Frame rate: definition and examples

What is Frame rate?

Frame rate is the number of individual still images captured or displayed per second of video, measured in frames per second (fps). Common values include 24fps for a cinematic look and 30 or 60fps for smoother motion, with higher frame rates producing noticeably fluid playback on social feeds.

Common frame rates

Frame rate	Look	Typical use
24 fps	Cinematic, slight motion blur	Film and narrative brand video
30 fps	Standard, natural	Talking-head and most social video
60 fps	Smooth, crisp motion	Action, gameplay, sports
120 fps and up	Ultra-smooth	Footage captured for slow motion

When you'd use it

1When footage looks choppy or unnaturally smooth and you want to identify why.
2When planning to use slow motion in a clip and need to know what capture rate to shoot at.
3When mixing footage from different sources and want to confirm they match before editing.
4When a platform recommends a specific frame rate and you need to match it on export.
5When a talking-head video looks too cinematic or too broadcast-style for the intended tone.

Example

A skincare brand films application footage at 120fps on an iPhone, then drops it into a 30fps timeline. The serum spreading across skin plays back at quarter speed with smooth, editorial-quality motion. The rest of the video, including the talking-head segments, was shot at 30fps and cuts in without any mismatch.

Use cases

1Shooting at 60fps to allow a product moment to be slowed to half speed in the final edit.
2Exporting a finished short at 30fps to match the standard expected by a social platform.
3Matching source footage frame rate to the timeline settings before cutting a multi-clip sequence.

FAQ

Should I film at 24fps or 30fps for social video?

30fps is safer for social. Most platforms deliver at 30fps, and 24fps footage can stutter slightly after re-encoding. Use 24fps when the cinematic look is a deliberate creative choice and you can verify it holds through the platform's compression.