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You can add a transition to a project pretty easily, and it works the same way in almost every available video-editing program. Here's how you add a simple dissolve (also called a fade) transition to a project:
1. If your editing program currently shows the storyboard for your project, switch to the timeline by clicking the Timeline View button.
2. Click and drag the Dissolve transition (in Pinnacle Studio) or the Cross Dissolve transition (in iMovie) from the list of transitions and drop it between two clips on the timeline.
The transition now appears in the timeline between the clips.
The appearance of the transition can vary slightly, depending on the editing program that you use. Pinnacle Studio displays the transition as a clip on the timeline. Apple iMovie, on the other hand, uses a special transition icon that overlaps the adjacent clips.
 | When you first apply a transition in iMovie, the program must render the transition before you can view it. Basically, rendering is a process that allows the computer to play back the transition at full speed and quality. |
To preview the transition, simply play the timeline by clicking the Play button under the preview window or by pressing the spacebar. If you don't like the style of the transition, you can delete it by clicking the transition to select it and then pressing Delete.
Video transitions usually have some features or attributes that you can adjust. Most important, perhaps, is the length of the transition. The default length for most transitions is about 2 seconds. Sometimes a 2-second transition is too long — or not long enough. Sometimes, for example, a 2-second dissolve obscures a spectacular crash at the end of Scene 1. The next two sections show you how to adjust the length of transitions and make other changes, where possible, with Apple iMovie and Pinnacle Studio.
Modifying iMovie transitions
The iMovie transition window doesn't just provide a place to store transitions; it also lets you control them. To adjust the length of a transition, follow these steps:
1. Click the transition on the timeline to select it.
2. Adjust the Speed slider in the Transitions window.
The length of the transition appears in the preview window.
3. Click the Update button in the Transitions window to update the length of the transition on the timeline.
4. Click the Play button under the preview window to preview your results.
Some iMovie transitions, such as Push, let you control the direction of travel for the transition. When you click the Push transition to select it in the transition window, the directional control becomes active. Then you simply click the arrows in the directional control to change the direction in which the Push transition moves.
Adjusting transitions in Studio
Adjusting transitions in Pinnacle Studio works a lot like adjusting regular video clips. To modify a transition, here's the drill:
1. Double-click the transition on the timeline.
The Clip Properties window appears above the timeline.
2. Adjust the duration of the transition in the upper-right corner of the window by clicking the up or down arrows next to the Duration field at the top of the Clip Properties window.
3. Change the duration to the required number of frames (if you need to).
 | You can also reverse the direction of some transitions (for example, the Horizontal Snake Wipes on page 2 of the Standard Transitions) by selecting the Reverse check box. (If this box is grayed out, you can't reverse the current transition.) |
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