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“Straight line video” can also mean drawing a visible line over the picture or dividing the image vertically so each side receives a different effect. Those are compositing or masking tasks, not a timeline split. The instructions below cover the editing meaning: making a clean, straight cut through a clip. If you mean a visible line in the image, identify your editor and look for its crop, mask, shape, or draw tools instead.
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What a straight cut actually does
A timeline cut splits one editing clip at a chosen time. It does not shorten the clip by itself and it does not erase frames from the source file. After the operation, the portion before the cut and the portion after it behave as two separate timeline items, so you can move, remove, retime, or apply different effects to either one.
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The steps are non-destructive in Premiere: Adobe says timeline edits leave the original media available in the Project panel. Other applications use their own project and media-management models, so keep your source files backed up and confirm the behavior of your installed version before deleting anything from disk.
Universal method: make one precise split
The names differ by application, but the sequence is nearly identical. Use these steps when you simply need to divide a clip at a specific moment.
- Open the project. Start the editor and open the project containing the video. Confirm that the sequence, timeline, or project frame rate is the one you intend to deliver.
- Put the clip on the timeline. Drag the source clip from the media bin or browser onto a video track. If it has linked audio, check whether you want the audio and video to remain together.
- Find the cut frame. Play to the approximate point, then pause. Move the playhead one frame at a time or zoom in on the timeline until the boundary is easy to see. A cut happens at a frame boundary, so decide whether the last frame of the first shot or the first frame of the second shot belongs on each side.
- Activate the cut tool. Choose Razor, Blade, or the equivalent knife icon. Some editors provide a keyboard shortcut; the editor-specific sections below list the documented shortcuts.
- Click the clip at the playhead. The application should divide the timeline item at that location. If several tracks are aligned, check whether your click affected only the selected clip or all tracks.
- Return to the selection tool. Switch back to the normal pointer before moving clips or changing effects. This prevents an accidental second split when you click elsewhere.
- Play across the edit. Watch several frames before and after the cut. If the result is one frame early or late, undo, move the playhead, and repeat rather than dragging the new edges by eye.
Adobe Premiere Pro: use Razor
Adobe’s official cut instructions say to drag a clip to the Timeline, select the Razor tool, and select the clip where the split should occur. The current guide was updated August 22, 2025: Adobe’s “Cut clips” guide.
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Basic Premiere split
- In the Project panel, locate the media and drag it to the Timeline.
- Move the playhead to the intended frame.
- Choose the Razor tool from the timeline toolbar.
- Click the clip at the playhead. Premiere inserts a cut and leaves the two resulting clips on the track.
- Choose the Selection tool before making further edits.
Cut only audio or only video
Premiere normally treats linked audio and video as a pair. To split only one component, hold Alt on Windows or Option on macOS while clicking the linked portion. This is useful when the picture should change but the continuous audio should remain intact, or when you need to replace sound without creating a video cut.
Cut several tracks at once
Adobe’s separate tools guidance documents Shift-click for a cut across clips in all tracks at that location. Before using it, lock tracks that must not be changed and check which tracks are targeted. A multi-track cut can create many new clip boundaries, including on music, dialogue, titles, or adjustment layers.
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Adobe’s overview of cutting and trimming was updated April 22, 2026. Tool names and shortcut behavior can change between releases, so use the toolbar tooltip or the Keyboard Shortcuts panel if your installation differs from the documented layout: Premiere cut-clips documentation.
Final Cut Pro for Mac: use Blade
Final Cut Pro calls its splitting tool Blade. Apple’s Mac guide says to choose Blade from the Tools menu in the timeline or press B, then click the clip; the operation produces two clips. Open the official instructions here: Apple Final Cut Pro User Guide.
Blade workflow
- Place the video in the timeline and position the skimmer or playhead at the desired frame.
- Choose Blade from the timeline’s Tools menu, or press B. The B shortcut temporarily selects the Blade tool.
- Click the clip at the vertical playhead line. Final Cut Pro creates two timeline clips at that point.
- Press A to return to the standard Select tool before continuing.
Final Cut Pro’s selection state and connected-clip layout can make the result look different from a single-track editor. After cutting, inspect connected audio, titles, and secondary storylines so that they remain attached to the intended primary clip.
OpenShot: Razor, Slice, and frame-boundary preview
OpenShot’s cited guide is for version 4.0.1. Enable Razor in the Timeline Toolbar and click the clip. OpenShot displays a vertical dashed guide at the exact frame boundary, together with timecode and a preview while paused. That visual feedback is useful when a cut must land on a particular frame.
Split with Razor
- Drag the video to the timeline.
- Pause at the target frame and position the playhead precisely.
- Enable Razor from the Timeline Toolbar.
- Click the clip at the dashed guide. The clip is divided at that frame boundary.
- Disable Razor or switch to the normal selection mode before moving clips.
Do not confuse Razor with Slice or edge trimming
OpenShot also documents Slice for playhead-based division and lets you resize a clip edge for trimming. Use Razor or Slice when you need an internal split. Drag an edge only when you want to change the visible duration without creating a new internal edit point.
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DaVinci Resolve: use a frame-accurate trim view
Blackmagic’s official DaVinci Resolve guidance describes a Cut-page trim editor that displays frames in a filmstrip, making frame-accurate edits easier to inspect. The page does not state a specific Resolve version, so labels can vary in your installation. The same guidance mentions dedicated hardware controllers as an option in the broader editing workflow; a controller is not established as necessary for a basic timeline cut.
Practical Resolve sequence
- Open the project and place the clip on a timeline.
- Use the Cut page or Edit page to position the playhead at the intended frame.
- Choose the blade or split command available in your current toolbar and click the clip at the playhead.
- Use the filmstrip trim view when you need to inspect adjacent frames before committing to the boundary.
- Return to the selection tool and play through the edit.
Because the supplied Resolve guidance emphasizes the filmstrip trim editor rather than a single universal shortcut, check the tooltip or keyboard mapping shown by your installed version instead of assuming a Premiere or Final Cut shortcut applies.
Choosing the exact frame
A “straight” cut is geometrically simple, but a good edit still depends on timing. The boundary should usually fall where the action, dialogue, or music makes the change intentional. Use these checks:
- Zoom the timeline. Increase timeline magnification until individual frames or a narrow group of frames is visible.
- Step frame by frame. Use the editor’s one-frame-forward and one-frame-back commands to inspect the final frame before the cut and the first frame after it.
- Check motion. A moving object crossing the frame can look like a jump if the cut lands midway through an important gesture. Compare a few frames on both sides.
- Check dialogue. If the picture changes while a word is still being spoken, decide whether you want a visible cut, a matching audio edit, or a short audio overlap.
- Use timecode and previews. OpenShot’s dashed guide, timecode, and paused preview, plus Resolve’s filmstrip view, are examples of tools that expose the actual frame boundary instead of relying on a rough mouse position.
Split, trim, delete, and ripple-delete are different operations
Cutting alone does not remove content. If you need to remove a middle section, make two cuts: one at the section’s start and one at its end. Select the resulting middle segment and delete it. You then have to decide what should happen to the empty space.
- Regular delete: removes the selected timeline item but may leave a gap.
- Ripple delete: removes the item and closes the gap by moving later timeline material earlier. The exact command and shortcut depend on the editor.
- Trim: changes an edge and may preserve the clip as one item rather than creating two internal pieces.
Before using ripple delete, inspect other tracks. Closing a gap on the video track can put later dialogue, music, captions, or graphics out of sync if those items are not included or protected. Consult the ripple-delete instructions for your application before promising that a deletion will close every gap automatically.
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Linked clips and multiple tracks
The safest default is to cut only the clip you intentionally targeted. Linked camera audio and video often need to remain synchronized, while separate music or graphics tracks may not need a matching edit.
When to cut audio and video together
Cut both when the shot and its production sound should change at the same moment, such as switching from one camera take to another. After the split, keep the two resulting audio and video pieces aligned while moving or deleting them.
When to cut one component
Cut only video when the audio should continue under a new picture, such as a cutaway. Cut only audio when replacing a noisy section while leaving the image continuous. Premiere’s Alt-click or Option-click behavior is a documented example of selective cutting; other editors may use a different modifier or require unlinking.
When to cut all aligned tracks
A multi-track cut is useful for a deliberate scene boundary that includes picture, dialogue, music, captions, and effects. It is risky when tracks contain long-running elements. Lock unaffected tracks first and verify every new boundary afterward.
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Comparison of the documented workflows
| Editor | Cut tool and shortcut | Default target behavior | Precision aids documented | Version or date context |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adobe Premiere Pro | Razor; the cited guide specifies the tool, while selective cutting uses Alt-click (Windows) or Option-click (macOS) | Click the timeline clip; Shift-click can cut clips in all tracks at that location | Timeline playhead and standard timeline controls | Cut guide updated August 22, 2025; overview updated April 22, 2026 |
| Final Cut Pro for Mac | Blade; press B to select it temporarily | Click the clip to create two clips | Timeline playhead/skimmer; exact preview behavior depends on the installed version | Mac user guide; publication date not stated |
| OpenShot | Razor in the Timeline Toolbar; Slice is also documented for playhead-based division | Click the targeted clip at the playhead | Vertical dashed frame guide, timecode, and paused preview | Guide cited for OpenShot 4.0.1 |
| DaVinci Resolve | Blade or split command shown by the installed Cut/Edit page; the cited page does not establish one universal shortcut | Use the current page’s clip selection and split controls | Cut-page trim editor with a frame-visible filmstrip | Official product guidance; version not stated |
This table compares documented controls, not overall accuracy or ease of use. The sources describe features and procedures, not a controlled test ranking one application above another.
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Troubleshooting a cut that is not behaving as expected
The tool cuts the wrong clip
Check which track or clip is selected, move the playhead back to the intended frame, and zoom the timeline. Lock tracks that should not change. In a multi-track sequence, confirm whether the editor is set to target one clip or every track.
Only the picture or only the sound was split
That may be intentional selective cutting. If you need both components divided, select the linked clip or use the editor’s normal cut operation without the modifier used for audio-only or video-only edits. If you need one component to remain continuous, leave the selective split in place and verify synchronization.
The cut appears one frame early or late
Undo immediately, step the playhead one frame at a time, and cut again. Do not try to correct a frame-accurate boundary by dragging an edge while zoomed out. Check whether the editor’s time display is showing frames, timecode, or a rounded position.
Deleting the section leaves a blank space
A normal delete often removes the item without moving later material. Use the application’s ripple-delete command when closing the gap is intended, and inspect every track that should move with the edit.
The clip will not split
Make sure the item is actually on an editable timeline, the track is unlocked, and the playhead is within the clip rather than exactly outside its range. Switch out of a special tool mode, reselect the clip, and try again. If the command still fails, check the installed editor’s help for its current Blade, Razor, Slice, or split command.
Protecting the original and checking the result
Save the project before a series of structural edits so you can undo or return to an earlier version. Keep source media in its original location, and do not delete files merely because a timeline segment is no longer used. Premiere specifically states that timeline edits are non-destructive and the original media remains in the Project panel.
After the final cut, review the edit at normal playback speed and again around the boundary. Confirm that:
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- linked audio remains synchronized;
- no locked or unrelated track received an accidental cut;
- titles, captions, and connected graphics still begin and end where intended;
- any removed section was deleted with the correct gap behavior; and
- the export range starts and ends where you expect.
If you meant a visible straight line in the picture
A timeline Blade or Razor cut does not draw a line on the image and does not divide the frame into left and right regions. A visible divider, split-screen, or different effect on each side generally requires two video layers plus crop, mask, matte, or shape controls. The application-specific sources cited here document timeline splitting, not a complete visual-line workflow. Use the terminology “split screen,” “vertical crop,” “mask,” or “draw a line,” and specify the editor and platform when seeking those instructions.
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