How do I crop a video using Premier Elements 2023?

[Kaosuko]

Scenario: I have a .mp4 video shot in 1080p in landscape view. The video captures some empty space on the left and right of the video but I want to keep the center intact without reducing the vertial space. Is there a way for me to crop out the spaces to the left and right of the video?

Premier Elements 2023 does not seem to allow me to change the pixel resolution of the video nor do I see any way to crop it. It seems that Premier Elements Pro has that feature but I do not have a Pro subscription, and I paid money for this software thinking it will handle most of my video editing.

Note that I am in no way a professional video editor nor do I use this program heavily enough to even consider paying for a Pro subscription but cropping a video seems like a common enough feature for any novice video editor to be able to use.

[Bill Sprague]

The aspect ratio of 1080p video is 16x9.  You can't change that.  You can change what is viewed.  The way I do it is to select the clip on the timeline, double click in the monitor and (gently) drag the small white dots that appear on the edges.  

Another way to do what you want is to click on the Applied effects button on the right, select "Motion" and adjust the sliders.  

There is not a "Pro Subscription" to Premiere Elements.  There is an entirely different and more complex Adobe product called "Premiere Pro" that does require a subscription. 

[Kaosuko]

So I cannot change the pixel resolution using Premier Elements 2023?

I see the changes that either rescaling the video does (also adjusts the vertical height to match the 16:9 resolution) and motion (stretches out the video too much) but at the end of the day, it doesn't really resolve what I want to do.

[martin34087521mp9f · Accepted solution]

uff,, i bought 3 movie editing programs to do this trick.... you should have told me earlier!! Great advive - thanks

[Ann Bens]

Just for the record: you shot in portrait while holding the camera in landscape.

You want to make a vertical movie?

[Kaosuko]

That was a hypothetical scenario to frame what I wanted to do with my video. What I'm trying to change is a screen capture from my PC.

[Ann Bens]

Elements is somewhat limited.

You cannot change the project settings but you can try this:

Changing Project Settings in Premiere Elements - YouTube

You cannot crop a video and export as such. You need to use position and scale to fit the image like you want.

[Bill Sprague]

...... What I'm trying to change is a screen capture from my PC.

By @Kaosuko

You can't add pixels in any normal video editor.  You can only take them away and your image quality will suffer,  It may be that I am not understanding at all!

Unless I totally am missing your question, you can do that with what I suggested above.   Can you post a screen shot so I can see what you are trying to do?

[Kaosuko]

I'll upload 2 images: one is a 1080p (1920 x 1080) wallpaper that has 2 lines drawn on it and let's say that it's a video. The other image is what I want the video to look like after I crop it.

What I want to do is only keep the image within the red lines without distorting the vertical view and remove everything that's outside of the red lines.

The end result should look like the second picture, that's a perfect square (1080 x 1080).

[Bill Sprague · Accepted solution]

Try this. 

- Start a new project.  You can't change the format after the project is started.  

- Select Square and check the box to "Force the selected project preset..."

- Check in General Preferences that "Scale to Frame Size" is NOT selected before you add media.

- Add the media to your project and put it on the timeline.  

-

[Kaosuko]

This does solve the issue I was having.

It does look a bit limiting since the program doesn't allow you to use any resolutions other than the preset ones.

Thanks.

[Ann Bens · Accepted solution]

If you want non standard resolutions you will have to make them yourself.

(6) How To Create 1440p and 2160p (4K) Projects in Premiere Elements – Custom Sequence Presets - You...