Photo Flash Transitions

By Andrew Shanks

This is a short tutorial on how to create a camera "flash" effect as a transition in your program. I find this a useful and effective transition when used during the photo taking sessions in a wedding for example, as often lots of funny little snippits happen then which the family wants to see but tagging them together in a normal fashion can be a nightmare due to continuity plus visually its not all that exciting. Thats where this little technique for creating what in the viewers mind appears to be a photo flash can be an interesting gimmick.

  1. Edit together all the clips you wish to have in the sequence. Do not worry about continuity or duration, it'll look good no matter what, and short clips are quite good especially if you have music running underneath.

  2. Make up a full frame clip of white in your favorite graphics application (full DV resolution be it NTSC or PAL)

  3. Import into CineStream (clip length does not matter, I usually use 12 frame clips when I come to use them)

  4. Load into source monitor (double click clip in bin view) & set duration to 1 frame (make sure you have at least 11 frames after the out point, as this will be used for our transition)

  5. Edit the white clips into the timeline. Basically make sure you are in Insert Edit Mode, and just edit the 1 frame white clips in between each clip in the sequence, ...no need to even set in points in the timeline, make sure none are set before you start then just use the shortcut clip jump keys ( "5" on the Mac jumps to next cut) and hit your "edit" key ("enter") to make the insert.

  6. Go back to the first clip and put in a dissolve, change the properties of the dissolve (option + double click transition) so that it has a duration of 11 frames and its cut point to "Begin", click OK to accept the changes (note that 11 frames is just an example, sometimes a slower or faster duration flash can be more effective depending on the project).

  7. Copy this new transition and then paste (using your standard copy and paste functions from the Edit Menu, or shortcut keys) it to each of your other white frame clips in the timeline.

  8. If you now render your VP track and play it back you will now have a series of flashes between your clips. It is effectively cutting to white then dissolving through to the new shot over 11 frames.

  9. To finish the effect add a camera flash sound effect (click here to download), and there you go (keep it at a low level as it can be irritating, ..but if mixed well with music and atmos sound, it can be a pleasing result.

NOTE: a good sound effects search engine can be found at this link (FindSounds).

 

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