How to Add and Use Transitions in Filmora

It’s hard to make a perfect video where no editing is required.  If you can do it, good for you!  For the rest of us, editing is necessary, and that sometimes means you end up with sharp end and beginning pieces that look jarring when you “tape” them together. Yes, young people, back in the day, film was actually taped together, it was called splicing.

In the digital age, when you put two different pieces of video together, you can smooth the exit and entry of content with a Transition. There are lots of them, some basic and some fancy.  I recommend sticking with basic unless you are creating a video with intricate effects.  Though some of the swirls,  fly-ins, and bounces are cool, they don’t really add much to business videos and often can be seen as a distraction that will make someone leave your video. 

Transitions are also ideal when you have two completely different videos you want to blend together. Think of videos you have seen where a person is standing there talking and the screen moves to an example of what they are talking about, then moves back to the person. These transitions can be more seamlessly “stitched” together with transitions.

I mostly use and recommend starting with only two transitions, Dissolve and Fade.  These two will get you what you want, a professional video with a pleasing visual appeal.  On occasion a different type of transition is good, however, learning the benefits of Dissolve and Fade first will put you ahead of the game.

How to Add Transitions in Filmora

Two Sections of the Same Video

• For a transition that is between two pieces of video, click and drag the transition over the area the two video pieces meet. 
• If you double click it, you can adjust the transition, left, center, right. You also have the ability to adjust the fade in and out.
• You can adjust the time of the transition by sliding the white bar on either side of the transition

Add B Roll or Other Extra Video

You have several options here.

• You can leave your main video uncut and add your extra footage above the main video in a new “video track”, then add your transition over the extra footage content.
• If you want to transition where the transition is “between the two pieces of video, add your extra footage above the main video in a new “video track”, then move the red line to the front of your extra footage. 
  • Click on the main footage so it is the only thing highlighted, then use the scissors to “clip” your main video. 
  • Move the red line to the end of your extra footage.
  • Use the scissors to “clip” the main footage. 
  • Click on the piece you want to delete, press delete.
  • Drag the extra footage down into the main timeline and add your transitions.

Front Card and End Card

• Add a transition from the front card and video
• Add a transition from the video to the end card

Be sure to review your video several times to make sure the transitions work with your video content and that you haven’t over-edited the video.  Most marketing videos, instructional videos, training videos, informational videos, etc should focus more on the content of the video and less on the editing of the video.  Editing the video to be professional is great, you just don’t want to overdo it with too many fancy elements.

Stay tuned for more tips on how to level up your videos! Happy editing!

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