Automatic zooms from activity
Prequel watches clicks and typing during capture, then opens the editor with those moments already turned into zooms, so you do not need to set them up before recording.
Prequel
Prequel is a macOS screen recorder that turns captures into finished videos with automatic zooms, framed webcam footage, and local export up to 4K.
Screen recording with post-capture editing
Prequel is a macOS screen recorder that records first and finishes the video afterward. Instead of giving you raw footage, it opens an editor on the take you just made with zooms already placed from your clicks and typing, a webcam frame that can be adjusted after recording, and a background applied.
It is built for people who want screen recordings that look directed without spending time assembling them in a separate editor. Capture, editing, and export all happen locally on your Mac, and the finished file is exported as a single MP4 at up to 4K.
Core features
Controllable zoom framing
Push in on the cursor, a drawn region, or the text you are typing into. Zooms can use level, speed, tilt, yaw, and progressive blur so the motion reads as a directed move rather than a simple crop.
Post-record camera framing
Choose a camera shape, size, and corner placement after the take is recorded. The webcam stays separate from the screen recording, which gives you room to change the layout later.
Backgrounds and responsive layouts
Use your wallpaper, bundled presets, gradients, or solids, with padding, radius, border, and shadow controls. Layouts can change mid-take and are stored in proportions rather than pixels.
Timeline editing and audio control
Trim and cut on a real timeline with a waveform under each clip. Microphone and system audio are recorded separately with separate gains, and the cursor can be resized or hidden after a few seconds of stillness.
Local export pipeline
Capture and export use your Mac’s own media engine, with hardware H.264 or HEVC and Metal compositing. Exports are a single constant-frame-rate MP4, with output up to 4K and up to 120 fps.
Where Prequel fits
Product demos and tutorials
Record a walkthrough and let the app place zooms on the parts you clicked or typed into, so the take is already structured when the editor opens.
Voiceover-style screen captures
Capture narration with separate microphone and system audio tracks, then rebalance levels afterward if a notification or app sound is too loud.
Recorded talks with a camera inset
Frame a webcam in a corner after recording and keep the screen and camera separate, which is useful when you want to refine composition later.
Social-ready video outputs
Export one MP4 in standard social or landscape presets, including vertical, square, and portrait framing for short-form publishing.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Automatic zooms are generated from clicks and typing, reducing manual setup.
- The webcam remains separate from the screen capture, so camera framing can be changed after recording.
- Screen, webcam, microphone, and system audio are recorded with separate controls.
- Editing uses a real timeline with waveforms, making it possible to trim and adjust clips after capture.
- Local capture and export run on the Mac without an upload step or cloud render.
Cons
- It requires an Apple Silicon Mac running macOS 14 or later.
- Typing-driven zooms also need Accessibility permission.
- Export is limited to a single MP4 output format.
FAQ
What is Prequel?
Prequel is a macOS screen recorder that records your screen, webcam, microphone, and system audio, then opens an editor with the zooms already placed, the camera framed, and a background applied.
How do the automatic zooms work?
It records where you click and type while capturing. When the editor opens, those moments have already been clustered into zooms, and you can move, retime, redirect, or delete them like any other timeline slice.
Can I adjust the camera after recording?
Yes. The webcam is not burned into the screen recording, so you can still change its shape, size, corner position, and whether it is mirrored after the take is finished.
What does Prequel export?
Prequel exports a single MP4 file in H.264 or HEVC at up to 4K and up to 120 fps, with a constant frame rate. Frame presets include landscape, vertical, square, portrait, and common social sizes.
What do I need to run it?
Prequel runs locally on an Apple Silicon Mac with macOS 14 or later and Screen Recording permission. Typing-driven zooms also require Accessibility permission.
Quick Facts
- Category
- Screen recording / video editing
- Platform
- Mac only
- OS requirement
- macOS 14+ on Apple Silicon
- Source domain
- prequel.sh
- Output
- Single MP4 export up to 4K
- Pricing
- 14-day free trial; paid plan shown on pricing page
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