Create video with 5 images with fadeIn/out effect in ffmpeg

Dip/fade to black

Scroll down for crossfade method.

fade example

Example where each image displayed for 5 seconds and each has a fade that lasts 1 second. Each image input has the same width, height, and sample aspect ratio. If they vary in size see example #3 below.

MP4 output

ffmpeg \
-loop 1 -t 5 -i input0.png \
-loop 1 -t 5 -i input1.png \
-loop 1 -t 5 -i input2.png \
-loop 1 -t 5 -i input3.png \
-loop 1 -t 5 -i input4.png \
-filter_complex \
"[0:v]fade=t=out:st=4:d=1[v0]; \
 [1:v]fade=t=in:st=0:d=1,fade=t=out:st=4:d=1[v1]; \
 [2:v]fade=t=in:st=0:d=1,fade=t=out:st=4:d=1[v2]; \
 [3:v]fade=t=in:st=0:d=1,fade=t=out:st=4:d=1[v3]; \
 [4:v]fade=t=in:st=0:d=1,fade=t=out:st=4:d=1[v4]; \
 [v0][v1][v2][v3][v4]concat=n=5:v=1:a=0,format=yuv420p[v]" -map "[v]" out.mp4

With audio

Same as above but with audio:

ffmpeg \
-loop 1 -t 5 -i input0.png \
-loop 1 -t 5 -i input1.png \
-loop 1 -t 5 -i input2.png \
-loop 1 -t 5 -i input3.png \
-loop 1 -t 5 -i input4.png \
-i audio.m4a \
-filter_complex \
"[0:v]fade=t=out:st=4:d=1[v0]; \
 [1:v]fade=t=in:st=0:d=1,fade=t=out:st=4:d=1[v1]; \
 [2:v]fade=t=in:st=0:d=1,fade=t=out:st=4:d=1[v2]; \
 [3:v]fade=t=in:st=0:d=1,fade=t=out:st=4:d=1[v3]; \
 [4:v]fade=t=in:st=0:d=1,fade=t=out:st=4:d=1[v4]; \
 [v0][v1][v2][v3][v4]concat=n=5:v=1:a=0,format=yuv420p[v]" -map "[v]" -map 5:a -shortest out.mp4

For input images with varying or arbitrary sizes

Like the first example, but with input images that vary in width x height. They will be padded to fit within a 1280x720 box:

ffmpeg \
-loop 1 -t 5 -i input0.png \
-loop 1 -t 5 -i input1.png \
-loop 1 -t 5 -i input2.png \
-loop 1 -t 5 -i input3.png \
-loop 1 -t 5 -i input4.png \
-filter_complex \
"[0:v]scale=1280:720:force_original_aspect_ratio=decrease,pad=1280:720:(ow-iw)/2:(oh-ih)/2,setsar=1,fade=t=out:st=4:d=1[v0]; \
 [1:v]scale=1280:720:force_original_aspect_ratio=decrease,pad=1280:720:(ow-iw)/2:(oh-ih)/2,setsar=1,fade=t=in:st=0:d=1,fade=t=out:st=4:d=1[v1]; \
 [2:v]scale=1280:720:force_original_aspect_ratio=decrease,pad=1280:720:(ow-iw)/2:(oh-ih)/2,setsar=1,fade=t=in:st=0:d=1,fade=t=out:st=4:d=1[v2]; \
 [3:v]scale=1280:720:force_original_aspect_ratio=decrease,pad=1280:720:(ow-iw)/2:(oh-ih)/2,setsar=1,fade=t=in:st=0:d=1,fade=t=out:st=4:d=1[v3]; \
 [4:v]scale=1280:720:force_original_aspect_ratio=decrease,pad=1280:720:(ow-iw)/2:(oh-ih)/2,setsar=1,fade=t=in:st=0:d=1,fade=t=out:st=4:d=1[v4]; \
 [v0][v1][v2][v3][v4]concat=n=5:v=1:a=0,format=yuv420p[v]" -map "[v]" out.mp4

See the examples in Resizing videos to fit into static sized player if you want to crop (fill the screen) instead of pad (letterbox/pillarbox), or if you want to prevent upscaling.

GIF output

Adds the filters from How do I convert a video to GIF using ffmpeg, with reasonable quality?

ffmpeg \
-framerate 10 -loop 1 -t 5 -i input0.png \
-framerate 10 -loop 1 -t 5 -i input1.png \
-framerate 10 -loop 1 -t 5 -i input2.png \
-framerate 10 -loop 1 -t 5 -i input3.png \
-framerate 10 -loop 1 -t 5 -i input4.png \
-filter_complex \
"[0:v]fade=t=out:st=4:d=1[v0]; \
 [1:v]fade=t=in:st=0:d=1,fade=t=out:st=4:d=1[v1]; \
 [2:v]fade=t=in:st=0:d=1,fade=t=out:st=4:d=1[v2]; \
 [3:v]fade=t=in:st=0:d=1,fade=t=out:st=4:d=1[v3]; \
 [4:v]fade=t=in:st=0:d=1,fade=t=out:st=4:d=1[v4]; \
 [v0][v1][v2][v3][v4]concat=n=5:v=1:a=0,split[v0][v1]; \
 [v0]palettegen[p];[v1][p]paletteuse[v]" -map "[v]" out.gif

Use the -loop output option to control the number of times the GIF loops. Default is infinite loop if this option is not used. A value of -1 is no loop.

Options and filters used:

  • -t to set duration in seconds of each input.

  • -loop 1 loops the image otherwise it would have a duration of 1 frame.

  • -framerate to set input image frame rate (default when undeclared is 25). Useful for making GIF.

  • scale with pad to fit the input images into a specific, uniform size (used in example #3).

  • fade to fade in and out. d is the duration of the fade. st is when it starts.

  • concat to concatenate (or "join") each image.

  • format to output a chroma subsampling scheme that is compatible with non-FFmpeg based players if outputting MP4 and encoding with libx264 (the default encoder for MP4 output if it is supported by your build).

  • split to make copies of a filter output. Needed by the palette* filters to do everything in one command.

  • palettegen and paletteuse for making nice looking GIF.


Crossfade

crossfade example

Example where each image displayed for 5 seconds and each has a crossfade that lasts 1 second. Each image input has the same width, height, and sample aspect ratio. If they vary in size then adapt example #3 above.

MP4 output

ffmpeg \
-loop 1 -t 5 -i 1.png \
-loop 1 -t 5 -i 2.png \
-loop 1 -t 5 -i 3.png \
-loop 1 -t 5 -i 4.png \
-loop 1 -t 5 -i 5.png \
-filter_complex \
"[1]format=yuva444p,fade=d=1:t=in:alpha=1,setpts=PTS-STARTPTS+4/TB[f0]; \
 [2]format=yuva444p,fade=d=1:t=in:alpha=1,setpts=PTS-STARTPTS+8/TB[f1]; \
 [3]format=yuva444p,fade=d=1:t=in:alpha=1,setpts=PTS-STARTPTS+12/TB[f2]; \
 [4]format=yuva444p,fade=d=1:t=in:alpha=1,setpts=PTS-STARTPTS+16/TB[f3]; \
 [0][f0]overlay[bg1];[bg1][f1]overlay[bg2];[bg2][f2]overlay[bg3]; \
 [bg3][f3]overlay,format=yuv420p[v]" -map "[v]" -movflags +faststart out.mp4

With audio

ffmpeg \
-loop 1 -t 5 -i 1.png \
-loop 1 -t 5 -i 2.png \
-loop 1 -t 5 -i 3.png \
-loop 1 -t 5 -i 4.png \
-loop 1 -t 5 -i 5.png \
-i music.mp3 \
-filter_complex \
"[1]format=yuva444p,fade=d=1:t=in:alpha=1,setpts=PTS-STARTPTS+4/TB[f0]; \
 [2]format=yuva444p,fade=d=1:t=in:alpha=1,setpts=PTS-STARTPTS+8/TB[f1]; \
 [3]format=yuva444p,fade=d=1:t=in:alpha=1,setpts=PTS-STARTPTS+12/TB[f2]; \
 [4]format=yuva444p,fade=d=1:t=in:alpha=1,setpts=PTS-STARTPTS+16/TB[f3]; \
 [0][f0]overlay[bg1];[bg1][f1]overlay[bg2];[bg2][f2]overlay[bg3]; \
 [bg3][f3]overlay,format=yuv420p[v]" -map "[v]" -map 5:a -shortest -movflags +faststart out.mp4

Crossfade between two videos with audio

Select 5 second segment from each input and add a 1 second crossfade:

ffmpeg -i input0.mp4 -i input1.mp4 -filter_complex \
"[0:v]trim=start=5:end=10,setpts=PTS-STARTPTS[v0];
 [1:v]trim=start=12:end=17,setpts=PTS-STARTPTS+4/TB,format=yuva444p,fade=st=4:d=1:t=in:alpha=1[v1];
 [v0][v1]overlay,format=yuv420p[v];
 [0:a]atrim=start=5:end=10,asetpts=PTS-STARTPTS[a0];
 [1:a]atrim=start=12:end=17,asetpts=PTS-STARTPTS[a1];
 [a0][a1]acrossfade=d=1[a]" \
-map "[v]" -map "[a]" output.mp4

GIF output

ffmpeg \
-framerate 10 -loop 1 -t 5 -i 1.png \
-framerate 10 -loop 1 -t 5 -i 2.png \
-framerate 10 -loop 1 -t 5 -i 3.png \
-framerate 10 -loop 1 -t 5 -i 4.png \
-framerate 10 -loop 1 -t 5 -i 5.png \
-filter_complex \
"[1]format=rgba,fade=d=1:t=in:alpha=1,setpts=PTS-STARTPTS+4/TB[f0]; \
 [2]format=rgba,fade=d=1:t=in:alpha=1,setpts=PTS-STARTPTS+8/TB[f1]; \
 [3]format=rgba,fade=d=1:t=in:alpha=1,setpts=PTS-STARTPTS+12/TB[f2]; \
 [4]format=rgba,fade=d=1:t=in:alpha=1,setpts=PTS-STARTPTS+16/TB[f3]; \
 [0][f0]overlay[bg1];[bg1][f1]overlay[bg2];[bg2][f2]overlay[bg3];[bg3][f3]overlay,split[v0][v1]; \
 [v0]palettegen[p];[v1][p]paletteuse[v]" -map "[v]" out.gif

Use the -loop output option to control the number of times the GIF loops. Default is infinite loop if this option is not used. A value of -1 is no loop.


I wrote a general bash script that takes in a path to a folder of images, and outputs a crossfade video with ffmpeg:

https://gist.github.com/anguyen8/d0630b6aef6c1cd79b9a1341e88a573e

The script essentially looks at the images in a folder and prints out a command that is similar to the answer by @LordNeckbeard above, and executes the command. This script helps when you have many images in a folder and don't want to manually type in a depressingly long command.