Documentation

How every part of Reelsmith works. New here? Start with Your first edit in 5 minutes.

Getting Started

• Welcome to ReelsmithReelsmith is a non-linear video editor that runs in your web browser and as a desktop app for macOS. You…
• Reelsmith in your browserThe browser edition is the full editor on a web page — nothing to install. Your videos are never uploaded:…
• The workspaceThe window is divided into four resizable panels. Drag the thin gaps between panels to resize them; Reelsmith…
• Your first edit in 5 minutes1. Import: press ⌘I (or drag files from a folder on your computer onto the Project panel). 2. Add to the…
• The Program monitorThe Program monitor shows the timeline's output at the playhead — exactly what will be exported. Transport -…
• Smooth playback: playback resolution and proxiesPlayback resolution In the Program monitor, set Full, 1/2 or 1/4. Lower settings render a smaller picture…

Media & Project Panel

• Importing mediaWays to import - File ▸ Import Media… or ⌘I. - The Import button in the Project panel. - Drag files from a…
• The Project panelThe Project panel holds everything in your project: sequences first, then media. Toolbar - Import, New title…
• Offline media and relinkingProjects store the location of each media file rather than copying it. If a file is moved, renamed or…
• The Source monitorThe Source monitor previews one media file so you can choose exactly which part to use. Mark the part you…

Editing in the Timeline

• Timeline basicsTracks Video tracks (V1, V2 …) are stacked: higher tracks appear on top in the picture. Audio tracks (A1, A2…
• Selecting, moving and trimming clipsSelect - Click a clip. Linked video and audio are selected together. - Shift- or ⌘-click to add or remove…
• Splitting clips (razor and Add Edit)Razor tool Press C and click a clip where you want to cut it. - A normal click cuts linked video and audio…
• Detaching audio from videoUnlink - Right-click the clip ▸ Unlink, or select it and press ⌘L. The video and audio become independent:…
• Deleting clips and closing gaps- Delete removes the selected clips and leaves a gap. - ⇧Delete (Ripple Delete) removes them and pulls later…
• The Tools stripThe vertical Tools strip is on the left of the timeline. Hover a tool to see its name and shortcut. -…
• Zooming and the zoom scroll barZoom scroll bar The bar at the bottom of the timeline shows which part of the sequence is visible. - Drag the…
• Tracks: lock, hide, mute, soloEach track header has buttons: - Eye (video): hide the track from the picture. - M (audio): mute the track.…
• Markers and sequence In/OutMarkers - M adds a marker at the playhead; press it on an existing marker to edit it. - ⇧M jumps to the next…
• Copy, paste, speed and other clip commandsCopy and paste ⌘C, ⌘X, ⌘V: pasted clips go to the playhead on their original tracks. Duplicate (Edit menu or…
• Freeze frames, reverse and speed rampsFreeze frame - Add Frame Hold (right-click a video clip, or Effect Controls ▸ Time): from the playhead to the…
• Lift, Extract, Q/W, Match Frame and track targetingTrack targeting Click a track's name badge (V1, A1 …) to target or untarget it. Filled badges are targeted.…

Titles & Graphics

• TitlesCreate a title - Press T (Type tool), click in the Program monitor where the text should be, and type. Press…
• Shapes and color mattesShapes Choose the Rectangle or Ellipse tool and drag in the Program monitor (hold Shift for a square or…

Effects & Transitions

• Effects vs. transitionsThe Effects panel has two kinds of items. Effects — change the whole clip Color looks (Black & White, Sepia,…
• Applying effectsWays to apply - Drag the effect onto a clip in the timeline. - Drag it onto the Effect Controls panel…
• Effect Controls and keyframesSelect one clip to see its properties. Sections - Motion: Position X/Y, Scale, Rotation, Scale to fill frame.…
• TransitionsAdd a transition - Drag it from Effects ▸ Video Transitions onto the left half of a clip (its start) or the…
• Audio transitions (crossfades)Constant Power and Constant Gain add matching fades at audio clip edges. Drag one onto an audio clip edge,…
• MasksA mask shows only part of a clip, letting the tracks below show through the rest. Create a mask - Effect…
• Tracking a maskTracking makes a mask follow something that moves, such as a face to blur or a product to highlight. 1. Put…
• Crop, Transform, Drop Shadow and other video effectsFind these in Effects ▸ Video Effects. Drag one onto a clip (or select the clip and press Apply); its…
• Green screen (Ultra Key)1. Put the background on V1 and the green-screen clip on V2 above it. 2. Drag Effects ▸ Video Effects ▸ Ultra…
• Remove an image background (logos)Make the background of a logo or graphic transparent so it sits on top of your video. 1. Right-click the…
• Fun & shape transitionsBesides the classic transitions, Effects ▸ Video Transitions has Flash, Blur Dissolve, Zoom In/Out, Spin,…
• Clip & text animations (In, Out, Loop)Animate how a clip, title or sticker appears (In), leaves (Out) and moves while on screen (Loop). - Drag an…
• Creative effects, filters, titles and stickersCreative Effects Camera Shake, Zoom Punch (beat), RGB Split, Glitch, VHS Retro, Film Grain, Dreamy Glow,…
• 3D, gradient, halftone and animated textSelect a title and open Effect Controls ▸ Text Effects: - Gradient fill (two colours and an angle). -…
• Remove a video background (white, black or green)Put the overlay video (for example a "subscribe" animation on a white background) on V2 above your main…
• Library: subscribe, like, bell and other graphicsThe Library tab (next to Project, Effects and Captions) has ready-made animated graphics: Subscribe Button,…
• Adjustment layersAn adjustment layer applies its effects to everything on the tracks below it — one place to grade or stylise…

Color

• Lumetri ColorOpen Effect Controls ▸ Lumetri Color with a clip selected. Basic Correction - Temperature: cooler (blue) to…
• Lumetri ScopesOpen the Lumetri Scopes tab (top-left panel). It analyses the Program monitor picture live. - Waveform…

Audio

• Working with audioLevels and fades Select an audio clip (or the video of a linked pair) and use Effect Controls ▸ Audio: Volume…
• Voice effects, sound effects and auto duckingVoice effects Drag from Effects ▸ Voice Effects onto an audio clip: Chipmunk, Deep Voice, Monster, Robot,…
• Audio Gain, Pan and the Audio Track MixerAudio Gain Select audio clips and press G (or Effect Controls ▸ Audio ▸ Audio Gain) to set the level in dB.…
• Audio effects: EQ, compressor, noise removalFind these in Effects ▸ Audio Effects and drag them onto an audio clip. Their controls appear in Effect…
• Recording a voice-over1. Put the playhead where the narration should start. 2. Click the mic button on an audio track header (or in…

Captions

• Captions and subtitlesAuto-generate captions from speech 1. Open the Captions tab (bottom-left panel) and click Auto-generate (or…

Sequences & Multicam

• Sequence settings and frame sizeA sequence has a frame size, frame rate and background color. Open Sequence ▸ Sequence Settings… (or the gear…
• Multiple sequencesA project can hold many sequences — for example different cuts or versions. - New Sequence: Project panel…
• Nested sequencesNesting puts several clips inside one clip, so you can treat them as a unit — for example to apply one effect…
• Multi-camera editingEdit footage of the same event filmed from several cameras by switching between angles. 1. Create the…

Exporting

• Exporting a videoPress ⌘M or click Export. The quick way Click Export in the top bar, then Export in the dialog. That's it:…
• Fast vs. real-time exportFast — frame-accurate (default) Each output frame is built from the exact source frames and encoded directly,…

Projects & Saving

• Saving and opening projects- Save ⌘S, Save As ⇧⌘S, Open ⌘O, New Project ⌘N. - Projects are saved as .rsproj files. They contain your…
• Autosave and recoveryReelsmith saves a recovery copy of your work a moment after every change. If the app quits unexpectedly, the…

Reference

• Keyboard shortcutsPlayback - Space play / pause - J K L shuttle reverse / stop / forward (press L again for faster) - ← → one…
• Troubleshooting and FAQI applied a transition but nothing happened Transitions only change the first or last second of a clip. Move…