Create Smooth Speed Ramps with Time Remapping

Speed ramps are the cinematic technique where footage smoothly transitions between slow motion and normal speed. They add dramatic impact to action shots, reveals, and transitions.

Setting Up Time Remapping

1. Right-click your clip in the timeline
2. Choose Show Clip Keyframes > Time Remapping > Speed
3. A rubber band appears across your clip showing speed percentage
4. Cmd+click (Mac) or Ctrl+click (Windows) on the rubber band to add a keyframe
5. Add two keyframes to define the speed change zone

Creating the Ramp

1. Drag the rubber band between your two keyframes down (slower) or up (faster)
2. To smooth the transition, click a keyframe and drag the Bezier handles outward
3. Longer handles = more gradual speed change
4. Preview and adjust until the ramp feels natural

Best Practices

Shoot at high frame rates (60fps, 120fps, or higher) if you plan to use slow motion. Slowing down 24fps footage below 50% creates visible stuttering. At Southbound Studios, we shoot our speed ramp shots at 120fps minimum on our RED cameras, giving us 5x slow motion at 24fps with perfectly smooth playback.