What are keyframes in video editing?

A keyframe is a saved value at a specific moment: 'at 2.0s, scale is 100%; at 3.0s, scale is 130%.' The editor fills in every frame between them, producing smooth motion — that's literally all animation in video editing is. Position, scale, rotation, opacity, and effect strengths can all be keyframed, and easing curves control whether the change glides or snaps.

In practice you'll rarely place keyframes one by one at first: presets are pre-built keyframe patterns. In EseCut, applying Slam In or Focus Pull writes the keyframes for you — and once you're comfortable, you can keyframe any property manually for custom moves.

Related questions

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