Introduction
Shotcut is a great, free, open source video editor that’s loaded with powerful features. One of those features is the ability to speed up your video. Speeding up your video is great for creating a timelapse or making part of your video go just a little bit faster.
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Steps to Speed Up Video in Shotcut
- To start you can see I’ve got Shotcut open and I’ve already got my video track that I want to speed up loaded. In this example I’ll just use a video capture of my kids playing a video game.
- Identify the start and stop points associated with any sections where you want to speed up the video, and then split the video at those points. In this example, I want to speed up the video between 6:31 and 7:37. To split the video first click the video track you want to split to select it. The selected track will be olive green on the left and have a red boundary around it. Next, you want to move the scrubber icon to either your start or stop point and then right-click the track to open a menu. Click “Split at Playhead” in the menu. Repeat this process to mark the other split point.
- Before you go further make sure the Properties window is visible in your Shotcut interface. By default, this is located in the options menu on the left side of the screen. If you don’t see Properties, click “View” in the menu along the top of the screen, and then select “Properties.” The window should be available. Click “Properties” to view the window.
- Click the section in the video track you marked off that you want to speed up to select it, and then click to make sure the Properties window is open. Find the “Speed” section in the Properties window. By default the speed will be set to 1.
Increase this number to speed the video up. For example, increasing this number to 2 will make the video go twice as fast; increasing it to 3 will make it go three times as fast, and so on. As you can see, as you adjust the speed the duration of the video is adjusted in the timeline.
Reasons to Speed Up Your Video in Shotcut
1. Time-lapse
Time-lapse videos are a great way to show the progression of a project, whether it’s construction, nature, or anything in between. By speeding up the original footage, you can create a condensed version of events that’s more interesting to watch. This is because time-lapse videos allow you to see a lot of changes in a short amount of time, which can be both fascinating and informative.
2. Slow-motion Effect
Slow-motion videos can be incredibly impactful, as they allow you to see details that might be missed at regular speed. For example, you might want to create a slow-motion video of a sports event, a dance performance, or a nature scene. By slowing down the footage, you can highlight specific moments or movements that might be overlooked otherwise.
3. Compression
When you need to fit a lot of content into a short amount of time, speeding up a video can be a useful strategy. By compressing the length of the footage, you can convey a lot of information quickly and efficiently. This can be especially helpful for social media platforms like Instagram or TikTok, which have time limits on videos.
4. Correction
Sometimes, you might record a video that’s too long or has a lot of boring parts. In this case, speeding up the footage can help correct the issue and make the video more engaging. By speeding up the footage, you can make the video shorter and more focused, which can help hold viewers’ attention.
5. Aesthetic
Finally, speeding up a video can be used simply for aesthetic purposes. For example, you might choose to speed up footage of a cityscape to create a sense of frenetic energy or excitement. By adjusting the speed of the footage, you can convey a particular mood or feeling, which can be very powerful.
