Even if you don't know what speed ramping is, you've definitely seen it in countless videos. All those moments when, I don't know, a snowboarder approaches the top of a halfpipe at full speed and then all of a sudden, boom, time slows way down so you can see their body flipping and twirling and corkscrewing gracefully in midair. Yeah, that's speed ramping, or time remapping, when you speed up and slow down a clip.

If you're a new editor, you might be wondering how to create such an effect in post, and while it's not incredibly difficult, there are a few things you should know before you give it a try. In this tutorial from Pond5, you'll learn the basics of speed ramping in Adobe Premiere Pro so you can pull it off successfully in your next project.

While the tutorial provides plenty of information on how to create a speed ramp in post, there are several things you should keep in mind before you ever get to that final stage of production, namely how to shoot footage to which you'll want to apply the effect.

  • Frame rate: If you want to create a good looking speed ramp, you'll need to make sure that your footage was shot at a high frame rate. You don't need to go crazy and rent a high-speed camera like a Phantom Flex, but you should capture your images at a higher frame rate than your baseline (most likely 24 fps). Most cameras can do 60 fps, 120 fps, or even 240 fps. The higher the frame rate, the slower you can slow down your footage in post.
  • Lighting: The faster your frame rate, the less light your sensor will be able to capture, meaning your images will be darker. So, be sure to provide plenty of lighting to make up for the loss of light.
  • Capture the action: Once you've optimized your footage for a speed ramp, you'll have to decide which part of your clip you want to apply the effect to. Do you want to capture the action? Do you want to speed up a drone shot until it reveals a beautiful vista? Do you want to stylize a long shot? There are so many possible applications for speed ramping, so take some time to figure out what works best for your project.

What are some other speed ramping tips for beginners? Let us know down in the comments.

Source: Pond5

Time Remappingadobe premiere prospeed ramping
Editing & Post-Production