How to create a mirror video effect from a flipped copy
- Step 1Pick the clip you want to mirror — Choose footage with motion or a strong subject near one edge — mirror effects pop most when the reflected half has clear movement.
- Step 2Drop it onto the tool — Drag in MP4, MOV, MKV, WEBM, AVI, M4V or TS. It is processed locally in your browser; nothing is uploaded.
- Step 3Leave the Axis dropdown on h — The single Axis control defaults to h (horizontal) — the left-to-right reflection you want. This produces the flipped copy that mirrors the original.
- Step 4Run the flip to make the reflected copy — JAD applies
-vf hflipand re-encodes withlibx264 -preset medium -crf 20, copying audio. You now have a flipped MP4 that is perfectly in sync with the original. - Step 5Combine flipped + original into the effect — Place the flipped copy beside the original in your video editor, or use the cropper to take the left half of one and the right half of the other and join them. The flip tool itself does not composite halves.
- Step 6Export the finished mirror effect — Render the combined result from your editor. Because both copies share the same timing and audio, the seam lines up cleanly with no drift.
What this tool does vs what the effect needs
The flip tool makes the reflected ingredient; assembling the split-screen happens elsewhere. This avoids the wrong expectation that one click yields a finished kaleidoscope.
| Step in the effect | Does the flip tool do it? | Where it happens |
|---|---|---|
| Make a left-right reflected copy | Yes — Axis h (hflip) | This flip tool |
| Place flipped beside original (split screen) | No | Your editor / compositor |
| Take matching halves of each copy | No (it does not crop) | /video-tools/video-cropper |
| Kaleidoscope / multi-tile mirroring | No | A dedicated NLE/effect |
| Keep both copies in sync | Yes — audio copied, timing preserved | This flip tool |
Mirror-effect source specifics
Properties of the flipped copy this tool produces.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Filter | hflip (horizontal reflection) |
| Audio | Stream-copied, in sync with original |
| Video | Re-encoded H.264, CRF 20 |
| Output | MP4 (the reflected copy) |
| Compositing | Not included — use an editor or the cropper |
| Free / Pro size | 1 GB / 10 GB per file |
Cookbook
Assembling a mirror effect from a flipped copy plus the original. The flip tool makes the reflection; the cropper or your editor does the join.
Make the reflected copy
The first and only step the flip tool owns: produce a clean horizontally flipped MP4.
Input: clip.mp4 Axis: h FFmpeg: -i clip.mp4 -vf hflip -c:v libx264 -preset medium -crf 20 -c:a copy out.mp4 Output: clip-out.mp4 (reflected copy, in sync with original)
Butterfly effect: left half original, right half flipped
Crop the right half of the original and the right half of the flipped copy (which is the original's left, reversed), then place them together so the frame is symmetric.
1. clip.mp4 -> Axis h -> clip-out.mp4 (flipped) 2. /video-tools/video-cropper: take a half from each 3. join the two halves in your editor -> symmetric mirror frame
Side-by-side split screen (original | reflection)
Lay the original and the flipped copy side by side for a full-width mirrored panorama. The flip tool supplies the right-hand reflection.
Left panel: clip.mp4 (original) Right panel: clip-out.mp4 (hflip copy) Composite in your editor; both share identical timing/audio.
Why the seam lines up perfectly
Because the flip copies audio and preserves video timestamps, the flipped copy is frame-accurate against the original — no drift at the mirror seam.
-c:a copy + preserved PTS -> flipped copy is frame-synced Place next to original -> seam is stable across the whole clip
Don't expect a finished kaleidoscope from one click
The flip tool is the reflection generator. Multi-tile kaleidoscope or quad-mirror layouts are assembled in an editor, not here.
This tool: makes the flipped source Kaleidoscope/quad-mirror: build the tiling in an NLE (hflip is the ingredient, not the whole recipe.)
Edge cases and what actually happens
Expected a finished split-screen from the flip tool
Out of scopeThe flip tool produces a horizontally flipped copy only — it does not composite two halves, build a split screen, or tile a kaleidoscope. Combine the flipped copy with the original in your editor, or use the cropper to take matching halves.
Needed matching halves but the tool won't crop
Wrong toolSelecting and joining halves is a crop+composite job. The flip tool does not crop. Use /video-tools/video-cropper to take a half from the original and a half from the flipped copy.
Flipped copy looked out of sync with the original
Not possible from flipThe flip copies audio and preserves video timestamps, so the flipped copy is frame-accurate against the original. Any apparent drift comes from how the two were aligned in the editor, not from the flip.
Switched Axis to v expecting a different reflection
Wrong axisAxis v gives a top-to-bottom (upside-down) copy, which makes a vertical reflection, not the usual left-right mirror. Use h for a standard side-by-side mirror; use v only if you want a top/bottom reflection.
Wanted a 180-rotation 'point reflection'
Wrong toolA point-symmetric reflection (rotate 180) is hflip + vflip combined, which this tool cannot do in one pass. Use the rotator's 180 option to produce that copy, then composite.
Output container changed to MP4
By designThe flipped copy is always H.264 MP4, which imports into every editor. Transcode afterward if your pipeline needs another container.
Source exceeds tier limit
RejectedFiles over the per-file cap are blocked: 1 GB Free, 10 GB Pro, 100 GB Pro-media/Developer. Compress first or upgrade.
Audio preserved in the flipped copy
PreservedAudio is stream-copied, so the flipped copy carries the original soundtrack in sync. In a split screen you will normally keep audio from one copy and mute the other in your editor.
Frequently asked questions
Can this tool make a finished mirror/split-screen effect by itself?
No. The flip tool makes the horizontally flipped copy — the reflected ingredient. You assemble the split-screen or kaleidoscope by combining that copy with the original in a video editor, or by using the cropper to take matching halves.
How do I make the reflected copy?
Drop your clip in, leave the Axis dropdown on h (horizontal), and run. JAD applies hflip and gives you a flipped MP4 that mirrors the original left-to-right.
Will the flipped copy stay in sync with the original?
Yes. The flip copies audio with -c:a copy and preserves video timestamps, so the flipped copy is frame-accurate against the original — the mirror seam lines up cleanly.
How do I build the actual split-screen?
Use the cropper at /video-tools/video-cropper to take a half from the original and a half from the flipped copy, then join them in your editor. Or simply place the flipped copy beside the original on a timeline.
Can it do a kaleidoscope or quad-mirror?
No. The flip tool only produces a single flipped copy. Multi-tile kaleidoscope layouts are built in a dedicated editor using the flipped source as one of the tiles.
What about a vertical reflection?
Set the Axis dropdown to v to get a top-to-bottom (upside-down) copy for a vertical reflection. Use h for the standard left-right mirror.
Can I make a 180-degree 'point reflection' copy?
Not in one pass here — that is hflip + vflip combined. Use the rotator's 180 option at /video-tools/video-rotator to produce that copy, then composite it.
Is my footage uploaded?
No. The flip runs in your browser via FFmpeg.wasm, so your source clip never leaves your device.
What format is the flipped copy?
An H.264 MP4, which imports into every editor and the other JAD video tools. Transcode afterward if you need a different container.
Does flipping reduce quality?
There is a small re-encode cost (libx264, CRF 20), usually invisible; audio is untouched. There is no quality slider on this tool.
What inputs are supported?
MP4, MOV, MKV, WEBM, AVI, M4V and TS, all output as H.264 MP4.
Is there a size limit?
Yes: 1 GB per file on Free, 10 GB on Pro, 100 GB on Pro-media and Developer. No duration limit — only file size and batch count.
Privacy first
Every JAD Video tool runs entirely in your browser via WebCodecs and FFmpeg (WebAssembly). Your video files never leave your device — verified by zero outbound network requests during processing.