Need transition/effect tips

[doggydrones]

Hey everyone,

Trying to grow and get better at editing my drone footage. I seem to get some great shots but don't know how to effectively create transitions or use effects to spruce up the videos. Would love some help on what I should be focused on. For reference, I use Final Cut Pro and have for years now. I have a great understanding of the software and would really like to continue to use it, so any and all tips for FCP would be great.

Here's some content that I think is underperforming due to the fact it doesn't captivate you:
-

To view this content we will need your consent to set third party cookies.
For more detailed information, see our cookies page.

Accept third party cookies

-

To view this content we will need your consent to set third party cookies.
For more detailed information, see our cookies page.

Accept third party cookies

-

To view this content we will need your consent to set third party cookies.
For more detailed information, see our cookies page.

Accept third party cookies

 

[GFields]

Welcome to the forum

You need to make the first two videos visible or remove them

 

[mavic3usa]

Roast my video edit / grading / etc.

Feb 18, 2025

Hi everyone! I just posted up an edit of some flying over the weekend. Please feel free to offer comments / suggestions / brutally honest appraisals.

To view this content we will need your consent to set third party cookies.
For more detailed information, see our cookies page.

Accept third party cookies

Thanks!

• MattInFla
• Replies: 14
• Forum: Video Critiques

• 

 

[MS Coast]

I seem to get some great shots but don't know how to effectively create transitions or use effects to spruce up the videos.

My own rule for video transitions and effects editing is "Don't do anything Ken Burns doesn't do."

Elaborate transitions, in particular, are extremely distracting to me.

You do have some very nice video clips. It looks like the permissions need to be modified on the first two Youtube videos you linked. They show as unavailable.

 

[Dale D]

Hey everyone,

Trying to grow and get better at editing my drone footage. I seem to get some great shots but don't know how to effectively create transitions or use effects to spruce up the videos. Would love some help on what I should be focused on. For reference, I use Final Cut Pro and have for years now. I have a great understanding of the software and would really like to continue to use it, so any and all tips for FCP would be great.

Here's some content that I think is underperforming due to the fact it doesn't captivate you:
-

To view this content we will need your consent to set third party cookies.
For more detailed information, see our cookies page.

Accept third party cookies

-

To view this content we will need your consent to set third party cookies.
For more detailed information, see our cookies page.

Accept third party cookies

-

To view this content we will need your consent to set third party cookies.
For more detailed information, see our cookies page.

Accept third party cookies

Presently, I see, you are using just straight cuts for transitions. There are some very nice built in transitions in most software's. I use Adobe Premiere. My favorite transition, which I have set as my default transition, is the cross dissolve. There must certainly be a place in Final Cut that is labeled transitions or video effects. Look for CROSS DISSOLVE.

Dale

 

[LeeB]

I also use Final Cut Pro and agree with @Dale D using the Cross Dissolve transition. It's very easy to drag the transition to the spot where the two clips meet and you're done. There are many helpful videos on YouTube that will help.

 

[DVPOWERS]

The best edits are the ones you don't notice. The vast majority of edits on movies is a straight cut. Maybe a dissolve or two. If you are using music cut to the beat.

 

[Harro]

Fully agree with DVPOWERS, straight cuts with the occasional dissolve (usually when the same scene is presented but you want a time delay effect)

 

[EricJT]

I have found over the last 15 years, the simpler, the better....too busy or complicated, the more distracting.

 

[PaJi]

Straight cuts and cross dissolves. A lot of fancy transitions will draw attention to the viewers eye away from your video and they'll be watching the transitions.

 

[guzewski]

Presently, I see, you are using just straight cuts for transitions. There are some very nice built in transitions in most software's. I use Adobe Premiere. My favorite transition, which I have set as my default transition, is the cross dissolve. There must certainly be a place in Final Cut that is labeled transitions or video effects. Look for CROSS DISSOLVE.

Dale

I use cross dissolves almost exclusively (In Davinci Resolve). Straight cuts seem a bit jarring to me, and all the other transitions (like wipes) just look cheesy.

 

[mavic3usa]

Here's an example of a video that frequently uses a number of different transitions that seem to work if you know how to use them for the content that you are making, sometimes you can pull it off. Not me or my video:

To view this content we will need your consent to set third party cookies.
For more detailed information, see our cookies page.

Accept third party cookies