Change clip speed, reverse a clip, and shape a speed curve

Speed sets how fast a clip plays. At 2× a clip runs twice as fast and takes half the time on the timeline. At 0.5× it runs at half speed and takes twice as long. DepCut puts every speed control for a video clip in one tab.

Set a speed

1. Click the clip on the timeline.
2. Open Speed in the right panel.
3. Drag the Speed slider, or type a value in the number beside it.

The slider runs from 0.25× to 4×. The number field accepts entries such as 1.25, 1.25x, or 125%, and it can go beyond the slider's range. A reset arrow appears once the speed is anything other than 1×, and one click brings it back.

The clip's box on the timeline changes length to match, and a small badge on the clip shows its speed.

Play a clip backwards

Switch on Reverse in the same tab. The clip plays from its last frame to its first, and its length on the timeline stays the same. A rewind icon appears on the clip while Reverse is on. Switch it off to play forward again.

Shape the speed with a curve

A single speed is flat. A speed curve lets the clip change pace as it plays. The Speed curve graph sits below the Reverse toggle. It reads left to right across the clip's playback, and height is speed, spaced so that 0.5× and 2× sit equally far from 1×.

• Click the graph to add a point.
• Drag a point up or down to change the speed there, and left or right to move it in time. The end points stay at the clip's edges.
• Double-click a point to remove it.
• Press Clear curve to go back to a flat speed.

The graph previews as you drag and lands as one edit when you let go, so one ⌘Z reverses it. While a curve is active, the graph shows the clip's average speed, and the badge on the clip shows a curve icon.

Start from a preset

Five buttons under the graph place ready-made shapes:

• Montage starts slow, speeds up in the middle, and slows again.
• Hero plays at normal speed, drops to a slow crawl in the middle, and returns to normal.
• Bullet runs fast, dives to a near stop at the center, and runs fast again.
• Flash in starts fast and settles to normal speed.
• Flash out plays at normal speed and finishes fast.

A preset keeps the clip's overall speed and only moves time around inside it, so the clip stays the same length. Click a preset, then drag its points to fit your footage.

Use speed with care

Slowing a clip a long way makes motion look choppy, because the footage has only so many frames. Mild slowdowns hold up better, and a curve lets you slow just the moment that matters while the rest plays at normal pace. Fast motion works well for long, repetitive stretches you want to get through quickly, such as a walk to a door.

Audio clips have a Speed tab of their own, so you can change a soundtrack without touching the picture.

Your turn

Pick a clip with clear motion in DepCut, open Speed, and click Hero.