---
title: "How to add a punch-in zoom with Claude (tested prompt and ffmpeg command)"
description: "The shot snaps 25% closer on the first word, holds for a second, then cuts back wide. Install one skill and ask Claude Code, or run the ffmpeg command we tested yourself."
url: https://www.recharm.com/effects/punch-in-zoom
---

# How to add a punch-in zoom with Claude

The shot snaps 25% closer on the first word, holds for a second, then cuts back wide.

Made by the command on this page, from our own test clip.

## Get this effect

1. ### Switch to Code in your [Claude Desktop App](https://claude.com/download)

2. ### Install the skill (once)

   ```
   Install the Recharm video effects skill: download https://recharm-growth-staging.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/website/downloads/recharm-video-effects.zip and unzip it into ~/.claude/skills
   ```

3. ### Ask for the effect

   ```
   Add a punch-in zoom to input.mp4
   How far to punch in: 1.25
   Seconds to reach full zoom: 0.15
   ```

## Several videos, several effects, one ask

Put your clips in the folder, mention them with @, and ask for everything at once. Claude runs one tested script after another on each clip, then joins them.

Add a punch-in zoom to **@clip1.mp4**, put a sale badge on **@clip2.mp4**, give **@clip3.mp4** a VHS look, then join all three with crossfades.

## Settings you can change

Ask Claude to change any of these, or edit them at the top of the command.

| Setting | Default | What it does                                       |
| ------- | ------- | -------------------------------------------------- |
| `ZOOM`  | `1.25`  | How far to punch in. 1.25 is 25% closer.           |
| `SNAP`  | `0.15`  | Seconds to reach full zoom. 0 makes it a hard cut. |
| `HOLD`  | `1.0`   | When it cuts back to the full frame.               |

## In other editors

From each editor’s own help pages, in our words. We haven’t run these ourselves.

Closest built-in: **Zoom effects** · desktop

1. Place the playhead where the zoom should start.
2. Open Effects, search Zoom, and pick Optical Zoom or Zoom Lens.
3. Drag the effect onto the clip.
4. Adjust the effect's strength and speed.

Page gives zoom effects with adjustable strength and speed, not a fixed 25% snap, hold and cut back wide.

Source: [How to Zoom in on Video: A Step-by-Step Guide](https://www.capcut.com/resource/how-to-zoom-in-on-video) (CapCut), checked October 22, 2026.

## Without the skill

Don’t want to install the skill? Paste this prompt into Claude Code and Claude writes the command itself.

```
In input.mp4, add a punch-in zoom at the start: zoom in to 1.25x over the first 0.15 seconds, hold it until 1 second, then cut back to the full frame. The zoom must stay centered: crop the same amount from all four sides, so the middle of the frame doesn't move. Keep the size, frame rate and audio the same. Use ffmpeg and save it as output.mp4.
```

Watch the frames during the zoom itself. Claude's first versions drifted off-center there, and only the in-between frames showed it. The prompt above now asks for an even crop on all four sides; if yours still drifts, ask Claude to check the crop stays centered.

## Run it without Claude

This is the exact command we tested. Save it as `punch-in-zoom.sh` and run:

```
sh punch-in-zoom.sh input.mp4 output.mp4
```

```
#!/bin/sh
# Punch-in zoom: snap 25% closer in the first 0.15s, hold, then cut back to the full frame at 1s.
# Usage: sh punch-in-zoom.sh input.mp4 output.mp4
set -e
IN="$1"; OUT="$2"
ZOOM=1.25   # how far to punch in (1.25 = 25% closer)
SNAP=0.15   # seconds to reach full zoom
HOLD=1.0    # second at which it cuts back to the full frame

SIZE=$(ffprobe -v error -select_streams v:0 -show_entries stream=width,height -of csv=s=x:p=0 "$IN")
FPS=$(ffprobe -v error -select_streams v:0 -show_entries stream=r_frame_rate -of csv=p=0 "$IN")
ffmpeg -y -i "$IN" -vf "zoompan=z='if(lt(it,$SNAP),1+($ZOOM-1)*it/$SNAP,if(lt(it,$HOLD),$ZOOM,1))':d=1:x='iw/2-iw/zoom/2':y='ih/2-ih/zoom/2':s=$SIZE:fps=$FPS" \
  -c:v libx264 -crf 18 -pix_fmt yuv420p -c:a copy "$OUT"
```

## More hook openers

- [Blur-to-focus reveal **Blur-to-focus reveal**](https://www.recharm.com/effects/blur-to-focus-reveal)
- [Breaking news banner **Breaking news banner**](https://www.recharm.com/effects/breaking-news-banner)
- [Camera shake **Camera shake**](https://www.recharm.com/effects/camera-shake)
- [Color reveal **Color reveal**](https://www.recharm.com/effects/color-reveal)
- [Countdown intro **Countdown intro**](https://www.recharm.com/effects/countdown-intro)

## Find 3x _winning ads_

Recharm cuts your ad footage into tagged, searchable clips: hooks, testimonials, product shots. Find the shots that win, add the effect with Claude, and ship 3x more ad edits.

[Start 14-day free trial](https://www.recharm.com/get-started)