Effects Overview
Effects transform how clips look and sound. For screencasts, the essential effects are: color correction, noise reduction, normalize audio, and zoom/pan.
Core Idea
Effects in Kdenlive are non-destructive — they never modify the source file. They're applied in real-time during playback and rendered into the final output. You can always remove, reorder, or adjust any effect.
The Effect Stack
Select a clip → Effect Stack panel shows all applied effects
┌─ Effect/Composition Stack ─────────────────┐
│ ☑ [eye] RGB Adjustment [×] │
│ Red: 108 Green: 100 Blue: 90 │
│ ☑ [eye] Blur [×] │
│ Amount: 5px │
│ ☑ [eye] Fade In [×] │
│ Duration: 15 frames │
│ [ + Add Effect… ] │
└────────────────────────────────────────────┘
| UI Element | Function |
|---|---|
| ☑ checkbox | Enable/disable effect |
| [eye] icon | Temporarily hide effect |
| [×] button | Remove effect |
| Slider | Adjust parameter |
| Number field | Double-click to type value |
MMB on slider | Reset to default value |
Finding and Applying Effects
Method 1: Effects Panel
Menu → View → Effects (if not visible)
Type in search box: "color", "blur", "normalize"
Double-click effect → applies to selected clip
Method 2: Effect Stack drag
Drag effect from Effects panel to Effect Stack
Method 3: Right-click on clip (some effects)
Right-click → Add Effect → category → effect name
tip
Use the search box in the Effects panel. Don't browse categories — just type what you want and the list filters instantly.
Essential Effects for Screencasts
1. RGB Adjustment (Color Correction)
Effects → search "rgb"
→ "RGB Adjustment"
Screencast use: Warm up recording color temperature
Typical settings for cool blue monitors:
Red: 108
Green: 100
Blue: 90
2. Levels / Brightness/Contrast
Effects → search "levels"
→ "Levels" or "Brightness/Contrast"
Use when: Recording looks too dark or washed out
3. Blur (Sensor Privacy)
Effects → search "blur"
→ "Blur" or "Box Blur"
Use when: Hiding sensitive info on screen (passwords, private data)
Apply with keyframes:
Frame before private data: Blur = 0
Frame on private data: Blur = 20px
Frame after: Blur = 0
4. Crop and Scale
Effects → search "crop"
→ "Crop Scale and Tilt"
Use when: Removing black borders from a recording
Cropping to focus on specific screen region
5. Sharpen
Effects → search "sharpen"
→ "Unsharp Mask"
Use when: Recording looks slightly soft
Amount: 50–80 for screen recordings (text sharpening)
6. Vignette
Effects → search "vignette"
→ "Vignette"
Use when: Drawing attention to center of screen
Reducing screen brightness at edges
Amount: 20–40% for subtle effect
Keyframing Effects
Keyframes allow effects to change over time:
In the Effect Stack:
1. Click the clock/keyframe icon next to the parameter
→ Keyframe track appears below the parameter
2. Position playhead at start → set value (keyframe auto-added)
3. Move playhead forward → change value → keyframe added
Keyboard (in Effect Stack keyframe zone):
Double-click → add keyframe
Left/Right → move between keyframes
+/- → change keyframe value
Alt+Left/Right → go to adjacent keyframe
Example: Blur to hide password field:
00:00:10 Blur = 0 (before password visible)
00:00:11 Blur = 30 (password appears → keyframe)
00:00:18 Blur = 30 (password disappears → keyframe)
00:00:19 Blur = 0 (after → keyframe)
Track-Level Effects
Apply effects to an entire track (affects all clips on that track):
Click the ⚡ (lightning) effects icon in the track header
→ Effect Stack shows track effects
→ Add effects here → they apply to all clips on the track
Screencast use: Apply normalize audio to A2 (mic track) at the track level so all voiceover clips are automatically normalized.
Disabling and Comparing Effects
☑ uncheck effect in Effect Stack → temporarily disable (settings preserved)
[eye] icon → hides effect in preview but doesn't disable for render
Top checkbox of Effect Stack → disable ALL effects on clip (quick A/B)
Effect Order Matters
Effects are applied top-to-bottom in the Effect Stack. Drag to reorder:
Correct order for screencasts:
1. Crop (remove borders first)
2. RGB Adjustment (color correct)
3. Levels (exposure)
4. Blur (if needed)
5. Vignette (last, on top of everything)
Keyboard Reference
| Action | Method |
|---|---|
| Apply effect | Double-click in Effects panel |
| Remove effect | Click [×] in Effect Stack |
| Toggle effect on/off | Click ☑ checkbox |
| Reset parameter | MMB on slider |
| Enter value | Double-click number field |
| Add keyframe | Double-click in keyframe zone |
| Next keyframe | Right in keyframe zone |
| Previous keyframe | Left in keyframe zone |
| Preview | Space |
| Undo | Ctrl+Z |
Hands-On Practice
1. Open project with screen recording on V1
Click the clip to select it
2. Open Effects panel (Menu → View → Effects)
Search: "rgb" → double-click "RGB Adjustment"
→ Effect Stack shows RGB Adjustment
Adjust Red to 108, Blue to 90
Preview → compare before/after with ☑ toggle
3. Search: "sharpen" → apply "Unsharp Mask"
Set Amount to 60
Preview text clarity improvement
4. Search: "fade" → apply "Fade In"
Set duration to 24 frames (1 second)
5. Search: "blur" → apply "Box Blur"
Enable keyframes
At 1:00: Blur = 0
At 1:01: Blur = 25 (simulate censoring 1-second section)
At 1:03: Blur = 25
At 1:04: Blur = 0
6. Check effect order in Effect Stack
Drag RGB Adjustment to top if it's not already
7. Ctrl+S → save