Insider Tips: Faster 3-Point Edits Using Premiere Pro’s Replace with Clip

Every week, Frame.io Insider asks one of our expert contributors to share a tip, tool, or technique that they use all the time and couldn’t live without. This week, Chris Salters speeds up 3-point edits using the Replace with Clip function in Premiere Pro.


Faster 3-point edits using Premiere Pro’s Replace with Clip

If you aren’t already familiar with the term 3-point edits, here’s a quick primer. They use In and Out points or markers in the Source monitor and the In marker or play head location in the timeline. These specify the duration of a clip and where it should be placed on the timeline.

While it doesn’t take long to set these three markers, time can add up over the course of an edit.  The Replace with Clip function in Premiere Pro can speed up this process, making you a faster editor.

Speed things up

Replace with Clip works by using the In point of the Source monitor and then right clicking a clip in the timeline and choosing Replace with Clip->From Source Monitor.  This replaces the timeline clip with the clip from the Source monitor, filling the duration perfectly.  I like to Alt+drag to duplicate the clip to a higher video layer first as an easy fallback option.

Variations include From Source Monitor, Match Frame, and From Bin.  Match Frame ignores the In point and instead looks at the playhead location in the Source Monitor. The From Bin option works similarly, except it replaces the timeline clip using the select clip in the Project panel or open bin.

For maximum speed, set Replace with Clip as a custom keyboard shortcut.


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Chris Salters

Chris Salters is a freelance video editor who cuts commercials and brand films. Based in Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas, he spends his free time cycling, woodworking, and being a Dad. Chris is fueled by coffee and rewarded by beer.