Each pulse is a 2.2× / 0.7× / 2.2× triplet over 20% of the clip, followed by a 22% rest at 0.9×. The pattern repeats once. Nothing goes below 0.7×, so it survives 30 fps source.
Why it works
The rhythm is borrowed from a resting heart: a double beat, then silence. Viewers read it as unease before they can name why.
How to shoot for it
Any frame rate. Works best on slow, steady footage — a walk down a corridor, a hand reaching — where the pulses are the only motion change.
Control points
At
Speed
0%
1×
8%
2.2×
14%
0.7×
20%
2.2×
28%
0.9×
50%
0.9×
58%
2.2×
64%
0.7×
70%
2.2×
78%
0.9×
100%
1×
Tips
Keep motion blur "subtle": strong blur on the 2.2× beats makes them read as glitches.
For a faster heart, shorten the rest by dragging the 0.5 point left to ~0.4.
Cut to the reveal on the last 1.0× frame.
FAQ
Can I sync it to an actual heartbeat sound?
Yes — load the audio, run Beat Sync, and apply "Manual" to snap these existing keypoints to the detected onsets.