Play a Video Backwards What You Need to Know

Have you ever wanted time to run backwards? In a video sense, we mean! Sometimes you want your video or audio to play back in reverse for that perfect dramatic or playful moment. It’s really, really easy in VEGAS Pro. 

We'll follow these steps:

Step 1: Import video

Step 2: Add Video to the Timeline

Step 3: Reverse the Video

Step 4: Save the Reversed Video

Read on to find out just how easy it is!

REVERSING VIDEO IN VEGAS PRO

REVERSING VIDEO IN VEGAS PRO AND VEGAS MOVIE STUDIO
REVERSING VIDEO IN VEGAS PRO AND VEGAS MOVIE STUDIO

Step 1: Import video

✓ In VEGAS Pro, under the File menu, select Import>Media. The Import Media window opens. Navigate to the folder which contains your video.  Select the video clip.  Click Open. The video now appears in the Project Media window.

Step 2: Add the Video to the Timeline

Step 2: Add the Video to the Timeline

✓ Drag your file from the Project Media window to the timeline.

Step 3: Reverse the Video

Step 3: Reverse the Video

✓ Select both the video event and associated audio event. Right-click the video event. Choose Reverse.

A small arrow icon appears on the left edge of the video event, pointing to the left. This indicates that the video in the event is reversed.  

The event will now play in reverse, and will behave on the timeline as though it is natively reversed. That is, you can scrub through the event and it will display the frames in reverse order, and if you extend or retract either end of the event on the timeline, the frames will also be in reverse order.

Also, when you reverse a video event, a new subclip appears in the Project Media window. The new clip’s file name will be the same as the original clip, but with the addition of “- subclip X (reversed),” where X is the number of the subclip. You can add this new subclip to the timeline at any point as an automatically-reversed version of the original clip.

If you did not select both the video event and the audio event when you reversed the event, the audio event will not be reversed, and there will be no arrow icon. If you want to reverse it, you can now right-click the audio event and choose Reverse. An arrow icon on the audio event confirms the reversal.  However, if it suits your project to reverse either the video or the audio and not the other, you’re always free to reverse only one.

If you want to set the event back to normal playback, right-click on the event and uncheck Reverse. The reversed subclip will remain the Project Media pool, so you can still drag it to the timeline at any time.

Step 3: Reverse the Video
Step 3: Reverse the Video

As we said, when you reverse the video in an event, VEGAS Pro creates a subclip which appears in the Project Media window, which you can use as a timeline event as many times as you want. But if you want to make a permanent copy of the reversed video, to save processing power or to use in another project, you can render a video to create a separate video file.

Step 4: Save the Reversed Video

✓ Double-click the event to create a loop region. 

✓ In VEGAS Pro, click the Render As button in the toolbar. The Render As window appears.

✓ Choose your preferred video format from the Formats list, and then choose the template which matches your video properties from the Templates list.

✓ Click Browse, then navigate to the folder where you want to save the file.  Designate a file name. Click Save. You are then returned to the Render As window.

✓ Click Render. VEGAS Pro renders the video and you now have a permanent copy of the video in reverse.

Reversing video and audio events in VEGAS Pro is quick and easy - try it yourself!

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VEGAS Pro Suite 22
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Available until December 8, 2024
Available until December 8, 2024
Available until December 8, 2024
  • The offer price is valid for the first 12 months after purchase. From the 13th month, the regular retail price (RRP) applies again.

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