4-Way Split Screen Tutorial

Creating the Split Screen

1. Open New Project in Premiere Pro. To import video files, double click in the project panel in the lower left hand corner, and locate files on your computer.
2. Add a sequence by double clicking in the project panel - New Item - Sequence
3. I chose the Digital SLR, 1080p24 setting, but you are free to choose any that fits your needs. Then click the Settings tab above, check that it’s dimensions are 1920x1080. Then, you can rename the sequence at the bottom of the screen.
4. Set guides to evenly divide the screen four ways by clicking inside the Program Panel, go to View, and then check both “Show Rulers” and “Show Guides”.
5. Since our screen in the Program Panel is 960x540, simply place guides by clicking on the ruler to then drag at 480 pixels in from the side and 270 pixels from the top. (TIP: Right click on the blue color guide, click “Edit Guide” to place guides at these exact measurements.
6. Under View Tab, check the box for “Lock Guides” to keep them in place.
7. Add another sequence by right clicking in the Project Panel - New Item - Sequence. Change it’s dimensions under the Settings Tab to 960x540 (this will equate to ¼ of the screen size in our final sequence.) Name this sequence Video 1.
8. Right click on the Video 1 sequence and select Duplicate. Duplicate three times to have a total of 4 sequences. (Rename the sequences to Video 2, etc.)
9. Double click on Video 1 sequence in the Project Panel to open it in the Timeline Panel. Drag your first video clip into the sequence. Click the blue “Keep Existing Settings” button so that our custom frame size remains intact.
10. Adjust Scaling and Positioning as needed in the Effect Controls Tab.
11. Repeat steps 9 and 10 for the other 3 Video sequences.
12. Now back into the Main Sequence, go to View, and check the box for “Snap in Program Monitor”)
13. Click and drag the Video Sequences into the Main Sequence. (Click “Keep Existing Settings”)
14. To move videos, click on the first video in your timeline, then click on “Position” in Effect Controls. Your video will be outlined in blue in the Program Monitor, and then move into the desired location. 
15. To create space in between each video, go to View and uncheck “Lock Guides”. Move and add guides so that there are 20 pixels of space in between each video. Once complete, go back to View and Lock Guides.
16. In Effects and Presets, search for Crop, and drag onto the first video in your timeline. By clicking on “Crop” in the Effect Controls Panel, your video should be outlined in blue with crop handles. Move the crop handles in to align with our new guides.
17. Copy Crop effect and paste onto next video. From here, you can either adjust the crop or change the video’s position to align into place. Repeat for the remaining videos.

Adding Animation

1. In Effects and Presets, search for Transform. Select the Transform underneath Distort, click and drag to the first video clip’s Effect Controls.
2. Create a keyframe at the beginning in the Effects panel. Create a second keyframe a half second later.
3. Adjust Position on the first keyframe so that the video animates into the screen. 
4. Under Transform Effect controls, uncheck “Use Composition’s Shutter Angle” and increase shutter angle to 180 degrees. This will apply a motion blur effect to our animated video.
5. Copy Transform effect and paste onto the next video. Change keyframe values for how you’d like for the clips to animate. Repeat for all videos.
6. Offset videos in the Timeline panel for a staggered entrance.
7. Select all video clips, place playhead to where you’d like all of the clips to end and click Ctrl+K. Then delete unwanted video clips.
8. Select all clips, right click and select “Nest”. Title nested sequence “Video” then place sequence in the second (V2) video layer in the timeline.

Adding the Background

1. Import background image from your computer into the Project Panel.
2. Drag background image into the V1 video layer in the timeline. Extend image duration in the timeline to meet with your video’s duration.
3. In the Effects Control Panel, create a Position keyframe under “Motion” at the first keyframe.
4. Click “End” on your keyboard to go to the very last frame. Create another keyframe.
5. Adjust position values on both keyframes so the background moves in the direction you wish.