A video project is always morphing over time. It's only natural that you'll need to make changes when you work in Adobe After Effects. Learning how to use After Effects cut clip steps gives you the flexibility you need.
You're going to learn how to cut video in After Effects in this tutorial. It's easy to learn how to split a clip in After Effects when you follow these steps. Let's dive in!
Why Use After Effects Cut Clip Tools?
Knowing how to cut clips in After Effects is a key skill for a video editor like you. But why? How is After Effects splitting clips feature useful?
Consider these reasons. With them in mind, it’s easy to understand why After Effects split clip tools will work for you:
- You gain more precise control. Any type of media - video, audio, graphics, and more - handled in After Effects gets its own layer. With After Effects split clips, you can turn longer clips into shorter sections. This enables precise edits for each split clip.
- You’re able to adjust video timing. Need shorter scenes for a quick video? Splitting clips lets you change scenes and focus on details.
- You can remove unwanted content. Want to share only part of a graphic or video clip? After Effects splitting clips techniques lets you delete anything you don’t want audiences to see.
As you can see, knowing how to cut video in After Effects is beneficial in 2024. Now, let’s learn how to cut in After Effects!
How to Split a Clip in After Effects (Step by Step)
Let’s look at two ways After Effects split clip layers. First, we’ll do a simple split - cutting one clip into two. Then, we’ll look at how to split a specific section out of a clip.
For this tutorial, we’ll use beautiful stock footage from Envato Elements. You can download the clip here if you want to follow along on your own.
1. Choose a Clip to Split
Seeing how to split a clip in After Effects is easy. Begin by choosing a clip that you want to split. Remember, Adobe After Effects structures content in layers. Any clip sits on its own layer.
This goes for any kind of media, whether it’s video, graphics, audio, or text. When you use After Effects cut clip tools, what you’re really doing is turning one layer into two layers.
Above, notice our sample video clip is in place. As you can see, it currently sits on a single layer. You’ll see it on the Timeline at the bottom of the screen. Now, imagine that you want to split this After Effects clip in two.
To do that, find the Playhead. It’s the vertical blue line in the Timeline. What the Playhead does is control the frame on which you’re positioned at a given time. Click and drag the Playhead so that it sits exactly where you want to split your clip.
2. Split the Clip’s Layer
Now, let’s handle After Effects splitting clips. With your Playhead in place, go to the top of your After Effects window. Find the Edit dropdown and click on it. From the list of options, click Split Layer.
Watch the Timeline. You now have two layers! The clip is split on either side of the Playhead. Each of the two clips (layers) can now be edited and manipulated independently. It’s that easy!
You can split any clip as many times as you want. Each time you do, you'll gain a new layer in your composition.
How to Cut Video in After Effects
We looked at how to split a clip in After Effects. This breaks one clip into two. But imagine if you want to trim a section from a clip. In other words, you want to cut portions of a clip away. This is also very easy in After Effects. Here’s how to do it.
1. Cut the Beginning of a Clip
Imagine that you only want to show the middle section of our windmill stock footage. In After Effects, you can cut clips without creating new layers. To do that, you’ll first need to cut the portion of a clip prior to where you want to begin. Start by placing the Playhead where you want your newly split clip to begin playing.
Then, hover your cursor over the left edge of the clip on your Timeline. When you do, watch your cursor transform. It will change from a mouse pointer to a pair of arrows, one pointing left and one pointing right.
Hold down the Shift key on your keyboard, and start dragging to the right, towards the Playhead. In a flash, your cursor will snap to the edge of the Playhead! The portion of the clip left of the Playhead will be removed.
2. Cut the End of a Clip
To finish learning how to cut in After Effects, you’ll need to cut the end of your clip. The steps are virtually identical to the above.
Move your Playhead to where you want your cut clip to end. Then, holding Shift, click and drag the end of your clip towards the Playhead.
Just like that, you’ve learned how to cut video in After Effects! Remember, this works with layers of all kinds. Add these new skills to your After Effects editing toolkit in 2024 and beyond.
The Best Source for the Top Adobe After Effects Templates (With Unlimited Downloads)
Make your videos pop with Adobe After Effects templates from Envato Elements. With one subscription, you get unlimited After Effects projects. They make your videos look cool with eye-catching effects and animations. They're easy to customize with your creative vision in mind.
But there's more with your Envato Elements subscription. You also get plenty of other assets, like stock videos, background music, and cool graphics. And you get all this for one flat rate.
Finding the right stuff for your video is a snap with Elements' AI-powered search. Just tell the AI what you're making, and it'll quickly find everything you need.
Join Envato Elements today and start making amazing videos with the best After Effects templates around!
You Just Learned How to Cut Clips in After Effects
In this tutorial, you learned how to cut clips in After Effects. It gives you the flexibility to adjust any project you're working with. You can use After Effects split clip steps to totally customize your project to match your creative vision.
Now, put your After Effects splitting clips skills into practice. Open a project like one from Elements and try out these techniques. You're sure to remember how to use them going forward.
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