Skip to main content

Extending Placeholders: Premiere Pro, After Effects, Davinci Resolve and Final Cut Pro

How to extend placeholders in Premiere Pro

Premiere Pro templates often rely on nested sequences to handle complex animations. Here’s how to extend a placeholder, especially for titles or logos:

  1. Drag the playhead to where the animation ends.
  2. Make a cut right after that point using the Razor Tool (C).
  3. Right-click the second half of the clip.
  4. Choose Insert Frame Hold Segment.

This freezes the frame at the end of the animation and gives you 2 extra seconds by default. You can then drag the edge of the frame hold to make it longer or shorter.

💡 Pro Tip: Want more control? Nest that frame-hold clip again and apply slow zooms or fades using keyframes for a polished finish.

Troubleshooting Common Issues

  • Problem: You inserted a Frame Hold but the animation jumps.
    Fix: Make sure you're holding a static frame, not mid-transition.
  • Problem: Extending one layer doesn’t extend the whole scene.
    Fix: Dive into the nested sequence and extend each relevant layer (text, background, effects).

How to Extend Placeholders in After Effects

After Effects users—welcome to pre-comp central. Most AE templates rely heavily on pre-compositions to structure and manage complex animations. That’s both a blessing and a curse.

  1. Open your main project and locate the composition where the placeholder lives. It’ll usually have names like "Scene 1" or "Main Comp."
  2. Find the layer in the timeline that represents your placeholder (text, image, or pre-comp).
  3. If the layer ends too soon, simply drag its right edge to extend it.
    Sounds easy, right? But here’s the kicker: if it’s a pre-comp, you need to dive inside it to adjust timing.
  4. Double-click the pre-comp to open it.
  5. Inside, drag the work area bar and composition duration if needed to give yourself more room to work.
  6. Extend the placeholder layer inside this pre-comp to match the new duration.

Now, if there’s an animation involved (most templates do have them), you’ll need to stretch the animation timing too.

Stretching Keyframes for Smooth Animation

Want the animation to last longer and feel natural—not just freeze awkwardly? You’ll need to stretch the keyframes.

  1. Select the animated layer (e.g., a text layer).
  2. Press U to reveal all active keyframes.
  3. Select the keyframes (click and drag over them).
  4. Move the last keyframe to the right. This slows the animation down over a longer period.

This keeps everything flowing smoothly, instead of rushing or cutting off prematurely.

💡 Pro Tip: For multiple animation layers (e.g., fade, position, scale), stretch all of them together to keep the animation in sync.

After all this, return to your main comp. Your extended timing will now reflect there. Done right, your template feels like it was custom-built for your project.

How to Extend Placeholders in DaVinci Resolve

DaVinci Resolve users—you’ve got power, but it’s often hidden behind more steps. Here’s how to extend placeholder durations in typical Resolve templates:

  1. Restore your .dra project archive using the Project Manager.
  2. Open the Final Render timeline from the “2. Final” folder in the Media Pool.
  3. Expand the “1. Edit” folder and locate the placeholder—often inside folders labeled Text or Titles.
  4. Double-click the placeholder timeline or compound clip.
    Now you’re in the timeline where the magic happens.
  5. In the Edit page, drag the end of the placeholder clip to the right. Boom—it’s extended.

But wait! If it’s animated and the timing looks off

  1. Right-click the clip and select Open in Fusion Page.
  2. Use the Keyframes tab or Spline editor to locate and stretch the keyframes.
  3. Select all keyframes and move them farther apart.

This will slow down the animation while keeping it intact.

💡 Pro Tip: For static placeholders, you can freeze the frame by inserting a still at the end. Or use a loop if you want the animation to repeat without needing to re-animate manually.

When you return to the Final Render timeline, your updates should be live. Just make sure any audio sync still works.

How to Extend Placeholders in Final Cut Pro

Final Cut Pro might be the most user-friendly of the bunch. You can usually just click and drag to extend elements—easy, right?

But templates made using Generators (common in FCP) behave differently. These clips auto-resize if you try to cut or extend them without converting them first.

Here’s the workaround:

  1. Make sure all media is filled in and edits are done before you begin.
  2. In the timeline, right-click the Generator clip.
  3. Choose New Compound Clip.
  4. Name it and hit OK.

Now you’re free to cut, trim, or extend without the Generator snapping back to its default duration.

Inside the new Compound Clip:

  • You can drag the end of the title, logo, or animation layer to make it last longer.
  • If you’re working with keyframed animations, open the Animation Editor and stretch the keyframes to slow things down.

Note: Some Generators are locked to a fixed duration (e.g., 10 seconds). If you can’t stretch it, check inside the Motion Template.

Final Cut Pro doesn't offer the deep timeline nesting of AE or Resolve, but it handles straightforward edits very efficiently when you use compound clips smartly.

Still need help? Head back to the Help Center.