What It Does
Rapid Reel Composer automates the tedious work of splitting long footage into short clips. Instead of manually slicing layers, you place markers (using the * key or automatic placement) where you want cuts, and the script handles the rest. It’s built for editors working on social media reels, speed art videos, tutorials, cooking demos, or any project that needs quick assembly from longer source material.
The workflow mirrors Premiere Pro’s nesting approach, letting you precompose footage and work with markers on a single timeline rather than managing dozens of individual layers.
Key Features
Precision Mode and Lazy Mode. Precision Mode uses paired In/Out markers for exact control over each clip’s duration. Lazy Mode only needs an In marker and automatically cuts to your specified length from that point, useful for consistent-duration clips like tutorial segments.
Magic Marker. Automatically places markers at set intervals. Define the spacing, click the button, and markers appear across your selected layers or comp. Saves time when cutting footage into equal segments.
Sequence button. Stagger or overlap layers in order with one click. Select layers bottom-to-top (standard After Effects editing order) and the script arranges them sequentially, with optional overlap for crossfades.
Batch Marker Transfer. Copy markers from multiple layers onto a null object for organization, or transfer markers from one layer to many others. Also includes Layers to Comp Marker and Comp to Layers Marker buttons for moving markers between the composition timeline and individual layers.
Speed control. Time-stretch selected layers in bulk. Input a percentage below 100 to speed up footage, above 100 to slow it down. Useful for speed art, travel videos, or any content where pacing varies.
Precompose options. Precompose all selected layers into one comp, or precompose each layer individually. Keeps timelines clean when working with many clips.
Fade and audio tools. Add fade-ins and fade-outs (including audio fades) to overlapped layers. Adjust or change audio volume across selected layers with one click.
Laptop Markers button. Adds markers at the playhead without needing a numpad or asterisk key. Helpful on compact keyboards.
BN button. Sets the work area to match selected layers instantly, replacing the manual B and N keyboard shortcuts.
Handy trim buttons. Additional utilities for quick layer trimming tasks.
Adjustment layer creation. Adds adjustment layers matching the length of selected layers automatically.
Shift Markers. Move markers forward or backward by 1 or 10 frames for fine-tuning.
Marker management. Clear marker comments or markers entirely. Experimental feature to detect marker In/Out durations and generate comment stats.
Who It’s For
Editors cutting social media content, YouTube tutorials, speed art recordings, cooking videos, travel vlogs, or family edits. Anyone who needs to extract highlights from long footage without endless manual trimming.
Also useful for projects requiring consistent clip durations (like instructional videos) or precise control over which sections to keep (like family videos where you cherry-pick moments).
Premiere Pro Integration
Rapid Reel Composer doesn’t run directly in Premiere Pro, but it fits into a live-action workflow. Import footage into Premiere, nest your clips, then right-click and choose “Replace With After Effects Composition.” After Effects opens with the nested comp. Add markers and use Rapid Reel Composer’s tools. Save the .aep file and Premiere updates automatically, letting you continue editing there.
Pricing
$35.99 for a single-user license. Floating server licenses available at a different price tier. A trial version is offered for testing before purchase.