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Watch the tutorial
Step 1: Park the playhead on the frame you want to freeze
Put your clip on the timeline and move the playhead to the exact frame where the picture should stop. In the example, it is a water droplet leaping out of the surface. Use the arrow keys to step one frame at a time, and watch the Program monitor until the moment looks right.
Step 2: Right-click the clip and choose Insert Frame Hold Segment
Right-click the clip in the timeline, with the playhead still on your chosen frame. In the menu you will find Frame Hold Options, Add Frame Hold and Insert Frame Hold Segment. Pick Insert Frame Hold Segment.
Premiere cuts the clip at the playhead and drops a still segment in between, so the video plays up to your frame, pauses on it, and then carries on from the same point. Nothing is lost, because the rest of your clip simply moves later on the timeline.
Step 3: Change how long the freeze lasts
The new hold segment has a set length, and the example shows Duration: 00:00:02:00 in the tooltip. To change it, hold Ctrl (Option on Mac) and drag the edge of the hold segment. The tooltip shows the duration while you drag, so you can stop at the length you want, whether that is a quick beat or a long pause.
Step 4: Use Add Frame Hold for a freeze that lasts to the end
There is a second option in the same menu. Add Frame Hold turns the part of the clip from the playhead onward into a still. Use it when you want the video to stop on that frame and stay frozen for the rest of the clip, without inserting an extra segment.
The clip is shorter than the one in the earlier method because no extra hold segment is added. Trim the end of the clip to decide how long the still stays on screen.
Step 5: Play it back
Press the spacebar and watch the result. The footage plays, freezes on your frame for as long as you set, and then continues (with Insert Frame Hold Segment) or stays frozen (with Add Frame Hold). For a more polished look, add text next to the frozen subject or a short sound effect on the freeze.
Tips
- Pick a sharp frame. Step through frame by frame, because motion blur on a frozen frame looks softer than it did in motion.
- Insert for pauses, Add for endings. Use Insert Frame Hold Segment for a mid-clip pause and Add Frame Hold when the clip should end frozen.
- Want a freeze as a transition? See our guide on the freeze frame transition in Premiere Pro.
FAQ
How do I freeze a frame in Premiere Pro?
Move the playhead to the frame, right-click the clip and choose Insert Frame Hold Segment or Add Frame Hold.
How do I make the freeze frame longer?
Hold Ctrl (Option on Mac) and drag the edge of the hold segment until the tooltip shows the duration you want.
What is the difference between Add Frame Hold and Insert Frame Hold Segment?
Insert Frame Hold Segment adds a still in the middle and continues the clip afterwards. Add Frame Hold turns everything after the playhead into a still.
Want ready-made looks to pair with your freeze frames? Check out the Ultimate Premiere Pro Presets pack with 500+ presets.
