Editing is mostly deciding where a shot starts and ends, then deciding what comes next. Everything else is polish. This lesson covers the handful of tools you'll use on nearly every cut you make.
Insert vs. Overwrite
When you drag a clip onto the timeline (or use the source monitor), you have two ways to place it:
- Overwrite (
.or the overwrite button) — drops the clip in, replacing whatever was there, without shifting other clips - Insert (
,or the insert button) — pushes everything after the playhead to the right to make room
Overwrite is your default for building a rough assembly. Insert is what you reach for when you need to slot a new shot into the middle of an already-edited sequence without losing anything.
Three-Point Editing
Before placing a clip, mark exactly what part of it you want using the Source Monitor:
- Set an In point (
I) where the usable footage starts - Set an Out point (
O) where it ends - Position your playhead on the timeline where you want it to land
Premiere uses these three points to calculate the edit automatically — this is faster and more precise than manually dragging clip edges.
Trimming Clip Edges
Once a clip is on the timeline, hover over its left or right edge — the cursor changes to a trim icon. Drag to shorten or extend the clip. Two trim modes matter:
- Ripple trim — shortens the clip and pulls everything after it left to close the gap (no gap left behind)
- Roll trim — adjusts the edit point between two adjacent clips, extending one while shortening the other, without moving anything else on the timeline
Use the Ripple Edit tool (B) and Rolling Edit tool (N) from the toolbar, or just drag with the standard Selection tool (V) while holding the appropriate modifier for a ripple trim.
The Razor Tool
Press C to grab the Razor tool, then click anywhere on a clip to cut it into two independent pieces. This is how you:
- Remove an unwanted section from the middle of a clip (cut on both sides, delete the middle piece)
- Split a clip so you can apply an effect to only part of it
- Separate video and audio so they can be treated differently
After cutting, switch back to the Selection tool (V) — the fastest workflow is tapping C, clicking, then V, rather than leaving the Razor tool selected.
Ripple Delete vs. Regular Delete
When removing a clip entirely:
- Delete (Backspace) — removes the clip and leaves a gap behind
- Ripple Delete (Shift+Backspace) — removes the clip and closes the gap, shifting later clips left
Gaps are rarely intentional. If your timeline develops random black flashes, you likely used a regular delete where you meant to ripple delete.
Cutting on Action
A cut feels invisible when it happens during movement rather than during stillness — a hand reaching for a door handle, a head starting to turn. Cutting mid-action distracts the eye from the edit itself. Cutting between two static shots, by contrast, draws attention to the cut. Watch for action to cut on, even in interview-style footage — a hand gesture or a shift in posture works just as well as a physical action.