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Speed up, slow down and speed curves in video

Speed up or slow a clip, type a duration to set the speed, and use speed curves for smooth ramps. Includes the pitch option for the sound.

Speed changes serve two purposes: skipping a dull stretch (speeding up) or stressing an important moment (slowing down). With a speed curve the speed can also change smoothly inside one clip, for example slowing at the top of a jump and then returning to normal.

Constant speed: speed up or slow down a clip

  1. Select the clip on the timeline.
  2. Open the Speed tab in the right panel, then its Standard sub-tab.
  3. Change the speed value. A bigger number speeds it up, below 1 slows it down.
  4. Or type a Duration instead: enter how many seconds you want the clip to last and the speed is worked out from it. Handy for fitting a clip into a set length.
  5. Reset speed takes you back to normal.

When the speed changes, the clip’s length changes and later clips on the same track shift. You can also type “make it 2x faster” or “half speed” to Wedi; every command can be undone.

Pitch: should the voice change?

How the sound behaves when speed changes is set by Change pitch:

  • On: the voice goes higher when sped up and lower when slowed, like a tape.
  • Off: the pitch is kept, so speech doesn’t turn chipmunk.

For speech, leaving it off usually sounds more natural. In a speed curve the pitch is kept.

Speed curve: smooth ramps

  1. Select the clip, open the Curve sub-tab of the Speed tab and choose Curve as the Speed mode.
  2. Try one of the Presets: Montage, Hero, Bullet, Jump cut, Flash in, Flash out, Speed up, Slow down.
  3. To customise, use the curve editor right there: drag points, double-click empty space to add a point, press Delete to remove one.
  4. Points work from the keyboard too: Alt+←/→ selects a point and ↑/↓ changes its speed (hold Shift for fine steps).
  5. The average speed and total duration show below. The clip’s content is kept; its length changes with the average speed.
  6. Use Remove curve to take it away.

The sound follows the curve too, with its pitch kept.

Which speed when?

  • Time-lapse feel (2x to 10x): walking, cooking, typing.
  • A slight slowdown: a glance before speaking, an object falling.
  • A curve: transitions that slow on a beat then accelerate; cinematic scene links.

Tips

  • For slow motion the source frame rate matters; footage shot at 60 frames stays smoother when slowed.
  • Some Smart tools analyses (like cutting silences) don’t work on clips with a speed ramp, so make your cuts first and leave speed to the end.
  • A speed change affects caption and music timing, so check them afterwards.
  • If the curve is too steep the picture can judder; keep points well apart.

More on the Pro tools page. If you’re working with music, see the music guide.

FAQ

Does quality drop when I change speed? Speeding up drops frames; slowing down needs filling between frames. A high-frame-rate source gives better slow motion.

Can I slow just part of a clip? Yes: either split the clip and give that piece its own speed, or use a speed curve inside one clip.

Does the export run at the same speed as the preview? Yes. Preview and export give the same result.

Weditra is free with no watermark; see the Download page for the Windows version.