Rescroll

Free film countdown video maker

The classic film leader, 5 down to 1, with the sweep turning once a second. Pick the numbers and the style, then download it as a 1080p MP4. Free, no sign-up, no watermark.

How it works

How to make a film countdown video.

Four steps, about a minute, and nothing to install.

  1. 1

    Set the count

    Choose the number it starts from, anywhere from 3 to 10, and where it stops: 2 like a real film leader, or 1 or 0. Each number stays up for one second while the sweep goes round.

  2. 2

    Choose a style

    Classic is the crisp gray leader, Vintage a worn sepia print, Modern a clean dial in the colors of the look. On the two film styles, set how much grain and scratching there is and whether the projector flickers.

  3. 3

    Add a title

    Type a title of up to 40 characters to show after the last number, or leave it empty to rest on the last number. Pick a typeface and a frame shape: 16:9, 9:16, 1:1 or 4:5.

  4. 4

    Download the MP4

    Press Download. The countdown is rendered in your browser at 1080p and saved to your device, usually in a few seconds. No account, no watermark.

Ready-made versions

Start from the one you came for.

Each one opens its own maker with the settings filled in. Change anything, then download.

Old movie countdown

A sepia leader from 8 to 2 with grain, dust, scratches and flicker, then a bordered title card reading Home Movies.

When a film countdown isn’t enough

The free film countdown is the starting point.

Here you get a film leader on its own. In Rescroll you describe the graphic you actually want — “count down from 5 like an old film reel, then open on my first shot with the episode title over it” — and it's designed from scratch on your own video. Attach your logo or a screenshot and it matches them. Not right yet? Ask for the change in the chat.

Free film countdown

Rescroll

One leader, in film tones or your colors

Any design you can describe, matched to your logo, fonts or a screenshot

A clip you cut in before your footage

Built on your own video, placed around you

You line it up in your editor

Timed to the exact word you say

Change it with the settings here

Change anything by asking in the chat

Make it yours in RescrollSee AI motion graphics

Part of the Pro, Ultimate and Scale plans.

The whole edit. Cuts, punch-in, color, export, on his words.
Travel plans. A departures board flips in each city.

Both built in Rescroll from a description.

The basics

What is a film countdown?

A film countdown is the leader spliced onto the head of a reel: a number every second inside two circles and a crosshair, while a hand sweeps once round the frame and shades the part it has passed. The standard version counts from 8 down to 2 and then goes to black, so the projectionist knew exactly when the picture would start.

This maker draws that leader for you, frame by frame. Start from any number between 3 and 10 and stop at 2, as the real thing does, or carry on to 1 or 0. Classic is the crisp gray leader, Vintage is a worn sepia print with grain, dust, hairs, scratches and a flickering projector, and Modern redraws it as a clean dial in the colors of the look you choose.

Editors use it to open a video, to introduce a throwback, or to build a moment of suspense before a reveal. Type a title and the countdown hands over to it after the last number, like the first card of a film.

What you download

Price
Free. No sign-up, no email, no watermark.
Format
MP4 (H.264), no audio
Resolution
1080p: 1080×1920, 1920×1080, 1080×1080 or 1080×1350
Frame rate
30 or 60 fps
Count
From any number 3 to 10, down to 2, 1 or 0, one number a second
Styles
Classic black and white, Vintage sepia, or a Modern dial
Film wear
Grain, dust, hairs and scratches from 0 to 100%, with optional projector flicker and gate weave
Ending
A title of up to 40 characters, or the last number, then up to 5 seconds of rest
Colors
Classic and Vintage in film's own tones, Modern in six looks; any number and background color on all three
Where it runs
In your browser. Nothing is uploaded.

Questions

Film countdown video: your questions, answered.

How do I make a film countdown video?

Set where it counts from and where it stops in the film countdown maker at the top of this page, choose Classic, Vintage or Modern, and press Download. You get a 1080p MP4 made in your browser, with no sign-up and no watermark.

Where can I download a film countdown video for free?

Right here. The countdown is made in your browser and downloads as an MP4 at 1080p, with no account, no email and no watermark. Change the numbers, the style or the frame shape first if you like; each version is a new free download.

Can I get a film countdown on a green screen?

Yes. Pick Green screen under Look, or set the background to any color. Classic and Vintage then become a disc: the circles, the sweep and the number inside it, with nothing drawn on the green around them. Modern draws only its dial and number on the green. Remove the green with chroma key in your editor and the countdown sits over your footage.

Why does a film countdown stop at 2?

Because the picture starts two seconds later. On a standard film leader the 2 is followed by black until the first frame of the film, which gave projectionists and editors a fixed point to line things up. Stop at 2 here for that look, or choose 1 or 0 if your audience expects the count to finish.

Can the countdown go from 10 to 1?

Yes. Set Count from to 10 and Stop at to 1. It can start anywhere from 3 to 10 and stop at 2, 1 or 0, with one number a second, so 10 to 1 runs ten seconds before the ending.

Does the film countdown have the beep?

No. The MP4 is video only, so it's silent. To add the traditional beep, put a short tone in your editor where the 2 appears.

What's the difference between Classic, Vintage and Modern?

Classic is a crisp black-and-white leader: gray field, white circles, black crosshair and numbers. Vintage is the same leader on a worn sepia print, with a darker vignette and the rounded edge of a projector's gate. Modern is a clean dial with sixty ticks and a bright sweep, in the colors of the look you choose.

How do I make the countdown look older?

Choose Vintage, or keep Classic for black and white, then raise Grain and scratches toward 100% and turn on Projector flicker. The light flickers frame to frame, the picture weaves slightly, and dust, hairs and scratches come and go like a print that has been run many times.

Can I add a title after the countdown?

Yes. Type up to 40 characters into Title after the countdown and it appears on its own card after the last number, on one or two lines. Leave it empty and the clip rests on the last number instead.

Can I make a vertical film countdown for Reels, TikTok or Shorts?

Yes. Choose 9:16 under Format. The leader is drawn for the shape you pick rather than cropped: the circles stay centered and the sweep and crosshair reach the edges of the taller frame.

Is the grain and dust the same every time?

Yes. The wear is drawn from fixed random numbers, not filmed, so the same settings give the same dust, scratches and flicker every time. What you preview is exactly what you download.

Is the film countdown maker free?

Yes. It's free to use and free to download, with no account, no email address and no watermark on the video. There's no limit on how many you make.

What format and resolution is the video?

An MP4 with H.264 video, at 1080p in the shape you choose: 1080×1920 (9:16) for TikTok, Reels and Shorts, 1920×1080 (16:9) for YouTube, 1080×1080 (1:1), or 1080×1350 (4:5) for the Instagram feed. You can export at 30 or 60 frames per second.

Is my video uploaded anywhere?

No. The film countdown is drawn and encoded on your own device, using your browser's built-in video encoder. Nothing is sent to a server and there's no render queue.

Which browsers does it work in?

It needs a browser that can encode video with the WebCodecs API: current versions of Chrome, Edge and Safari, and Firefox on a computer. If your browser can't, the page tells you before you start.

Can I use the film countdown in client work, ads or monetized videos?

Yes. The video you download is yours to use in personal and commercial projects, with no attribution needed.

Can I match my brand, add my logo or change the design?

Not in the free maker, which is deliberately simple. That's what Rescroll's AI motion graphics are for: describe the graphic you want in plain English, attach your logo, fonts or a screenshot of your style, and it's designed from scratch on your own video, placed around you and timed to the word you say. Ask for any change in the chat. It's part of the Pro, Ultimate and Scale plans.

More free tools

Other graphics you can make here.

All free, all made in your browser, all without a watermark. See every free tool.

Number counter

Any two numbers, counting up or down, with a prefix, suffix and label of your own.

Timer video

A countdown from any time up to 60 minutes, with a ring or a bar that empties as it runs out.

Progress bar

A bar, a ring or a row of blocks filling to any percentage, with the number counting beside it.

Calendar animation

A desk calendar flipping from Friday the 13th to Monday the 16th, then “3 days later” as the last page lands.

Clock animation

An analog clock racing from 7:10 to 10:10 with its hands sweeping, then “3 hours later”. Digital and flip styles too.

Lower third

A name and a title in five animated styles: a bar, a line, a card, a name tag or an @handle pill, placed along the bottom of the frame.

Keep reading

Where to go next.

AI motion graphics

Counters, charts, app screens and maps designed from a description, on your own video and timed to your words.

AI video editor

The whole edit from a sentence: silences and bad takes cut, captions, color, zooms and graphics.

Rescroll vs After Effects

When to keyframe a graphic yourself, and when to describe it instead.

Rescroll vs CapCut

Preset text animations against graphics designed for each moment. Often used together.

Your next video,
edited like the top 1%.

Drop it in. Say what should appear. Read the plan, press Build, and export the finished video — no After Effects, no editor, no template.

Make your first graphic

Part of Pro, Ultimate and Scale · Export is free · Failed builds are refunded