Tutorial: Adding an Animated Letterbox Effect in OpenShot

Introduction

Learn how to enhance your video with an animated letterbox effect in OpenShot to create a dynamic video opening.

Steps

1. Prepare the Video

   • Start with your plain video clip.

2. Add Crop Effect

   • Apply a crop effect to the video clip and access its properties.
   • Focus on animating the bottom size and top size properties.

3. Set Keyframes

   • Move the Playhead to the start of the clip for the start keyframe.
   • Set both bottom size and top size properties to .49 to create a narrow opening.

4. Synchronize with Music

   • Choose the end keyframe based on the music's second sound change.
   • Adjust Playhead to the desired frame using the clip's waveform for reference.
   • Set bottom size and top size properties to 0.

5. Adjust Interpolation

   • Change the interpolation mode of the crop effect to Bezier Ease-In for a gradual speed increase.

6. Add Fade-In Effect

   • Move the Playhead to the start of the clip.
   • Set the clip's Alpha property to 0 for the beginning.
   • Move to the 1-second mark and adjust the Alpha property back to 1.
   • Use Bezier Ease-In for the Alpha property's interpolation mode.

Conclusion

The animated letterbox effect is set. Play the video to view the smooth transition and synced animation. This simple technique can significantly enhance the opening sequence of your video. Thank you for watching the tutorial, and we hope you found it helpful!