Reelify

Context & Challenge

Video enhancement tools typically require uploading source files to a server, which introduces privacy risk, upload latency, and backend cost—an awkward trade for what should be a quick, local edit.

Approach

Moved the entire pipeline into the browser with FFmpeg.wasm, so footage never leaves the user's machine. Built a modular filter-graph system over a lazy-loaded singleton instance, with careful blob URL lifecycle management to keep memory in check across repeated runs.

Key Features

• 01Fully client-side processing — no uploads, no backend
• 02Modular filter-graph system for composable enhancements
• 03Lazy-loaded singleton FFmpeg instance
• 04Efficient blob URL lifecycle management
• 05Three-step flow: upload → process → preview
• 06Real-time before/after comparison
• 07Extensible processing options

Technical Decisions

Chose FFmpeg.wasm to keep processing local and eliminate the backend entirely. Loaded the instance lazily as a singleton to avoid paying the WASM startup cost until it is actually needed, and structured filters as a composable graph so new processing options slot in without touching the pipeline.

Key Learnings

Deepened understanding of WebAssembly performance characteristics, browser memory management around large binary blobs, and designing extensible processing pipelines that stay responsive under heavy client-side compute.