<p>You imported the footage with the resolution set in your timeline by choosing <code>set to frame size</code>. Thats not what you want in this case, it adds black bars wherever your footage doesn't fill the frame size set in for the timeline.</p>

<p>Premiere would have kept the correct aspect ratio either way, it doesn't automatically stretch footage thats not the same resolution as the timeline, you would only see distortion if the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pixel_aspect_ratio" rel="nofollow"><strong>pixel</strong> aspect ratio</a> would differ between timeline and source. Re-import the footage without the <code>set to frame size</code> option and you should be fine.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-11-01T16:37:52.587Z
I have used the option set to frame size because the original imported video is way larger compared to the video that I'm creating in Premiere and is shown only a piece of video with the default options. Is there another way to scale cropping black area?
Silverstorm
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-11-01T18:31:06.107Z
Import it as Sparkles suggests and then apply a scale under the motion effects.
AJ Henderson
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-11-01T18:53:40.023Z
What AJ Henderson said. Alternatively you can scale "by hand" by double clicking the video in the preview window, then you get so called handles around the video which you can use to scale the video. The video will be scaled uniformly.
You can then also drag the video around in the preview to position it if necessary.
timonsku
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-11-01T16:14:30.017Z
2014-11-01T16:14:30.017Z
timonsku
<p>With autoscaled video to center using <code>set to frame size</code>, adding a <code>Crop</code> Effect to crop the black area is enough to solve the problem.</p>

<p><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/TgKXN.jpg" alt="enter image description here"></p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-11-01T19:16:39.090Z
2014-11-01T19:16:39.090Z
Silverstorm
<p>I have imported the smartphone screen record in Premiere using the option <code>set to frame size</code> to mantain video aspect ratio, with this option the video is centered with its aspect ratio, after that I have moved the video on <strong>V2 track</strong> and have added a background image in <strong>V1 track</strong></p>

<p>The problem is that: unused area of scaled video results black. 
How to crop the V2 track to show the previous level V1 track in the unused space?</p>

<p><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/SFucq.jpg" alt="enter image description here"></p>

<premiere>
How to scale video showing the underlying layer/track in the cropped area
Silverstorm
# How to scale video showing the underlying layer/track in the cropped area

(Asked by: username_0 on 2014-11-01)

I have imported the smartphone screen record in Premiere using the option `set to frame size` to mantain video aspect ratio, with this option the video is centered with its aspect ratio, after that I have moved the video on **V2 track** and have added a background image in **V1 track**

The problem is that: unused area of scaled video results black.
How to crop the V2 track to show the previous level V1 track in the unused space?

![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/SFucq.jpg)

**Tags:** premiere


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## 2 answers

### Answer by username_0 on 2014-11-01. Score: 3 | Accepted answer

With autoscaled video to center using `set to frame size`, adding a `Crop` Effect to crop the black area is enough to solve the problem.

![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/TgKXN.jpg)


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### Answer by username_1 on 2014-11-01. Score: 4

You imported the footage with the resolution set in your timeline by choosing `set to frame size`. Thats not what you want in this case, it adds black bars wherever your footage doesn't fill the frame size set in for the timeline.

Premiere would have kept the correct aspect ratio either way, it doesn't automatically stretch footage thats not the same resolution as the timeline, you would only see distortion if the [**pixel** aspect ratio](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pixel_aspect_ratio) would differ between timeline and source. Re-import the footage without the `set to frame size` option and you should be fine.

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: I have used the option set to frame size because the original imported video is way larger compared to the video that I'm creating in Premiere and is shown only a piece of video with the default options. Is there another way to scale cropping black area?  
> **username_2**: Import it as Sparkles suggests and then apply a scale under the motion effects.  
> **username_1**: What username_2 said. Alternatively you can scale "by hand" by double clicking the video in the preview window, then you get so called handles around the video which you can use to scale the video. The video will be scaled uniformly. You can then also drag the video around in the preview to position it if necessary.  

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