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Watch the tutorial
Step 1: Place the playhead at the cut
Put your two clips next to each other on the same track and move the playhead to the cut between them. Now hold Shift and press the Left Arrow key four times. This jumps the playhead back a few frames before the cut, and that is where the fade will start.
Step 2: Move the second clip to the track above
Drag the second clip up to the track above the first one, so that its start lines up with the playhead. The two clips now overlap for a short moment. The overlap is the length of your transition, and it is the part where both clips are visible.
Step 3: Apply Gradient Wipe to the top clip
Open the Effects panel and search for Gradient Wipe. Use the one found under the Video Effects > Transition folder, not the obsolete one or the VR version. Drag it onto the top clip.
Faster with BetterFX: skip the Effects panel. Press your BetterFX shortcut, type the first letters of Gradient Wipe and press Enter to apply it to the selected clip. Get BetterFX
Step 4: Keyframe Transition Completion
Make sure the top clip is selected and open Effect Controls. Under Gradient Wipe, click the stopwatch next to Transition Completion to create a keyframe and set the value to 100 at the start of the clip. At 100 the top clip is completely hidden.
Now move the playhead to the point in the timeline where the first clip ends, and change Transition Completion to 0. Premiere Pro adds a second keyframe, and the top clip now fades in across the overlap.
Smoother with EaseFlow: select the keyframes and apply a real easing curve in one click instead of dragging Bezier handles. See EaseFlow
Step 5: Soften the transition
Set Transition Softness to 50% so the edge of the fade blends smoothly instead of looking hard. Play the transition back and watch the bright parts of the picture dissolve first. For a different look, tick Invert Gradient and compare. It reverses which areas fade first, which gives you a second transition from the same setup.
Tips
- Match the overlap to the music. A short overlap feels punchy, while a longer one feels dreamy.
- Use clips with bright and dark areas. The more contrast there is in the picture, the more visible the luma effect becomes.
- Copy it to other cuts. Copy the clip, then use Paste Attributes to reuse the effect and keyframes on the next transition.
FAQ
What is a luma fade?
A luma fade is a transition where the brightness of the clip decides which parts fade first, so the shot dissolves in a more organic way than a plain cross dissolve.
Which Gradient Wipe should I use?
Use the Gradient Wipe under Video Effects > Transition, which is a normal effect you can keyframe on a clip.
Why does my transition look hard instead of smooth?
Increase Transition Softness. A value around 50% gives a soft blend between the clips.
Want more ready to use transitions? Try the free ink transitions for your next edit.
