iMovie (2013): Add transitions to your movie

Add transitions to your movie

Add transitions between clips automatically

  1. With your project open, choose Window > Movie Properties.

    Information about the movie appears above the viewer.

    Figure. Movie properties above the viewer.
  2. Click the Settings button.

    Editable movie settings appear above the viewer.

  3. Select the “Automatic content” checkbox.

    Figure. "Automatic content" checkbox selected in movie settings.

    If you have applied a theme to your movie, iMovie inserts standard cross-dissolve transitions between clips, with occasional transitions based on the theme. Not every space between clips gets a transition.

    iMovie also adds a theme-styled opening title over the first clip and an end title over the last. For more information about themes, see iMovie themes overview.

  4. To include only standard, non-themed transitions in your movie, click the Theme button, select No Theme, click Change, and then deselect the “Automatic content” checkbox.

    Note:   If you already have a theme applied to your movie and select No Theme, all theme elements are removed from the movie.

With automatic transitions turned on, you can double-click the edge of any transition in a movie and change its duration in the precision editor. For more information, see Trim, split, and move clips.

Add a transition between clips manually

To add transitions manually, you must first turn off automatic transitions. For more information, see Disable automatic transitions.

  1. Select Transitions in the Content Library section of the sidebar below the Libraries list.

    The browser shows all the available transitions. If a theme is set for your movie, theme-styled transitions appear above the standard transitions.

    To preview a transition, skim it in the browser.

    Figure. Transitions browser.
  2. Drag a transition between two clips in the timeline.

    A transition icon Figure. Transition icon. appears between the clips.

Add a cross-dissolve transition between clips

To add a cross-dissolve transition between clips, you must first turn off automatic transitions. For more information, see Disable automatic transitions.

  1. In the timeline, click the edge of either clip you want to connect with a cross-dissolve.

  2. Choose Edit > Add Cross Dissolve (or press Command-T).

    A cross-dissolve transition appears between the two clips in the timeline.

    Note:   If you select a clip in the timeline and choose Edit > Add Cross Dissolve, a cross-dissolve is added to both sides of the clip.

Change the default duration of transitions in a movie

  1. With your movie open in the timeline, choose Window > Movie Properties.

    Information about the movie appears above the viewer.

  2. Click the Settings button.

    Editable movie settings appear above the viewer.

  3. Drag the Transitions slider to set the default transition duration in seconds.

    Note:   If your default transition duration is longer than is allowed by the available media in adjacent clips in your movie, the longest possible duration is used instead.
Last Modified: Nov 3, 2013
Helpful?
14% of people found this helpful.

Additional Product Support Information