Troubleshooting
When something stops working, start here. Each page names the likely cause first, then the fix, then how to keep it from happening again.
TroubleshootingWhy a clip won't importWhy a clip fails to import into ReelWorkshop, the most common causes, and how to fix or work around each one before you rebuild your project.TroubleshootingWhy a video format won't importWhat to do when ReelWorkshop won't accept a video file's format, including which container and codec choices import reliably.TroubleshootingWhy a clip looks corrupt or won't previewHow to tell whether a video file is actually corrupted versus a format or transfer issue, and what to do about each case in ReelWorkshop.TroubleshootingWhy imports are taking a long timeWhy importing clips into ReelWorkshop can be slow, what's actually happening during that time, and practical ways to speed it up.TroubleshootingWhy two different clips got flagged as duplicatesWhy ReelWorkshop's duplicate detection occasionally flags two genuinely different clips, and how to override it when that happens.TroubleshootingWhy two similar retakes weren't flaggedWhy ReelWorkshop's duplicate detection doesn't catch near-duplicate retakes, and how to manually screen for them before you build a compilation.TroubleshootingWhy the preview won't load or playWhat to check when ReelWorkshop's live preview won't load or stays blank, from browser resources to the clip itself.TroubleshootingWhy the preview stutters during playbackWhy live preview in ReelWorkshop can stutter or drop frames during playback, and how to get smoother scrubbing and review without it affecting your export.TroubleshootingWhy a clip looks sideways or the wrong shapeWhy clips show up sideways or the wrong aspect ratio in ReelWorkshop, why there's no auto-rotate fix, and how to correct orientation before you export.TroubleshootingWhy the main subject gets cut off in the vertical cropWhy a subject ends up cropped or off-center in a vertical export, and how to choose and reframe source clips before exporting from ReelWorkshop.TroubleshootingWhy the first few seconds aren't grabbing attentionWhy an edit plan's hook falls flat, how to diagnose it clip by clip, and how to strengthen the opening seconds of a ReelWorkshop compilation.TroubleshootingWhy the middle of a compilation feels slowWhy a compilation's build or escalation section drags, and how to fix pacing using reorder, trim and clip selection in ReelWorkshop.TroubleshootingWhy the compilation is longer than it should beWhy a compilation ends up too long for its platform, and how to trim, cut clips, and pick a shorter target duration in ReelWorkshop.TroubleshootingWhy an export stalls partway through renderingWhy exporting a compilation in ReelWorkshop stalls or appears frozen mid-render, and how to get it rendering reliably again.TroubleshootingWhy the exported file is bigger than expectedWhy a ReelWorkshop export comes out larger than expected, and which resolution, duration and clip choices bring the file size down.TroubleshootingWhy the audio jumps or clashes between clipsWhy source audio sounds jarring or mismatched from clip to clip in a ReelWorkshop compilation, and how to decide between keeping and muting it.