How to Make a Video to Slow Motion – The Essential Guide

It’s understandably irritating to discover you shot a video on your iPhone, intending it to be a slow-motion video but forgot to enable the slow-mo option. Alternatively, you may also want to spruce up a video in your gallery using the slo-mo effect for professional or personal reasons. Whatever the case, I’ve got you covered.

In this article, I will highlight the most effective tools to make slow-motion videos and a step-by-step guide on their use.

Is It Easy to Make a Slow-Motion Video?

Yes, whether you want to emphasize a point or highlight an issue making slow-motion videos is an absolute breeze. And you don’t need to incur expenses like hiring a professional or buying expensive equipment like cameras. Even as an amateur, you can follow the easy steps to make a slow-motion video on your phone or PC.

How to Slow Down a Video on iPhone After Recording via iMovie App

iMovie is a free video editing software for users of Apple devices that makes it easy to produce studio-quality videos, including memorable slow motions. The following is how you can slow down an existing video on iPhone via the iMovie app:

Steps:

1. Open iMovie and tap Create Project.

   

2. Tap Movie.

   

3. Select the entire video or the clip you want to slow down and tap Create Movie at the bottom of the screen.

   

4. Tap on the video in the timeline and then the speedometer icon.

   

5. To create slow motion in the prerecorded video on your iPhone, drag the slider leftwards.

   

6. Preview your video by tapping the play button to assess your video.

Slowing down videos shot at regular speed will not yield the best slow-mo effects because regular speed is based on shooting lesser frames per second compared to the slow-mo option. However, it’s still an option if you forgot to enable slow-mo in your camera app.

How to Make a Slow Motion Video on Computer [Smoother]

Creating a slow-motion video using a computer is a more stable and streamlined experience than using an app which is excellent for further editing your video. Below I will introduce the best slo-mo video editors available for both Windows and Mac computers.

Via Movavi Video Editor

Movavi Vdeo Editor is a simple but powerful tool with which you can apply the slow motion effect to a specific part or an entire video, even as a beginner.

Steps in Making a Slow Motion Video in the Middle using Movavi Video Editor:

1. Install the Movavi Video Editor. Open the application and select Create Project in Full Feature Mode.

   

2. Add video to the program. Click Add Media File to select the file to appear on the timeline pane and ensure it’s selected by clicking it.

   

3. Separate the audio from the video. In applying slow motion to your video, the audio track also gets affected, making it sound wrong. To avoid this, simply simply drag the blue audio track from the video track below to the audio track. Click the link button on the left side of the Timeline to connect the audio and video.

   

4. Position the play cursor where you want to start slowing down your video. Then, use the scissor icon to clip the beginning and end sections.

   

5. Select the cutout clip by clicking on it. Next, open the Clip Properties by clicking on the settings icon.

   

6. Change the speed of the video. You can slow down your video by moving the Speed slider to the left to reduce speed or manually typing a percentage. On the other hand, you can key in your desired time duration, for example, if the video is 10 seconds, you can change it to 20 seconds making it twice as slow. This method is ideal when adding slow motion to rhythmic music as it enables you to adjust the length of the slow motion in accordance with the music beat. Also, indicate the Fade in and Fade out times below the Speed slider so that the slow-motion part doesn’t begin and end abruptly.

   

7. Save the result. Click the Export button to save your edited video in a new video file in your selected format. Click Start. Your video will then be transferred to the specified folder.

   

Via Magix- Movie Studio Platinum

The Movie Studio Platinum is an easy, fast, and professional video editing software that creates impressive slow-motion effects without extensive training and complicated steps.

Steps in Making a Slow Motion Video in the Middle using Movie Studio Platinum:

1. Go to Movie Studio Platinum and import a video.

   

2. If you don’t want to slow down the whole footage, indicate the beginning and end of the necessary section in your video and click on the cut button.

   

3. Click the Effects tab and select Speed. Then, create the slow-motion effect by moving the slider to the left.

   

4. Finally, you can export the video via the File menu as an MP4 file, upload it directly to YouTube using the Export dialog, and/or burn your movie to DVD or Blu-ray Disc via the Burn interface.

   

Making Dynamic Slow Motion Effects Using Movie Studio Platinum:

What’s a keyframe, and when do you need to use it?

A keyframe is a point on the timeline that indicates the beginning and end of the movement, animation, or transition in an editing program.

With the Movie Studio Platinum, you can now create dynamic effects such as transitions in speed known as speed ramps, where the playback tempo of the video slows down or speeds up constantly for stunning results.

1. Go to Movie Studio Platinum and position the playback marker where you want the first speed ramp for a dynamic slow motion to start.
2. Point the mouse at the bottom edge of the Effect dialogue until it turns into a double arrow. Press and hold the mouse button to drag the keyframe animation. Next, click the mouse button to set a keyframe for the beginning position.

   

3. In the keyframe animation, place the playback marker where you want to start the static, slow motion.
4. Click on the Speed dialogue to activate the slow-motion effect, and the program will set a new keyframe.

   

5. Place the playback marker on your preferred end of the slow-motion scene, then add the third keyframe.

   

6. Now place the playback marker where you want the movie to resume normal speed. Then, double-click on the slider to restore the speed to the neutral position, and a fourth keyframe will be automatically set.

   

How to Make a Slow-Motion Video Online

You can also use online video editors to create cool slow-motion effects, as shown below:

1. Adobe Express

Adobe Express is an online and mobile design app that allows you to convert your videos into slow motion and download them instantly, free of charge. It also lets you perform professional-quality edits and share videos from your device across all social channels. Adobe Express has a premium plan with more options starting at $9.99 per month.

Steps to making a slow-motion video:

1. Import any video up to one hour long from your device.

   

2. Change your preferred slow-motion speed from the available selection.

   

3. You can then instantly download your new video.

Flixier

Flixier is a browser-based professional video maker that enables you to do both editing and color grading. That way, you can easily create an entire video in Flixier by adding it to the timeline and introducing elements as you like. It has a free and two paid plans worth $14 and $30 per month.

Steps to making a slow-motion video:

1. Visit the official website of Flixier and  click  the  “Choose  video”  button.

   

2. Import your files to Flixier.

   

3. Drag them on the Flixier timeline and find the Video Speedslider on the right side of your screen. For slow-motion videos, drag the slider to the left.

   

4. Download the videos to your computer or export them to Google Drive, YouTube, social media, etc.

   

VEED

VEED is a free online video editor that you can use to make slow-motion videos online without opening an account on their website. The tool helps you slow down videos, create cool slow-motion effects, and easily export or share your videos online.

Apart from the free plan, VEED has a Basic plan of $12 per editor/month, a Pro plan of $24 per editor/month, and a Business plan of $59 per editor/month.

Steps to Making a Slow-Motion Video:

1. Go to VEED official website and click “Choose video” button.

   

2. Upload the file you would like to slow down to VEED.

   

3. Click on the video, go to Media, scroll down to Speed, then select your preferred speed.

   

4. Click Download upon conclusion, and your video will start rendering.

   

How to Shoot a Slow Motion Video on iPhone

Steps of Recording in Slow Motion:

1. Tap the Camera app on your iPhone.

   

2. Find and tap the SLO-MO option on the tabs at the bottom of the screen.

   

3. Switch the recording camera. iPhone 11, 12, 13, and 14 can record in slow motion with the front camera by tapping the two curved arrows at the bottom right of their screen.

   

4. Tap the shutter to start and stop recording. Your slow-motion video is automatically stored at the camera roll.

   

5. Tap the thumbnail at the bottom left corner to view your recording.

   

6. Edit the recording to make some parts play at regular speed by tapping Edit and controlling the speed using the second slider at the bottom.

   

How to do Slow Motion on Instagram

The following is how to take advantage of the Boomerang effects to spice up your Instagram stories:

1. Tap the Stories camera inside the Instagram app and swipe to find the Boomerang mode at the bottom of the screen.

   

2. Begin recording and click the infinity sign at the top right corner upon completion.

   

3. From the different effects that pop up, tap the SloMo effect the second from the left.

   

4. Click the Your Story button at the bottom left of the screen.

How to Record Slow Motion Video on TikTok

TikTok provides you with camera tools like Speed, among others. You can therefore set and adjust video speed while recording to produce slow-motion videos directly:

The following is how:

1. Go to TikTok app on your iPhone and tap the plus icon at the bottom.

   

2. Tap Speed at the top right corner.

   

3. From the speed options above the red button, choose a speed between 0.5x and 0.3x and tap the red recording button.

   

4. When done, click the red checkmark.

How to Add Slow Motion Effect on TikTok

You can also apply the slow-motion effect on premade videos on TikTok by following the steps below:

1. Open the TikTok app and tap the plus icon.
2. Tap Upload to add your video.

   

3. Tap the Effects icon, swipe right, then tap Time.

   

4. Tap Slow Motion, then drag the slider to the area you want to be slowed.
5. Tap Save > Next to save the video.

   

How to Slo-Mo Videos in CapCut

CapCut is an all-in-one online video editing software and the default video editor for TikTok. This online editor is available in over 20 languages and has a user-friendly interface, copyrighted songs, and customizable templates. The tool also provides trending effects, filters, and transitions. Slo-mo videos refer to slow-motion videos or videos with slow-motion effects in particular scenes.

How to Use CapCut to Make a Slow-Motion Video

If you have CapCut on your iPhone or Android device, the following is how to make slow-motion videos:

1. Open CapCut on your phone and tap the New Project button.

   

2. Add your video to CapCut.
3. Select the video and tap the Speed on the toolbar. You can do slow-mo video in two ways: Normal mode and Curve mode.

   

4. Tap Normal. Adjust the video speed by dragging the Slider to the left.

   

   

5. You can also tap Curve > Custom to create a dynamic slow motion effect.

   

   

6. Tap the check mark at the bottom right corner.
7. Navigate to the download icon at the top right corner.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1: What is a Slo-Mo video?

This is a video where the movement is much slower than in real life or was than was recorded. They are created by slowing down frames per second to add enhanced digital effects to a footage. Video editors employ slow motion to create suspense, capture the audience’s attention, and emphasize critical moments.

Q2: Which FPS rate is best for motion video?

FPS refers to frames per second and is the frequency of consecutive full-screen images displayed per second. A seamless video should meet 24 frames per second but the best FPS rate is between 50 and 60 because they enable playback at half the original speed. Videos achieve the slow-motion effect by tricking the viewer into seeing fewer frames per second.

Q3: How to make a video in fast motion?

For iPhone users, the best way to make a fast-motion video is by using the iMovie app and following the steps of slowing down videos, then dragging the slider to the right rather than leftwards. But that’s not all, the Movavi video editor, Magix movie studio, Adobe Express, Flixier, and VEED also come in handy in creating fast motion effects.

Summary

As made obvious in the article, there is no shortage of means to shoot slo-mo videos or slow down pre-recorded videos. The ease of putting a video in slow motion extends to doing the same on social media sites such as Instagram and TikTok.

Whichever method you find suits your fancy, you are now set to produce excellent results. However, considering the ease of editing videos on a computer and the unreliability of internet access, I recommend using flexible tools like Movavi Video Editor or Magix Movie Studio to turn your footage into high-quality movies.

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