Removing part of all the video frame

[MaggieMayLove]

This is difficult to explain, but maybe someone can help me with this.
I am shooting a video with a go pro camera and I don't need the wide angle view that I get. Is there a way to "crop" the whole video so I have a much closer view? Sort of like panning the whole video? Thank you for your help.

[Peru]

Welcome to Muvipix.

I'm not a GoPro user, but I'm sure the GoPro users here will chime in soon.
What model GoPro?
Aren't there different zoom settings for the camera or are you using video already shot?

[MaggieMayLove]

Thank you for responding.
I am using gopro hero 4
and yes the video is already shot.
I have the camera set for narrow but I'd like to crop the frames evenly across the whole video is possible

[sidd finch]

depending on the resolution you used you can create a project with a smaller resolution. For example if the video is shot in 1080p you can create a 720P project and then pan and zoom in the video. If you shot in 4k create a 1080P project.

If you can list some specifics it is easier to offer a better opinion.

Sidd

[Steve Grisetti]

You can create a 4:3 project and force your video into it. Though the only 4:3 project settings in Premiere Elements are for standard definition video, so your finished piece wouldn't be high-def -- though if your finished piece is for DVD or for online sharing, that won't matter.

Though I can't imagine why you'd want to trim off the sides of a 16:9 video! Since TV went to widescreen high-def, I feel like I've got tunnel vision when I watch something that's being shown in 4:3. We see wider that we do tall, so 16:9 is so much more natural.

[MaggieMayLove]

Thank you so much for your answers, really appreciate them.
I am creating a yoga video for my students and wanted to zoom in more on the poses than to have so much of the room around me showing
but I don't want to loose the quality of the video. Basically I wanted to see if I could zoom in and keep it zoomed in for the whole video. I probably should shoot the video with a regular video camera instead of the go pro. Thanks again and any other ideas are always welcome. Although I work with Photoshop and Elements and even teach classes in them, this is my first time doing video and using premier.

Thank you for the advice on the wide screen and yes, I wouldn't want to change that format. I'll go back to the drawing board and see if I can get the original video to be closer in view. Again, huge thanks.

Just to add, Steve, I took your course at Lynda.com and am reading your book on Premier Elements. Well done and being a beginner, it is a huge help. This site is amazing with information and helpful members, too.

[Steve Grisetti]

Thanks for the kind words about my lynda class, Maggie!

How do you plan to distribute the video you're shooting? On DVD? BluRay? YouTube or other online?

Knowing that will tell us what our options are.

[MaggieMayLove]

DVD to sell to my students
I was probably wondering could I zoom in and keep it zoomed in for the length of each clip. (if that makes sense)

[Steve Grisetti]

The best way to proceed then is to force project settings on a new project.

Select the option to start a New Project and on the New Project panel, click Change Settings. On the Change Settings panel, select the preset for NTSC/DV/Standard, then click OK. Back on the New Project panel, check the option to Force Project Settings and click OK. This will prevent the project from automatically changing settings when you add video.

In your project, go to Preferences (under the Edit menu on a PC) and on the General page uncheck the option to Default Scale to Frame Size and click OK. This will keep the program from sizing your video to fit in your project frame.

Now add your video. When you place your GoPro video on the timeline, only a small portion of it will show. Select the clip on the timeline and open Applied Effects then Motion. In the Motion effects, set the Scale to 45%. Your video will now fit in the frame except the sides will be trimmed off.

Add the rest of your clips to the timeline. Right-click on the first clip and select Copy, then select all of the other clips on your timeline, right-click and select Paste Effects and Adjustments. This scale change will be applied to all of your selected video clips.

And that should do it!

[MaggieMayLove]

Fantastic, thank you so much!
I'll get right on it!

Worked like a charm.

[Bob]

Welcome to Muvipix!

You didn't tell use what resolution you used to record, but you did tell us the field of view (Narrow). Narrow is available for 1080p and 720p resolutions. Fortunately, both of those are larger than DVD resolution (480i), so you will be able to zoom in somewhat without losing quality.

I would follow Steve Grisetti's directions to force project settings on a new project with a slight modification:

Select the option to start a New Project and on the New Project panel, click Change Settings. On the Change Settings panel, select the preset for NTSC/DV/Widescreen, then click OK. Back on the New Project panel, check the option to Force Project Settings and click OK. This will prevent the project from automatically changing settings when you add video.

In your project, go to Preferences (under the Edit menu on a PC) and on the General page uncheck the option to Default Scale to Frame Size and click OK. This will keep the program from sizing your video to fit in your project frame.

Now add your video. When you place your GoPro video on the timeline, only a small portion of it will show. Select the clip on the timeline and open Applied Effects then Motion. In the Motion effects, adjust the Scale to a value that crops the image to the amount you want, but don't go over 100% or you will lose quality. If necessary, you can also adjust the position property in Motion effects to center you in the frame better.

[Steve Grisetti]

Bob, are you suggesting that she should choose the standard def widescreen option? Won't that still leave her with a frame that's 16:9 (when she wants 4:3)?

[MaggieMayLove]

I was able to create the look I wanted following your directions. I did have to change the motion to get the look I liked. Yes, I was shooting in 1080p with the narrow view.
I'm thrilled that this information allowed me to make this correction, but I have decided to purchase a video camera that is more suited to the type of DVD that I want to produce. I'm sure I'll have more questions about premier although there is so much information on this site and such help, couldn't be happier to tackle this job.
I thank you so much for your help.

[Steve Grisetti]

That's what we do at Muvipix, Maggie. Welcome to the community.

[Chuck Engels]

Welcome to Muvipix Maggie