One of the common transitions that help you create a special flow between your scenes is the Zoom Blur transition. Using this transition is especially common when you want to transition into a closer and more detailed shot of the same location but you can also apply it to other types of shots. So let’s talk about this transition and how to get it done as there are several ways to go with it.
Using Lens Distortion and Transform Effect for Zoom Blur Transition
One of the ways you can do Zoom blur transition is by using two effects that are Lens distortion and Transform and then setting some special settings for them.
So the first thing you should do is to find the Lens distortion effect from the Effects panel and apply it to the video you want to transition from. Then choose how fast you want the transition to be, I’ll go with ten frames for both sides, the first and second clip.
After that, go to Effects Control panel and under Lens distortion find Curvature and go to the first frame of the transition, then click the toggle icon. Now you have a keyframe at the first frame of your transition. The Curvature is already set on 0 so let it be that way for the first keyframe. After that, go to the last frame of the transition for the first clip, and set the Curvature on something around -60.
Now you have two keyframes at the beginning and end of the transition in the first clip, which starts from 0 to -60. By changing the Curvature, you create a blur effect in your video but since this is supposed to be a Zoom blur transition, you also need to create a zoom in.
To do this, choose the Transform effect from the Effects panel and apply it to the video.
Basically what we should do is using the same effects but with reverse settings. So again add Lens distortion to the second video. This time at the first frame of the second video, set the Curvature to -60 and click the toggle and go ten frames forward and reduce it to 0 again.
Now you have a Zoom blur transition effect without using any template. If you want to add the same transition to more scenes, simply go to the Effects Control panel and select the Lens distortion and Transform effects, then copy and paste it to the video you want to do the Zoom blur transition on. You can copy and move all your settings using this simple shortcut.
Using an Adjustment Layer and Transform Effect
Another way to apply Zoom blur transition is by adding an adjustment layer and applying a Transform effect to that.
To add an adjustment layer you need to go to the Project panel and select new item and choose the adjustment layer. Then drag it and stack it on top of your clip. Here the length of the adjustment layer determines the length and speed of the transition. Remember that the adjustment layer should be set in a way that the middle of it is matched with the cut between two shots.
Then add the same Transform effect to the adjustment layer and set three keyframes on the Scale which is under Transform. One keyframe on the beginning of the adjustment layer, one in the middle that meets the cut and one at the end of it. Then set the Scale on 200 for the middle one and leave the other two on the normal scale which is 100. This way you will have a zoom in and zoom out during your adjustment layer that happens between two shots.
Using an Adjustment Layer and Replicate Plus Mirror Effects
Well, this one is a little bit different from the other two as the result is not a zoom-in zoom-out transition. In this method, what you create is a double zoom-in transition.
To do this, add two adjustment layers on top of the clips. One layer should start from the first shot and continue to the next shot(like the way we did it in the previous method) and the other layer starts from the second clip.
After that, add the Replicate effect to the second layer (the adjustment layer for the second shot) then go to effects control and change the count to 3. This way, you’ll have a grid, like this one:
To remove the upper edge, add the Mirror effect again, and set the Reflection angle to -90 and in Reflection center, change the Y factor (the right one) to move the frame up until the edge disappears.
Now let’s remove the right edge by adding the Mirror effect once more and then drag the X factor to the left until the right edge is mirrored. You don’t need to change the Reflection angle for this one.
Then add the Mirror effect for the last time and set the Reflection angle to 180 and move the X to the left until it’s done.