Zooming in and out of a video is a great way to add visual interest and energy to an otherwise static scene. It can also be used to improve the clarity of an image, isolate a particular object or person in the frame, and create a sense of depth and perspective.
In this blog post, I’ll show you how to make a zoom effect in Filmora, a popular video editing software. There are two ways to achieve the zoom-in or zoom-out effect in this software. Although they look alike, they are used in different situations, which I will explain in more detail later.
Okay, fire up your computer, run Filmora, and let’s get started!
Note: In this article, I’m going to go for the zoom-in effect but the process is the same if you want to use the zoom-out effect.
Table of Contents
Method one: Using the ‘Pan & Zoom’ effect
Use this method if you want to zoom in or zoom out toward the end of the clip. The zooming effect would start at the beginning of the clip and stops and the end.
This is the simplest form of zooming in Filmora. Here’s how you can achieve it.
1. Drag and drop your clip to the video timeline.

2. Now, right-click on the clip and select Crop and Zoom or press Alt+C.

3. On the top left menu, click Pan & Zoom.

4. Then, select the zooming style. It’s either From far to near (zoom in) or From near to far (zoom out). Again, in this example, I’m going to choose ‘From far to near’, but feel free to pick something else.

5. After that, click the Start or End frame and adjust the size accordingly.

6. You can preview the result to see how it will look. Click Apply when everything looks alright.

And that’s basically how to add a zoom effect in Filmora. This method should be good enough for a lot of editing scenarios. But what if you want to zoom to a specific point and maintain that for the rest of the clip?
Well, check out the next method.
Method 2: Using ‘Keyframing’
Keyframing is arguably the most important and amazing new tool in Filmora. It enables you to add an effect at a specific point in the video clip, including the zoom-in and zoom-out effects.
With Keyframing, you can zoom at a rather specific area of the scene and maintain that for the rest of the clip or zoom even further if you want to. The basic of Keyframing is not complicated and anyone can quickly understand the feature in less than five minutes.
Here’s how you can use Keyframing to add a zoom effect.
1. Move the video playhead to the section where you want the zoom effect to start.

2. Then, click Keyframing from the menu on top of the timeline.

3. Now, move the playhead to the point where the zoom effect should stop and be maintained throughout the end of the clip.

4. Again, click Keyframing.

5. The third keyframe would be created automatically but we can deal with that later. Now, click the second Keyframing point.

6. Navigate to Video, click Basic, and make sure the Transform setting is enabled.

7. Now it’s time to add the zoom effect. In this instance, I want to zoom in to 150% so I set the Scale X and Y with the same value. However, you can unlink them so each can have a different value. Then, click OK.

8. Lastly, you can drag the last Keyframing point to any section of the clip where you want the zoom effect to stop.

The Keyframing method can be tricky to the untrained eyes but it’s actually straightforward. You can imagine each point as a new effect or setting for the clip and you can use it as creatively as you want.
Tips for Applying Zoom Effect in Filmora
- It’s better to work on high-resolution videos. By zooming in, you will degrade the resolution of the video.
- The quality of the zoom-in video depends on the chosen output format to some extent. For example, you have to choose a high-resolution output format to maintain the quality of the zoom-in video.
- Consider using the Ken Burns effect, a pan, and zoom across still images, to add visual interest to the scene.
- Remember to consider the dimensions of the video when applying a zoom effect in video editing software.
- Play around to find the best method and setting for your video.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you make a zoom-in effect?

First, import your video footage into Filmora and drag it to the timeline. Then, right-click on the video in the timeline and choose the Crop and Zoom option. Switch to the Pan and Zoom tab. Two frames will appear over your footage: a green frame marked Start and a red frame marked End.
There are five pan and zoom modes to choose from under the right corner. Click one to apply quickly. Drag the corner handles in the rectangle area to adjust the size and position of the crop area. Click Apply to save the setting and crop the video
How do I crop a clip in Filmora?
To crop a clip in Filmora, click the clip on the timeline and right-click to get the options. Now, you will see many options on the line. Hover your mouse on Crop and Zoom and select the Crop option.
On the clip you need to adjust and move the area that you want to crop. There are default dimensions that you can select from however the custom selection would allow you to crop it from wherever you want.
Does Filmora have a zoom effect?

Yes, Filmora has a zoom feature. You can zoom in on only a part of your video using Filmora’s editing software. To zoom in on videos, right-click the video need to zoom on the timeline and then select Crop and Zoom from the sub-menu and then Click on the Pan and Zoom tab to open the setting window.