How to slow mo a video without it looking like a choppy mess

Ever recorded something that looked incredible in real life, only to hit the "slow motion" button in your editor and watch it turn into a stuttering, laggy nightmare? It’s frustrating. You wanted that cinematic, Matrix-style glide, but instead, you got a slideshow.

Honestly, most people think you can just drag a slider to the left and call it a day. It doesn't work like that. If you want to slow mo a video and actually have it look professional, you need to understand the relationship between frame rates and your shutter speed before you even hit record. Or, if you’re fixing a video after the fact, you need to know which AI interpolation tools actually work and which ones just create weird "ghosting" artifacts around your subject.

Let's get into the weeds of how this actually works.

Why your slow motion looks terrible (and how to fix it)

The biggest mistake is trying to slow down footage shot at 24 or 30 frames per second (fps). Think about it. Movies run at 24fps because that's what looks "natural" to the human eye. If you take one second of that footage and stretch it out to last two seconds, you now only have 12 frames per frame-second. Your brain sees those gaps. It feels jittery.

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To get that buttery smooth look, you need more data.

If you're using a modern iPhone or a Mirrorless camera like a Sony A7IV, you’ve probably seen settings for 60fps, 120fps, or even 240fps. This is your bread and butter. When you record at 60fps and play it back at 24fps, you’re slowing time down to 40% of its original speed without losing a single frame of "smoothness." It's math, basically.

But here is the kicker: The 180-degree shutter rule. Most beginners ignore this. If you are shooting at 60fps, your shutter speed should ideally be 1/120th of a second. If it’s too slow, the motion blur looks mushy. If it’s too fast, the video looks "staccato" and weirdly crisp, like that opening beach scene in Saving Private Ryan. That was a stylistic choice there, but for your vacation vlog? It usually looks like a mistake.

Using Premiere Pro, CapCut, and DaVinci Resolve

You’ve got the footage. Now what?

In Adobe Premiere Pro, you have three main options when you right-click your clip and hit "Duration/Speed."

1. Frame Sampling: This is the default. It’s trash. It just repeats frames. Avoid it.
2. Frame Blending: This tries to dissolve frames into each other. It's okay for minor slowdowns, but often looks blurry.
3. Optical Flow: This is the magic button. Premiere uses an algorithm to analyze the pixels and invent new frames between the existing ones.

Optical Flow is incredible until it isn't. If you have a complex background—like a chain-link fence or a forest—the AI gets confused. You’ll see "warping" around the edges of your subject. If that happens, you either have to speed the clip back up or use a dedicated tool like Topaz Video AI.

CapCut has actually become a powerhouse for this. If you're on your phone, they have a "Smooth Slow-Mo" toggle. It uses a cloud-based version of optical flow. It's surprisingly good for TikToks and Reels, often beating out desktop editors because the mobile-first algorithms are tuned for human faces and simple movements.

Then there’s DaVinci Resolve. If you’re serious, use the "Speed Warp" feature in the Inspector under Motion Estimation. It’s widely considered the gold standard in the industry. It requires a beefy GPU, though. If your laptop sounds like a jet engine taking off while rendering, you’re doing it right.

The AI Revolution: Making slow mo from nothing

What if you already shot the video at 30fps and you have to slow it down?

Five years ago, I would have told you that you're out of luck. Today? Not so much. Tools like Topaz Video AI and Runway have changed the game. These don't just "blend" frames; they use neural networks to understand what a hand or a ball looks like in motion.

I’ve seen Topaz take 24fps footage and turn it into 120fps "slow mo" that looks almost indistinguishable from native high-frame-rate footage. The downside is the cost and the time. It can take hours to render a thirty-second clip depending on your hardware.

Is it worth it? For a wedding video or a commercial, absolutely. For a quick Instagram story? Probably not. Just reshoot it if you can.

Real-world hardware limitations

Don't go cranking your camera to 240fps just because you can.

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There is a massive trade-off: Light. When you shoot at high frame rates, your shutter speed has to be very fast. A fast shutter means the sensor is open for a much shorter amount of time. If you’re indoors or in a dim room and you try to shoot 120fps, your video is going to be incredibly dark and grainy.

This is why professional skate videos or surf films always look so crisp—they’re shot in blistering direct sunlight. If you’re trying to slow mo a video of your cat in a dark living room at 240fps, it's going to look like it was filmed on a toaster from 2005. Noise (that digital grain) ruins the "smooth" illusion of slow motion.

Quick reference for speeds:

• 60fps: Great for "slow-ish" motion. People walking, light wind in hair.
• 120fps: The sweet spot for sports. Basketball dunks, dogs running.
• 240fps+: Extreme slow motion. Water droplets splashing, balloons popping.

Step-by-step workflow for the best results

First, check your project settings. If your final video is going to be 24fps, make sure your timeline is set to 24fps.

If you’re using Final Cut Pro, use "Rate Conform." Instead of changing the speed percentage, tell the software to "Automatic Speed." This takes every frame you shot and maps it 1:1 to your timeline. It is the cleanest way to ensure you aren't skipping data.

In CapCut, avoid the "Normal" speed slider if you want high quality. Use the "Curve" tool. This allows for "speed ramping"—where the video starts at normal speed, slows down for the impact, and then speeds back up. It’s a much more modern, professional look than just a constant slow crawl.

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Dealing with "Flicker"

One thing nobody mentions is artificial lighting. If you shoot high-speed video under cheap LED bulbs or certain fluorescent lights, you’ll see a weird strobing or flickering. This is because the lights are actually turning on and off 50 or 60 times a second (the power grid's frequency). Your fast shutter is catching that "off" state.

To fix this after the fact, you need a plugin like Digital Anarchy’s Flicker Free. It’s expensive. It’s better to just shoot near a window or use high-quality, flicker-free cinema lights.

Making the choice: Hardware vs. Software

Most people think they need a new camera to get better slow motion. Honestly? You probably just need better technique.

If you have an iPhone 13 or newer, you already have a world-class slow-motion camera in your pocket. The key is manual control. Use an app like Filmic Pro or the Blackmagic Cam App (which is free and incredible). These apps let you lock your shutter speed so the phone doesn't try to "help" you and ruin the motion blur.

Actionable Next Steps

If you want to master this today, don't just read about it. Grab your phone or camera and do this:

1. Find a moving subject—a fan, a pet, or even just someone walking.
2. Set your camera to 1080p at 120fps. Don't worry about 4K yet; 1080p is often more stable for high frame rates on mobile.
3. Ensure you have plenty of light. Go outside if you can.
4. In your editing software, do not just "slow it down." Create a 24fps timeline and drop the 120fps clip into it.
5. If you're on a computer, apply Optical Flow or Speed Warp just to see how the software handles the interpolation.

The biggest takeaway is that slow motion is a conscious choice you make before you record. You can't always "fix it in post," at least not without a lot of expensive AI help. Learn your frame rates, respect your light levels, and stop dragging that speed slider blindly.

Check your camera settings right now. Most phones default to 30fps or 60fps. Switch your "Slo-mo" setting to the highest possible frame rate, but remember that you'll need twice as much light as you think you do. If the preview looks dark, drop the frame rate back down. Your future self—and your viewers—will thank you for the lack of grain.