… for Adobe Premiere Pro CC

Tip #174: How to Fix a Crooked Horizon

Larry Jordan – https://LarryJordan.com

The human eye really, really likes a level horizon.

These tips were first suggested in PremiumBeat.

Ideally, you are using both a tripod and a level for all your video shoots. But, in case you left one or both of them at home, here are three quick steps to level up a shot in post.

1. Rotate the image. Use Effect Controls > Motion > Rotation. This is purely trial and error, but drag the rotation setting slightly until things are level.
2. Check your corners. As you rotate your image, slices of black will appear at the corners. You’ll need to zoom in until these are gone. Hopefully, not a lot.
3. Zoom in. Use Effect Controls > Motion > Scale to zoom in slightly so you don’t see the edges of a shot after you rotate it.

NOTE: Remember, the more you scale an image larger than 100%, the blurrier it will look. Ideally, shoot larger frame sizes than you need, if you plan to make these types of corrections in post.

EXTRA CREDIT

I often crop the image just above the edge of the horizon so I have a straight edge to use to determine when the horizon is actually level.