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Watch the tutorial
Step 1: Add your clips and an adjustment layer
Place your two clips next to each other on the timeline so there is a cut between them. In the Project panel, click the New Item button at the bottom and choose Adjustment Layer..., then click OK. Drag the adjustment layer onto the track above your clips and shorten it so it only covers a short stretch around the cut. We use an adjustment layer so the transition affects both clips at once.
One click with Mako: the free Mako panel adds an adjustment layer over the selected clips, at the playhead, on the first free track, in one click. Get Mako for free
Step 2: Add Transform and turn on motion blur
Open the Effects panel, search for Transform and drag the one from Video Effects > Distort onto the adjustment layer. Do not pick the items from the Transform folder below it. Open Effect Controls, scroll to the bottom of the Transform effect, untick Use Composition's Shutter Angle and set Shutter Angle to 360. This gives you real motion blur whenever the scale changes quickly.
Step 3: Keyframe the scale and shape the speed
Click the stopwatch next to Scale in the Transform effect to create the first keyframe at the point where the zoom should start. Then move to the end of the adjustment layer's first half and push the Scale up. In the video the peak is just over 200, and you can go higher or lower depending on how aggressive you want the zoom to feel.
Next, select both keyframes, right click and choose Ease In or Ease Out so the movement starts and stops softly. For more control, click the small arrow beside Scale to open its graphs. The lower Velocity graph shows how fast the zoom moves, and dragging its handles lets you make the zoom accelerate hard towards the cut.
Smoother with EaseFlow: select the keyframes and apply a real easing curve in one click instead of dragging Bezier handles in the velocity graph. See EaseFlow
Step 4: Build the second half of the transition
A good zoom transition has two halves: zooming into clip one, then settling out of the zoom on clip two. Duplicate the adjustment layer and place the copy right after the first one, so the two layers meet at the cut. On the second layer, reverse the move: it starts zoomed in and the Scale settles back to 100. Ease these keyframes too, then play it back. The blur should peak right at the cut and clear away on the other side.
Step 5: Add a mirrored peak (optional)
To make the middle of the transition more dramatic, use Replicate and Mirror. Add Replicate to the adjustment layer and raise its Count, which tiles the image into rows. Then add several Mirror effects. Give each one a different Reflection Center and Reflection Angle until the picture folds into a symmetrical pattern. Finish with the Transform effect after them, so the zoom and blur still apply on top.
Tips
- Keep it fast. The whole transition should take around a second. Anything longer feels like a slow zoom, not a transition.
- Time it to a sound. A whoosh or a beat right at the cut makes the effect hit harder.
- Use a high-resolution source. Scaling past 100 enlarges the footage, so 4K clips stay sharper in the zoom.
FAQ
Why does my zoom look choppy?
Check that Shutter Angle is set to 360 and that Use Composition's Shutter Angle is unticked. Without motion blur, fast scale changes look steppy, and linear keyframes will look stiff, so ease them as shown in Step 3.
Why use an adjustment layer instead of the clips?
An adjustment layer applies the transition to everything below it. This means the same zoom works on both clips and you only need to set the keyframes once.
Do I need the Replicate and Mirror effects?
No. Steps 1 to 4 already give you a complete zoom transition. Replicate and Mirror are an extra layer for a more stylized look.
Want more transitions you can drop straight onto your cuts? Grab the free shake transition preset and use it with your zoom.
