Motion & effects
Keyframe: definition and examples
What is Keyframe?
A keyframe is a marker on a video timeline that records the value of a property, such as position, scale, or opacity, at a specific moment. The editing software automatically calculates and fills in the values between two keyframes, producing smooth animated motion or effect transitions.
When you'd use it
- 1When you need a property, such as position, scale, or opacity, to change smoothly over time within a clip.
- 2When animating on-screen text, logos, or graphic elements to enter or exit the frame.
- 3When applying a speed ramp and the editing software requires speed values to be set at specific points.
- 4When a color grade or effect needs to shift gradually across a clip.
- 5When tracking a mask or effect to follow a moving subject through the frame.
Example
A creator animating a product name onto the screen sets one position keyframe at frame 0 (text off-screen left) and a second at frame 20 (text centered), then applies an ease-out curve so the text decelerates as it settles into place. The result reads as intentional motion design.
Use cases
- 1Animating a logo bug to fade in at the start of a clip and fade out before the cut.
- 2Setting scale keyframes on a product shot to create a slow push-in toward a highlighted feature.
- 3Marking the start and end points of a speed change so the ramp between fast and slow motion stays smooth.
Make on-brand short-form video from the footage you already have.