Remove black background from video premiere pro

This is a step-by-step guide to remove background from a video in Premiere Pro so that you can follow along with your own footage.

We shoot videos with different backgrounds, but sometimes the video backgrounds may be unflattering or simply not fit into the desired theme of the video. But you can remove background from a video in the post-editing with some of the best video background removers, like Premiere Pro.

Then, how to remove the video background? It is pretty easy to do using Premiere Pro. Here in this post, we'll show you the detailed steps to remove video background in Premiere Pro.

Also Read: Top 7 Video Background Changers to Make A Cool Video [Proven] >

How to Remove Background from Video in Premiere Pro

Adobe Premiere Pro is one of the most popular video editing software, which has a comprehensive set of features, including removing background from a video. It also offers the Chroma Key function for producing background-free videos easily. There is a basic Color Key and the Ultra Key. Both work similarly, but the Ultra Key is what I prefer to use.

Here is how to remove background from your videos using the Ultra Key:

Step 1

Add the video clip that you want to remove background to Adobe Premiere Pro.

Step 2

Find the Ultra Key effect by navigating to Effects > Video Effects > Keying > Ultra Key. Then grab that and drag it over and place it on your footage.

Remove black background from video premiere pro

Remove Background from Video in Premiere Pro - Ultra Key

Step 3

Now, you can choose the color (generally green) on your video frame (click somewhere near your subject) that you want to remove from the video using the eyedropper tool in the Effects panel.

Remove black background from video premiere pro

Remove Background from Video in Premiere Pro - Apply Ultra Key Effect

Step 4

Change the output view to Alpha, and this will help you see the details of your subject. Also, use the Setting option to choose how aggressive the effect works.

Remove black background from video premiere pro

Remove Background from Video in Premiere Pro - Settings

Step 5

Open up the "Matte Generation" drop-down and play with Transparency, Pedestal, and more settings to clean the matte.

Remove black background from video premiere pro

Remove Background from Video in Premiere Pro - Matte Generation Settings

Step 6

Clean up the edges of your objects by using the "Matte Cleanup" settings. Choke will shrink the edges, while Soften will make the edges fuzzier.

Remove black background from video premiere pro

Remove Background from Video in Premiere Pro - Matte Cleanup Settings

Step 7

Sometimes, there will be a bit of background color spill on your subject. You can adjust the "spill suppression" settings to fix this problem.

There you go. You've just removed the background from a video in Premiere Pro!

Final Words

By now, we hope you have a great idea of how to remove video background in Premiere Pro. Thanks for reading our tutorial; if you want to get more in video editing, you can check our blog page right now!

Remove black background from video premiere pro

Has 4-year of professional photographing experience. Very much into recording every detail of life. She is passionate about all things related to video production, and loves to exploring tips and tricks about it.

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Participant ,

/t5/premiere-elements-discussions/making-a-black-background-transparent-on-a-video-clip/td-p/8837363 Jan 24, 2017 Jan 24, 2017

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I have a spcial efffects clip that I would like to place over an existing video track but just show the fireball effect without the black background blocking the track underneath.  Is there a way I can make the black background transparent so I can overlay only the fire effect.  I am currently using Adobe premiere Elements 10.

Thanks for  your time and input!

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1 Correct answer

Remove black background from video premiere pro

Community Expert , Jan 25, 2017 Jan 25, 2017

Ann Bens Community Expert , Jan 25, 2017 Jan 25, 2017

Drop the Luma Key onto the clip. It will key out the black.

Tweak the Threshhold and Cutoff.

15 Replies 15

Community Expert ,

/t5/premiere-elements-discussions/making-a-black-background-transparent-on-a-video-clip/m-p/8837364#M5665 Jan 24, 2017 Jan 24, 2017

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What kind of clip is it and where did you get it from?

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Participant ,

/t5/premiere-elements-discussions/making-a-black-background-transparent-on-a-video-clip/m-p/8837365#M5666 Jan 25, 2017 Jan 25, 2017

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In Response To Peru Bob

The effect is a fireball and it is already imported into premiere.  My goal is to figure out a way to make the background transparent on the clip so you only see the fireball on the clip where the overlay occurs and not the  background covering everything else. The color of the background is black.

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Community Expert ,

/t5/premiere-elements-discussions/making-a-black-background-transparent-on-a-video-clip/m-p/8837366#M5667 Jan 25, 2017 Jan 25, 2017

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In Response To adobenewbie123

Yes, but if you could tell us what type of clip and where it is from, we may be able to offer a way to do it.

Without knowing that, I can only suggest rotoscoping in After Effects, which will take near forever for a clip like that.

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Remove black background from video premiere pro

Community Expert ,

/t5/premiere-elements-discussions/making-a-black-background-transparent-on-a-video-clip/m-p/8837367#M5668 Jan 25, 2017 Jan 25, 2017

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Drop the Luma Key onto the clip. It will key out the black.

Tweak the Threshhold and Cutoff.

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Participant ,

/t5/premiere-elements-discussions/making-a-black-background-transparent-on-a-video-clip/m-p/8837368#M5669 Jan 25, 2017 Jan 25, 2017

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In Response To Ann Bens

Thanks Ann. I'll give it a shot!

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Community Expert ,

/t5/premiere-elements-discussions/making-a-black-background-transparent-on-a-video-clip/m-p/8837369#M5670 Jan 25, 2017 Jan 25, 2017

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In Response To adobenewbie123

Videomerge or Chroma Key would be a better suggestion.

Though I agree with Bob: without some specifics about the media you're working with, any suggestions would be general and possibly wrong.

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Participant ,

/t5/premiere-elements-discussions/making-a-black-background-transparent-on-a-video-clip/m-p/8837370#M5671 Apr 21, 2019 Apr 21, 2019

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In Response To Ann Bens

Ann Bens answer is correct:

"Drop the Luma Key onto the clip. It will key out the black.

Tweak the Threshold and Cutoff."

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Community Expert ,

/t5/premiere-elements-discussions/making-a-black-background-transparent-on-a-video-clip/m-p/8837371#M5672 Apr 21, 2019 Apr 21, 2019

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Please mark her answer as correct, Michael.

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Community Expert ,

/t5/premiere-elements-discussions/making-a-black-background-transparent-on-a-video-clip/m-p/8837372#M5673 Apr 21, 2019 Apr 21, 2019

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In Response To Steve Grisetti

Michael,

You waited two and a half years to discover Ann's method worked!

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Participant ,

/t5/premiere-elements-discussions/making-a-black-background-transparent-on-a-video-clip/m-p/8837373#M5674 Apr 21, 2019 Apr 21, 2019

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In Response To Bill Sprague

Steve, Whsprague, hy do you say that?

Doesn't the original poster need to mark correct? I don't see an option for me to  do that; just to "Like it" or mark it as helpful, which I already did

.

I'm suggesting it needs to be marked correct, too.

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Community Expert ,

/t5/premiere-elements-discussions/making-a-black-background-transparent-on-a-video-clip/m-p/8837374#M5675 Apr 21, 2019 Apr 21, 2019

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In Response To MichaelBuieFilms

If you're on the forum -- as opposed to answering via e-mail -- the Correct Answer button will show on all posts.

If someone here gave you a correct answer, you can indicate it even if you weren't the original poster.

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Participant ,

/t5/premiere-elements-discussions/making-a-black-background-transparent-on-a-video-clip/m-p/8837376#M5677 Apr 23, 2019 Apr 23, 2019

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In Response To Steve Grisetti

The correct answer button DOES NOT appear to me on this post or thread anywhere on the web page, or I would have marked it in the beginning. Perhaps the "Assumed Answered" status has something to do with that? Correct Answer button appears for you for her post?

And I don't get what's with the remark about me finding a post in a search 2 years ... or 5 years, orw whatever after it was posted? That's just so random a comment.

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Community Expert ,

/t5/premiere-elements-discussions/making-a-black-background-transparent-on-a-video-clip/m-p/8837377#M5678 Apr 23, 2019 Apr 23, 2019

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In Response To Steve Grisetti

I thought only the OP or Mods could mark answers correct.

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Community Expert ,

/t5/premiere-elements-discussions/making-a-black-background-transparent-on-a-video-clip/m-p/8837375#M5676 Apr 21, 2019 Apr 21, 2019

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In Response To MichaelBuieFilms

You may be right that it needs a mark.  But, since the original post is old, the OP is long gone. 

The point remains that two experts found different ways to get the job done. 

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New Here ,

/t5/premiere-elements-discussions/making-a-black-background-transparent-on-a-video-clip/m-p/8837378#M5679 Aug 13, 2019 Aug 13, 2019

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In Response To Bill Sprague

whsprague,

You waited 2 and a half years to comment something absolutely unnecessary!

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Remove black background from video premiere pro

Remove black background from video premiere pro

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How do I remove the background from a video in Premiere Pro?

Make sure you select the foreground clip. Then, in the Effects panel, search for Crop and double-click to apply the effect to your footage. In the Effect Controls panel, adjust the Left and Right values to crop out any unused area of the background. Step 3: Remove the background.

How do I change the background to transparent in Premiere?

To export a video with a transparent background in Premiere Pro:.
Go to > File > Export > Media..
Your export settings window will open up; under format, make sure > QuickTime is selected..
For your > Preset, make sure you select an option that includes alpha rendering, which will keep the background transparent..