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Motion, Video & Creative Techniques

Slow Motion

Footage recorded at a higher frame rate than its playback rate, so action appears to unfold more slowly.

Formula / rule Slowdown = capture fps / playback fps
Measured in ×

In depth

True slow motion is captured, not created: each frame is a genuine sample of the action, so movement stays smooth however far it is stretched. Software-generated slow motion interpolates invented frames and produces artefacts around fast edges. High capture rates need much more light, since each frame's exposure is correspondingly shorter.

Examples in practice

A 240 fps capture played at 24 fps slows a splash to a tenth of real speed with no invented frames.