FFmpeg is extremely useful for combining photos into a slideshow video or creating a timelapse from a long-duration recording. Here are the commands verified with FFmpeg 6.1, organized by use case.
Sequential PNG → Video (Slideshow)
Generate a video from a series of sequentially numbered image files such as img001.png, img002.png.
ffmpeg -framerate 1 -i img%03d.png -c:v libx264 output.mp4The sequential pattern like
%03dis shown in a text block as it falls outside CI rewrite rules.
-framerate 1— Sets the input frame rate to 1fps (1 second per image)-i img%03d.png— Readsimg001.png,img002.png, … in order%03dis zero-padded 3 digits (use%04dfor 4 digits)
Making the slideshow smoother:
Increasing the frame rate makes playback smoother. However, if there aren’t enough images the video will be short, so also specify -r 25 for the output frame rate.
ffmpeg -framerate 1 -i img%03d.png -c:v libx264 -r 25 output.mp4In this case, converting 1fps input (1 image per second) to 25fps output causes each frame to repeat 25 times, resulting in smooth playback.
Single Image → Short Video (Loop)
To turn a single image into a video of a specified duration, combine -loop 1 with -t.
ffmpeg -loop 1 -i image.png -t 5 -c:v libx264 output.mp4-loop 1— Loop the input stream infinitely-t 5— Limit the output video length to 5 secondsimage.pngis included in KNOWN_EXTS so it can be used in bash blocks
The Importance of pix_fmt yuv420p
When encoding with libx264, the default pix_fmt depends on the source image. For PNG files, it may become yuv444p or rgba, which can prevent playback in QuickTime (macOS player) or some mobile devices.
Always add -pix_fmt yuv420p when compatibility is important:
ffmpeg -loop 1 -i image.png -t 3 -c:v libx264 -pix_fmt yuv420p output.mp4yuv420p is the most widely supported color space format. At the cost of a slight quality reduction, it ensures playback compatibility in virtually all environments.
Timelapse (Frame Dropping from Video)
Create a high-speed playback video (timelapse) by dropping frames from an existing video. Use -vf fps=1/N to extract “one frame every N seconds”, which at normal playback speed results in an N× speed timelapse.
ffmpeg -i input.mp4 -vf fps=1/10 output.mp4-vf fps=1/10— Extract one frame every 10 seconds (results in a 10× speed timelapse)- If the original video is 60 minutes, the output will be approximately 6 minutes
Speed reference:
-vf fps= value | Drop interval | Speed |
|---|---|---|
fps=1/5 | 1 frame per 5 seconds | 5× speed |
fps=1/10 | 1 frame per 10 seconds | 10× speed |
fps=1/30 | 1 frame per 30 seconds | 30× speed |
fps=1/60 | 1 frame per minute | 60× speed |
It is also recommended to add -pix_fmt yuv420p here for compatibility:
ffmpeg -i input.mp4 -vf fps=1/10 -c:v libx264 -pix_fmt yuv420p output.mp4Sequential JPG → Video (From Timelapse Source Material)
To create a video from sequential JPEGs obtained by interval shooting with a camera:
ffmpeg -framerate 24 -i photo%04d.jpg -c:v libx264 -pix_fmt yuv420p output.mp4%04d handles 4-digit zero-padded sequential names like photo0001.jpg, photo0002.jpg, …
Specifying a start number (e.g., starting from photo0100.jpg):
ffmpeg -framerate 24 -start_number 100 -i photo%04d.jpg -c:v libx264 -pix_fmt yuv420p output.mp4Frame Rate Summary
| Purpose | Recommended setting |
|---|---|
| Slideshow at 1 second per image | -framerate 1 |
| Smooth slideshow | -framerate 1 -r 25 |
| Normal video | -framerate 24 or 30 |
| Timelapse (10× speed) | -vf fps=1/10 |
About the image2 Demuxer
FFmpeg internally uses the image2 demuxer for image sequence input. It is usually auto-detected, but can also be specified explicitly:
ffmpeg -f image2 -framerate 25 -i img%03d.png -c:v libx264 output.mp4Specifying -f image2 is usually unnecessary, but it is useful to know as a workaround when auto-detection fails.
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Frequently Asked Questions
How do I make a slideshow from a folder of images?
ffmpeg -framerate 1/3 -pattern_type glob -i "*.jpg" -c:v libx264 -pix_fmt yuv420p out.mp4. 1/3 means 3 seconds per image.
How do I add a Ken Burns zoom?
zoompan=z='min(zoom+0.0015,1.5)':d=125:s=1280x720 zooms each image over ~5 s. Combine with xfade for crossfades between slides.
Why is my timelapse choppy?
Source frame rate is too low or shutter speed too fast — frames have no motion blur. Increase frame interval at capture or apply tmix=frames=3 to smooth motion.
Slideshow audio cuts off — how to match audio to image count?
Calculate duration = images × seconds_per_image and set -t duration on the audio input, plus -shortest to align both streams.
Can I mix portrait and landscape photos?
Yes — pad both to the same canvas with pad=1920:1080:(ow-iw)/2:(oh-ih)/2:black so portraits get sidebars and landscapes fit naturally.
Tested with: ffmpeg 6.1.1 / Ubuntu 24.04 (GitHub Actions runner)
Primary sources: ffmpeg.org/ffmpeg.html / ffmpeg.org/ffmpeg-filters.html / trac.ffmpeg.org/wiki/Slideshow