Video manipulation

You can manipulate a video buffer by rendering a <Video> onto a <canvas> element using the drawImage() API and keeping it in sync using the requestVideoFrameCallback() API.

note

This API currently only works in Chrome.

Basic example

In this example, a Video is rendered and made invisible. Then it is rendered onto a Canvas and a grayscale filter is applied.

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tsx
export const VideoOnCanvas: React.FC = () => {
  const video = useRef<HTMLVideoElement>(null);
  const canvas = useRef<HTMLCanvasElement>(null);
  const { width, height } = useVideoConfig();
 
  // Process a frame
  const onVideoFrame = useCallback(() => {
    if (!canvas.current || !video.current) {
      return;
    }
    const context = canvas.current.getContext("2d");
 
    if (!context) {
      return;
    }
 
    context.filter = "grayscale(100%)";
    context.drawImage(video.current, 0, 0, width, height);
  }, [height, width]);
 
  // Synchronize the video with the canvas
  useEffect(() => {
    const { current } = video;
    if (!current?.requestVideoFrameCallback) {
      return;
    }
 
    let handle = 0;
    const callback = () => {
      onVideoFrame();
      handle = current.requestVideoFrameCallback(callback);
    };
 
    callback();
 
    return () => {
      current.cancelVideoFrameCallback(handle);
    };
  }, [onVideoFrame]);
 
  return (
    <AbsoluteFill>
      <AbsoluteFill>
        <Video
          ref={video}
          // Hide the original video tag
          style={{ opacity: 0 }}
          startFrom={300}
          src="http://commondatastorage.googleapis.com/gtv-videos-bucket/sample/BigBuckBunny.mp4"
        />
      </AbsoluteFill>
      <AbsoluteFill>
        <canvas ref={canvas} width={width} height={height} />
      </AbsoluteFill>
    </AbsoluteFill>
  );
};

tsx
export const VideoOnCanvas: React.FC = () => {
  const video = useRef<HTMLVideoElement>(null);
  const canvas = useRef<HTMLCanvasElement>(null);
  const { width, height } = useVideoConfig();
 
  // Process a frame
  const onVideoFrame = useCallback(() => {
    if (!canvas.current || !video.current) {
      return;
    }
    const context = canvas.current.getContext("2d");
 
    if (!context) {
      return;
    }
 
    context.filter = "grayscale(100%)";
    context.drawImage(video.current, 0, 0, width, height);
  }, [height, width]);
 
  // Synchronize the video with the canvas
  useEffect(() => {
    const { current } = video;
    if (!current?.requestVideoFrameCallback) {
      return;
    }
 
    let handle = 0;
    const callback = () => {
      onVideoFrame();
      handle = current.requestVideoFrameCallback(callback);
    };
 
    callback();
 
    return () => {
      current.cancelVideoFrameCallback(handle);
    };
  }, [onVideoFrame]);
 
  return (
    <AbsoluteFill>
      <AbsoluteFill>
        <Video
          ref={video}
          // Hide the original video tag
          style={{ opacity: 0 }}
          startFrom={300}
          src="http://commondatastorage.googleapis.com/gtv-videos-bucket/sample/BigBuckBunny.mp4"
        />
      </AbsoluteFill>
      <AbsoluteFill>
        <canvas ref={canvas} width={width} height={height} />
      </AbsoluteFill>
    </AbsoluteFill>
  );
};

Greenscreen example

In this example, we loop over each pixel in the image buffer and if it's green, we transparentize it. Drag the slider below to turn the video transparent.

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Slide to adjust transparency:

tsx
export const Greenscreen: React.FC<{
  opacity: number;
}> = ({ opacity }) => {
  const video = useRef<HTMLVideoElement>(null);
  const canvas = useRef<HTMLCanvasElement>(null);
  const { width, height } = useVideoConfig();
 
  // Process a frame
  const onVideoFrame = useCallback(
    (opacity: number) => {
      if (!canvas.current || !video.current) {
        return;
      }
      const context = canvas.current.getContext("2d");
 
      if (!context) {
        return;
      }
 
      context.drawImage(video.current, 0, 0, width, height);
      const imageFrame = context.getImageData(0, 0, width, height);
      const { length } = imageFrame.data;
 
      // If the pixel is very green, reduce the alpha channel
      for (let i = 0; i < length; i += 4) {
        const red = imageFrame.data[i + 0];
        const green = imageFrame.data[i + 1];
        const blue = imageFrame.data[i + 2];
        if (green > 100 && red < 100 && blue < 100) {
          imageFrame.data[i + 3] = opacity * 255;
        }
      }
      context.putImageData(imageFrame, 0, 0);
    },
    [height, width]
  );
 
  useEffect(() => {
    const { current } = video;
    if (!current || !current.requestVideoFrameCallback) {
      return;
    }
    let handle = 0;
    const callback = () => {
      onVideoFrame(opacity);
      handle = current.requestVideoFrameCallback(callback);
    };
 
    callback();
 
    return () => {
      current.cancelVideoFrameCallback(handle);
    };
  }, [onVideoFrame, opacity]);
 
  return (
    <AbsoluteFill>
      <AbsoluteFill>
        <Video
          ref={video}
          style={{ opacity: 0 }}
          startFrom={300}
          // If we access the data of a remote video, we must add this prop, and the remote video must have CORS enabled
          crossOrigin="anonymous"
          src="https://remotion-assets.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/just-do-it.mp4"
        />
      </AbsoluteFill>
      <AbsoluteFill>
        <canvas ref={canvas} width={width} height={height} />
      </AbsoluteFill>
    </AbsoluteFill>
  );
};

tsx
export const Greenscreen: React.FC<{
  opacity: number;
}> = ({ opacity }) => {
  const video = useRef<HTMLVideoElement>(null);
  const canvas = useRef<HTMLCanvasElement>(null);
  const { width, height } = useVideoConfig();
 
  // Process a frame
  const onVideoFrame = useCallback(
    (opacity: number) => {
      if (!canvas.current || !video.current) {
        return;
      }
      const context = canvas.current.getContext("2d");
 
      if (!context) {
        return;
      }
 
      context.drawImage(video.current, 0, 0, width, height);
      const imageFrame = context.getImageData(0, 0, width, height);
      const { length } = imageFrame.data;
 
      // If the pixel is very green, reduce the alpha channel
      for (let i = 0; i < length; i += 4) {
        const red = imageFrame.data[i + 0];
        const green = imageFrame.data[i + 1];
        const blue = imageFrame.data[i + 2];
        if (green > 100 && red < 100 && blue < 100) {
          imageFrame.data[i + 3] = opacity * 255;
        }
      }
      context.putImageData(imageFrame, 0, 0);
    },
    [height, width]
  );
 
  useEffect(() => {
    const { current } = video;
    if (!current || !current.requestVideoFrameCallback) {
      return;
    }
    let handle = 0;
    const callback = () => {
      onVideoFrame(opacity);
      handle = current.requestVideoFrameCallback(callback);
    };
 
    callback();
 
    return () => {
      current.cancelVideoFrameCallback(handle);
    };
  }, [onVideoFrame, opacity]);
 
  return (
    <AbsoluteFill>
      <AbsoluteFill>
        <Video
          ref={video}
          style={{ opacity: 0 }}
          startFrom={300}
          // If we access the data of a remote video, we must add this prop, and the remote video must have CORS enabled
          crossOrigin="anonymous"
          src="https://remotion-assets.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/just-do-it.mp4"
        />
      </AbsoluteFill>
      <AbsoluteFill>
        <canvas ref={canvas} width={width} height={height} />
      </AbsoluteFill>
    </AbsoluteFill>
  );
};

TypeScript issues

In our experience, the types for requestVideoFrameCallback and cancelVideoFrameCallback are missing or wrong by default. Install the newest version for @types/web or add a // @ts-expect-error comment to suppress the errors.

Basic example​

Greenscreen example​

TypeScript issues​

Basic example

Greenscreen example

TypeScript issues