Lesson 7: Applying Transitions Apple Pro Training Series 2nd
Edition, Final Cut Pro X Instructor: Sam Edsall
Transitions to Refine Edits Changes the look of your video
Changes the sound of your audio Edit to edit Smooth an abrupt audio
or video edit Convey a passage of time Create a certain visual
style When
Transitions to Refine Edits Dissolves Help move a story
seamlessly from one clip to the next without calling attention to
themselves Best for stories Wipes, pushes, 3D effects Draw
attention to themselves Best for promos and advertisements What
kind
Transitions to Refine Edits Dipping to black Also known as
kissing black Used to signify a change in time or place Such as the
next shot being the next morning End of show and commercial Caution
Do not use dip to black if you are not signifying a change in time
or place Confuses the viewer What kind
Create a New Project Make sure your external drive is booted
and on your desktop. Choose File > Open Library > LESSON 7 If
you dont see LESSON 7 choose Other and then select LESSON 7
Cuts vs. Dissolves Select the Delicious Peace_CUTS project.
Play the project -- no transitions yet for video or audio. Now open
Delicious Peace_Trans and see how it looks with transitions.
Duplicating a Project Control click the Delicious Peace_CUTS
project and Duplicated it. Rename the duplicate Delicious
Peace_Backup and open this project in the timeline.
Applying Transitions Drag the transition to the edit point
Select the edit point, then apply the transition with a few mouse
clicks Select the edit point and use the shortcut Command T A
couple of ways
Applying Transitions In the timeline zoom into and play the
first 2 clips BUMPER_Delicious and map of Africa Select the edit
point between the two clips. Choose Edit > Add Cross Dissolve
Play the new dissolve transition.
Transition Icon Gray transition icon between the the two clips
Faint diagonal line appears over the edit point The project may be
shortened by one second depending on settings Transition icon is
the same for all transitions regardless of type The Transition
Icon
Transition Mechanics Default transition is one second How it
works FCP will use available media beyond the edit point (handles)
to do the transition No change to project duration FCP will overlap
the clips for the duration of the transition Project duration
shortened by the length of the duration Two ways
Transition Mechanics Indicated the need to render the
transition so it can play in real time FCP automatically begins a
background render as you continue to work A render clip is added to
the Events / Render Files folder The orange bar
Applying Transitions Use a keyboard shortcut: Select the edit
point between coffee plant and coffee buds Press Command T Play the
transition. Press Command Z to undo the transition for now.
Transition Mechanics When you add a transition, FCP uses the
extra content (handles) before and after the edit point to do the
transition effect If handles are not available, FCP will ask you if
overlapping the clips is OK Transition Handles
Anatomy of a Transition Double-click this edit point again to
open the Precision Editor. With one of the edges still selected
press Command T to add a cross-dissolve.
Anatomy of a Transition Notice how the outgoing clip starts out
as completely opaque then dims to nothing. The incoming clip starts
at nothing and becomes completely opaque.
Transitions without Handles If the clips do not have enough
media outside the edit point (handles) then Overlapping the edit
point is the only option When this doesnt work
When Transition without Duration Change doesnt Work Play the
clips between woman picks beans and man picks beans Click the left
edit between them, then click the right edge. -- Yellow bracket =
media handles -- Red bracket = no media handles
When Transition without Duration Change doesnt Work Press
Command T Dialogue box appears informing you you dont have enough
media handles and offered the alternative Create Create Transition.
Note where the project currently ends, then click Create Transition
Notice that the project shortened by one second.
A Word of Caution If you add a full overlap transition, your
project will be shortened by the default transition length Total
duration of your project shortens If you delete the transition, the
project will STILL be as short If you decide you dont want the
transition, then Command Z to undo it or after you delete the
transition, trim the edit points to their original length Full
Overlap Transitions
Adding a Transition to Both Ends of a Clip Instead of selecting
an edit point, select the clip When you press Command T, both ends
of the clip will get the default transition Add two transitions at
once
Double Whammies In the timeline find the man roasts beans clip
and select it. Press Command T The default transition is added to
both sides of the clip. -- note the transitions used only available
media and are shorter than 1 second.
What About the Audio? When two video clips are combined with a
transition, the audio automatically does a cross fade Audio in a
transition
The Transitions Browser A gallery of effects Many made in
Motion Thumbnails allow you to preview the effect before you use it
Skim over the transition to see how it works Transitions
library
Prepare a Project for Transitions From the Library open the
Zero to Hero project and duplicate it. Rename Zero to Hero Trans
and load the project into the timeline.
Transitions Browser In the toolbar, click the Transitions
Browser button. Transition categories are on the left Thumbnails of
the transitions in that category are on the right Transitions
Browser
Transitions Browser In the Category pane, click Dissolves. Move
your pointer over the Cross Dissolve thumbnail to skim the
transition, which appears in the Viewer. Then try out the Fade To
Color transition.
Transitions Browser Click the All category again. In the
lower-left corner click the Show/hide button to hide the categories
pane.
Transitions Browser Search: In the search field, type comic to
see the transitions related. Clear the search and type pan to see
all the transitions that match your search criteria. Clear the
search field again.
Applying a Transition Drag the transition to an edit point
Select the edit point and double-click on the transition A couple
of ways
Applying a Transition In the Zero to Hero project, select the
edit point between army start and Tony Schumacher and (@47
seconds). Skim over the Letter X transition to preview it. To apply
this transition, double click it in the Transitions Browser. Play
it in the Timeline.
Applying a Transition Navigate the the 2nd edit point in the
project, between crowd ots and crowd wide and select the edit
point. From the Lights category, skim Lens Flare then double- click
to apply it to that edit point. Play the clip.
Applying a Transition Select the edit point between the 6th and
7th clip Tony Pedregon and crash In the Replicator/Clones category,
skim over Video Wall then double click to add it to the selected
edit point. Play the edit.
Replacing a Transition Drag the new transition from the browser
onto the timeline transition you wish to replace Select the old
transition, then double- click the new one in the transition
browser A couple of ways
Replacing a Transition In the Lights category drag the Bloom
transition into the timeline and over the old Lens Flare transition
between crowd ots and crowd wide When the pointer changes to a
green circle with a plus sign, release the mouse.
Replacing a Transition Switch it back: Select the Bloom
transition in the Timeline and double- click the Lens Flare
transition in the browser to restore it.
Modifying a Transition Most transitions can be modified beyond
just their duration Done though controls in the Timeline or
onscreen controls directly in the Viewer A different look
Modifying a Transition Re-open the Delicious Peace Backup
project we were working on into the Timeline. --clicking back on
the history button in the timeline may work if you have not shut
down FCP since you last worked on this project.
Modifying a Transition In the timeline select the 1st cross
dissolve and hover the pointer over either edge of the transition
When the Trim icon appears, drag the transition edge away from the
center as far as possible.
Modifying a Transition The duration of the transition and the
amount of duration change is indicated in the pop-up box If you see
a red bracket you have reached the limit of the clips media and
cant go any further Indicators
Set a Transition Duration Control click the transition and from
the shortcut menu choose Change Duration or press Control D. When
the Dashboard is highlighted in blue, type 45 and press Return. --
45 frames or 1 seconds.
Modifying a Transition Set in Preferences Command and comma
When you choose a clip or edit point and Command T, this will be
the normal duration Set a default duration
Modifying a Transition Reload the Zero to Hero project we were
last working on. Turn on the Timeline Index, select Clips on top.
In the search field type letter X to select the the wipe transition
used in this project.
Modifying a Transition Once you have the transition selected in
the Timeline with your play head over the transition, controls for
that effect are available in the Viewer Viewer onscreen
controls
Modifying a Transition In the Viewer move your pointer to the
circle and drag it to the center of Tonys nose. Play the
transition.
Modifying a Transition In the Viewer move your pointer to the
square at the end of the control line. Drag outward to the edges of
the X more diffuse. Drag inward to reduce the blur and sharpen the
transition and leave it at this setting.
Yellow Timeline Pins Controls that help you change the frames
associated with the transition Moving the frames will change what
you see in the transition Where did these come from?
Modifying a Transition In the Timeline Index search field, type
wall to search for the Video Wall transition. Select it in the
list, then select the transition. --notice the two yellow circles
numbered 1 and 2.
Modifying a Transition Drag pin 1 to the left and onto the
crowd ots clip and find the frame where the man with the binoculars
has turned to face left. Drag pin 2 anywhere in the crowd wide
clip. Play the transition.
Modifying a Transition Some parameters for a transition can
only be changed in the Inspector Using the Inspector
Modifying a Transition Find the Letter X transition again in
the project and select it. Click the Inspector button or press
Command 4
Modifying a Transition Click the edge of the transition in the
timeline and pull out so the duration in the Inspector indicates a
duration of 1;00
Modifying a Transition Click the disclosure triangle next to
Edge Treatment. From the Edge Type pop-up menu choose Solid Color.
Drag the Border slider to choose an edge thickness. Play the
transition.
Modifying a Transition Select the edit point between John Force
and army prep, at @42 seconds. In the transitions browser, click
the Movements category, then double-click to apply the Multi- flip
transition. Skim to the midpoint in this transition and press M to
set a marker.
Modifying a Transition In the Inspectors color section, click
the black color well to open the Colors window. Click each color
interface to see the various methods of making color choices.
Choose the color wheel and select the magnifying glass and click on
the green color in one of the John Force thumbnails.
Modifying a Transition Close the Colors window, and in the
Transition Inspector, select Use Image Well. Click once in the
Image Well. The Select Source Clip window appears. Click a frame in
the crowd wide clip on the timeline and then click Apply Clip.
Check the Use Image Well box
Transitions and Connected Clips Transitions can only be added
to clips if they are on a story line Must be a storyline Not until
the connected clips are turned into its own storyline What about
connected clips?
Adding Transitions to Other Storylines and Compound Clips In
the Library duplicate the Zero to Hero_Promo project to ZTH Promo
Done and open it in the timeline.
Adding Transitions to New Storylines Zoom in on the three
adjacent, connected clips at the end of the project from TS holds
trophy through army start. Select the edit point between TS holds
trophy and army prep and add the default transition Command T
Transitions & Connected Clips When you add a transition to
a pair of connected clips, a storyline is first created to hold the
two clips together with the transition What happened?
Changing the Default Transition Its up to you what the default
transition is Normally a cross dissolve is the default, but you can
change that What should Command T do?
Changing the Default Transition In the Transition browser,
locate the Flash transition and preview the effect. Control click
Flash and choose Make Default from the shortcut menu.
Changing the Default Transition Select the cross dissolve
between TS holds trophy and army start and press Command T. Play
the new transition.
Changing the Default Transition Select an edge between army
prep and army start, and press Command T
Changing the Default Transition Select the TS holds trophy, and
then Command click army start. Press Command T to add the Flash
transition to the start and end of the storyline.
Changing the Transition Duration Select the transition and
press Control D or Control click the transition to choose Change
Duration Set your new time Faster or slower?
Changing the Transition Duration Click on the first transition,
and Command click the other three transitions to add them to the
selection. Control click any of the selected transitions and from
the shortcut menu choose Change Duration.
Changing the Transition Duration Without clicking in the
Dashboard, type 10 and press Return. The duration is now set for 10
frames (1/3 of a second). Check out your new transitions.
Tidy Up the Timeline Sometimes you can have connected clips to
connected clips Yikes! What a pile! Get things in order Select the
clips that can be on the same track and create a compound clip.
Group em
Group Sparingly Too many compound clips can cause a project to
load slowly or not at all FCPX forums frequently refer to this
problem A word of warning
Tidy Up the Timeline Select the JF in car clip, and then press
Command G to create a storyline for this clip.
Tidy Up the Timeline Select race start and then Command click
the flame out and flame out smoke clips to add them to the
selection. Control click any of these clips and from the shortcut
menu choose New Compound Clip -- Shortcut Option G -- Now we need
to name it
Tidy Up the Timeline In the Name field, enter Race_Flame Broll,
and choose Zero to Hero as the Event if it not already selected. --
the new compound clip is added to the Event and on the
Timeline
Make One Timeline Out of Several Clips Click Race_Flame Broll
and Command click the storylines shelf of JF in car (not the clip).
Select the compound clip and press Command G to create one
storyline out of all these clips.
Add a Transition to the Secondary Timeline Select the edit
point between Race_Flame Broll and JF in car. From the Lights
category, drag Static to the edit point to apply it. Choose Create
Transition
Add a Transition to the Secondary Timeline To recover the lost
second, drag the end point of JF in car back to the marker.
Set the Cross Dissolve as the Default Transition In the
Transitions browser select the cross dissolve, Control click and
revert this back to the default transition.
Audio Transitions Automatically does a cross-fade from outgoing
to to the incoming clip Audio in a video transition To add a
transition, the clips need a storyline Audio clip to audio
clip
Audio Transitions Duplicate the Zero to Hero_Music project and
title it ZTH Music Done. Adjust the track height so the audio
waveforms can be clearly seen.
Audio Transitions Listen to the cut between the two music
clips, Battle Lines and Discipline. -- the cut is pretty rough -- a
cross fade should smooth this out
Audio Transitions Select the edit point between the two audio
clips, and press Command T to apply the default transition. Play
this area of the project.
Audio Transitions A crossfade was added at the edit point. You
can extend the crossfade for a smoother transition if necessary
What happened?
Audio Transitions Drag either edge of the audio transition
outward 3 seconds to lengthen the transition. Play the new
transition -- it should sound smoother
Audio Transitions Fade the music out at the end of the project
by dragging the Fade Control to the beginning of the last video
transition in the project.
Shortcuts: Apply default cross dissolveCommand T Open
Preferences window Command , (comma) Render selectionControl R
UndoCommand Z
Shortcuts: Play around edit pointShift ? Open/close the
InspectorCommand 4 Create storylineCommand G New compound
clipOption G
Homework Assignment: Your job is to tweak out this project with
transitions to suit your taste. Share as an 720p at the smallest
resolution and save as (your name) Lesson 7.m4v to iTunes U.
Lesson 7: Applying Transitions Apple Pro Training Series 2nd
Edition, Final Cut Pro X Instructor: Sam Edsall