Transitions, Effects, and Keyframes
Transitions and effect stacks
Transitions need media handles-extra frames beyond the cut-or Premiere shortens or refuses the transition. Duration and alignment matter: centered transitions consume handles on both sides, start-aligned transitions consume the incoming clip, and end-aligned transitions consume the outgoing clip. A Dip to Black at a sequence end often requires an outgoing transition plus a black matte or a second transition, not a single cross dissolve. Effects can be applied to a clip, a track, a master clip, or an adjustment layer; order matters because effects render top to bottom within the Effect Controls panel. Master clip effects propagate to all instances, which is a common trap.
Keyframes and interpolation
Keyframes animate effect parameters. Distinguish temporal interpolation (how values change over time: linear, bezier, hold) from spatial interpolation (motion paths). Ease handles shape acceleration; Hold freezes a value until the next keyframe. Keyframes can be added in the Effect Controls timeline or directly in the Program Monitor with the pen tool. Watch for keyframes being scaled when a clip is retimed, and for effects that do not support keyframes.
Worked example: To fade a title in and out, set Opacity to 0% at the title’s start, add a keyframe at 1 second and set 100%, then add a 100% keyframe one second before the end and a 0% keyframe at the end. Set the first and last keyframes to Ease In and Ease Out. Rule of thumb: create the parameter state first, then keyframe; do not keyframe an effect before its basic settings are correct.