Convert Video to Images

If you want to extract individual frames from a video, you can do so with FFmpeg. Bellow is a collection of commands that will help you with common problems related to extrating frames from a video.

In the example input video I have added the frame number to each frame in the video to make it clear which frames are actually extracted. You can learn how to add the frame number to a video here.

Extract a single frame 🔗

If you want to extract the 200th frame from a video:

ffmpeg -i input.mp4 -frames:v 1 -vf "select=eq(n+1\,200)" output.png

To create a single thumbnail 10 seconds into the video:

ffmpeg -i input.mp4  -frames:v 1 -ss 00:00:10.000 output.png

Extract a series of frames 🔗

Or if you want to take 20 thumbnails. One frame at a time starting 10 seconds into the video:

ffmpeg -i input.mp4 -frames:v 20 -ss 00:00:10.000 output%d.png

Remember to add %d in the output filename to name the thumbnails.

Extract a frame periodically 🔗

In case you want to make a thumbnail every second:

ffmpeg -i input.mp4 -vf fps=1 output%d.png

In case you want to make a thumbnail every 3rd second:

ffmpeg -i input.mp4 -vf fps=1/3 output%d.png