How To Reverse A Video In Premiere Pro - 3 EASY Steps!

To reverse a clip in Adobe Premiere Pro, start by importing the desired footage. Prepare the footage by placing it on the timeline, either in its entirety or a separated portion if only a segment needs reversing. This can be accomplished through keyboard shortcuts or manual separation of the clip. For smoother editing, a guide on choosing the best laptop for video editing might prove useful. Finally, right-click on the prepared clip, select "Speed/Duration," and tick the "Reverse Speed" checkbox to reverse the clip. Further adjustments can be made in the same dialog box, including speed alterations and maintaining audio pitch. Planning shots with the intended frame rate is recommended for optimal results.

July 30, 2023
How To Reverse A Video In Premiere Pro - 3 EASY Steps!
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How To Reverse Premiere Pro Video

Import Your Footage

Now, importing your footage can be as easy as going to "File" and then clicking "Import". Alternatively, if you're more of a drag-and-drop kind of person, feel free to simply drop those video files right into your project bin.

Alright, you've chosen your clip and it's sitting pretty in Premiere. What's next?

Prep Your Clip

To reverse a clip in Premiere, we need to get that footage onto the timeline. If you're planning to flip the whole clip, you can just slide it into the timeline or use keyboard shortcuts like “,” or “.”. Want some rapid-fire guidance on other useful keyboard shortcuts? This video might be just what you're looking for.

On the other hand, if you only want to reverse a segment of your clip, you'll need to separate it from the rest of the video. This is where the “I” and “O” keys come in handy to set in and out points, or you might want to chop your clip into smaller pieces.

Speaking of chopping clips, you can do that a couple of ways. If I were to recommend an easy method, I'd suggest moving your playhead to where you want the cut, then holding “command” and pressing “K,” on a Mac, or “Ctrl+K” on Windows.

It's Reversal Time!

With your clip or segment ready, the final step is simple: reverse that clip. Adobe Premiere Pro makes this surprisingly easy. Right-click on your clip, and select “Speed/Duration.” You'll see a pop-up box with a “Reverse Speed” checkbox - ticking this box will reverse your clip, just like that.

You can also mess around with the speed of your clip from the same pop-up. So, if you're in the mood for a reversed and sped up (or slowed down) clip, why not do both?

Remember, if you want your clip's audio to sound normal after changing the speed, ensure you check the "Maintain Audio Pitch" box. Though, this only works up to a certain point before the audio quality starts to falter. My advice? Plan your shots with your intended frame rate to prevent any audio hiccups.