How-to guide 03

How to create a product reveal video with keyframe animation.

A still mockup is clean. An animated one is unforgettable. Record camera moves across your scene, layer keyframes with easing, and export a cinematic product reveal video — all inside Protato, no video editor needed.

6 stepsiPhone & Mac

What you'll build

A short product reveal animation — the camera orbits around a device (or multi-device scene) with smooth motion, synced to a timeline, exported as a video file.

What you'll use

Animation mode toggle, timeline panel, keyframe (Add Block) button, play/pause preview, camera orbit, and video export.

Animations are available on both iPhone and Mac. The Mac timeline gives you more screen space, but the iPhone workflow is identical — just tap Animation mode and go.


Step 01

Set up your scene in Photo mode first.

Build your mockup as you normally would — choose a device, import your screenshot, set the background, adjust lighting, and add any text overlays.

Everything you set up in Photo mode carries over to Animation mode. This way you focus on composition first and motion second.

Step 02

Switch to Animation mode.

Tap the toolbar toggle in the center and switch from Photo to Animation. A timeline panel appears at the bottom of the canvas.

The timeline shows a time ruler with tick marks, a play/pause button, an Add Block button (keyframe), an Add Clip button (for video-on-screen), and undo/redo arrows.

Step 03

Set your opening keyframe.

Position the camera where you want the animation to start — for example, zoomed out to show the full device from a slight angle.

Tap Add Block on the timeline. This captures the current camera position and device layout as the first keyframe. A small diamond appears on the timeline at the 0-second mark.

Step 04

Move the playhead and set a second keyframe.

Drag the playhead (the red line on the timeline) forward to about the 2-second mark. Orbit and zoom the camera to a new position — closer to the device, or a different angle that reveals the screen.

Tap Add Block again. Protato automatically creates a smooth animated transition between the first and second keyframes.

For more complex animations, repeat this process — add 3, 4, or more keyframes to create a camera path that orbits, zooms, and reveals different parts of your scene.

Step 05

Preview and fine-tune the animation.

Tap the Play button to preview your animation. Watch the camera move between keyframes in real time.

If the motion is too fast or too slow, drag keyframe diamonds left or right on the timeline to adjust timing. Use the timeline zoom slider to get a closer view of your keyframes.

On Mac, you can adjust the easing curve for each keyframe — choose from linear, ease-in, ease-out, or custom curves for more natural motion.

Step 06

Export the video.

Tap the Export button. Choose your resolution — 720p, 1080p, or 1440p. Higher resolutions look sharper but create larger files.

Tap Export and wait for the render to complete. A progress bar appears — do not close the app while rendering.

When it finishes, save the video to your device or share it directly. The result is a polished product reveal clip ready for App Store previews, social media, or pitch decks.


Continue

Keep the motion going.