Generating Programmatic Videos with JSX and Remotion

JSX is a syntax extension for JavaScript that allows you to write HTML-like code in your JavaScript files. It is commonly used in the React library for building user interfaces, but it can also be used in other contexts to generate programmatic videos.

To generate programmatic videos using JSX and Remotion, you will need to follow these steps:

1. Install the necessary dependencies: First, you will need to install the Remotion library and any other dependencies that you may need. You can do this using npm or yarn by running the following command: npm install remotion or yarn add remotion.
2. Set up your project: Next, you will need to set up your project by creating a new directory and adding the necessary files. This will typically include an index.html file, a style.css file, and a index.js file.
3. Import the Remotion library: In your index.js file, you will need to import the Remotion library using the following syntax: import Remotion from 'remotion';.
4. Define your JSX elements: Using JSX, you can define the elements that will make up your programmatic video. This can include elements such as images, text, and shapes. You can use the <Frame> component provided by Remotion to define a single frame of your video.
5. Add transitions and animations: You can use the <Transition> and <Animation> components provided by Remotion to add transitions and animations to your programmatic video. These components allow you to specify the duration, easing, and other properties of your transitions and animations.
6. Render your video: Once you have defined all of the elements and transitions for your programmatic video, you can use the render function provided by Remotion to render your video to a DOM element or to a file.

Here is an example of how you might use JSX and Remotion to generate a simple programmatic video:

import Remotion from 'remotion';

const App = () => (
  <Video width={640} height={480}>
    <Frame>
      <Image src="image1.jpg" />
      <Text fontSize={24}>Hello, World!</Text>
    </Frame>
    <Transition duration={1000}>
      <Frame>
        <Image src="image2.jpg" />
        <Text fontSize={24}>Goodbye, World!</Text>
      </Frame>
    </Transition>
  </Video>
);

Remotion.render(<App />, document.getElementById('root'));

In this example, we are creating a simple programmatic video with two frames. The first frame displays an image and some text, and the second frame displays a different image and text. A transition with a duration of 1000 milliseconds is applied between the two frames. Finally, the video is rendered to the DOM element with an ID of root.

Remotion has more advanced animation capabilities baked right in.

Here is an example of how you might use JSX and the Remotion library to tween animate an image:

import Remotion from 'remotion';

const App = () => (
  <Video width={640} height={480}>
    <Frame>
      <Animation
        target={<Image src="image.jpg" />}
        from={{ x: 0, y: 0 }}
        to={{ x: 100, y: 100 }}
        easing="easeInOutQuad"
        duration={2000}
      />
    </Frame>
  </Video>
);

Remotion.render(<App />, document.getElementById('root'));

In this example, we are using the <Animation> component provided by Remotion to animate an image from its original position (0, 0) to a new position (100, 100) over a duration of 2000 milliseconds. The easing function “easeInOutQuad” is used to control the acceleration and deceleration of the animation. Finally, the video is rendered to the DOM element with an ID of root.

The <Animation> component allows you to specify a wide range of properties to control the behavior of your animation, including the duration, easing, and the properties that are being animated.

I hope this article has given you a good overview of how to generate programmatic videos using JSX and Remotion. For more information and examples, you can refer to the documentation for the Remotion library.