Working with the Slip Tool in Premiere Pro

Free Premiere Pro Tutorial & How-to Guide

Learn how to use the Slip Tool in Premiere Pro, which allows you to change which part of an hour-long clip to display while keeping it the same size and length on the timeline. You can also use it to make small adjustments to the clip in order to give it a stronger ending.

Video Transcription

In this video, we will learn to use the Slip Tool in Premiere Pro. We will scroll through a clip on the timeline to achieve a new in and out point while keeping the clip the same size.

Hi, this is Margaret with Noble Desktop. Today we will be learning how to use the Slip Tool in Premiere Pro. 

So, what is the Slip Tool? It is a tool that allows you to keep a clip the same size and length on the timeline, but changes what part of that clip you're seeing. So if the clip is an hour long but we have 16 seconds on the timeline, I'm going to be able to use any part of that hour-long clip but keep it at 16 seconds on the timeline. 

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The Slip Tool is found over here (pointing to the icon) or you can use the letter Y. Now let's say that I don't think I like that little hint of the beer bottle in this clip, so I'm going to press the letter Y and then hold down and move to the right or left. Okay great, that's the way to go. 

Now I'm just seeing the globe - what is it that I'm seeing actually? This first window represents the first frame of this clip and the second window represents the last frame of this clip. Then I'm going to let go, so that's already been done. If I regret it and I wish I had the beer bottle back, I'm just going to go back to the clip and move in the other direction. Now this is taking me further, I'm moving left further along on the clip. Now I'm going to see the beer bottle the whole time. I'll let go. 

All right, I want to go back. I decided maybe I want to the globe and then a tiny bit like that. So, using the Slip Tool, let's look at this first clip. Maybe I could end that a little bit better. I like the length of it, but maybe I'd like to have a stronger ending though. I actually kind of like that ending but we'll say, for argument's sake, it could be better. And again, I want to keep it the same exact length, but I want it to be slightly different. 

So let's say, all right, I'm looking, and I want to see how that last if I want to end it with him not quite landing on the ground like so. Let's see what that looks like. Ah, I don't know. Let's see, maybe a little bit more up in the air. Maybe that would be more interesting. Let go. And then maybe in the next clip coming in, I could have him still up in the air or about to fall. 

So let's scroll through this clip. Let's look at the left box because that's going to be our first frame. So maybe right there would make sense. Let's see. Not bad. Let's watch the whole thing - cut to the globe and then cut back to him landing. Okay, that could work. 

I hope you've enjoyed learning how to use the Slip Tool in Premiere Pro. This has been Margaret with Noble Desktop.

photo of Margaret Artola

Margaret Artola

Margaret Artola is a video editor and educator in NYC. Her experience includes editing short and long form content including documentaries and industrials.

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