Video Editing Transitions

Before studying in Bharatiya Vidya Bhawan for Editing Diploma, i thought sometimes how a visual scene changes to another and it just clicks a sense in our mind. And now i, having a best editor award from my institution i have solutions.
Everything that is done in the editing process is done with the intent of enhancing the telling of the story. That is what editing is all about, telling a story. It makes no difference if the video is a professional movie or about your summer trip to Kashmir, both are telling a story. Video transitions enhance the the changes between scenes and can dramatically enhance the emotional impact of your scene. There are times when a straight cut does not work well, and a dissolve or other transition can improve the transition.

Most novice editors try to use all of the the transitions that the editing program offers them and in the process, they lose sight of the story that they are trying to tell and end up with a distracting display of transitions that do not move their story forward. Including transitions with a focus towards the overall story is essential. In general, most stories can be told with with short dissolves, an obsessional wipe and or simple fades in and out of scenes. You should only use clean transitions that move the story forward and then only if a straight cut won't do the job. Keeping it simple should be the rule of the day.

If you practice this discipline your editing will be greatly enhanced and when you use a fancier transition it will really add something to the story. With professional video editing the maxim of less is more often carries the day. Always remember that, in the end, you want your style to match content, and aid in the story telling process, not hinder the viewer of your video from being drawn in emotionally.

It is a good rule of thumb to keep your video editing transitions as smooth and as unnoticed as possible. Remember that in the end, great video editing is about creating maximum emotional impact without being noticed. Everyone remembers the classic Hollywood movies for their emotional impact not their video editing transitions, and though integral to achieving that impact, it is a great rule of thumb that we should apply to our home video editing projects as well.

Thom Pryor was a professional Hollywood video editor for over 30 years working on some of your favorite films and TV shows. Now he helps people using Professional Video Editing tell a story with their video projects. Let him help you convert slides, preserve your media, and tell the story that lies underneath your video and audio projects.