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2 Methods to Crop a Video using After Effects

Liza Brown
Liza Brown
Originally published Feb 28, 22, updated Feb 29, 24

Cropping a video is part of the process of video edting. Not all video editing software can be obtained freely. There are some that you need to spend to get the professional output that you aim for. After Effects,a member of the Adobe tools that exist can enhance your videos to another level. This article can help you know how to crop video in After Effects and on the alternative by using Wondershare Filmora. I know that it may seem confusing to compare these two at first. But, I’ll provide an explanation to get the cropped video that you want.

Method 1: Cropping a Video using After Effects

After Effects is a professional motion graphics tool that can create outputs that are beyond the limits of reality. Like the other Adobe tools, this comes with a subscription fee to be able to maximize this product. But, is the price worth the risk? The “ Adobe” brand is known for its quality applications and customer’s satisfaction.

Let’s start with using this tool. The situation is that you want to crop your video using Adobe After Effects but you don’t know how to start. Search for the application on your computer. Launch it, then click the New Project. If you have files from your storage then select the New Composition Footage.

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Check if the video is already in the interface. Find the Magnifying tab and zoom out the video into 50%. After that, click the Grid icon and Proportional Grid.

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Click the Square icon, it is located beside the Pencil icon at the top section. The shape’s purpose is to crop the video section that you want to remain. If you’re done cutting then you should unclick the Proportional grid, and the video’s magnification should be 100%. Afterwards, you can check the pixel aspect ratio correction in the After Effects. You need to go through the video before saving your project. This is to avoid unnecessary errors that will make the process troublesome.

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Already satisfied with the cropped video? Then, select File,Export and finally Add to Render Queue. Check on the Render Settings (located bottom of the interface) to ensure high quality output. Following that, hit the Output To part and decide the destination and folder where you want it to be.

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Watch your cropped video and go ahead and repeat this with your other videos. After practicing this process many times, this will come to you as easy. If you get lost while following the instructions go back to this guide until it becomes a part of your memory.

Congratulations on making your first cropped video using After Effects! What was your experience while following through the guide? I hope that the information presented here is easy to understand and implement.

Even though it is not a free application, I hope you have experienced the advantages of using this compared to other tools. Did it come as a surprise for you that you can crop a video not just in Adobe Premiere but also in After Effects as well?

I hope that fear will not hinder you from trying this tool to crop your videos.

Method 2: Cropping a Video using Wondershare Filmora

If you didn’t know there is also an awesome video editing software called Wondershare Filmora Video Editor .

You can try it by searching the internet and downloading it on your computer. If simplicity is your priority then this may suit you perfectly. If you’re still hesitant then read the reviews and watch how others are using it.

There is no need to worry if you have a tight budget as downloading this would be free. You just need to go to the official site. Do not be scared of trying with something unfamiliar. I will guide you with using it and utilizing it to get the result that you dream of.

Wondershare Filmora just like the others that exist are video editors that will turn your raw videos into the vision that you like. Thanks to these applications, the gruesome process of manually cutting it by hand and permanently altering the footage are gone. You can make how many changes that you want without damaging the original video.

Free Download

For Win 7 or later (64-bit)

Free Download

For macOS 10.14 or later

Are you done installing the application? If you have any encountered issues with installing it, you can contact customer support.

Not only does it have a straightforward and simple interface but it is also packed with useful tools that can turn your video into another level. But, you should not be overwhelmed by the number of icons and features that exist. Take a deep breath and proceed to opening it in your computer.

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Preparation is a must especially if you have multiple videos on your computer. A good tip would be renaming them by the sequence you plan to have. And, you could also place them in folders to avoid repetition and double copies. Once you’re done, you can drag and drop your video or

click the Import.

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Go ahead and select the video clip that you want to crop. Then, click the Crop tool and choose if you want the Crop or Pan & Zoom. Yes, you have options on what kind of crop you want it to be.

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An alternative way is by right clicking the video clip .Under the Video tab you can select the Crop and Zoom or Crop to Fit then adjust to your preferred ratio.

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You can review the cropped video to think through if this is the portion that you want to be included. Unlike other applications, you can go back and adjust it to your liking.

If you’re finally satisfied then you can export it. Choose the output format and you can also rename the file. Clicking the settings button will offer you additional options of your video output.

After all that, you have the cropped video that you can either upload or repurpose in another content. Did you enjoy the process of cropping it in Wondershare Filmora?

Remember, that you have the option to batch crop multiple video clips on this so no need to manually crop and export it. You can see the big picture and monitor if the flow makes sense to you.

Don’t you think that the subscription is worth it? There is a trial that you could check out to test its capabilities and awesomeness.

The Bottom Line

You are once again done with the process of checking out these two applications. After Effects and Wondershare Filmora have a different process when it comes to cropping videos. I hope that you had a clearer understanding on which of these two would suit your video editing needs. The interface also could change your mind depending if you want simplicity or a challenge. Price is also a factor that can affect your willingness to use these applications. But, this guide clearly shows you that it is worth paying for.

What are your thoughts on both of these tools? Did you find this information to be helpful?

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