Lesson Files | FCP4 Book Files > Lessons > Lesson 12 Project |
Media | Sahara folder |
Time | This lesson takes approximately 1 hour to complete. |
Goals | Understand transitions Apply audio and video transitions Change transition durations Change transition alignments Preview and render transitions Copy and paste transitions Use the Transition Editor Work with different types of transitions Adjust edit points under a transition Save favorite transitions |
Creating and refining a sequence is the core of the editing process. Once you've made decisions about edit selection and placement, you can start to focus on other aspects, such as adding transition effects to finesse the sequence. Transitions are very versatile. They can be used to smooth an abrupt edit or to create a sense of time passing. They can also simply add variety to your video by changing how you get from one clip to the next. In this lesson, you will explore different ways to apply a variety of transition effects to the audio and video clips in your sequence.
Wipe transitions use a replacement process in which part of the outgoing clip is replaced by part of the incoming one.
To get started in Lesson 12, launch Final Cut Pro and then open the project for this lesson.
Choose File > Open, or press Cmd-O, and choose the Lesson 12 Project file from the Lessons folder on your hard drive.
Close any open projects.
In the Timeline, play the open Sahara Vistas - Cuts sequence.
This sequence is a series of panoramic shots of the Sahara accompanied by a narration track with background music. Each clip cuts from one to the next. Make sure your speakers are turned up loud enough to hear the sound tracks clearly.
Play the Sahara Vistas – Dissolves sequence in the Timeline.
This is the same sequence as the Cuts sequence, but with audio and video dissolves applied to the edit points between the clips.
In the Browser, display the contents of the Sequences bin and duplicate the Sahara Vistas - Cuts sequence. Rename it My Sahara Transitions and double-click to open the sequence.
A transition is an effect applied to the edit points between two clips in a sequence. Instead of cutting from one clip to the next and making an immediate change, a transition effect creates a gradual change over time from the outgoing clip to the incoming clip.
Center on Edit Alignment
Several types of transitions can be applied in Final Cut Pro. One type of transition used frequently is a video dissolve. A video dissolve gradually mixes the ending video of the outgoing clip with the beginning video of the incoming clip. As one clip fades out, the other clip fades in. This mixing process utilizes the handles of one or both clips that make up the transition. Handles are the additional source material that exists in the master clip. In audio, this process is called a cross fade. The end of one audio clip fades out while the beginning of the next one fades in.
In most cases, audio and video transitions are applied the same way. However, there are many types of video transitions and only a few types of audio transitions. In addition, each video transition has its own set of parameters. To learn the mechanics of applying a transition to a clip, you will begin by working with cross-fade audio transitions.
Applying a cross fade to audio clips is a good way to smooth out any rough sound you may have in your sequence. For example, in the Cuts sequence above, the audio narration clips sound jarring as one clip cuts to the next. Applying an audio transition at each edit point will smooth the transition between the clips.
In Final Cut Pro, you can choose a transition effect from one of two places: the Effects menu or the Effects tab in the Browser. Each contains the same set of transition effects organized in separate Video and Audio Transition bins.
In the Browser, select the Effects tab.
The Effects tab has six bins. Three bins contain video effects, two contain audio effects, and one can be used to store your favorite effects.
Click the triangle to display the contents of the Audio Transitions bin.
This folder contains two audio cross fades: 0dB and +3dB. The +3dB cross fade is underlined, meaning it is the default transition. The 00:00:01;00 listed under the Length column indicates that the cross fade has a default duration of 1 second.
Choose the Effects menu.
Five of the Effects bin titles appear here also, including Favorites, Audio Transitions and Filters, and Video Transitions and Filters.
From the Effects menu, select the Audio Transitions submenu.
The same two audio cross-fade options appear here, although currently grayed out, as appear on the Effects tab in the Browser.
Click in the Browser to close the menu.
Audio and video transitions are both applied in the same way, but while there are two audio transition options, there are nine different bins of video transitions, each with several possibilities to explore. You will work with some of those transitions later in this lesson. For now, let's start with audio transitions.
Transitions are applied to the edit point between two adjacent clips. If an audio clip has two tracks that are a stereo pair, applying a cross fade to one track will automatically apply it to the other track. You can apply a cross fade to an edit point several different ways. One method uses the Effects menu, and the other uses a drag-and-drop approach, dragging a transition from the Effects tab to an edit point in the Timeline. And the third uses a menu option shortcut.
To focus on just the audio track of this sequence, click the V1 Visible button in the Timeline and play the sequence. Listen closely to the transition between the winter and gift of spring clips.
Each narration clip is taken from a different part of the documentary, and the music is already mixed into the clip. Cutting from one narration clip to the next makes the audio in this sequence sound very choppy. Applying cross fades between the clips will smooth this out considerably.
In the Timeline, press the up or down arrow to move the playhead to the edit point between the winter and gift of spring audio clips. Press Option-+ to zoom in to that area of the sequence.
Choose Effects > Audio Transitions, and select Cross Fade (+3dB) from the submenu.
In the Timeline, a Cross Fade transition icon appears over the edit point of both clips in the stereo pair.
Play this audio transition.
The abrupt cut has been smoothed considerably by the audio cross fade.
TIP
If you zoomed in to a portion of your sequence, you will need to slide your Timeline to view other edit points. You can use the Zoom slider. But you can also select the Hand tool from the Tool palette (or press H) and drag the sequence left or right until you see the correct edit point. Don't forget to press A to return to the default Selection tool.
Play the transition between the distinctive life and winter clips, then click the audio edit point between the two clips to select it. Choose Effects > Audio Transitions again.
Notice the option in the submenu to select the last cross fade you used.
Choose Last - Cross Fade (+3dB) to apply a cross fade to this transition. Press Shift-Z to see the entire sequence and play the new cross fade.
To apply a cross fade from the Effects tab, make sure that the Audio Transitions bin contents are displayed and that you can see the edit point between the gift of spring and rain tears clips. From the Effects tab, drag the Cross Fade (+3dB) icon to this edit point and release it. Play this transition.
NOTE
The underline under a transition means it is the default transition. There is one default transition for both audio and video.
You can apply the default cross fade two different ways. Each method requires the playhead to be parked on the edit point.
Move the playhead to the edit point between the rain tears and rivers and plain clips. Use one of the following methods to apply a cross fade to this edit point.
Choose Effects > Default – Cross Fade (+3dB).
Press Cmd-Option-T.
Once you have reviewed a transition, you might decide that the length of the transition, or the transition duration, needs to be longer or shorter. The cross-fade transitions you applied in the previous exercise all had a default transition duration of 1 second. But you can give a cross fade whatever duration you want, as long as there is enough material, or handles, to cover it. You can change the duration of a transition several ways.
Ctrl-click on one side of the first audio cross-fade icon.
TIP
Always click away from the actual edit point in the middle of the transition icon to select it. If you click in the middle, the edit point itself will be selected.
A contextual menu containing several transition options appears.
A small transition Duration window appears with the default of 1 second. This duration is already highlighted, so you can begin typing a new duration without first clicking in the box.
Shorten this transition to 20 frames by entering 20. Press Return to enter the number, then click OK or press Return to close the window. Play the new transition.
Now double-click either side of the cross fade between the gift of spring and rain tears clips.
The same Duration window appears for you to enter a new duration.
In the Duration window, enter 2:00 to lengthen this duration to 2 seconds. Press Return twice. Play the transition.
NOTE
You can also enter the total number of frames, such as 60, for 2 seconds. Remember, video has 30 frames per second.
Doubling the length of this transition also doubles the width of the icon in the sequence.
Another way to change duration is to drag the edge of the icon. Press Option-+ (plus) to zoom into the cross fade and move the pointer over either edge of the cross-fade icon.
The pointer changes to a resize arrow.
Drag the edge of this transition away from the edit point as far as it will go, but don't release the mouse.
A transition will only drag as far as there is clip material to support it. If you cannot drag any farther, you have reached the limit of the clip's additional material or handles.
Now drag toward the edit point to change the length to 1:16.
An information box appears with the amount of the change and the new total duration.
Play the new transition.
If you have applied a transition to an edit point and like it enough to use it elsewhere, you can copy and paste it to any other edit point in the sequence. Or you can move it from one edit point to another. For this exercise, let's work on the transition between the distinctive life and winter audio clips.
Select the cross fade between the distinctive life and winter clips and press Cmd-C to copy it.
Ctrl-click the first transition in the sequence, and select Paste from the contextual menu.
Delete this transition by selecting the icon and pressing Delete.
Without a special transition applied, the edit point is returned to a simple cut.
Snap the playhead to this edit point, and press Cmd-V to paste the same transition you previously copied onto this edit point. You can also choose Edit > Paste.
Play the sequence, then press Cmd-S to save your project.
In the Browser, duplicate the Sahara Vistas – Cuts sequence again and name the copy Practice Fades.
Turn off visibility to the V1 track so you can focus just on the audio.
Using the different methods, practice applying cross fades to each audio edit point.
Change the duration of each transition after you've applied it.
Copy and paste one transition to another edit point.
Video transitions are applied and adjusted in the same way as audio transitions. But video transitions have additional parameters you can adjust that audio does not. To view and edit those parameters, you use the Transition Editor tab in the Viewer.
Many Final Cut Pro transitions are real-time (RT) effects, meaning that they can be played at normal play speed after you apply them. But depending on your computer hardware, some transitions must first be processed, or rendered, to view in real time. As you work with transitions in this lesson, you will learn how to preview and render transitions so that you can screen them in real time.
You will continue to work with the My Sahara Transitions sequence. But before you begin applying video transitions, you will create a backup copy of that sequence.
In the Sequences bin in the Browser, duplicate the My Sahara Transitions sequence, and change the word copy at the end of the name to backup.
This saves a version of the sequence as it currently exists, with audio transitions and no video transitions. You will return to it later to apply other video transitions to the sequence.
In the Timeline, make sure the original My Sahara Transitions sequence is active. Think of this as your master sequence and continue to work on this version.
Click the V1 Visible button so you can see the video in this sequence. Play the sequence.
In the Browser, click the Effects tab, and close or collapse any expanded bins. Then display the contents of the Video Transitions bin.
Display the contents of the Dissolve bin.
Every dissolve that appears in bold type can be played in real time. The underlined dissolve, Cross Dissolve, is the default video transition. In the Length column, you see that the length or duration of each type of dissolve transition is 1 second.
As with audio transitions, you choose the type of video transition either in the Effects tab or Effects menu, or with a shortcut. You can also choose a transition and copy and paste it. There is also a shortcut for adding a dissolve to the beginning or end of a clip to create either a fade-in or fade-out from black. And you can even add a default transition automatically as you make an edit.
As in the previous exercises, play the transition area before applying a transition so you can see how the transition affects the edit point.
Select the edit point between the sand storm and leaves falling clips.
To apply a transition from the Effects menu to an edit point, the playhead has to be parked on the edit point or the edit point has to be selected.
Choose Effects > Video Transitions > Dissolves > Cross Dissolve.
A colored render bar appears in the ruler area above the transition in the Timeline. See the “Rendering Transitions” section later in this chapter for a more in-depth discussion.
NOTE
Remember, boldface effects can play in real time and do not need rendering. If these effects appear unbolded and a red render bar appears in the Timeline after they've been applied, double-check that the RT selection in the Render pop-up menu in the Timeline is set to Unlimited RT.
From the Dissolve bin in the Effects tab, drag the Cross Dissolve icon to the second edit point between leaves falling and golden valley. Drag it left of the edit point, then right, then let it go over the center of the edit point.
A transition can align with an edit point in one of three ways:
End on Edit (left)
When a transition is placed completely on the left side of an edit point, the outgoing clip will complete fading or dissolving to the next clip before the edit point. This can be applied when the outgoing clip does not have enough material to extend beyond its Out point.
Start on Edit (right)
When a transition is placed completely on the right side of an edit point, the transition will begin at the edit point. This can be applied when the incoming clip does not have enough material to extend earlier than its original In point.
Center on Edit
When centered over an edit point, both the outgoing and incoming clips are extended by the same amount to create the dissolve.
Ctrl-click the third edit point, between the golden valley and pines and snow clips. Select Add Transition 'Cross Dissolve' from the contextual menu to add the default transition.
The default transition appears as an option in the contextual menu. You can access the default audio transition this way as well.
Ctrl-click the transition between the golden valley and pines and snow clips, and from the contextual menu select Copy.
Ctrl-click the next edit point and select Paste from the contextual menu.
Now move the playhead to the next edit point, between the snow on trees and atlas mtns cu clips. Choose Effects > Default - Cross Dissolve.
Move the playhead to the next edit point between the atlas mtns cu and the trees and sky clips. This time, press Cmd-T to apply the default video transition.
The transition is automatically aligned as an End on Edit because there isn't enough material within the handle to extend the outgoing atlas mtns cu clip beyond its Out point. The dissolve begins and ends on this clip's current Out point.
NOTE
To see the transition alignment for a clip, Ctrl-click on the transition icon and select Transition Alignment. You can also change the alignment of a transition here by selecting a different alignment option.
Many sequences begin with a fade-up, or fade-in, from black and end with a fade-out. Video dissolves applied to the first clip in a sequence produce a fade-in automatically.
Move the playhead to the head of the sequence in the Timeline. Press Cmd-T to apply the default transition.
TIP
Fades can also be applied by holding down the Command key while dragging the Cross Dissolve transition to an edit point. This can be applied to audio cross fades as well.
You can also edit a new clip to the Timeline and add a default transition at the same time. This option appears in the Edit Overlay.
In the Timeline, press End to move the playhead to the end of the sequence. Open the egyptian vultures clip in the Viewer, drag it to the Canvas, and drop it into the Overwrite with Transition section of the Edit Overlay. Make sure the v1 source is patched to the V1 destination track.
In the Timeline, an edit is made with a dissolve leading into it, all in one step. You can also insert an edit and add a transition at the same time.
Press Cmd-Z to undo the last edit.
You can adjust the transitions in the video portion of this sequence by applying some of the methods learned in the audio cross-fade exercises. You can also use an additional tool called the Transition Editor.
Ctrl-click the third cross-dissolve icon between the golden valley and pines and snow clips, and select Duration.
A Duration window appears, just as it did for audio transitions.
Enter a new duration of 2 seconds, press Return, and then click OK.
Ctrl-click the transition between the trees and sky and shadow on cliff clips, and select Duration from the contextual menu. Enter 3 seconds and press Return.
A beep sound indicates that there are not enough additional frames on at least one of these clips to create this length of transition. The duration 2:22 is entered automatically as the longest possible transition at this edit point.
So far, you have used the Viewer window to screen source clips and to edit clips in the Timeline. But you can also use the Viewer to work with other aspects of your sequence, such as video transitions and clip effects.
Ctrl-click the last transition between the tilt down to river and sunset clips, and select Open Cross Dissolve from the contextual menu.
The Transition Editor opens in the Viewer with a graphic representation of the current transition. You have already adjusted some of the options that appear, such as duration and alignment, through the contextual menu in the Timeline. But the Transition Editor offers a few more options and a graphical representation of the current transition. For example, you can drag the Drag hand icon in the upper-right corner of the window to an edit point in the Timeline to apply the current transition to a different edit point.
In the Current duration field, enter 300 to create a 3-second transition duration, and press Tab or Return.
The graphic representation of the dissolve in the Transition Editor changes, as does the transition on the edit point in the Timeline.
Click the End on Edit alignment button (on the left) and then the Start on Edit alignment button (on the right).
When you click the Start on Edit alignment button, a window appears indicating that there isn't enough material to align the current transition in that way. Click Cancel and return the alignment to Center on Edit.
In the Timeline, double-click the transition icon between the leaves falling and golden valley clips to open the Transition Editor.
TIP
When you double-click a transition to open it, remember to click on one side or the other. If you double-click the actual edit point between the two clips, you open the Trim Edit window.
Double-clicking an audio transition in the Timeline opens a Duration window. Double-clicking a video transition opens the Transition Editor into the Viewer.
Change the duration to 2 seconds.
The transition in the Timeline becomes wider to reflect the change in length.
In the Timeline, change the length of the duration again by dragging on the edge of the icon toward the center of the edit point until the duration is 1:16, then release the mouse.
Press Cmd-S to save this project, and close this sequence by Ctrl-clicking its tab in the Timeline or Canvas.
Dissolve transitions utilize a blending process, mixing the end of the outgoing clip with the beginning of the incoming clip. Other types of transition effects utilize different approaches. Wipe transitions, for example, use a replacement process in which part of the outgoing clip is replaced by part of the incoming one. Iris transitions use a shape, such as a diamond or star, to reveal the incoming image. Other transitions push or slide the outgoing image out of the image area, replacing it with the incoming image.
Applying any type of transition effect is done the same way as applying a dissolve in the previous lessons. When a transition has additional effect parameters that can be adjusted, they will appear in the Transition Editor.
To practice applying and adjusting wipe transitions, you will copy the My Sahara Transitions backup sequence and work with the copy.
In the Browser, duplicate the My Sahara Transitions backup sequence, and rename it Other Transitions. Open the Other Transitions sequence and play it. Make sure visibility is turned on for the V1 track.
On the Effects tab in the Browser, collapse the Dissolve bin and reveal the contents of the Wipe bin. You may have to drag the vertical scroll bar down to see the complete contents of this bin.
Drag the Checkerboard Wipe to the edit point between the sand storm and leaves falling clips in the Timeline, and play it.
As with video dissolves, the name of the specific wipe appears on the transition icon in the Timeline.
NOTE
If you want to preview different types of transitions on one edit point, you can continue dragging new options from the Effects tab and dropping them over the current edit point. You can also select the edit point and choose alternatives from the Effects menu. New transitions will replace whatever transition was there before it.
Double-click the Checkerboard Wipe icon in the Timeline to open it in the Transition Editor.
Additional effect parameters appear under the transition graphic display. Each of these parameters can be controlled or adjusted using a slider, numerical-entry box, or pop-up menu.
In the Timeline, park the playhead in the middle of the wipe.
Make the following changes to the Checkerboard effect and then play the transition again:
Drag the Columns slider left until the number 4 appears in the number box.
In the Rows number box, type 4, and press Tab or Return.
From the Corner pop-up menu, select Upper Right.
Change the Wipe from Horizontal to Vertical in the pop-up menu.
Click the tiny triangle to the right of the Border slider to increase the border to 1.
Click the black Color box to open the Color window.
At the top of this window are icons representing five color-picking layouts: Color Wheel, Color Sliders, Color Palettes, Image Palettes, and Crayons.
Click each icon to see how that option displays color choices. Then click Cancel to close the window.
You can also select a color for the border from the images involved in the transition. Click the Select Color eyedropper in the Color parameters. In the Canvas, click the eyedropper on one of the gold leaves.
To reset any transition effect to its original default settings, click the Reset button (which has a red X) beneath the reverse-direction arrow.
Dissolves and wipes are just two of the different types of transitions you can apply to edit points. You can choose from seven other categories. The following exercise serves as an introduction to some of the other possible transition options.
Click the next edit point, between the leaves falling and golden valley clips, choose Effects > Video Transitions > Stretch > Cross Stretch, and play it. Render if necessary.
NOTE
If a red render line appears in the Timeline, the transition needs to be rendered before viewing it in real time. Rendering is covered in the next section.
Like cross dissolves and cross fades, all other transitions can be applied by dragging an icon from the Effects tab directly to an edit point, or by selecting the edit point and choosing a transition option from the Effects menu.
Select the next edit point, choose Effects > Video Transitions > Slide > Swap Slide, and play it.
This time, click the triangle to display the contents of the 3D Simulation bin, drag the Spinback3D effect to the next edit point, and release it. Play the transition.
To see a different type of dissolve, drag the Ripple Dissolve from the Dissolves bin to the next edit point, and play it.
From the Page Peel bin, drag the Page Peel transition to the edit point between the shadow on cliff and river clips, and play it.
On some computers, this effect may appear in the Effects tab unbolded, meaning that it will need to be previewed a different way or rendered to play it in real time.
Rendering is a process that takes just the transition between two clips and makes a separate clip out of it. That clip is stored in the Render Files folder on the designated scratch disk and played back in the sequence as a separate but invisible clip—meaning that it does not appear in the Browser or the Timeline.
NOTE
To view or change the scratch disk designation, press Shift-Q to open the System Preferences window.
In the Timeline is a render bar that displays the render status of both video and audio effects. The render bar actually contains two thin regions. The upper region represents video; the lower region represents audio.
Different colored lines might appear in the render bar, indicating a specific render status. The render status of an effect will depend on the speed of the computer you are using. The status of an effect may be one of the following:
• | Red | Transition needs to be rendered to play in real time. |
• | Green | Real-time transition that needs no rendering. |
• | Yellow | Transition can play in real time but may approximate certain attributes. |
• | Orange | Will play in real time if Unlimited RT effects is selected in the Timeline RT pop-up menu, but may drop frames. |
• | Blue | Transition or effect has been rendered. |
You can preview an effect first to see if you like it before rendering it. Previewing effects before rendering is a good way to tweak the effect and save valuable hard-drive space.
Play the Page Peel effect in the Timeline, and note the color of the render bar.
Place the playhead a few seconds before the Page Peel effect.
Choose Mark > Play > Every Frame, or press Option-backslash ( ) or Option-P.
The clip plays at normal play speed until the playhead reaches the transition. At that point, the play speed slows down to process the transition, then picks up again when it has passed the transition area.
This time drag the playhead manually through the transition area to see unrendered transition frames. This is somewhat like scrubbing an effect. You can also press the left and right arrow keys to move a frame at a time.
To render it, choose Sequence > Render Selection, or press Cmd-R.
A window appears with a render progress bar.
To render all unrendered transitions in the sequence, choose Sequence > Render All, or press Option-R.
Rendering will be covered more in later lessons.
There are two features that allow you to personalize your transition options. If you plan to use a particular transition over and over again, you can make a favorite of the effect and keep it in the Favorites bin in the Effects tab. You can also create a different default transition for audio and video than the one currently set. Making a transition a favorite effect or the default transition allows you to easily use it in other projects.
In the Browser Effects tab, click the triangle to display the contents of the Favorites bin.
Unless you have already saved some effects, this bin will be empty.
In the Timeline, drag the Ripple dissolve from between the snow on trees and atlas mtns cu clips into the Effects tab and over the Favorites bin. When the Favorites bin becomes highlighted, release the mouse.
The Ripple Dissolve transition is added to the Favorites bin.
Change the length or duration of this effect in the Effects tab by clicking in the Length column and typing 3 seconds, either as 300, or 3. (period), and pressing Return.
The Length column displays the 3-second length you programmed. You can apply this transition as you would any other transition.
Choose Effects > Favorites.
Any transition you put in the Favorites bin appears on this submenu and can be selected like any other transition.
To change the current video default transition (the cross dissolve), first select it in the Dissolves bin in the Effects tab.
Choose Effects > Clear default, from the menu.
In the Effects tab, the underline beneath the Cross Dissolve name no longer appears. Currently, no default transitions are set.
Select the Dip to Color Dissolve, and change the length to 10 frames.
Choose Effects > Set Default.
The default line appears under the name of this transition.
In the Timeline, select any edit point, then choose Effects > Default.
In the Effects menu, the default listed is now Dip to Color. Using the shortcut Cmd-T in the Timeline will now place a Dip to Color transition at the edit point as the default transition.
If you need to make changes to the actual edit point between two clips, you can use editing tools from the Tool palette on the edit point, even though a transition is present.
Move the pointer to the center of the Band Wipe transition effect between the sand storm and leaves falling clips.
When the pointer moves over the edit point, it changes to the Roll Edit tool so you can adjust the edit point.
Drag left and right to roll the edit point between the two clips.
As you drag, the transition moves along with the edit point.
Use the Slip tool to slip the leaves falling clip.
Press A to return your pointer to the default Selection tool.
Always save your project before you close it or quit Final Cut Pro.
How to use the Effects tab and menu
How to apply audio cross fades and video dissolves
How to change transition durations
How to change transition alignment
How to copy, paste, and delete transitions
How to use the Transition Editor
How to apply wipes and other transitions
How to preview and render transitions
How to save favorite transitions
How to set new default transitions