How do I edit a portrait video in Premiere Pro?

To edit a portrait video in Adobe Premiere Pro, you need to adjust your sequence settings to match the vertical orientation. Here’s how:

Setting up a Vertical Sequence

The primary step is creating a sequence with the correct aspect ratio. Portrait videos are taller than they are wide, typically with a 9:16 ratio.

Create a New Sequence: In Premiere Pro, go to File > New > Sequence.
Adjust Sequence Settings:
- Give your sequence a descriptive name, like "Vertical Sequence".
- Navigate to the settings tab within the New Sequence dialog.
- Change the video frame size to 1080 by 1920 pixels. This sets the sequence to a 9:16 aspect ratio suitable for portrait videos. (Reference: "And we'll just call this vertical sequence. And then we'll go to settings. And here we want to change this so instead of being 1920. By 1080 our sequence is going to be 1080. By 1920.")
- You might also want to adjust other settings such as frame rate and audio settings to match your source footage.
Import your footage and drag it onto your newly created sequence.

Once your sequence is setup, you can now edit your footage.

Keep the action centered. Vertical videos are usually viewed on mobile devices, where it's easy to lose track of things happening at the edges.
Use the scaling effect carefully to zoom in to emphasize specific elements within your vertical video.
Add text and graphics that are easily readable on the smaller, vertical screen.
Consider using lower thirds or other graphics to complement the portrait orientation.

When exporting, make sure that your export settings reflect the vertical orientation. Commonly used settings are an H.264 codec, and a resolution of 1080 x 1920.

By following these steps, you can effectively edit portrait videos in Adobe Premiere Pro for platforms like Reels and Shorts.