If you are editing a video that will appear online, a smaller resolution is acceptable. Some of the biggest video players online that play in 16 x 9 aspect ratio are a size of 640 x 360. A high-quality video on one of these players would require a size of 1280 x 720, but the smaller your screen resolution is, the faster your video will upload -- an important component of the process of online video creation.
Projects such as films and documentaries require a much higher resolution, as they are played on a much larger screen and details are more visible. Keep in mind when choosing a resolution that your pixel resolution will always be a multiple of your aspect ratio. Most televisions are in a 16 x 9 aspect ratio. Films are typically shot in a 1.85x1 aspect ratio. Therefore, if you want your film to be a high resolution -- 1080i, for example -- you should multiply 1080 by the X-axis value of your aspect ratio -- 1.85, in this case. The product of this is 1,998, which means the pixel resolution for your film in a high resolution should be 1998 x 1080.
Before HDTV, television was recorded in a 4 x 3 aspect ratio, which is almost a square. Use the same math you used in Section 2 to determine the best resolution for you. If you would like your video in 720p, divide 720 by the Y-axis of your video, which is 3, in this case. The quotient is 240. Now, multiply the 240 by the X-axis of your aspect ratio, or 4. The product is 960. So if you are looking for a 4 x 3 video with the good quality of 720p, your screen resolution should be 960 x 720.
When you create a new sequence in Adobe Premiere Pro, you will be prompted to choose a pixel resolution. The general settings tab is the best place to choose your resolution. If you would like to change the resolution later, choose "Sequence > sequence settings" to make adjustments.