Smooth Your Transitions

Transitions are a video editing technique that connect one shot to another.

Most of the time editors just use a basic cut, where one clip is instantly replaced by the next with no bells or whistles.

99% of TV shows are edited this way, with very few exceptions:

Sports broadcasts and news networks have visual transitions to take you from one segment to the next, because those segments are usually titled and distinct.

Sometimes to convey a dream sequence in a TV show, editors fade to white and add a blurry overlay to pair nicely with ascending harp music. 

Outside of sports, news, and fictional dreams/flashbacks, there are very few instances in traditional media where fancy transitions are used.

YouTube

On Youtube, there’s a bit more flexibility.

Editing software usually comes stacked with different creative transitions.

Creators usually develop a distinct editing style wherein they use the same few transitions all the time in their videos.

There are also hundreds of thousands of custom-made transitions in creative marketplaces that level up the look and feel of edits. One of my personal favorites is a fast pan:

However, one of the indicators of an inexperienced editor is the use of too many different transitions within a single video. 

This will make the narrative feel scattered and distract the viewer. New editors are like kids in a candy store, running around screaming on a sugar high within Premiere.

Good transitions are subtle and don’t take away from the content of the video. Instead, they elevate the style with specific creative choices.

If you need help identifying the best transition style for your videos, check out InhouseVideographer.com. 

TikTok

On TikTok, transitions ARE the content.

A sign of an experienced creator is the ability to move from one clip to the next seamlessly using various props or motions:

There is a new trending sound + transition pairing every week, and many popular TikTokers got their claim to fame by being good at transitions.

While on YouTube this could play as cheesy or unnecessary, on TikTok you earn major brownie points for executing different transitions successfully,

Final Thoughts

Be conscious of the nature of the platform when making editing decisions. This doesn’t just apply to the subject or length of your videos, it applies to the very editing techniques you use and how you choose to use them.

Oh, and if you don't have the time to shoot & edit your own videos, we can do it for you.

Have an ELITE week,

Hannah