When you edit video you use transitions. We see transitions every day because we watch video every day. Commercials, TV shows, movies, and online video all use transitions. The four main types are a cut, dissolve, wipe, and fade.

The transition used the most is a cut. A simple change of scene that occurs quickly. I’m glad that we don’t have to actually cut and tape film together like editors did in the early years of film. All we have to do is pause & click and voila – we have a cut.

You can change the pace of your video by using cuts. For example think of painting a wall. You can show the painter getting ready and starting then cut to the painter finishing the last corner. Your audience will understand what happened and your video will not be boring. Be careful to not leave out important information or you will confuse your watchers.

Wipes are a more dramatic type of transition. The new image pushes the old out of the way. The software available now has everything from a simple type that looks like a blind sliding down to fancy hearts or stars. Wipes are a more obvious type of transition that can move your video along, suggest a period of time has passed, or add humor. The Home Improvement TV show uses a lot of wipe transitions – in a good way.

A dissolve transition is when one image blends into a different image. They can be drawn out to slow the pace of your video or fast to keep things moving. The dissolve can work well with still photos. You could dissolve a K-5 graduation picture into a 12th grade graduation picture and your audience will get the picture.

Lastly, the fade transition is a softer type of dissolve. It was used to mimic the lights turning off and on in the theater. They are still mostly used to start or end a story.

Some people work very hard to hide the transitions while some like to make them obvious. Go ahead – experiment, and have fun with transitions. Just save your original file in case you hate what you’ve done. It’s a good idea to watch your video straight through so you know how the transitions make your video feel.

What’s your favorite type of transition?  Which kind irritates you?  Leave me a comment and let me know.  Don’t forget to subscribe to my feed so you can check out any transitions I use in the future.