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Watch the tutorial
Step 1: Mark every impact with M
Place your clip on the timeline and play it back. Every time something hits, such as a punch, a kick or a slam, press M on your keyboard to drop a marker at the playhead. Markers show up as little tags above the timeline, and they make the rest of the job fast because you can jump straight from one hit to the next.
Take your time here. The effect is only as good as your timing, so scrub back and nudge a marker if it lands a frame or two off the real impact.
Step 2: Set the first Scale keyframe
Click the first marker so the playhead jumps to it, then select the video clip. Open Effect Controls and twirl open Motion. Click the stopwatch next to Scale and change the value to 120. This creates a keyframe exactly on the impact, and the picture is now punched in by about 20 percent at the moment of the hit.
Step 3: Add the keyframes that bring it back down
Now the zoom has to settle again. Press the Right Arrow key three times to move 3 frames forward, then click the Reset Parameter button next to Scale. That puts Scale back to 100 and adds a second keyframe, so the image shrinks quickly after the hit.
Next, click the first marker again and press the Left Arrow key once to go 1 frame back. Click Reset Parameter again. This third keyframe holds Scale at 100 just before the hit, so the punch-in starts sharply from a normal framing instead of drifting in from earlier. You end up with three keyframes: 100, 120 and 100.
Step 4: Ease the keyframes
Select all three keyframes, right-click one of them and choose Ease In, then right-click again and choose Ease Out. Easing turns the stiff, robotic movement into a snappy one that speeds up and slows down naturally, which is what makes the zoom feel like real impact. If you want to understand what is happening under the hood, read our guide to easing keyframes in Premiere Pro.
Smoother with EaseFlow: select the keyframes and apply a real easing curve in one click instead of right-clicking through the menu and dragging Bezier handles. See EaseFlow
Step 5: Copy the keyframes to every marker
Highlight all three keyframes again and press Ctrl + C (Cmd + C on a Mac) to copy them. Move to the next marker, click it so the playhead snaps there, and press Ctrl + V to paste. The pasted keyframes start at the playhead, so the 120 keyframe lands one frame after the marker. If you want it exactly on the hit, nudge the playhead back one frame before you paste.
Repeat this on every marker. Play the whole clip back and you should see a punchy zoom on each hit.
Tips
- Match the strength to the hit. A big hit can take a higher Scale value, and a small one a lower value. Change the middle keyframe after pasting.
- Keep it fast. The whole effect lasts only a handful of frames. Longer zooms feel like a slow push in, not an impact.
- Add sound. A bass hit or a thud on every marker sells the effect even more, and the markers are already in the right place.
FAQ
How do I add a marker in Premiere Pro?
Move the playhead to the frame you want and press M. The marker appears on the timeline ruler, and you can drag it to adjust its position.
How do I copy keyframes to another part of the clip?
Select the keyframes in Effect Controls, copy them, move the playhead to a new position and paste. Premiere places the first pasted keyframe at the playhead.
Why does my impact effect look jerky?
The keyframes are probably still on linear interpolation. Select them and apply Ease In and Ease Out so the zoom accelerates and settles smoothly.
Want more punch for your hits? Grab the free shake transition preset and combine it with your zoom impacts.
