Using Transitions to Make Your Movie Say More

Use transitions--changes from one shot to another--wisely and your movie will tell the story you want to tell. Here are some ideas to make transitions work for you.

· Plan for transitions on your storyboard.

· Shoot an extra second or two where you will have a transition since it may take away time from the clips on either side.[1]

· Stick with low key transitions such as “fade” and “dissolve” if you are going for a professional look. More flashy transitions may make your movie look choppy or campy.[2]

· Watch movies. If you pay attention to the transitions (or lack thereof), you will see how they can do some of the storytelling work. [3]

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[1] www.mackzone.com/video/ef-trans.htm

[2] www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/moviemaker/expert/northrup_03january27.mspx

[3] http://www.macdevcenter.com/pub/a/mac/2003/06/13/dv_tips.html