Why is my video freezing in the drop zone?

Why is my video freezing in the Drop Zone?

If your video appears frozen inside a Drop Zone, this is usually caused by how the clip was applied—not a bug.

Why this happens

Drop Zones use the frame you select as the starting point of your clip.

If your clip does not have enough media before or after that selected frame to fill the duration of the template, it will result in a freeze frame.

Quick fixes

1. Select the correct starting frame

When applying media to a Drop Zone:

• The frame you click becomes the start of playback
• If you want the clip to begin at the start, make sure you select the first frame of your media

2. Try applying from the Clip Browser

If you're dragging from the timeline and getting a freeze frame:

• Apply the clip from the Clip Browser instead
• This can prevent timing conflicts caused by timeline positioning

3. Use a Compound Clip (Recommended)

For the most reliable results:

• Place your clip in the timeline where you want it to appear
• Trim it to match your timing
• Press Option + G to create a compound clip
• Apply the first frame of that compound clip to the Drop Zone

This gives you:

• Accurate timing
• Enough media duration
• Consistent playback without freezing

Important things to remember

• Drop Zones always sync your selected frame to the start of the template, not when it appears on screen
• Your clip may already be playing before it becomes visible
• Freeze frames almost always mean your clip doesn’t have enough usable duration

Still seeing issues?

• Choose an earlier frame in your clip
• Add extra padding (gap clip or generator) before your media
• Reapply the clip using the first frame

If something looks wrong, it’s almost always a timing issue—not a problem with the plugin itself.