Transitions - How Many

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hootowls

Transitions - How Many

Postby hootowls » Wed Jun 04, 2008 9:54 am

Thank you forum members. I have to say, one of the main reasons I picked PSG was this community.

I finished my test drive show. You know the one where you hit every option just to see what happens... It really turned out quite well and I had a blast making it. Ok - it was over the top.

I am now on my first real show. I find that I tend to get hung on one or two transitions (dissolve and fade) except when I am looking for a specific effect. I finished the show and started the tweaking process. Every time I would click on the transition select, I would see the 300 transitions and think how boring I am. I then went and stuck a bunch of different transitions and now I find it distracting.

What are your "rules of thumb" when selecting transitions? How many per show?

Thank you all,
Hootowls

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Re: Transitions - How Many

Postby BarbaraC » Wed Jun 04, 2008 10:14 am

It isn't at all about how many transitions are used but about what's suitable. The simple fades are the ones most often used by most people because they just plain work. If the flashier fades are used, as you've discovered, they can draw attention to themselves rather than enhancing the picture or the flow from one item to another. BUT, it depends on the flavor of the show itself. If it's packed with humor, you're more likely to use something with a bit of splash or maybe even something downright cheesy. Your best bet is to consider your goal. If it's serious, watch out for transitions; if it's lighthearted, go ahead and add some silliness.

No rules.

Barbara
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Re: Transitions - How Many

Postby HunnyB » Wed Jun 04, 2008 11:54 am

Look at the short shows under Producer > Contests.
For the June Challenge, a lot of cool transitions effects are used.
I know it is under Producer, but you can still get ideas.

HunnyB :D
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Re: Transitions - How Many

Postby DickK » Wed Jun 04, 2008 3:55 pm

(As usual) I agree with Barbara (and she didn't even pay me to say that ;) ). I learned years ago that a quick way to recognize a new PowerPoint user was when every available font, color and transition just had to be used. Don't focus on how many or even which ones you've used. Use whatever is appropriate for the show's story, pace and your own style. A fast-paced sports show or a humorous show should be different lots of ways from a travelogue for instance. But, yes absolutely, if you cram too many into one show I will be distracting--where the 'good' vs. 'too many' line sits is one of the things that varies by the type of show and the viewer.

Generally, I'll use the fades and dissolve for most transitions. But I'll often use another transition type to visually signal a scene change (a sort of boundary between groups of slides that are closely related). The viewer may not even become aware of it explicitly but will mentally sense that there's some kind of change happening. I'll also throw in another, fancier/stranger transition to get to a slide that's supposed to be humorous. Another way you can use the transitions is to "lead" the viewer's eyes to the next slide, say the following slide was taken just to right of the previous one, well then that can be implied by pulling that next slide in from the right. Or, you've got a picture of someone looking out of frame in one shot and the next one is what they were looking at... again, there's an implied direction or motion here and you can use motion in the slides or in the transition to reinforce the images.

I spent some time with a test show right after I got PSG and played with all the transitions but frankly, in the shows I've done for real, I've not found a use for the majority of the transitions--which might only say something about my imagination--but I'm glad they're there 'cause someday I'm sure I'll want something I've not used because it fits just right, right now.

Dick
Last edited by DickK on Wed Jun 04, 2008 4:46 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Transitions - How Many

Postby BarbaraC » Wed Jun 04, 2008 4:19 pm

Yes, Dick's right on the money (that he didn't pay me). There are a few transitions other than the fade and dissolve that maintain some dignity. For instance, there's one that opens out in a V-shape and can be nicely used (the soft version, anyway) if the slide opens and closes with that V. I find it works particularly well for photos with similar diagonals in them. The soft circle out and in is also sedate, but my favorite transitions? Fade and dissolve.

BUT, play with all of them until you know what they might be good for . You just never know when a paintbrush or a swirly star might be just the ticket.

Barbara
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hootowls

Re: Transitions - How Many

Postby hootowls » Thu Jun 05, 2008 3:20 am

Thank you everyone. I feel much better and plan to remove my "fancy" transitions. The good that did come out of this is I did find a few other transitions I like. I watched several shows for the transitions and noticed I did not notice the transitions. That says a lot.

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Re: Transitions - How Many

Postby BarbaraC » Thu Jun 05, 2008 3:31 am

hootowls wrote:I watched several shows for the transitions and noticed I did not notice the transitions. That says a lot.

You couldn't possibly have said it better.

Barbara
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Re: Transitions - How Many

Postby DickK » Thu Jun 05, 2008 2:46 pm

Perzactly as my Mom would say. Generally you don't want the viewer paying attention to that -- but there are times when you want to do something to shake things up a bit and calling attention to the transition is one way. The art is in knowing when to shake things up and recognizing what works. If you get that figured out completely, be sure to write it down ;) , 'cause it'll make some money as a book!

Dick
"It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it." Aristotle ((PSG, PSE & Fuji HS20 user)) Presentation Impact Blog

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