Exploring the basics of video transitions: How to make your edits seamless

As both a video creator and a viewer, surely you agree that there’s nothing better than a video that just flows, where all the scenes blend together and tell a cohesive, captivating story from beginning to end. No abrupt cuts, no disrupting jumps, just smooth transitions all around. 

Video transitions are, frankly, the unsung heroes of great video content. Whether you’re putting together a vlog, a tutorial, or a full-length film, transitions are visual bridges that add rhythm and flow to any footage. But they can be tricky. Slow and subtle is key; too much, and it ends up overwhelming your viewers. 

If you’re planning to become a master of video transitions (or, at the very least, learn enough to level up your video editing process), you’ve come to the right place. Here, you’ll not only discover the many types of video transitions and when to use them but also understand the major role they play in visual storytelling.

Curious yet? Keep reading!

What qualifies as a video transition?  

Essentially, video transitions are special effects that you can apply at the start or end of video clips to help them blend seamlessly. By adding transitions, creators effectively remove any abrupt cuts from their footage, which creates a pleasant and immersive experience for the viewers. 

The most common types of transitions used in video content include blurs, wipes, fades, and splits. 

Why your video needs transitions

From simple cuts and wipes to more elaborate fades and zoom effects, you can use transitions to set the tone of your videos and guide your viewers through the story. However, knowing what transitions to add and when to add them makes all the difference. Their impact depends heavily on how thoughtfully they are incorporated into your videos. 

Video transitions are usually used to make scenes blend into one another simply, but they can serve to convey emotion, draw attention to specific scenes, and mark a storyline, location, or topic change. 

With that in mind, let’s go over the main benefits of using video transitions in your content: 

Telling better stories 

It’s no secret that video transitions take your storytelling to a whole other level. By adding transitions at strategic moments in your videos, you can easily guide your viewers through different scenes, convey powerful emotions, and move the story forward. You can also use transitions to mark a chapter break or plot change or to present information in a more structured way.

Engaging your audience

A sequence of disjointed video clips can easily cost you your audience’s interest. Your viewers are more likely to tune in to a cohesive story that flows smoothly and entertains, and that’s exactly what video transitions bring to the table. With all the right transitions in all the right places, you make sure your audience stays focused on the action and watches until the very end.

Setting the mood of your video 

Think of it this way: just as salt and pepper add flavor to your food, video transitions add depth and character to your content. Using the appropriate transitions, you can create different moods and set the right pace for your video. Fast-paced cuts can add tension and excitement, while slower, smoother crossfades can convey a sense of calmness.

7 types of transitions that will make your videos stand out

When it comes to video editing transitions, creators are usually spoiled for choice – which can be both exciting and tricky. Having a wide variety to choose from means you can let your creativity run wild, but it’s easy to go overboard.

Adding too many transitions can easily overwhelm your viewers and make your video feel cluttered and hard to follow. Finding the right balance is key!

The best way to achieve that balance is to know your options and understand where each type of video transition shines best. 

With that said, let’s have a look at 7 main types of transitions and corresponding video transitions examples:

1. Fade

One of the classic, widely-known transitions is the fade. Whenever you place this transition at the end of a clip, you should expect to see the clip fade gradually to reveal the next one. Sometimes, it can also be used to transition to a black background, creating a fade-in or fade-out effect for a scene.

That means there are main sub-types of fade transitions: fade-ins (black to scene), fade-outs (scene to black), and cross-fades (scene to scene).

Fades are usually used to signify a passage of time or location. They are great for slowing down the pace of your video, creating a more natural storytelling flow, and conveying a calm, emotional atmosphere.

How it looks: Here’s an example of a fade-in transition used in the famous opening scene of the Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring film:

How to do it with Flixier: You can achieve the same effect by opening Flixier’s transitions library, choosing Dip to Black from the Fades tab, and placing it at the beginning of the video clip. 

Under Fades, you might also find other cool video transitions, such as the glitching effect, which is used by many video creators nowadays to mimic digital or analog errors and sometimes even convey a sense of nostalgia. 

2. Wipe

During a wipe transition, one clip is being replaced by another with a sliding motion. The first scene is practically pushed out of the frame and replaced by the next. This effect is highly customizable, depending on the direction in which the wipe occurs - left, right, up, or down – and on the patterns or shapes that are applied to it.

Wipes are a creative way of conveying a sense of movement in your videos.

How it looks: Here’s an example of several wipe transitions in Star Wars: A New Hope: 

How to do it with Flixier: From the transitions menu, choose any of the wipe transition options that are available. You can go with any of the standard directional wipes or opt for a more creative transition, such as the Window Blinds effect.

3. Division

As the name suggests, division transitions involve dividing the screen into multiple sections. Division transitions (sometimes called split screen transitions) can take different forms, such as grids, shattered screens, or peel-offs (where portions of the screen are being peeled off to reveal a new clip),  

Divisions are a great way to make the switch between clips in your video more dramatic and engaging for your audience. However, they should be used sparingly, as they can very quickly overwhelm the audience. 

How it looks: 

How to do it with Flixier: Head to the Transitions menu and open the Divisions tab. There, you’ll find a selection of division-based effects that you can use to transition from one clip to another. For the example above, I used the Grid Flip transition.

Pro tip: you can also take this opportunity to blur or pixelate videos during the transition. Simply look for the Pixelate transition in Flixier.

4. Blur

If you’re trying to create a smooth, soft (maybe even dream-like) change from one scene to another, blur transitions might be your best bet. During a blur transition, one clip becomes increasingly blurred before finally clearing up to reveal the next clip. 

Just like wipes, blur transitions can vary based on the type of blur applied. 

How it looks: 

How to do it with Flixier: Go to the Transitions menu, open the Blurs tab, and pick your preferred blur transition. For the example above, I chose the classic Blur transition.

5. Split 

Similarly to division transitions, splits happen when the screen “opens up” into separate sections to reveal the next video clip. They can be either vertical, horizontal, diagonal, or they can incorporate different patterns. 

Splits are ideal for dynamic, fast-paced videos, especially those with action sequences, as they add a creative and energetic feel to the content.

How it looks: 

How to do it with Flixier: From the left side menu, select Transitions, then go to Splits. You can choose between more classic options like an angular split or more complex transitions like the Pinwheel. For the example above, I chose the Bow Tie Horizontal transition.

6. 3D transition

If you’re looking to add depth and perspective to your video through transitions, then consider incorporating 3D transitions. As their name suggests, this type of transition creates the impression that your clips exist within a three-dimensional space. Other 3D transitions include cube rotations, page turns, and spirals. 

They are a popular choice for tech, sci-fi, or action-themed video content, but they work just as well for other types of videos.

How it looks: 

How to do it with Flixier: Open the Transitions library for the left side menu, go to 3D, and select the 3D-style transition you think fits best in your video, then add it at the start, end, or in-between clips. For the example above, I used the Cube Rotation transition.

7. Radial transition

If your goal is to draw your viewers’ attention to the center of the screen – for instance, by introducing a new character –  then a radial transition might be exactly what you need. Radial transitions involve an effect that starts from the center of the screen and expands outwards (usually in a circular motion). 

The most common types of radial transitions used by video creators are radial blur, radial wipe, zoom radial, or the famous ripple effect. 

How it looks: 

How to do it with Flixier: In the Transitions library, look for the Radial tab and explore the various transition options. For the example above, I chose the Swirl transition.

Common mistakes in video transitions and how to avoid them

Video transitions are a fun video editing gimmick that you can leverage to make your video stand out and tell better, more engaging stories. However, with this great creative power comes the responsibility to use transitions wisely, as overuse or misuse can end up detracting from the overall quality of your video.

So, let’s go over some of the common mistakes in video transitions and how to bypass them: 

1. Adding too many transitions

With such a great variety of transitions at your disposal, you might be tempted to use as many of them as possible in the hopes that they will make your video look really engaging and fun. However, too many transitions can actually overwhelm your audience and discourage them from watching any further. 

Tip: To avoid this, apply transitions only where you feel it is absolutely necessary (e.g., moving the plot forward, introducing a new chapter, drawing attention to a key moment, etc.)

2. Mixing different transition types

Combining all kinds of transitions in a single video can have a similar effect to adding too many transitions: overwhelming your viewers and distracting them from the topic of your video. 

Tip: Depending on the length of your video, pick one or two transition types and stick to them. Don’t mix slow and highly dynamic transitions in the same video. 

3. Making your transitions too fast or too long 

Transitions should, for the most part, feel subtle and natural. If your transitions are taking too long to unfold or, on the contrary, are occurring too fast, the audience might feel disrupted.

Tip: Carefully adjust the duration of your transition to match the pace of your video.
 

Time to get creative with your own transitions!

The beauty of video transitions is that you don't need extensive editing experience to create something outstanding. A well-chosen transition can make a huge difference.

In this article, we covered the most popular video transition types and their uses and learned why they're essential for video editing. We’ve also touched upon a few of the main challenges video creators face when working with video transitions.

And, of course, we learned how to add transitions to your videos easily with Flixier. From incorporating multiple video transitions to creating green screen videos, auto-generating subtitles with AI, and publishing videos directly to social media, there’s virtually no limit to what you can do with a versatile web-based video editor like Flixier.