If you mainly want to code or evaluate fixed periods (Intervals) just before and after a certain key event, INTERACT offers a very powerful extension:
Create Pre and Post Events for specific Key-Events
You just code only the key Events as they appear ('Imitative periods' in the example used in Create Pre- and Post Events) and let INTERACT create the Events that cover the surrounding intervals:
•Code at least your key Events with just a single Code.
•Run the command Additional - Extensions - Functions 
> Special data analysis > Create Pre and Post Events for specific Key-Events, like described in Create Pre- and Post Events.
Data Collection
•Open the Code definitions that contain the Codes you need for logging the behavioral details that occur during those sequences.
Now you can use one of the following methods to collect your data:
 | Log Events in Selected Period - Perform an Event based coding session, during which you only observe one Pre or Post Event at the time: |
•Make sure your current Codes are mutually exclusive.
•Select the Coding Mode Standard (ad hoc).
•Click 
to start your observations.
•Double click the onset of one of the just created Pre or Post Events to position the video.
•Click the Code that matches the situation at the start of the selected period
•Reduce the play speed if required.
•Press F12 or click Play Selected 
to review the current selection.
•Log the Events with your Codes, as they appear.
As long as you do not pause the video manually, INTERACT automatically pauses the video at the end of the selected interval Event.
| Assign Codes to Selected Period - Enter Codes that describe the behaviors that occur during the predefined intervals, surrounding your key Events, using the Time sampling method: |
•Open the Code definition file that holds the Codes to label your intervals.
•Make sure that all Codes that can be assigned to the same Event are mapped to a different Class.
•Select the Coding Mode Refine existing Events.
•Double click the first Interval to review the corresponding part in the video.
•Enter the Codes as required.
•Replay the sequence as often as needed.
| Create Intervals per Selected Period - Split the selected Pre or Post Event in even smaller intervals and enter your Codes using the Time sampling method: |
•Select the Coding Mode Refine existing Events.
•Make sure that all Codes that can be assigned to the same Event are mapped to a different Class.
•Select the first Pre or post Event.
•Click Transform - Restructure - Time Split 
(For details, read Create Predefined Intervals)
•Enter the length of your intervals and confirm
•Double click the first Interval and enter the Codes as required.
•Press F12 or click Play Selected to review the current sequence as often as needed.
Data Analysis
| Analyze what happened during those periods - If you have coded all behaviors as they occurred, but now want the statistics on only those surrounding intervals, no problem: |
•Make use of the Trim on Code filter, based on the automatically created Pre- and Post Events.