Why can't I cross fade clips in the centre / WHY do I need to trim?

[Pianistinator]

Preumably this is actually a bug. I understand I need to trim the beginning and end of my clips in order for the crossfade audio to work between clips, but why is this? Why do I need to trim, i.e, shorten my clips in order for a transition to work? Surely it can do that with the clip without being trimmed?

Anyway, how do I trim over 50 clips at the same time to then apply cross fades to them all? Thanks!

[SwindlerCave · Accepted solution]

Not a bug!  Say I have two clips that are 4s each.  If I place them next to each other in the timeline (for a total of 8s) and I want to add a 2s cross-fade between, I would need 1s of extra footage from each clip.  Since the clips are only 4s, there is no more information with which to cross-fade.  In the attached image, the clips on the left represent non-trimmed footage and the clips on the right represent trimmed footage with a crossfade.  The bottom track is the clips as edited; the upper two tracks represent the full-duration clips.  In the left example, clip 1 ends as clip 2 starts, so clip 2 cannot start fading in before clip 1 stops and clip 1 cannot fade out after clip 2 begins; the frames just aren't there.  In the right example, the upper two tracks show how trimming the clips in the bottom track left extra frames with which to cross-fade.  These are commonly referred to as "handles."

Premiere Pro added a feature a few years ago that allows you to auto-crossfade your clips as you desire.  Have an empty sequence open, then select your 50 clips in the Project panel.  At the bottom, just to the left of the magnifying glass button is another button called "Automate to Sequence".  Click it (this can also be found in the "Hamburger" menu in the Project pane), and you'll get a dialog with lots of options, including how much overlap (cross-fade) you want and whether to apply default audio/video transitions.

Hope this helps!

[Pianistinator]

Ok that's great thank you! I did it all manually but i'll do this for next time. Thing is, what I don't understand, is why when clipping the beginning and end of a clip, removing the portion and putting two back together and applying a cross-fade, it then works? Surely that means Premiere is using now deleted portions to stitch in a transition?

[SwindlerCave]

Yes, that's exactly it.  The clip you put in the timeline is a portion of the media.  Don't think of the unused frames as "deleted" because they are still available; if you drag the ends, they are still there.

Normally a transition will be centered over the cut.  Here's an experiment you can do that may help with your understanding: place an entire clip in the timeline, and place a portion of a clip right next to it.  Add a transition.  It won't be centered over the cut because there are no frames from the first clip left to use; instead the transition will occur entirely over the end of the first clip because the second clip was the only one with frames to spare.

For most editing, you should use the approach in Ann's answer (pick in/out points in the Source monitor before bringing to the timeline or use Q/W to do the same in the timeline).  But if you just want to slam a bunch of clips together without any real editing, the approach I mentioned (Automate to Timeline) should work very well.

[MyerPj]

Thing is, what I don't understand, is why when clipping the beginning and end of a clip, removing the portion and putting two back together and applying a cross-fade, it then works? Surely that means Premiere is using now deleted portions to stitch in a transition?

By Pianistinator

Free your mind Jack! 🙂

If you want a cut, then you don't have to consider two things at once, but maybe You should just stick to cuts?

If you do want to 'free your mind, dude', you'll have to consider those extra frames that will then be used in the transition. Mind boggling I know, (or just call it a 'bug' and be done with it like in the original post, where you actually led with that) 🙂 ??

Let's say someone accidently walks in front of the camera, and you want the clip to begin at the very frame when they leave the shot. If you cut there, all is well, but if you apply a transition, the prior 15 frames or so are going to be used (Oh Wow!! kazamm!!, mind blowing!!) in the transition. So, that shot/clip might not work with the transition you are imagining.

Keep finding the bugs mate, you'll eventually get them out of your head.

[MyerPj]

FWIW Jack: It's going to take you much longer to learn how to edit if you can't figure something out and then assume it's a bug. I think it's safe for you to assume it's probably something you haven't figured out yet.

[Pianistinator]

Yea, but I never had this issue on Premiere pro. I put clips in. I apply a crossfade. Done. This, it's weird. And computationally it involves premiere having to use deleted data regardless, so I might as well NOT delete it and have the transition apply anyway. That's why I thought it was a bug. I've been using Premiere for 10 years, never seen this before until I got 2023 version.

[Ann Bens]

I dont know why I bother to answer a question.........

[Peru Bob]

Yea, but I never had this issue on Premiere pro.

By Pianistinator

Because you never tried to add transitions to clips without sufficient handles.

https://helpx.adobe.com/premiere-pro/using/transition-overview-applying-transitions.html

[Pianistinator]

Well how would I know if it does or doesn't have sufficient handles? I'd have to clip anyway, right? On Premiere Pro 2020, I wasnt' having this issue and I was using multiple different files from different cameras. I'm using the same files from the same cameras on PPro 2023 and now having this issue. I'm asking for people to explain why it's giving me this issue now, but not before, and all people can say is "Because you're not giving enough handles", well ok, so why wasn't I having this problem for the last 10 bloody years?! It's weird, don't you think?

[R Neil Haugen]

I've used PrPro since  the old CS6 days. I've always needed handles for standard transitions. Dissolves and such. That isn't new behavior, unless you didn't use such transitions before.

[Pianistinator]

Yea, I can't quite explain why now to be honest. Maybe I've been lucky!!

[Ann Bens]

Anyway, how do I trim over 50 clips at the same time to then apply cross fades to them all? Thanks!

By Pianistinator

You select all your clips with the ripple trim tool, then move them to the left.

Now select all clips with the roll edit tool and move this to the right.

All clips are no trimmed head and tails.

 

For transition properly to work, they need handles.

But to save yourself some aggravation you trim clips in the source monitor first before dragging them onto the timeline, or trim the clips with the shortcut Q and W. (ripple trim previous/next edit to playhead).