animation glossary
Crash Zoom
A crash zoom is a rapid, punchy camera push into the subject that adds energy and emphasis, often paired with a blur burst.
What is Crash Zoom?
The crash zoom is the modern video promo's exclamation mark: a fast zoom-in that lands hard on a subject, product, or message. Done well, it feels like a physical punch — the frame accelerates, then overshoots slightly and settles, often with a motion-blur or zoom-blur burst at the peak. It is a versatile transition and emphasis device, and one of the most requested camera moves in short promos.
Crash Zoom in Remotion
Every shot below is a real, renderable Remotion composition. Open the detail page for the recipe notes, then copy the agent brief to implement the shot from tuned TSX.
Implement crash zoom
Copy the agent brief for the first shot to have an AI agent build it from the reference TSX.
Frequently asked questions
What is a crash zoom in video?+
A crash zoom is a fast, sudden zoom toward the subject used to emphasize a moment or transition between scenes. It typically accelerates into the subject and may overshoot before settling.
How do you make a crash zoom effect?+
In Remotion, scale the camera from 1 to about 1.4–1.8 with an ease-in that speeds up, then add a short overshoot back. Pair it with zoom blur at the peak for the punchy feel.
When should you use a crash zoom?+
Use it to punctuate a headline, a product reveal, or a beat change. Because it is aggressive, use it sparingly — once or twice in a promo is usually enough to keep the punch.