How to apply Cross Dissolve to multiple clips?

[shrikant_explorer]

I understand that for cross dissolve video transition, we have to put the succeeding clip on top of the preceding video clip on one track above, in an overlapping manner, by the duration of the cross dissolve.

My question is this :

How can I apply cross dissolve to multiple clips at a time? Do I have to (rigorously) put each alternative clip overlapping on the other and then apply cross dissolve? Is this the only way? I thought ADOBE surely will have some better method / shortcut for this.

Surely, PP allows me to select multiple clips and apply the cross dissolve. But it does not result in cross dissolve effect and there is abrupt jump to the next  clip.

Is my understanding right? Am I missing something?

If this so, then my next preference is for Dip to White, which I can beautifully apply to multiple clips at a time. Before I do this, I just wanted to be sure.

As a passing note, I observe that most of the video transition effects require overlapping clips (except Dip to Black, Dip to White and may be few more). It would have been more user friendly if there is some indication in front of the effect name in the list about its needing overlapping clips or not. I learned my lessons in a hard way with several frustrating attempts. If this indication was there, it would have saved mine as well as scores of others time in attempting to do it in a wrong way. Unless, I am missing something here.

Request help.

Thanks in advance.

[Christian.Z]

1- You do not need to put 2 clips on top of each other to apply a dissolve. That used to be the case 15 years ago maybe on Premiere 5.1
You can put 2 clips next to each other without any gap and insert any transition you like.

2- To apply transitions on all clips you do not need to overlap them. simply make sure there is no gaps between them. The default shortcut to apply a transition is ctrl+d or cmd+d. This will apply the default transition.

3- You can decide which is the default transition by right clicking on it and set it to default transition. In you case, the default transition might be set to something other than dissolve.

4- Dip to black acts the same way as dissolve without overlapping. It's just there so it saves you the hassle of putting 2 clips on 2 different tracks or having a gap between with 2 dissolve on each clip.

5- On thing to note: If you try to to add a dissolve between 2 clips that both reached the end, PP will duplicate frames.

[shrikant_explorer]

Hi Warren,

Thanks for the clarification. Sorry for the late response.

Actually, I have discovered that the problem is not of applying Cross Dissolve to multiple clips as such. Actually, I am not able to apply this effect even to individual clips. It works some times. But most of the time it does not work. There is a sudden transition to next clip, without any dissolve effect at all. I am not able to figure out the specific differentiating details of the clips when it works and when it does not work. I agree that the Cross Dissolve does work at times even without any overlapping clips on V1 and V2.

At the same time, even for those clips it does not work, when I put them overlapping on V1 and V2, it is sure shot works.

[shrikant_explorer]

This problem is only for 'Cross Dissolve'. For the same clips where the Cross Dissolve does not work, the other transition like Dip to Black certainly works. It means (I suppose) that the issue is of the basis requirement of the overlapping of the clips on V1 and V2 tracks for Cross Dissolve to take effect without fail.

[shrikant_explorer]

On further experimenting, I have discovered following two sure shot methods for Cross Dissolve to work, in addition to the method of overlapping of clips on track V1 and V2

1   Cut the tail end of the clip. Then join the two clips together. Then apply the Cross Dissolve. It works !

2    'Push' the 'head' part of the second clip 'into' the tail end of the first clip,(thereby making the total length of the two clips taken together shorter). Then apply the cross dissolve. It works !

I think this is what is meant when you say having 'handles'. I did not understood what are these handles. I also did not understood what is meant of having some extra frames for the PP to apply the transition. May be you mean what I have explained in above two methods.

But then it will become very much time consuming to do this for ever pair of clips. When I am having something like 50 short clips in a sequence,it will be hell of a job.

[Ann Bens]

shrikant_explorer  wrote

This problem is only for 'Cross Dissolve'. For the same clips where the Cross Dissolve does not work,

It does work only you are not seeing any of it as they are duplicate frames.

Clips need handles in order to work properly.

Applying transitions in Premiere Pro - handles

[Ann Bens]

Applying to multiple clips

[shrikant_explorer]

Thanks Ann.

I did apply Cross Dissolve to multiple clips in same way. But the effect was not there. There was sudden change. Please refer to my response to Warren Heaton​

Applying Ripple Edit to multiple clips did do the job.

[Warren Heaton · Accepted solution]

Hi shrikant_explorer:

Let's say that all of your clips in your Timeline running at 30 frames per second are each 5 seconds long and you'd like a 1 second transition between each clip.  You'll have to trim 15 frames off the head and tail of each clip in order to be able to do so.

Are you familiar with how to do an Extract?  That's a fairly quick way to do this if the clips are already in the Timeline.

You could also make use of Q (Trim from Head of Clip) or W (Trim from Tail of Clip) as you go through your Timeline.

You could also use the Ripple Edit tool, selecting multiple clip boundary edges at the same time.  A Marquee selection with this tool will get all of the right edges.  You'll have to shift click to get the left edges.

-Warren

[shrikant_explorer]

1 Yessss. I got it finally. Thanks a ton.

"You could also use the Ripple Edit tool, selecting multiple clip boundary edges at the same time.  A Marquee selection with this tool will get all of the right edges.  You'll have to shift click to get the left edges."

My objective of doing Cross Dissolve on MULTIPLE CLIPS at the same time was achieved !!!

_______ _

2 But still, need to clarify some nagging doubts :

Extract, Q and W will do the job for a single pair of clips. Not multiple clips at the same time (by marquee-ing them). Right ?

__________ _

3 I have come across following tip about applying transition :

To place a transition between two clips (centered on the cut line), the clips must be on the same track, with no space between them. As you drag the transition to a Timeline panel, you can adjust the alignment interactively. Whether the clips have trimmed frames determines how you can align the transition as you place it between the clips. The pointer changes to indicate the alignment options as you move it over the cut:

• If both clips contain trimmed frames at the cut, you can center the transition over the cut or you can align it on either side of the cut so that it either starts or ends at the cut.
• If neither clip contains trimmed frames, the transition automatically centers over the cut and repeats frames from the first clip, or from the second clip, or from both clips, to fill the transition duration. Diagonal bars appear on transitions that use repeated frames.
• If only the first clip contains trimmed frames, the transition automatically snaps to the In point of the next clip. The transition uses the first clip’s trimmed frames for the transition and does not repeat frames from the second clip.
• If only the second clip contains trimmed frames, then the transition snaps to the Out point of the first clip. The transition uses the second clip’s trimmed frames for the transition and does not repeat frames from the first clip.The default duration of a transition, for either audio or video, is set to 1 second. If a transition contains trimmed frames, but not enough to fill the transition duration, Premiere Pro adjusts the duration to match the frames. You can adjust the duration and alignment of a transition after you place it.

at : Applying transitions in Premiere Pro

I am particularly referring to this :

• If neither clip contains trimmed frames, the transition automatically centers over the cut and repeats frames from the first clip, or from the second clip, or from both clips, to fill the transition duration. Diagonal bars appear on transitions that use repeated frames.

It means that even if there is no 'spare frames' available to PP to apply the transition (Cross Dissolve), PP will still 'manage' by this method. PP will snatch some frames from the tail end of the first clip and the head of the second clip and do the job.

I am not able to get this result (though my main question is resolved).

Thanks Warren for the guidance.

[shrikant_explorer]

Thanks Christian for your clarifications. Sorry for the late response.

Please refer to my reply to Warren.

The problem is not of multiple clips application, but even for individual clip pair also.

[Averdahl]

Surely, PP allows me to select multiple clips and apply the cross dissolve. But it does not result in cross dissolve effect and there is abrupt jump to the next  clip.

To get rid of the abrupt start and end of the Cross Dissolve when adding it to V2 or higher: Go to Sequence > Sequence Settings and un-check "Composite in Linear Color...".

I can select all clips and press Ctrl+D to add Cross Dissolve to all clips, even when clips are overlapping at different places on the timeline. What did i miss?

[shrikant_explorer]

Thanks Averdahl.

I tried it. Still same problem. Pl refer to my response to Warren above.

Anyway, thanks for your interest.

[Warren Heaton]

Select more than one clip boundary and then use Sequence > Apply Video Transition (command d, Mac; control d, Windows) to apply the default Video Transition to the selected clips.  Alternatively, you can select edit points rather than clips.

Cross Dissolve is the default.  To change this, go to Effects tab > Video Transitions, pick a Transition bin (3D Motion, Dissolve, Immersive Video, Iris, etc.), pick a Transition (Additive Dissolve, Dip to Black, Dip to White, etc.) and then right-click to "Set Selected as Default Transition".

All transitions require handles at the tail of your A clip and the head of your B clip (overlap is a good way to refer to it as well).  Dip to Black make it seem like it doesn't because it goes to black at the mid point, but to get into or out of it you need handles.

If you're not already doing so. be sure to spend some time looking over the options in the Effect Controls for your Transitions.

-Warren