Common Types of Transitions
A cut, the most basic type of transition, is a transition with no duration; when one shot
ends, another one immediately begins, without any overlap. All other transitions
gradually replace one shot with another; when one shot ends, another one gradually
replaces it. There are three very common transitions used that occur over time: fades,
cross dissolves, and wipes.
 A fade-out begins with a shot at full intensity and reduces until it is gone. A fade-in
begins with a shot at no intensity and increases until it is full. These are the common
“fade to black” and “fade up (from black)” transitions.
 A cross dissolve involves two shots. The first shot fades out while the second shot
simultaneously fades in. During the cross dissolve, the two shots are superimposed
as they fade.
 A wipe is where the screen splits, moving from one side of the image to the other to
gradually reveal the next shot. It is more obvious than a fade or cross dissolve.
Final Cut Pro also comes with two audio transitions: a +3 dB cross fade (the default)
and a 0 dB cross fade
 Cross Fade (+3 dB): Performs the same operation as Cross Fade (0 dB), but applies an
equal-power ramp to the volume level, rather than a linear ramp.
Note: An equal-power ramp uses a quarter-cycle cosine fade-out curve and a
quarter-cycle sine fade-in curve. As a result, the volume is maintained at a constant
level throughout the cross fade.
 Cross Fade (0 dB): Fades the first clip out, while simultaneously fading the second clip
in. This effect applies a linear ramp to the volume level. As a result, the volume level
dips in the middle of the cross fade.
Each cross fade results in a different audio level change as the transition plays. Your
choice of cross fades depends on the clips you’re transitioning between. Try one, then
try the other to see which sounds better.
Chapter 21
Adding Transitions
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