How to Match Frames in Adobe Premiere Pro CC (2017)

Match Frame is one of those features that seems small but becomes essential once you know about it. It lets you instantly jump to the exact same frame in the Source Monitor that you are looking at in the Timeline, and vice versa. This is incredibly useful when you need to find a specific moment in a long clip, extend an edit, or check what other footage exists around a cut point.

Today we are going to go over how to use Match Frame in both directions in Adobe Premiere Pro CC.

Timeline to Source Monitor

This is the most common use. You are looking at a frame on your timeline and you want to see it in the Source Monitor with the full, unedited clip.

1. Move your playhead on the timeline to the frame you want to match.
2. Make sure the clip at that frame is selected (click on it if needed).
3. Press F on the keyboard. You can also go to Sequence > Match Frame.
4. The Source Monitor will open the original source clip and jump to the exact frame you were looking at in the timeline.

From here you can see what footage exists before and after your current edit point. This is great for finding extra frames to extend a clip, checking for a better take, or just getting context for what was happening around that moment.

Source Monitor to Timeline (Reverse Match Frame)

This works the other way around. You have a clip open in the Source Monitor and you want to find where that specific frame appears on your timeline.

1. Open a clip in the Source Monitor and navigate to the frame you want to find.
2. Press Shift+R on the keyboard. You can also go to Sequence > Reverse Match Frame.
3. The playhead on the timeline will jump to the exact position where that frame appears.

If the frame is not on your timeline (because that portion of the clip was not used), nothing will happen. This actually makes Reverse Match Frame a useful way to check whether a specific moment from a clip has been included in your edit.

When to Use Match Frame

• Extending a clip. You trimmed a clip too short and need to see what footage is available on either side. Match Frame shows you the full source clip at that exact point.
• Finding alternate takes. If you shot multiple takes in one continuous recording, Match Frame lets you quickly jump from the used take in your timeline to the surrounding takes in the Source Monitor.
• Checking for jump cuts. If you have multiple clips from the same source, Reverse Match Frame helps you verify that the same footage is not accidentally used twice.
• Re-editing a section. When you want to replace a clip but keep the timing, Match Frame gives you the exact in-point to start from.

Tips

• Match Frame works with audio too. If your audio and video are from different sources, it matches based on whichever clip is on the targeted track.
• Use it with trim mode for precise edit adjustments. Match Frame to find the source, then use Trim Mode to fine tune the cut.
• Set up your workspace with the Source Monitor and Program Monitor side by side so you can see both when matching frames.

That is how you use Match Frame in Premiere Pro. It is a simple keyboard shortcut (F for forward, Shift+R for reverse) that makes navigating between your timeline and source footage fast and precise.