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Watch the tutorial
Step 1: Choose the Ellipse tool
Look at the toolbar next to your timeline. The shape tools share one slot with the Rectangle Tool. Click and hold that icon and a small menu opens with the Rectangle Tool, Ellipse Tool and Polygon Tool. Pick the one you need. For a circle, choose Ellipse Tool.
Step 2: Draw the shape in the Program Monitor
Move the playhead to where the shape should appear, then click and drag inside the Program Monitor. Hold Shift while you drag to scale evenly. This gives you a perfect circle instead of an oval. The shape lands on a new graphics clip above your video on the timeline, so your footage stays untouched.
Step 3: Switch back to the Selection tool
Once the shape is on screen, press V to return to the Selection tool. This stops you from drawing another shape by accident when you click in the monitor. Now click the shape clip on the timeline so its settings open in Effect Controls.
Step 4: Set up the Fill and Stroke
Expand Shape (Shape 01) and then Appearance in Effect Controls. You will find three parts: Fill, Stroke and Shadow. Each has a checkbox on the left to turn it on or off and a color swatch next to it.
- Fill: the solid color inside the shape. Untick it if you only want an outline, like a ring around an object.
- Stroke: the outline. Tick the box and type a number to set the width. The video starts with a thin white stroke of about 4 and then raises it to 64 for a bold ring.
- Shadow: an optional drop shadow if the shape needs to stand out more.
Step 5: Change the color
Click the color swatch next to Stroke and the Color Picker opens. Drag in the color field or type a hex value, then press OK. The video uses a strong red for the ring. Do the same with the Fill swatch if you want a filled shape. You can also use the eyedropper beside the swatch to grab a color from anywhere on screen, which is handy for matching a logo or brand color.
Step 6: Position the shape and set its length
With the Selection tool active, drag the shape in the Program Monitor to place it over the thing you want to highlight, here the lioness. Use the corner handles to resize it. Then drag the end of the graphics clip on the timeline to decide how long the shape stays on screen. Shorter is usually better, since a highlight only needs to be visible for a moment.
Tips
- Keep shapes on their own track. A separate video track lets you move, trim or delete the shape without touching the footage.
- Duplicate for more. Hold Alt (Option on a Mac) and drag the shape clip on the timeline to copy it, then change the color or position.
- Follow a moving subject. If your subject moves, see how masking and tracking work in our motion tracking tutorial, so the ring stays on target.
FAQ
How do I draw a perfect circle in Premiere Pro?
Choose the Ellipse Tool and hold Shift while you drag in the Program Monitor. The Shift key keeps the width and height equal.
How do I make a shape with only an outline?
Open the shape's Appearance settings in Effect Controls, untick Fill and keep Stroke on. Raise the stroke width until the ring looks right.
Where did my shape go after I drew it?
Shapes are added as graphics clips on the timeline. Look for a new clip above your video, select it and its settings will open in Effect Controls.
Want to animate your shape in and out smoothly? EaseFlow lets you apply real easing curves to keyframes in one click. See EaseFlow
