What a keyframe actually stores
A keyframe is a saved value for one property at one moment: scale 100% at 0:41, scale 180% at 0:42, for example. You never animate the frames in between. The editor calculates them, which is called interpolation. Two keyframes with different values produce motion; two with the same value produce a hold.
Filmora: select the clip, enable Transform (or another adjustable setting), move the playhead to the start, click the Keyframe icon, then move the playhead, change the value and add another keyframe. You delete one from the timeline by right-clicking its marker and choosing Delete Keyframe or Delete All Keyframes. [1]
CapCut's keyframe page describes the same pattern in its web editor: open the Basic tab, click the diamond keyframe icon next to a property at the starting frame, move the playhead and change the value, and CapCut adds the next keyframe automatically. [5] Descript works slightly differently: choosing Animation, then Custom, places a start and an end keyframe for you, and you set the properties on each. [6]
Interpolation and easing in plain terms
Interpolation decides the path and the speed between keyframes. Linear interpolation moves at constant speed, which is Descript's default curve. [6] Easing changes the speed along the way, so a move can accelerate out of the first keyframe or slow into the last one, which reads as more natural on screen.
Filmora lets you right-click a keyframe and choose a Keyframe Type: Linear, Curve, Continuous curve, Freeze, Ease in or Ease out. [2] Its Keyframe Graph Editor shows the animation as Bezier curves you can reshape on the timeline. [3] CapCut's page mentions a speed curve for acceleration and deceleration and suggests an ease-out, fast at the start and slow at the end. [5]
| Choice | What the motion looks like | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Linear | Constant speed; starts and stops abruptly | Slow continuous drifts, scrolling credits |
| Ease in | Starts slow and speeds up toward the next keyframe | Zooming out of a detail back to the full screen |
| Ease out | Starts fast and settles into the next keyframe | Zooming into a menu or button so the stop is gentle |
| Curve or Bezier | Speed follows a shaped curve you can edit | Moves that must feel hand-operated |
| Freeze or hold | Value stays put until the next keyframe | Pausing on a zoomed area while you explain it |
Worked example: a manual zoom on a screen recording
Say a 1080p screen recording shows a settings menu in the top-right corner at 0:42, and you talk about it until 0:47. You want to push in, hold, and pull back out. The timings below are a starting point to adjust by eye.
Resolution decides how far you can zoom cleanly. At 180% scale on a 1920 pixel wide source, the visible area is about 1,067 source pixels wide, which the export stretches back to 1,920, so text softens. If you record the screen at 3840 pixels wide and export at 1080p, a 200% zoom shows 1,920 source pixels, a one-to-one match with the export. Fast moves can also look jerky; Filmora offers keyframe-driven motion blur with Shutter Angle, Shutter Phase and Samples controls. [4]
- Keyframe 1 at 0:41.5: scale 100%, position centred. This is the last unzoomed frame.
- Keyframe 2 at 0:42.3: scale 180%, position moved so the menu sits in the centre of the frame. Set its type to Ease out so the zoom settles.
- Keyframe 3 at 0:47.0: same values as keyframe 2. This is the hold; without it the zoom would start drifting back immediately.
- Keyframe 4 at 0:47.8: scale 100%, position centred again, eased so the pull-back starts gently.
- Play it back at full speed. If the move feels rushed, widen the gap between keyframes 1 and 2 rather than adding more keyframes.
Properties you will keyframe most
| Property | Typical use | Documented in |
|---|---|---|
| Scale or size | Zooming into part of a screen recording | Filmora [1], CapCut [5], Descript [6] |
| Position | Panning to follow the cursor, reframing a shot | Filmora [1], CapCut [5], Descript [6] |
| Rotation | Tilting a logo or sticker in | Filmora [1], CapCut [5], Descript [6] |
| Opacity | Fading a title, lower third or watermark in and out | Filmora [1], CapCut [5], Descript [6] |
| Crop | Revealing a region of the frame | Descript [6] |
| Motion blur settings | Varying blur across a fast move | Filmora [4] |
Keyframes versus auto-zoom recorders
Auto-zoom recorders write the zoom for you. Screen Studio says it looks at what you did while recording, such as where you clicked, and zooms in on those moments; you can also drop a manual zoom onto its timeline. It is macOS only, at US$9 a month billed yearly or US$29 month to month on 30 October 2026. [8] Descript also has a Zoom and pan option, but its custom zoom is still two keyframes you place and time yourself. [7]
| Manual keyframes | Auto-zoom recorder | |
|---|---|---|
| Effort per zoom | Several keyframes and a playback check | Generated from your clicks |
| Control | Exact timing, scale, path and easing | Good defaults; you correct the misses |
| Where it works | Any footage: camera, slides, recordings | Recordings made in that app |
| Best for | A few deliberate zooms, non-screen footage | Long product demos with many clicks |
Mistakes that make keyframed motion look amateur
- Too many keyframes: each extra one is a chance for a wobble. Two to four per move is usually enough.
- No hold keyframe, so the image drifts while you are still talking about the zoomed area.
- Zooming past the source resolution, which blurs text; record at a higher resolution if you plan to zoom.
- Linear moves on short zooms, which start and stop with a jolt. Use an ease on the end that lands.
- Animating scale without position, so the area you care about slides out of frame as it grows.
Questions before you decide
What is a keyframe in video editing?
A keyframe is a saved value for one property, such as scale, position, rotation or opacity, at a specific time. The editor calculates the frames between two keyframes, so two keyframes with different values create movement.
What keyframe types does Filmora offer?
Filmora's Keyframe Path Curve guide lists Linear, Curve, Continuous curve, Freeze, Ease in and Ease out. You change the type by right-clicking a keyframe and choosing Keyframe Type.
Does CapCut support keyframes?
Yes. CapCut's keyframe page describes clicking the diamond keyframe icon beside a property in the Basic tab, moving the playhead and changing the value, at which point CapCut adds the next keyframe automatically.
Is an auto-zoom recorder better than keyframes?
For long screen demos with many clicks it saves time, because tools like Screen Studio generate zooms from where you clicked. Manual keyframes give exact control and work on any footage, not only recordings made in one app.
Sources & verification
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- Filmora guide: Animation Keyframing Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- Filmora guide: Keyframe Path Curve Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- Filmora guide: Keyframe Graph Editor Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- Filmora guide: Keyframe Motion Blur Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- CapCut: Keyframe animation Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- Descript Help: Animate visual layers Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- Descript Help: Custom zoom Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- Screen Studio homepage Accessed 30 Oct 2026
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