Adding video to your PowerPoint presentations can make them more engaging and help convey your message more clearly. However, you may only need a short clip from a longer video to make your point. Trimming unnecessary footage in PowerPoint allows you to focus on the most relevant parts.
Follow this simple, step-by-step guide to trim video directly within PowerPoint.
Step 1: Insert the Video
To get started, open the PowerPoint presentation you want to add video to and navigate to the slide where you want the video to appear.
On the “Insert” tab, click the “Video” dropdown and select “Video from My PC” from the menu.
Browse your files and select the video you want to add. Click the “Insert” button.
The video will now appear on your slide. You can resize or reposition it if needed.
Step 2: Access the Playback Tools
With the video selected, the “Playback” tools will appear on the toolbar ribbon.
If you do not see them, click once on the video to select it. The formatting tools specific to video should then pop up.
Step 3: Trim the Video
On the “Playback” tab, click the “Trim Video” button.
A preview window will open where you can view the video and set start and end points.
Press “Play” to watch the video. Pause when you reach the desired starting point. Drag the green marker on the timeline to this location.
Resume playback and pause again when you reach the desired end point. Drag the red marker to this point on the timeline.
You can fine-tune the markers using the frame forward and frame back buttons. Use the zoom slider for precision trimming.
Step 4: Preview and Adjust (Optional)
Press “Play” to preview your trimmed video.
If needed, use the markers to adjust the start and end points. Continue previewing and adjusting until you are satisfied.
Step 5: Save the Changes
When you are happy with the trimmed video, click “OK” to close the trim window.
The video on your slide is now trimmed per your settings.
Don’t forget to save your PowerPoint presentation to retain the changes. Your original video file remains untouched.
Advanced Tips
Here are some additional tips for trimming video in PowerPoint:
- Use keyboard shortcuts like Ctrl + Shift + > and Ctrl + Shift + < to skip between trim points for faster editing.
- Right click the video and select “Trim” to access trimming tools quicker.
- Compress media after trimming to reduce file size by removing discarded frames.
- Trim multiple instances of the same video differently by inserting separate copies onto slides rather than reusing one copy.
- For precise trimming, use the zoom slider to magnify the video preview.
- Upgrade older PowerPoint formats to enable better video playback and optimization.
- Link to videos instead of embedding them to minimize presentation file size. Be sure links will work for your audience.
With this easy process, you can trim footage directly in PowerPoint presentations. By removing unnecessary sections, you can emphasize the most important parts of a video.
Following these steps will have you trimming videos in PowerPoint like a pro in no time! Let me know in the comments if you have any other questions.
