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Editing Super-8 Films Faster with FFmpeg and Custom Scripts

Nov 2024

👉 Check out the code on GitHub

Super-8 footage usually comes digitized as one long 5–6 minute reel. When you are working through 3-4 reels of footage, hundreds of shots, this can be problematic when it comes to getting into an editing flow - endless scrubbing just to find a shot or swap a clip - not ideal when couples are waiting on a tight turnaround.

The Challenge

I didn't need a fancy solution - it just had to be fast, reliable, and organized.
I wanted each reel broken into individual shots, named cleanly, and ready to swap in and out of my edit.

The Workflow

Here’s the process I came up with:

Scene Detection in Premiere Pro - Premiere can detect cuts and generate a list of where each new shot begins.
Split Reels into Clips Automatically - I wrote a script that uses FFmpeg to cut each reel into separate clips — quickly, without re-encoding. The result: a folder full of neatly numbered clips (S01, S02, S03…), ready to import.
One-Click Shot Swapping in Premiere - Once the clips are inside Premiere, I use a set of custom buttons (built with ExtendScript/JSX Launcher) to:
- Cycle forward/back through shots
- Jump straight to a specific scene
- Mark which clips I’ve already used

It turns my timeline into something I can navigate like a sampler - test a new shot, swap it back, and naviagate footage without breaking my flow.

Why It Matters

Speed: No more scrubbing through 6-minute reels to find one shot.
Flexibility: Swapping footage is literally one click.
Organization: Everything’s neatly binned, named, and trackable.

👉 Check out the code on GitHub

Back to Showcase

👉 Check out the code on GitHub

Super-8 footage usually comes digitized as one long 5–6 minute reel. When you are working through 3-4 reels of footage, hundreds of shots, this can be problematic when it comes to getting into an editing flow - endless scrubbing just to find a shot or swap a clip - not ideal when couples are waiting on a tight turnaround.

The Challenge

I didn't need a fancy solution - it just had to be fast, reliable, and organized.
I wanted each reel broken into individual shots, named cleanly, and ready to swap in and out of my edit.

The Workflow

Here’s the process I came up with:

Scene Detection in Premiere Pro - Premiere can detect cuts and generate a list of where each new shot begins.
Split Reels into Clips Automatically - I wrote a script that uses FFmpeg to cut each reel into separate clips — quickly, without re-encoding. The result: a folder full of neatly numbered clips (S01, S02, S03…), ready to import.
One-Click Shot Swapping in Premiere - Once the clips are inside Premiere, I use a set of custom buttons (built with ExtendScript/JSX Launcher) to:
- Cycle forward/back through shots
- Jump straight to a specific scene
- Mark which clips I’ve already used

It turns my timeline into something I can navigate like a sampler - test a new shot, swap it back, and naviagate footage without breaking my flow.

Why It Matters

Speed: No more scrubbing through 6-minute reels to find one shot.
Flexibility: Swapping footage is literally one click.
Organization: Everything’s neatly binned, named, and trackable.

👉 Check out the code on GitHub

Editing Super-8 Films Faster with FFmpeg and Custom Scripts

The Challenge

I didn't need a fancy solution - it just had to be fast, reliable, and organized.
I wanted each reel broken into individual shots, named cleanly, and ready to swap in and out of my edit.

The Workflow

Here’s the process I came up with:

Scene Detection in Premiere Pro - Premiere can detect cuts and generate a list of where each new shot begins.

Split Reels into Clips Automatically - I wrote a script that uses FFmpeg to cut each reel into separate clips — quickly, without re-encoding. The result: a folder full of neatly numbered clips (`S01`, `S02`, `S03`…), ready to import.

One-Click Shot Swapping in Premiere - Once the clips are inside Premiere, I use a set of custom buttons (built with ExtendScript/JSX Launcher) to:

Cycle forward/back through shots

Jump straight to a specific scene

Mark which clips I’ve already used

It turns my timeline into something I can navigate like a sampler - test a new shot, swap it back, and naviagate footage without breaking my flow.

Why It Matters

Speed: No more scrubbing through 6-minute reels to find one shot.

Flexibility: Swapping footage is literally one click.

Organization: Everything’s neatly binned, named, and trackable.

The Challenge

I didn't need a fancy solution - it just had to be fast, reliable, and organized.
I wanted each reel broken into individual shots, named cleanly, and ready to swap in and out of my edit.

The Workflow

Here’s the process I came up with:

Scene Detection in Premiere Pro - Premiere can detect cuts and generate a list of where each new shot begins.

Split Reels into Clips Automatically - I wrote a script that uses FFmpeg to cut each reel into separate clips — quickly, without re-encoding. The result: a folder full of neatly numbered clips (`S01`, `S02`, `S03`…), ready to import.

One-Click Shot Swapping in Premiere - Once the clips are inside Premiere, I use a set of custom buttons (built with ExtendScript/JSX Launcher) to:

Cycle forward/back through shots

Jump straight to a specific scene

Mark which clips I’ve already used

It turns my timeline into something I can navigate like a sampler - test a new shot, swap it back, and naviagate footage without breaking my flow.

Why It Matters

Speed: No more scrubbing through 6-minute reels to find one shot.

Flexibility: Swapping footage is literally one click.

Organization: Everything’s neatly binned, named, and trackable.

LinkedIn

LinkedIn

Editing Super-8 Films Faster with FFmpeg and Custom Scripts

The Challenge

I didn't need a fancy solution - it just had to be fast, reliable, and organized.I wanted each reel broken into individual shots, named cleanly, and ready to swap in and out of my edit.

The Workflow

Here’s the process I came up with:

Scene Detection in Premiere Pro - Premiere can detect cuts and generate a list of where each new shot begins.

Split Reels into Clips Automatically - I wrote a script that uses FFmpeg to cut each reel into separate clips — quickly, without re-encoding. The result: a folder full of neatly numbered clips (S01, S02, S03…), ready to import.

One-Click Shot Swapping in Premiere - Once the clips are inside Premiere, I use a set of custom buttons (built with ExtendScript/JSX Launcher) to:

Cycle forward/back through shots

Jump straight to a specific scene

Mark which clips I’ve already used

It turns my timeline into something I can navigate like a sampler - test a new shot, swap it back, and naviagate footage without breaking my flow.

Why It Matters

Speed: No more scrubbing through 6-minute reels to find one shot.

Flexibility: Swapping footage is literally one click.

Organization: Everything’s neatly binned, named, and trackable.

The Challenge

I didn't need a fancy solution - it just had to be fast, reliable, and organized.I wanted each reel broken into individual shots, named cleanly, and ready to swap in and out of my edit.

The Workflow

Here’s the process I came up with:

Scene Detection in Premiere Pro - Premiere can detect cuts and generate a list of where each new shot begins.

Split Reels into Clips Automatically - I wrote a script that uses FFmpeg to cut each reel into separate clips — quickly, without re-encoding. The result: a folder full of neatly numbered clips (S01, S02, S03…), ready to import.

One-Click Shot Swapping in Premiere - Once the clips are inside Premiere, I use a set of custom buttons (built with ExtendScript/JSX Launcher) to:

Cycle forward/back through shots

Jump straight to a specific scene

Mark which clips I’ve already used

It turns my timeline into something I can navigate like a sampler - test a new shot, swap it back, and naviagate footage without breaking my flow.

Why It Matters

Speed: No more scrubbing through 6-minute reels to find one shot.

Flexibility: Swapping footage is literally one click.

Organization: Everything’s neatly binned, named, and trackable.

I didn't need a fancy solution - it just had to be fast, reliable, and organized.
I wanted each reel broken into individual shots, named cleanly, and ready to swap in and out of my edit.

Split Reels into Clips Automatically - I wrote a script that uses FFmpeg to cut each reel into separate clips — quickly, without re-encoding. The result: a folder full of neatly numbered clips (`S01`, `S02`, `S03`…), ready to import.

I didn't need a fancy solution - it just had to be fast, reliable, and organized.
I wanted each reel broken into individual shots, named cleanly, and ready to swap in and out of my edit.

Split Reels into Clips Automatically - I wrote a script that uses FFmpeg to cut each reel into separate clips — quickly, without re-encoding. The result: a folder full of neatly numbered clips (`S01`, `S02`, `S03`…), ready to import.