Create AMAZING Transitions With THIS EFFECT! (Premiere Pro Tutorial)

Introduction

This morning, at the office, Lily challenged me to recreate five transitions from different places. Let’s dive right into it and get to work!

Transition 1: Apple's Macbook Pro Trailer

To kick things off, I'm going to recreate a transition from Apple's new Macbook Pro trailer. I recently purchased a gimbal, so I'll give it a go, despite not using one for years.

Shot One: Start by tilting down towards the ground before moving up. This upward movement will serve as the cut into the next shot.
Shot Two: Begin on the ground, move forward, and then tilt the camera up. Feel free to end wherever you like, but I prefer concluding in the sky.

Editing in Premiere Pro

Trim the first clip to the point where the camera is moving quickly and the ground appears blurry.
For the second clip, cut away the initial parts until the camera reaches the ground again.
Snap both clips together. At this point, it should already look good!
If needed, color grade the clips to ensure the street colors match for a seamless blend.
Click on the cut between both clips and hit Shift + D to create a crossfade effect, allowing the clips to transition smoothly.

Transition 2: Hidden Cut

Next, let’s tackle a hidden cut, a cut that’s invisible to viewers. Lily pointed out a brilliant one from the movie 1917, and I’m excited to recreate it!

Shot One: Record a shot of Lily walking behind a tree—make sure to capture her walking completely past the tree.
Shot Two: Film your talent walking again, maintaining approximately the same distance between the camera and the subject as in the first shot.

Editing in Premiere Pro

Trim the first clip to the point where the tree is completely out of sight. Move this clip one track up.
Drag the second clip of your talent walking underneath the first.
Select the top video, head to effect controls, and set the playhead at the moment just before the tree exits the frame.
Click on the pen tool to create a mask around the frame. Activate the mask path stopwatch icon to create a keyframe.
Use the scroll wheel to move one frame ahead and adjust the mask to follow the tree. Continue this process until the mask is completely out of view.
Adjust the feather for a more realistic look.

Transition 3: Mr. Beast Transition

Creating a Mr. Beast transition can be a little tricky, but once you nail it, you can save it as a preset for future use.

Begin by downloading some beautiful drone shots from Storyblocks. It’s super handy and saves a lot of time.

Editing in Premiere Pro

Create an adjustment layer and drag it over your clips, trimming it to ensure equal lengths on both sides.
Set a cut in the middle of the adjustment layer.
To create a zoom-out effect, find the “Replicate” effect in the effects library, apply it to the first clip, then follow it with the “Mirror” effect.
Adjust the replicate effect’s count to three and the mirror effect’s reflection angle to 90°.
Duplicate the mirror effect, setting the angle to -90° and adjusting the reflection center accordingly. Repeat this for angles 0° and 180°.
This will eliminate any black borders.

Now, for the zoom effect, apply the “Transform” effect to both adjustment layers:

For the first layer, set the scale to 300 at the first frame, then change it back to 100 at the last frame, adjusting the velocity curves for smoother motion.
Repeat the same for the second adjustment layer, increasing the shutter angle to add motion blur.

Transition 4: Closet to Laptop

Lily found a video by Queen Chelsea on TikTok showcasing a fantastic transition from opening a closet to revealing a laptop. Let’s create my own version!

Shot One: Start by recording yourself opening a small key cabinet while keeping the camera horizontal—this mimics the look of a laptop opening.
Shot Two: Begin vertically, then rotate until the camera is horizontal once more.

Editing in Premiere Pro

Trim the first clip where the cabinet is halfway open, and do the same for the second clip with the laptop.
Overlap the two clips and lower the opacity of the second clip to let both the cabinet and laptop blend together.
Adjust the clips in the effect controls to ensure proper alignment, as the closer the movements match, the better the final result.

If you recreate these transitions, please send them to me on Instagram—I’d love to see your work!

The Conclusion

The fifth transition will focus on audio techniques, something you can learn about in the next tutorial. Thank you all for watching, and happy editing!

Keyword

Transitions
Premiere Pro
Gimbal
Hidden Cut
Mr. Beast Transition
Storyblocks
Audio Techniques

FAQ

Q1: What is a hidden cut?
A: A hidden cut is an editing technique where the transition between two shots is seamless and often appears invisible to the viewer.

Q2: How can I recreate a Mr. Beast transition?
A: To recreate a Mr. Beast transition, you need to use an adjustment layer, apply effects like Replicate and Mirror, and adjust the scaling for a smooth transition effect.

Q3: What is Storyblocks?
A: Storyblocks is a stock media library that offers unlimited downloads of 4K HD footage, templates, music, and sound effects for a single subscription cost.

Q4: Why is color grading important in transitions?
A: Color grading is important to ensure that different clips match in color, creating a cohesive look and making transitions feel smooth and professional.

Q5: Can I use my smartphone to achieve these transitions?
A: Yes, you can absolutely use a smartphone to capture clips for these transitions as long as you follow the necessary camera movements for each transition.