steve Grisetti

    Those non-standard resolutions are likely at the root of your problem, Jeff. Premiere Elements sticks with pretty standard resolutions and aspect ratios -- 16:9 and 4:3 -- although there are a few variations for social media sites in the newest incarnation of the program. I'm not sure it knows what to do with a 2048x1080 or a 464x256. So those clips are just not going to fill a standard size frame. Hence, letterboxing.

    1 reply

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    Steve Grisetti
    Legend
    December 30, 2023

    There is a mismatch with at least one of your clips. Go to Premiere Elements' Edit menu and note what is says on the General page under Project Settings. 

     

    Do you know the resolution of the two clips you're using to make your key effect? If not, you can use a program like MediaInfo (a free and valuable download) to see. 

      J
      Jeff930Author
      Inspiring
      December 30, 2023

      Project Settings are 640 x 480.  The resolution of the main video is 464 x 256.  I did a freeze frame of the last frame of the video, and added a clip of that frame at the end of the main video on the same track. The resolution of the frame clip is 640 x 480.  Even though the aspect ratio changes from the main video to the frame clip, there is no change in appearance, which in itself I find curious.  Both have black borders at top and bottom, same size borders from main video to freeze frame clip.  I actually have 2 green screen clips on separate tracks.  Both start at the point where the freeze frame clip starts. Both green screen clips are 1920 x 1080 on the timeline. I say "on the timeline" because one of them is 2048 x 1080 when I look at its properties on the hard drive. I assume its resolution changed to 1920 x 1080 when I put it on the timeline?  Both green screen clips have black bars at top and bottom when I resize them down far enough to fit inside the main video.  I should mention that the main video and the freeze frame clip also have black bars at top and bottom.  Thanks for your help. 

      S
      Steve GrisettiCorrect answer
      Legend
      December 31, 2023

      Those non-standard resolutions are likely at the root of your problem, Jeff. Premiere Elements sticks with pretty standard resolutions and aspect ratios -- 16:9 and 4:3 -- although there are a few variations for social media sites in the newest incarnation of the program. I'm not sure it knows what to do with a 2048x1080 or a 464x256. So those clips are just not going to fill a standard size frame. Hence, letterboxing.

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