If you’re new to video editing, one of the tasks you might feel compelled to do is apply all the best video transitions in existence.
And to neophyte video editors, this task can be tricky and even unclear. It might be mistakenly interpreted as using all the sparkly and cool effects in jumping from one scene to the next. Or perhaps it could be seen as an objective video editing rule where every scene has a correct corresponding transition.
However, a good video isn’t a mix of flashy editing. And neither is it a product of strict guidelines.
In fact, a good video almost always shrouds transitions under a cloak of invisibility while maintaining its creative flair throughout the viewing experience.
Sounds like a difficult task? Don’t worry. Trust us when we say you’ll get a better hang of it once you finish reading this article. So let’s start with the most basic of concepts — what are video transitions anyway?
What are Video Transitions & Why are they Important?
Video transitions are visual cues signaling there’s a change in scene, angle, or perspective within a video. Editors apply a number of transition styles according to a video’s needs.
But what’s the point of carefully studying this one aspect of video editing? Why are video transitions important? Tech resource site Techopedia says the goal of video transitions is to bring different shots together “so the core narrative moves forward” seamlessly.
In other words, video transitions ultimately contribute to your audience’s viewing experience. With the appropriate transitions and effects, the chances of them sticking with your content longer become higher.
So how do you determine the best video transitions for the kind of marketing output you want to showcase to the public? For this article, we’re going to refer to one of our old blog posts to help you do this effectively.
A List of Common Video Transitions
But first, let’s talk about transitions. Of course, you’re at liberty to choose the ones you like best, but we think the following video transitions are the most fitting for many of the video marketing styles we talked about in our blog. Refer to that article as you read through this post.
You can even find these transitions on the different video editing software for beginners and pros we tackled in another article.
So without further ado, here are subtle yet effective video transitions best used for the top video styles in marketing.
- Fade: a scene slowly transitions to black or white, typically indicating the passage of time
- Slide: the current scene whips out of view to introduce the next scene
- Wipe: another scene “wipes out” the current scene
- Dissolve: the next scene replaces the current scene through superimposition, gradually making the current scene transparent until it disappears
- Iris: the current scene shrinks into a shape, often circle, to introduce the next
- Zoom: view zooms into current scene until it blurs and disappears, making way for the next scene
- Cut: abruptly displays the next scene and is the most versatile transition
While these transitions are limited to those found in video editing software, keep in mind you can get even more creative with them during filming. But to narrow down this article’s focus, we’ll stick with video transitions found on editing applications.
The Best Video Transitions for Different Marketing Styles
Explainer Videos
Explainer videos convey your brand’s reason for being. Why do people need the products or services you offer? How will your business help your target audience? This type of video marketing style is essentially your elevator pitch to the world.
Since the goal of explainer videos is to introduce your brand, transitions that don’t draw attention to themselves work better. Of course, this can drastically change depending on your brand voice. But generally, for this style, you want to use transitions such as slide, dissolve, and cut.
Demo Videos
There are parallels between demo videos and explainer videos, as we explained in our blog. In explainer videos, you can include a bit on how your product or service works. But this type of messaging is primarily what demo videos are for — to demonstrate your work.
One of the things you might want to feature in your demo videos is the change that happens when someone benefits from your business. So the transitions that will help illustrate this change are wipe, fade, zoom, and slide.
Narrative Ads
For narrative video ads, you want your message to be grounded in storytelling. They differ from pitch-oriented ads in that they aim to establish a connection with viewers. It’s not the how or what or why that matters here. It’s the emotions you spark in your audience.
Because narrative ads generally have to tell a story, they tend to take on a more cinematic feel. And what’s the most common video transition movies use? It’s actually simple — the cut and dissolve.
You can definitely experiment with this style (and with the rest as well). But doing a simple trim or cut in the video editing process, as well as dissolving between scenes where needed, should be more than enough.
Educational Videos
Educational videos communicate valuable insights to its audience. Just like narrative ads, you’re not exactly making a pitch but rather are signaling why you should be trusted. This type of video marketing style tends to be jam-packed with information. You’re going to want to make it compelling all throughout.
So for educational video ads, make your transitions engaging. Go with the wipe, slide, and iris transitions to indicate a shift in subject matter or demonstration of different, interwoven concepts.
Interviews
Interview-based marketing content is similar to educational videos, but this time you have fellow industry experts engaging with you.
The goal of interviews is fairly similar to educational video ads, but because there are two people talking seemingly in real-time, you don’t want video transitions to detract from the meat of the content.
Often, the role viewers take on in interview-based content is akin to someone listening in on a conversation. So cut in between scenes and angles. The simplicity of this video transition helps viewers feel a sense of immersion when watching interviews.
In Summary
Some of the best transition effects for video editing are also the most subtle. These are:
- Fade
- Slide
- Wipe
- Dissolve
- Zoom
- Cut
However, it’s important to note different video marketing styles call for different types of video transitions.
Explainer videos tend toward slide, dissolve, and cut; demo videos, wipe, fade, zoom, and slide; narrative video ads may simply cut and dissolve in between scenes; educational ads, wipe, slide, iris transitions; and interviews typically employ the cut transition.
Need professional video editing services? You’re in luck because NarraSoft offers this and more. For high-converting, engaging videos, don’t hesitate to message us on our contact form or email us at sales@narrasoft.com.