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Animate motion in the Program Monitor



You can create animations, insets, and split screens by manipulating a clip directly in the Program Monitor and setting keyframes for the Motion effect. By adjusting a clip’s position and scale in the Program Monitor, you reveal clips in the tracks below it and can create interesting compositions.

When you animate a clip’s position, the clip’s motion is represented by a motion path in the Program Monitor. Small white Xs represent keyframed positions, dotted lines represent positions at interpolated frames, and the circular clip anchor point symbol represents a spot in the clip, its center by default, at the current frame. The spacing between dots indicates the speed between keyframes: wide spacing shows fast motion, while tightly spaced dots show slower motion.

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Clip in Program Monitor showing a motion path with fast motion (left) compared to slow motion (right)

For information about using the Motion effect in pan-and-scan photo montages, see the video tutorial, Creating A Montage In Premiere Pro on the Videomaker Magazine website

To quickly apply Motion effect changes to a sequence clip, you can click the image in the Program Monitor and begin manipulation (without first clicking the Transform icon next to the Motion effect in the Effect Controls panel). If you adjust the position of the image, you can further refine its movement by using the Bezier keyframes.

Animate a clip in the Program Monitor

When the Motion effect is selected in the Effect Controls panel, you can manipulate a clip in the Program Monitor. Create an animation by setting keyframes for one or more of the Motion effect’s properties (for example, Position).


  1. Select a clip in a Timeline panel.
  2. Do one of the following:

    • Select the Motion effect in the Effect Controls panel.

    • Click the image in the Program Monitor.

    • Click the Transform icon  next to Motion in the Effect Controls panel.

    Handles appear around the clip’s perimeter in the Program Monitor.

    Note: If you don’t see the clip handles, change the Zoom Level in the Program Monitor to a smaller percentage so that the gray work area around the video frame appears.
  3. Move the current‑time indicator to the frame where you want to start the animation—any frame between the clip’s current In point to its Out point.
  4. In the Effect Controls panel, expand the Motion effect and click the Toggle Animation button  next to each property you want to define at that point in time. A Keyframe icon appears at the current‑time indicator for that property.
  5. In the Program Monitor, change the keyframe value by positioning the pointer near any of the clip’s eight square handles to use any of the following pointer tools:

    • The selection pointer  to set the position value.

    • The rotate pointer  to set the rotation value.

    • The scale pointer  to set the scale value.

      Note: If clip handles disappear, reselect the Motion effect in the Effect Controls panel.
  6. Move the current‑time indicator in either the Timeline or the Effect Controls panel to the time at which you want to define a new value for the property (and thereby a new keyframe).
  7. Manipulate the clip in the Program Monitor to set a new value for each property for which you set keyframes in step 3. A new Keyframe icon appears in the Effect Controls panel at the current‑time indicator.
  8. Repeat steps 5 and 6 as needed.
    When you animate a clip, it can be useful to reduce the Program Monitor’s magnification level. This way, you can see more of the pasteboard area outside the visible area of the screen and can use it to position the clip off screen.
  9. In the Effect Controls panel, drag the Bezier handle for a Position, Scale, Rotation, or Anti-flicker Filter property keyframe to control the acceleration of change for that property.

    Dragging a Position Bezier handle in Effect Controls to create a curved motion path

Change Position keyframes in a motion path

You can change the value of a Position keyframe, and thereby adjust your motion path, simply by dragging the Position keyframe (indicated by a white X) in the Program Monitor.

  1. Select a clip that has Motion effect keyframes.
  2. In the Effect Controls panel, click the Transform icon  next to Motion. The clip’s motion path appears in the Program Monitor.
  3. Do any of the following:

    • To move an existing keyframe, drag the keyframe handle in the Program Monitor.

    • To create a new position keyframe, set the current-time indicator between existing keyframes and drag the clip in the Program Monitor to the desired location. A new keyframe appears in the timeline, the Effect Controls panel, and a Timeline panel.

      Note: This procedure changes the position value at a keyframe. To change the timing of keyframes, move Keyframe icons in the Effect Controls panel.

Move a clip along a curve

You can move a clip along a curve using Bezier handles in the Program Monitor.

  1. Select a clip in a Timeline panel.
  2. Move the current‑time indicator in either a Timeline panel or the Effect Controls panel to the time where you want to start the animation—any frame between the clip’s current In point and its Out point.
  3. Click the triangle next to the Motion control in the Effects Controls panel.
  4. Click the Toggle Animation button  next to the Position control to set the first keyframe.
  5. Drag the current-time indicator in either a Timeline panel or the Effect Controls panel to the frame where you want to end the animation.
  6. In the Program Monitor, drag the clip to the location where you want the clip at the end of its movement.

    A motion path appears in the Program Monitor connecting the start and end points of the clip’s motion. Small Bezier handles appear near either end of this motion path.

  7. Drag either or both of the Bezier handles in any direction to create curves in the motion path.
  8. In the Effect Controls panel, right-click (Windows) or Control-click (Mac OS) a Position keyframe.
  9. Select a type of acceleration from either the Temporal Interpolation or the Spatial Interpolation menu.
  10. Drag the current-time indicator to the first keyframe and press Enter (Windows) or Return (Mac OS) to preview the motion of the clip.

    Selecting a Bezier Temporal Interpolation for a Position keyframe