Chapter 6: Video Elements

Video elements bring motion and dynamic content to your templates. This chapter covers adding, configuring, and optimizing video clips in FX Express.

Adding Videos

To add a video element:

Click Video in the element palette (or drag it to the canvas)
A video picker dialog opens
Select or upload your video file
The video appears on the canvas

Video Sources

Upload from Computer

Click “Upload” in the video picker
Select a video file from your device
Supported formats: MP4, WebM, MOV

From URL

Paste a video URL directly
The video loads from the remote source
Ensure the URL is publicly accessible and allows embedding

Stock Videos

Browse integrated stock video libraries (when available).

Video Properties

Source (src)

The URL or path to the video file.

Object Fit

Controls how the video fills its container (same as images):

Mode	Behavior
Cover	Fills area, crops if necessary (default)
Contain	Fits entire video, may show background
Fill	Stretches to fill exactly

Muted

On by default: the video plays without its own sound.

Turn Muted off and the clip’s sound plays with it — in the preview, during play-in-place, and in the rendered video
A Volume Adjustment layer above the video ducks its sound like any audio layer’s (Chapter 22)
The preview’s mute button and Disable sound silence it as well; neither ever un-mutes a muted video
A clip without an audio track simply stays silent
Toggle using the volume icon in toolbar

Loop

Off by default. When the clip runs out before the layer ends:

With Loop on, it starts over from the beginning of the file
With Loop off, it holds its last frame
Every pass after the first plays the whole file: a trim or content offset only moves where the first pass starts, and a trim end does not shorten the loop — the same as in the rendered video
Toggle using the repeat icon in toolbar

When Videos Play

A video never plays while you edit. Parking or scrubbing the playhead shows the frame for that moment, so the canvas always matches the timeline. Videos play in the preview, during play-in-place, and in the rendered video, each starting when its layer’s In Time is reached — there is no separate autoplay setting.

Track motion…

Opens the Motion Tracker for this layer: place point or region trackers on the footage, track them, and apply the result to another layer so it follows the motion. See Chapter 24.

Video Timing

Video elements have special timing properties that control playback synchronization.

In Time and Duration

Like all elements, videos have:

In Time: When the video element appears in the scene
Duration: How long the video element is visible

Start Time and End Time (Trim)

Trim which portion of the source video to use:

Start Time: Where to begin in the source video (seconds)
End Time: Where to stop in the source video (seconds)

Example: A 60-second source video trimmed to show only 10-30 seconds.

Content Offset

Shifts the video content against the element’s In Time:

contentOffset = 0: The video starts from its beginning (or its Start Time) when the element appears
contentOffset > 0: Skips into the footage — when the element appears, the video is already N seconds in
contentOffset < 0: Delays the video — it starts from its beginning N seconds after the element appears. While it waits the editor shows black, but what a rendered video shows in that gap is not defined. If the gap has to look a certain way, start the element later instead

Examples: Element appears at 2s with contentOffset 1s → at 2s the video is already 1 second in. Element appears at 2s with contentOffset −1s → the video waits from 2s to 3s and starts at 3s.

On the timeline, Shift-drag the content bar: to the left for a positive offset, to the right for a negative one (see Timeline).

Frame Freeze

If the video ends before the element duration expires:

The last frame is frozen (unless Loop is on, which starts the clip over)
The element remains visible with the final frame
Useful for reveal effects

When you select a video, a floating toolbar appears:

Button	Function
Replace video	Choose a different video
Cover (📐)	Set object-fit to cover
Contain (📦)	Set object-fit to contain
Fill (⬜)	Set object-fit to fill
Mute/Unmute (🔊/🔇)	Toggle audio
Loop (🔁)	Toggle looping
Timing (🕐)	Open timing dialog
Delete (🗑)	Remove the video
Lock (🔒)	Lock position and size

Video Playback Modes

Background Video

For full-screen video backgrounds:

Position: 0%, 0%
Size: 100%, 100%
Object Fit: Cover
Muted: Yes (recommended)
Loop: Yes (for continuous play)
Z-Index: Lowest value

Synchronized Video

For video synced with scene timing:

Set element In Time to desired start
Match element Duration to video length
Or use “Match video length” scene duration mode

Video with Audio

For videos where audio matters:

Muted: No
Consider scene duration “Match video length”
Test audio levels in preview
Balance with any scene sounds or voiceover

Scene Duration Modes

Video elements interact with scene duration settings:

Match Video Length

Scene duration automatically matches the video element:

Scene plays as long as the video
Useful for video-centric scenes
Set in Scene Settings → Duration tab

Fixed Duration

When scene has fixed duration:

Video may be cut short if scene ends first
Or freeze on last frame if video ends first
Plan video length accordingly

Video Performance

Optimization Tips

Factor	Recommendation
Resolution	Match output resolution (1080p typical)
Bitrate	5-10 Mbps for quality, lower for file size
Codec	H.264 for compatibility, H.265 for efficiency
Frame rate	30fps standard, 60fps for smooth motion

File Size Considerations

Large videos increase load times
Compress videos appropriately
Consider shorter clips when possible
Use external hosting for large files

Browser Compatibility

MP4 (H.264) has best compatibility
WebM is efficient but less supported
Test across target browsers

Video with Scene Sounds

Combine video with scene audio:

Muted Video + Scene Sound

Mute the video element
Add sounds via Scene Sounds (🔊)
Audio plays from scene, video from element
Useful when replacing video audio

Video Audio + Scene Sound

Both play simultaneously:

A video has no volume of its own: balance the two with a Volume Adjustment layer, which ducks everything below it in the layer stack — the video’s sound included (Chapter 22)
Consider which should be prominent
Test for audio conflicts

Common Video Use Cases

Product Demo

Object Fit: Contain
Muted: No (or with voiceover)
Loop: No

Ambient Background

Object Fit: Cover
Muted: Yes
Loop: Yes
Z-Index: 0 (back)

Testimonial Clip

Object Fit: Contain or Cover
Muted: No
Loop: No
Duration: Match video length

Animated Logo

Object Fit: Contain
Muted: Yes
Loop: No or Yes
Size: Small, positioned in corner

Troubleshooting

Video Won’t Play

Check video format compatibility (use MP4)
Verify URL is accessible
Check browser console for errors
Try re-uploading the video

Video Has No Sound

Check Muted setting in toolbar
Verify source video has audio
Check preview player mute toggle
Check Disable sound in Page Setup
Check for a Volume Adjustment layer above the video

Video Looks Pixelated

Source resolution may be too low
Don’t scale up small videos significantly
Use higher quality source file

Video Timing Is Off

Check In Time and Duration settings
Verify Content Offset value
Check Start/End Time trim settings
Use timeline for precise adjustment

Video Stutters in Preview

Large files may struggle in preview
Optimize video file size
Final export typically performs better
Close other browser tabs

Audio/Video Out of Sync

May occur with variable frame rate sources
Convert to constant frame rate
Re-encode with proper settings

Advanced: Content Offset Examples

A negative Content Offset delays the video; a positive one skips into it.

Delayed Start

Video element appears, but content waits:

Element In Time: 0s
Content Offset: -2s
Result: Element visible from 0s, video plays from its start at 2s

Synced with Animation

Text animates in, then video plays:

Text animation: 0-2s
Video In Time: 0s
Content Offset: -2s
Result: Text animates, video plays after

Staggered Videos

Multiple videos start at different times:

Video 1: In Time 0s, Offset 0s
Video 2: In Time 0s, Offset -1s
Video 3: In Time 0s, Offset -2s
Result: Videos appear together, play sequentially

Skipping a Slow Opening

Cut the first seconds of a clip without trimming the source:

Element In Time: 0s
Content Offset: 3s
Result: Element appears at 0s already 3 seconds into the video

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