How To Make a Slow Motion Video Clip (page 2)
No Overcrank, No Problem
While overcranking provides superior-quality slow motion, not everyone has a camera that will shoot multiple frame rates. Nor do they have editing software that will allow them to set the playback speed of the timeline. However, most editing software, if not all, have a playback speed option that will allow you to slow down clips, and some have new technologies that intelligently build additional frames that are better than mere duplicates. For example, Final Cut Pro uses "frame-blending" technologies that make the more natural and smooth slow motion you'd expect from overcranking.
You may also want to look into using envelope tools that change the playback speed over time. This way you can start a clip at normal speed and ramp it down over a few seconds to a slower speed, then ramp it back up to normal speed. This technique is reserved for the higher-end applications like Apple Final Cut Pro and Adobe Premiere.
No matter what tools you put to use, make sure you think critically about your story, and identify the key moments and emotions that you want to emphasize. Doing this at the right time will put an exclamation point on these moments.
Contributing columnist Mark Montgomery is a web content specialist and produces instructional videos for a leading web application developer.
