How do I trim a video clip?

Hey there... I need to cut a chunk out of a movie. It's about 3 minutes long, and I want the rest of the film to stay perfectly intact once I'm done. I've been digging around online but haven't had much luck finding a direct answer. I found ways to trim a clip and save just that specific segment, but that’s not what I’m after here. I want to excise those 3 minutes entirely so I'm left with the original file minus that middle section. The part I want gone isn't at the beginning or the end—it's stuck right in the middle, like some annoying commercial was baked into the footage, and now I want it scrubbed. How do I do this? I have Adobe Premiere on my computer, so I assume it can handle the job, but I'm staring at the interface not knowing which buttons to actually press. Any help would be appreciated... or if you have a link to a different program that's better suited for this, please send it over along with a few pointers on how to pull it off.

If you're looking for some help with iMovie, I'd suggest searching for tutorials on YouTube.

By any chance, do you happen to know what file format that movie is in?

The file was an MP4, but I ended up converting it to DivX because Adobe Premiere wouldn't load the original format for some reason. Now the DivX version plays perfectly fine. So, long story short, I'm sitting here with two files now: the MP4 and the DivX.

Maybe try searching for something along these lines: Free Video cutter joiner

The magic word here is "joiner." If I’m reading your situation correctly—and I think I am—what you actually need to do is trim the first segment of the film down to where those unwanted scenes end (say, at the 5:40 mark), then trim the second segment to start right after them (let's say, starting from 10:30), and finally stitch the tail of that first clip to the head of the second. (So, 5:40 + 10:30). Once you merge them, that 10:30 mark effectively becomes 5:41, and the footage just flows seamlessly from there.
That's really how the process works. I don't think there's a specific program out there—unless you're looking at high-end, paid professional software—that can just instantly bridge two clips while simultaneously deleting everything in the middle. You kind of have to roll up your sleeves and do a little manual labor.

You could go with something like Adobe Premiere Elements or maybe just stick to a basic editor you find online, though those free versions can be a total drag sometimes! And honestly, there's definitely a bit of a learning curve involved if you actually want to make something look decent.

With Adobe Premiere Elements or even Corel VideoStudio, you really don't need to be some technical wizard; all you have to do is select the segment you want to get rid of and just hit cut... and honestly, if you aren't in the mood to deal with a full installation process, just hunt down a portable version online instead...

It’s literally just three clicks and that section is gone forever, though I always suggest throwing in a Transition to make the whole thing look seamless and smooth...



Using an mp4 file

Thanks to everyone for the help and the answers... I think this thread might actually come in handy for someone else down the road. I managed to pull it off using VirtualDub... I stumbled upon a screenshot that laid everything out perfectly. Basically, I cut out about three minutes of footage (I don't have the exact timestamp right now, but let's say from 00:03:15 to 00:06:30), and when I saved it, the whole movie was stitched back together—it just skipped those three minutes. No extra editing required. I’ll post the image I used to figure this out; hopefully, it helps someone else out.

View on imgur

Thanks so much, guys, for being so thoughtful and looking out for everyone else! Honestly, there are way easier ways to get this done, and I feel like I’m just making things harder on myself for no reason at all 👍

rowdyotter12 said:Maybe try searching for something along these lines: Free Video cutter joiner

The magic word here is "joiner." If I’m reading your situation correctly—and I think I am—what you actually need to do is trim the first segment of the film down to where those unwanted scenes end (say, at the 5:40 mark), then trim the second segment to start right after them (let's say, starting from 10:30), and finally stitch the tail of that first clip to the head of the second. (So, 5:40 + 10:30). Once you merge them, that 10:30 mark effectively becomes 5:41, and the footage just flows seamlessly from there.
That's really how the process works. I don't think there's a specific program out there—unless you're looking at high-end, paid professional software—that can just instantly bridge two clips while simultaneously deleting everything in the middle. You kind of have to roll up your sleeves and do a little manual labor.

Actually, there is. Like I mentioned before, iMovie is a great option, and it comes as part of the standard suite alongside Microsoft Office and Google Services. It's free to use, of course.