You’re watching a movie, and one scene ends with a character opening a door. In the very next shot, they’re suddenly sitting in a café, sipping coffee. If the switch between these two scenes is too abrupt, it might feel jarring—like something is missing.
That’s where transitions come in! They help connect scenes smoothly, making the flow of a video feel natural and engaging. Think of them like bridges between shots, guiding the viewer from one moment to the next without confusion.
In Nike’s recent Super Bowl commercial, “So Win,” transitions play a vital role in conveying the message of empowerment and unity among female athletes. The ad features prominent figures like Caitlin Clark, Sha’Carri Richardson, and A’ja Wilson, seamlessly shifting from one athlete to another. These transitions highlight each individual’s strength while maintaining a cohesive narrative.
For example, the commercial might use a dynamic cut to shift from a close-up of Caitlin Clark making a decisive basketball move to Sha’Carri Richardson sprinting on the track. This not only showcases their athletic prowess but also creates a rhythm that keeps the audience engaged. The fluidity of these transitions emphasizes the collective power and determination of these athletes, reinforcing Nike’s message of resilience and empowerment.
Why am I talking about transitions, you ask?
Well, a recent conversation with my friend, Mitch Nwabueze, made us dig into transitions and his love-hate, more like tolerance-hate relationship with it. Why would a darn good Video editor be militantly tolerant of transitions, considering that it gives us the magic of commercials like Nike, for example? Mitch started making videos when he was around 19 or 20. He had a friend who filmed with his iPhone, and his videos looked amazing—even on an iPhone 6S Plus. So he saved up to buy the same phone just so he could create similar videos. From the start, Mitch loved how videos could tell a full story. He became what I like to call a purist storyteller & artist – which means he draws on the undiluted story, and he wants the audience to experience the story in its purest form.
This made me start to think deeply about videos from a documenting/documentary perspective – realizing that I probably saw video production from commercials, entertainment, and sci-fi. 🫠
What does it look like when a story is shown in its raw form? Does it make for a more emotionally compelling narrative than when the emotional wringing is sophisticatedly put together?
“When I started making videos again, I had one main goal: to create videos that make people feel something. I wanted my videos to connect with viewers on an emotional level—to make them think, “Wow, I can relate to this.”
Because of this, I always choose to work on videos that tell meaningful stories. I’m not a big fan of using too many transitions or flashy effects. For me, the most important thing is how a story feels and how it naturally comes together. That’s my style. I prefer making documentaries or real-life stories that people can relate to. I don’t enjoy making fictional content—I like working with real moments and experiences.
I also believe that too many transitions can sometimes take away from the story. A lot of beginner editors use too many effects because they think it makes the video better. But in most cases, it just hides the real story. Instead of relying on effects, I focus on good storytelling and sound design. Once the story is strong, then I might use transitions—but only if they help make the story clearer.”
Okay! So, I started thinking to myself, I see Mitch’s perspective and it makes a lot of sense when the story is real-life-led. How does one go about telling an audio-visual story with minimal transitions?
“Recently, I’ve started planning my videos more carefully before editing. For example, at an event I filmed, I didn’t want to create the usual type of highlight video. Instead of just putting together random shots and adding transitions, I took a notepad and planned the story step by step:
First, I show the main person arriving at the event, stepping through the door.
Then, I capture them greeting people and setting the scene.
Next, I show the DJ preparing on stage, getting ready to perform.
After that, I focus on the crowd, showing their reactions and the atmosphere.
Finally, I return to the main person, now backstage, to show another side of the event.
At the back of my mind, I’m always focused on telling a story from point A to point B. If I were to edit without much thought, I’d probably just use simple cuts to move from one scene to the next. It would look nice but feel shallow—there’d be no depth to the story.
However, when you take the time to plan out the narrative and script, you realize that transitions aren’t always necessary. And even when you do use them, it’s about choosing transitions that enhance the story, not just for the sake of adding effects.”
Ah, ah! Now I fully understood his itch against the subject matter
“I like transitions when they’re done well.”
What does “done well” mean to you? I asked.
“For me, it means using VFX to make them look seamless. But VFX takes more time and effort, even to render the final video. So, if I decide to use transitions, I want to do them right. Sometimes, while editing, I’ll watch tutorials to learn how a particular transition is done and how to replicate it.
Other times, I plan the transitions before shooting the video. I research different transitions that could fit the vibe I want. Some transitions can be planned during the shoot, making them easier to execute in post-production. That kind of planning helps a lot.”
By now I was keen on the other parts of editing that Mitch obsesses about in his work, which took us into a conversation about sound and colour grading.
“The second, and often the most time-consuming, is choosing the right music. Finding the perfect soundtrack for a video is much harder than it seems. I can easily spend an entire day just searching for the right song. Sometimes, even if I have three days to complete an edit, I might use an entire 24 hours just testing different tracks to see what fits best.
Music plays a huge role in shaping how a video feels. Even if the song is just playing softly in the background, it needs to match the energy and mood of the visuals. If the music is too emotional while the scene is supposed to be energetic, it creates a disconnect. On the other hand, the right track can enhance the story and make it more powerful.
This challenge applies not just to background music but also to the audio captured during filming. Sound design, dialogue clarity, and balancing all the audio elements are just as important as the visuals. A great video isn’t just about what you see, it’s also about what you hear.”
“I also want to talk about color grading – something I’ve always loved, though I’m still working on improving my skills.
Color grading is a powerful tool because it helps create a mood or feeling in a video just by adjusting the colors. The way a scene is colored can make the audience feel a certain way. For example, if a video has a lot of warm tones, like orange and yellow, it gives off a bright, happy, and lively atmosphere. This is why scenes set in joyful or energetic moments often have a warm look.
On the other hand, if a video has a lot of blue tones, it can feel moody, calm, or even cold. Blue tones are often used in scenes that take place in the evening or in moments that are meant to feel serious or emotional.
Color grading also helps make a video feel like it belongs to a specific time period. For example, if you are making a video set in the 90s, you wouldn’t want the visuals to look as sharp and clear as modern footage. Cameras back then didn’t capture images the same way they do now, so you would adjust the color and texture to match the look of that time.”
Transitions are like a DJ mixing songs. Think of a DJ at a party. If they suddenly stop one song and play another, it feels awkward. But when they blend the songs smoothly, the party keeps going without missing a beat.
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