Trimming a title

[Butcherbird51]

PSE Premier help says it's possible to trim a motion title by:

Trim an individual title instance from the Expert view timeline In the Expert view timeline, locate the title to be trimmed in one of the video tracks. You might need to drag the video track scroll bar to expose the title. Hover the cursor over either end of the title until it changes to the ripple trim cursor . Then drag the end of the title to trim it. Gaps are closed automatically. If you created a black video clip for your title, you’ll need to trim that too. To trim without closing the gap, Ctrl-drag/Cmd-click the clip end instead.

I've held the cursor over the scroll bar until I'm blue in the face and it never changes allow me to trim the title. Ctmd-drag didn't work either. I'm using PSE 2020 on a Mac. 

How can I trim an individual title? 

[Ann Bens]

Moved from Premiere Pro to Elements forum.

[Steve Grisetti]

I don't know what PSE Premier is, so I assume you're talking about Premiere Elements.

You should be able to trim the title if you've closed the Title Adjustments workspace.

[Butcherbird51]

Yes, Steve: Premier Elements. I can't trim the Motion Title after closing the Title Adjustments workspace. When I hover the curser over the end of the Title Clip on the timeline, I just get a bracket symbol with a red line through it and I can't trim the Title.

[abhayk4071309]

PRE 2020 supports Trimming Classic titles. Are you trying to trim Classic title or Motion title?

[Butcherbird51]

I'm trying to trim a motion title. I can trim Classic titles OK.

If I can't trim motion titles, is there any way to add text to my clip within PSE Premier?

[Steve Grisetti]

I'm sure not sure what program you're using. There is no program called PSE Premier.

Although, in Premiere Elements, you are correct. Because Motion Titles have locked animation, you can not extend or trim a Motion Title. It's duration is locked.

[cupertinoTonyEugene]

I also ran into this limitation, and I have 2 workarounds:

A) Right-click on the motion title clip (in the timeline) and choose Clip->Time Stretch...  This will allow you to change the duration of the clip to a set value (or by a percentage)--it speeds up or slows down the clip.  Unfortunately this also speeds up or slows down the motion of the clip )-:

B) Some motion titles have some motion at the beginning, then no motion in the middle, and some motion at the end.  I've found that by putting two 'versions' of a motion title back to back--the first with the end chopped off, followed by the second with the beginning chopped off, you can keep the regular motion and have a shortened title.  Here's how:  Drag a motion title onto your timeline.  Open the Project Assets pane, and find the motion title.  Single-click on it to select it, then select Edit->Duplicate--another copy appears in Project Assets.  Now double-click on the first one, which brings up a preview window.  Move the playhead around to get a feel for when the beginning motion stops, and where the ending motion begins (i.e. the "middle").  Now drag the "Out point handle" on the bottom right to the middle (chops off the ending).  Close the preview window and double-click on the second motion title.  In the preview window, drag the "In Point handle" on the bottom left to the middle (chops off the beginning), and close the window.  (Delete the original full-length motion title clip from the timeline).  Now drag the first motion title from the Project Assets pane to the timeline, then drag the second motion title and place it to the right of the first.  You may have to go back to the two clips in Project Assets and play with the in and out points to get the duration you want.  If you need a super-long duration, you can make a 3rd duplicate in Project Assets and set the in and out points such that it is *only* the middle (chopping off the motion at the beginning and the motion at the end).  After putting it into the timeline, set the clip duration (see above) to however long you want the middle to be.

Yes, this is a very clunky workaround, but at least you can get it to work.  We just wanna do what we wanna do, right?

(workaround "A" is actually already in this forum in a post from 2017)