Project Bin First: A Premiere Pro Workflow for Vertical Video
Organized bins, a vertical sequence and a clean export. A practical Premiere Pro workflow for reframing 16:9 footage into 9:16 social clips.
Quick answer: in Premiere Pro, organize footage into project bins, create a vertical sequence (for example 1080 x 1920), reframe each clip so the subject stays in frame using keyframes or a reframing plugin, then export with a vertical preset that matches your sequence.
The cleaner the project, the faster the vertical version. Here is a structure that scales from a single Reel to a full campaign.
1. Build the bins
Numbered folders keep everything in order: 01_Footage (with A-roll, B-roll, interviews, drone, smartphone), 02_Audio, 03_Graphics, 04_SFX, 05_Sequences, 06_Exports. Put social selects in their own bin so the vertical editor can start immediately.
2. Create a vertical sequence
Duplicate the finished wide sequence and change its frame size to a vertical resolution, or create a new sequence at 1080 x 1920. Keep the wide master untouched.
3. Reframe each clip
Premiere's Motion position keyframes work, and Auto Reframe can give a first pass. For control, the Cropper panel for Premiere Pro offers focused 9:16 and 1:1 reframing with hand control, keyframes, In/Out points and delivery back to the Project bin. You decide where the frame goes and how smoothly it moves.
4. Rebuild text and graphics
Titles and lower thirds placed for 16:9 rarely fit vertical. Reposition them in the center band of the frame, away from platform buttons.
5. Export
Use H.264 with a resolution matching the sequence and the source frame rate. Save a preset for vertical delivery so every export is consistent, and send files to your 06_Exports bin with clear names.
Reframe without leaving Premiere
The Cropper plugin is available for Premiere Pro on macOS and Windows through the Adobe marketplace.
Get the Cropper plugin for Premiere Pro · Learn more at cropper.video