by 
Watch the tutorial
Step 1: Create a frame hold on the second clip
Place two clips next to each other on the timeline and move the playhead to the cut between them. Select the second clip, right-click it and choose Insert Frame Hold Segment. Premiere freezes the first frame of that clip and inserts it as a short still section, which is exactly the picture your subject will hang on.
Step 2: Move the frozen frame above the first clip
Drag the new frozen segment up to the track above your first video. Make sure the end of the frozen clip lines up with the end of the first clip, so the still starts exactly where the original footage stops. Then shorten the frozen clip to roughly one second, which is a good length for the transition.
The hold segment leaves a small gap before the second clip. Close it so the second clip starts right where the first one ends: right-click the gap and choose Ripple Delete.
Step 3: Mask your subject on the frozen frame
Select the frozen clip and open Effect Controls (Window > Effect Controls). Under Opacity, click the Pen tool. In the Program Monitor, click around your subject to place points, then close the shape by connecting the last point to the first one.
Now only the person is visible on this layer and the rest of the frozen picture is transparent. Take your time here. The cleaner the outline, the better the transition looks.
Step 4: Keyframe the Position to slide the subject away
The animation should end with the subject sitting in its current spot, because that is where the person appears in the second clip. With the frozen layer selected, click the stopwatch next to Position in Effect Controls to create the first keyframe, then drag that keyframe to the end of the clip. This locks the subject into place at the moment the second video starts.
Now go to the beginning of the frozen clip and change the Position values until the person has moved off screen. Up, down, left or right all work, so pick whatever suits your shot. Play it back and you have the full transition.
If the movement feels too slow, drag the first keyframe closer to the second one to speed it up.
Step 5: Smooth the movement with Ease In and Ease Out
Select both Position keyframes, right-click and open Temporal Interpolation, then choose Ease In. Do the same again and pick Ease Out. The subject now accelerates and slows down gently instead of moving at a constant speed.
For even more control, click the small arrow next to Position to expand the velocity graph, click the motion path and drag the blue handles to shape the curve. Our guide to easing keyframes in Premiere Pro goes deeper on this.
Smoother with EaseFlow: select the keyframes and apply a real easing curve in one click instead of dragging Bezier handles. See EaseFlow
Tips
- Pick a clear subject. A person with a clean silhouette against the background is much easier to mask than someone partly hidden by clutter.
- Match the two shots. The effect works best when the subject sits in roughly the same spot at the end of the first clip and the start of the second.
- Keep it short. About one second is enough. A longer slide starts to feel slow.
FAQ
How do I freeze a frame in Premiere Pro?
Right-click a clip and choose Add Frame Hold to freeze the frame at the playhead, or Insert Frame Hold Segment to insert a still section without changing the rest of the clip.
Why is my freeze frame transition jumpy at the end?
The frozen frame has to match the first frame of the next clip. Check that the frozen clip ends exactly where the second clip begins and that the subject ends up in the same position.
Can I use this effect with any footage?
Yes, as long as you can mask a clear subject. Footage where the person is cleanly separated from the background gives the best result.
Want more transitions without building each one by hand? Grab the free shake transition preset and drop it straight onto your cuts.
