---
title: "How to add a reverse video with Claude (tested prompt and ffmpeg command)"
description: "The clip runs backwards from its last frame to its first: the camera circles the other way, turning the bottle's label back into view, while the sound plays in reverse. Install one skill and ask Claude Code, or run the ffmpeg command we tested yourself."
url: https://www.recharm.com/effects/reverse-video
---

# How to add a reverse video with Claude

The clip runs backwards from its last frame to its first: the camera circles the other way, turning the bottle's label back into view, while the sound plays in reverse.

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 reverse video to input.mp4
   1 plays the sound backwards too, 0 keeps it playing forwards: 1
   ```

## 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 reverse video 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                                                  |
| --------------- | ------- | ------------------------------------------------------------- |
| `REVERSE_AUDIO` | `1`     | 1 plays the sound backwards too, 0 keeps it playing forwards. |

## Without the skill

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

```
Reverse input.mp4 (540x960, 30fps, 6 seconds): the output plays the whole clip backwards, so output frame 0 is the input's last frame and the output's last frame is the input's first frame (output time t shows input time 5.967 - t). Reverse the audio too, so the input's own sound plays backwards in step with the picture. Don't speed up, slow down, crop or add anything to the picture, and don't add any text. Use ffmpeg, keep the size, frame rate, 6-second length and audio, and save it as output.mp4.
```

## Run it without Claude

This is the exact command we tested. Save it as `reverse-video.sh` and run:

```
sh reverse-video.sh input.mp4 output.mp4
```

```
#!/bin/sh
# Reverse video: the whole clip plays backwards, picture and sound, from its last frame to its first.
# Usage: sh reverse-video.sh input.mp4 output.mp4
set -e
IN="$1"; OUT="$2"
REVERSE_AUDIO=1   # 1 plays the sound backwards too, 0 keeps it playing forwards

if [ "$REVERSE_AUDIO" = 1 ]; then AUDIO="areverse"; else AUDIO="anull"; fi

ffmpeg -y -v error -i "$IN" -filter_complex "[0:v]reverse[v]; [0:a]$AUDIO[a]" \
  -map "[v]" -map "[a]" -r 30 -c:v libx264 -crf 18 -pix_fmt yuv420p -c:a aac "$OUT"
```

## More motion and camera

- [2.5D parallax photo **2.5D parallax photo**](https://www.recharm.com/effects/2-5d-parallax-photo)
- [Back-and-forth loop **Back-and-forth loop**](https://www.recharm.com/effects/back-and-forth-loop)
- [Background blur **Background blur**](https://www.recharm.com/effects/background-blur)
- [Bullet time **Bullet time**](https://www.recharm.com/effects/bullet-time)
- [Cinemagraph **Cinemagraph**](https://www.recharm.com/effects/cinemagraph)

## 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)