Category: Workflow / Premiere Pro

You open a project file from a previous editor. You expect to see a clean timeline with one video track. Instead, you see a staircase.

• V1: Camera A

• V2: Camera B

• V3: Camera C

The previous editor didn't use a Multicam clip. They stacked the cameras on top of each other and used the "Razor Tool + Disable Clip" method to edit.

Your playback is stuttering because your computer is trying to process 5 streams of 4K video at once. You want to scream.

But before you judge them, you need to understand why they did it (and how to fix it without restarting the edit).

The "Stacker" Argument: Visibility

Editors who refuse to use Multicam clips usually have one major argument: "I want to see my footage."

In a Multicam clip (which acts like a Nest), the footage is hidden inside a black box. You can't tell which camera is active just by looking at the timeline.

• The Stacker's Logic: "If I put Cam A on V1 and Cam B on V2, I can instantly see the structure of the scene. I can apply a stabilizer to just that one clip without opening a nest."

The "Multicam" Argument: Speed & Performance

The Stacker is right about visibility, but wrong about everything else.

• Performance: When you stack 5 streams of 4K video, your hard drive has to read all 5 streams simultaneously, even if you are only viewing the top one. In a true Multicam clip, Premiere is smart enough to only process the active angle.

• Speed: You can't edit to the beat if you are manually disabling clips. Multicam allows you to tap 1, 2, 3 on your keyboard to switch angles in real-time.

The Fix: How to Convert a "Stack" to Multicam

If you inherit a messy "Stacked" timeline, don't re-edit it. You can convert it.

Method 1: The "Nest & Enable" Trick If the clips are already synced on the timeline:

1. Highlight all the stacked video clips (V1-V5).

2. Right-click and select Nest.

3. Now you have one green clip. Right-click that green clip.

4. Go to Multi-Camera > Enable.

Boom. You now have a proper Multicam clip. You can open your Program Monitor settings (the wrench icon), select Multi-Camera View, and start editing properly.

The Reverse Fix: Flattening for Color/VFX

Sometimes you need to go back to individual clips (for example, to export an XML for DaVinci Resolve or to send a specific shot to After Effects).

1. Select your Multicam clips in the timeline.

2. Right-click > Multi-Camera > Flatten.

3. Premiere will discard the "hidden" angles and leave you with just the raw video file of the active angle.

Summary

Stacking layers feels "safe" because you can see everything, but it kills your CPU. Use the Nest > Enable workflow to clean up messy timelines, and remember to Flatten your multicams before you send the project to a colorist.