How to Do a Velocity Edit in Alight Motion (v5.0.272 Tutorial)

What is a “Velocity Edit”? (The Speed Ramp Explained)

Velocity isn’t just “Speeding up” a video. It is the variation of speed.

The “Slow-Fast-Slow” Rhythm

A standard video plays at 100% speed (1.0x). A Velocity Edit manipulates time dynamically:

1. The Build-Up: The clip plays in Slow Motion (0.2x – 0.5x).
2. The Beat Drop: The clip spikes to Fast Motion (5.0x) exactly when the drum hits.
3. The Recovery: It immediately smooths back down to Slow Motion.

This contrast creates “impact.”

Step 1: Preparing Your Audio & Beats

You cannot do a velocity edit without music. The edit follows the music.

Importing Sound

1. Create a new project (9:16 aspect ratio is best for Velocity).
2. Tap (+) > Audio and import your song.
3. Tip: Choose a song with distinct, heavy bass hits (Phonk or Trap music works best).

Marking the Beats (The Most Critical Step)

If you miss this, your edit will fail.

• Listen to the song in the timeline.
• Scroll to the exact millisecond where the “Bass” or “Kick Drum” hits.
• Tap the Time Marker (the timestamp numbers on the left). It will turn Red.
• Repeat this for every beat you want to sync to.
  • Shortcut: If you don’t want to do this manually, download one of our pre-synced [Beat Mark Presets].

Step 2: The Cutting Technique (Splitting Clips)

Now, bring in your video footage.

Why You Must Cut on the Beat

1. Import your video clip.
2. Scroll to your first Red Beat Mark.
3. Tap the Video Layer > Split in Middle (the icon with the line in the center).
4. Delete the excess or align the next clip to start exactly at this cut.
   • Goal: You want a separate video segment for every beat interval.

Step 3: Mastering the Speed Graph (Time Remapping)

This is where the magic happens. We are going to warp time using graphs.

How to Access the Speed Panel

1. Select your split video clip.
2. Tap Speed.
3. Do NOT use the slider. The slider is for constant speed.
4. Tap the Graph Icon (under the slider).

The Perfect “V-Shape” Graph

To get that “Snap” effect:

1. Start Point (Left): Pull the dot Down (Slow Motion).
2. End Point (Right): Pull the dot Down (Slow Motion).
3. Middle Point: Add a keyframe in the middle of the graph and pull it Way Up (Fast Motion).
   • Result: The graph looks like an inverted “V” or a mountain peak. The video starts slow, accelerates violently in the middle, and ends slow.

Alternative Style: The “Flash” Velocity.

• Pull the start Up (Fast) and the end Down (Slow). This creates a “Hit and Fade” motion.

Step 4: Making It Smooth (Optical Flow vs. Frame Blending)

When you slow a 30fps video down to 0.2x speed, it looks choppy because there aren’t enough frames. Alight Motion fixes this with AI.

Fixing Choppy Slow Motion

Inside the Speed panel:

1. Look for the “Sampling” options (usually 3 dots or an icon).
2. Select Optical Flow.
   • What it does: The app invents new “fake” frames between the real frames to make the slow motion look buttery smooth, like it was shot on a high-speed camera.
   • Warning: This uses a lot of CPU. If your phone lags, check our [Troubleshooting Hub] for performance fixes.

Step 5: Adding the “Flash” Impact

Speed isn’t enough. You need visual impact. Every time the speed spikes, the screen should flash.

Using Exposure/Gamma for Beat Drops

1. Go to Effects > Add Effect > Color & Light > Exposure/Gamma.
2. Add a Keyframe at the Start of the clip. Set Exposure to 2.0 (Bright White).
3. Add a Keyframe at 0.2 seconds. Set Exposure to 0.0 (Normal).
4. Open the Graph Editor for Exposure and use an “Ease Out” curve.
   • Result: A bright white flash hits on the beat and fades out instantly.

Common Velocity Mistakes

Off-Sync Audio

If your video lags behind the beat:

• Fix: You likely added “Motion Blur” too early. Disable all effects while editing to ensure the preview playback speed is accurate. Only enable them before export.

“Warped” Audio Pitch

If you accidentally included audio in your video clip, changing the speed will make the voices sound like chipmunks or demons.

• Fix: Tap the Video Layer > Volume > Turn it to 0%. Only use the main music track for audio.