Making Cuts Flow
A transition is the visual effect between two clips. A filter changes the overall look (color/style) of a clip. An effect is a visual trick applied to a clip.
Adding a transition
- Click the small box that appears between two clips on the timeline.
- Choose a transition from the list — Fade is a good default.
- Drag the transition’s edges to change how long it lasts.
Common transitions: Fade (clip fades to the next), Dissolve (one blends into the other), Slide and Zoom. Use them lightly — too many transitions makes a video feel busy.
Applying a filter
- Select a clip.
- Open Filters (right panel or toolbar).
- Hover a filter to preview it, then click to apply. Popular free looks include Humble, Freedom, and Hollywood Past.
- Drag the filter’s intensity slider to taste.
Adding effects and stickers
- Effects: the Effects tab has video effects (like glitch, blur, shake) you can drop onto a clip.
- Stickers: the Stickers tab adds emoji and graphics on top of your video.
Speed changes
Select a clip, open Speed, and pick Normal to slow it down or Curve for a smooth ramp. Slow motion is great for action; speeding up covers boring stretches.
Try it yourself
Put two clips side by side, add a Fade transition between them, and apply a filter to one of them. Then slow one clip down to 0.5x.
Course on media.sacaa.org — free for any visitor, no login required. Work through lessons in order.