See the whole sequence
Evenly spaced frames expose missing context, repetitive shots and a payoff that arrives too late.
Find the story.
Frame by frame.
Turn a video into a visual map before you start editing. Extract timestamped stills, build a contact sheet and carry a usable shot list into your next cut.
Opening · 00:00
Context · 00:08
Evidence · 00:16
Payoff · 00:24
A smaller timeline.
A clearer decision.
Make an edit brief
Export timestamps with your own shot notes. Share decisions without asking another editor to scrub the entire source.
Keep footage local
The tool reads your file through your browser. It does not upload video to Super or an inference service.
Your footage. Your visual map.
Choose a browser-playable video, select 4–24 evenly spaced frames and build your sheet. Frame timestamps are approximate browser seeks, not certified frame-accurate edit points.
Load a video or try the demo. Nothing is uploaded.
Export a shorter, smaller video with FFmpeg
Single-thread ffmpeg.wasm runs on your device. Its engine downloads only when you request an export (about 31 MB). The output is a WebM/VP8 video with Vorbis audio when the source has sound. Processing can be slower than playback.
Load a video above before exporting.
Compatibility: MP4/H.264 is a practical starting point; codec support varies by browser. HEVC, ProRes and unusual containers may require conversion first. Large sources can strain device memory. If extraction fails, try a shorter lower-resolution copy. The demo records an original animated canvas with MediaRecorder when available.
Plan the cut before
you polish the pixels.
A contact sheet is a diagnostic aid, not a complete edit. It samples time evenly and can miss a short action, quiet transition or important spoken sentence. Watch and listen to the full source before making decisions.
Write one viewer promise
Define what a viewer should know or be able to do after watching. “Understand three ways to stabilize handheld footage” is actionable; “make a video about cameras” is too broad. Use the promise to decide which clips belong.
Check the opening against the payoff
Look at the first and last extracted frames. Does the opening establish the subject? Does the end deliver the promised result? If a frame is ambiguous, use sound or a short caption to supply context rather than assuming the image explains itself.
Mark evidence, not just attractive shots
Add notes to the sampled frames: problem, demonstration, result or transition. For a tutorial, show the actual control or action that produces the result. For a product film, include scale and use rather than only beauty shots.
Repurpose around one complete idea
A vertical cut needs a standalone beginning and ending. Do not simply crop a random minute. Identify the question, preserve the evidence, remove references that require the original video and inspect captions and subjects after reframing.
Export a brief that another person can use
Download the sheet and CSV together. The CSV includes sample times and editable notes; the PNG gives quick visual context. These timestamps are starting points for inspection in an editor, not automatic scene detection or exact edit decision lists.
Choose what your edit needs.
A clear tutorial
Capture the before state, the relevant control, the action and the result. Keep every visual step legible at the intended viewing size.
A short social cut
Keep one promise and one payoff. Preview the crop on a phone, preserve meaningful context and avoid captions beneath player controls.
A production handoff
Record what changes, why it changes and where to inspect the source. Pair timestamps with notes rather than relying on thumbnails alone.
Questions worth answering.
Can I export individual frames?
Yes. Every extracted frame has its own PNG download. The contact sheet combines the same frames in a grid with timestamps.
Does this use AI or detect scene cuts?
No. Sampling is evenly spaced across the video duration. No model evaluates footage, invents scene descriptions or uploads your video. Write your own notes; automated scene detection would be a different tool.
Can this replace FFmpeg or a full editor?
No. The frame tool uses browser video decoding and Canvas. The separate trim exporter runs real single-thread ffmpeg.wasm locally; it is useful for short resized WebM clips. A desktop editor or command-line FFmpeg remains better suited to large files, complex edits and batch processing.
Why might a selected frame differ slightly from my editor?
Browser seeking and decoder behavior can differ from frame-index extraction. Inspect the source in your editor before setting an exact in or out point.
“What changes between the opening and the final frame?”
Example questions to ask during your own review.
Built on readable foundations.
Written October 5, 2026. This guide explains the implemented browser workflow. It makes no claims about tool rankings, customer testing or performance benchmarks.
Browser video and image export
MDN: HTMLVideoElement documents the video API. MDN: Canvas.toBlob explains how Canvas exports an image Blob.
For heavier processing
ffmpeg.wasm installation explains its browser-only worker requirements. FFmpeg documentation covers command-line conversion and processing.