How to Add Shape Transitions to a Video

Step by step

1. 1

   Choose the wipe that suits the cut

   Open the shape transitions and pick by pace. Circle Reveal suits a clean talking-head cut because the iris can open from any point. Diagonal Bars Wipe has the speed for sports and promos. Square Tile Cascade runs longer at 1.5 seconds and fits tech videos and presentations.

2. 2

   Set the shape, colors and direction

   Set Primary and Secondary to your brand colors. Circle Reveal also has Shape, Position and Rotation, so you can swap the circle for another shape and open it over the subject. Diagonal Bars Wipe has Direction, and Square Tile Cascade has Variation, which reshuffles the order of the tiles.

3. 3

   Time it around the midpoint

   Every shape preset fully covers the frame exactly halfway through the clip, so that is your cut point. Most default to 1 second and the tile grids to 1.5, with a 5 second limit. Choose the aspect ratio before you export, because the coverage is calculated from the frame you pick.

4. 4

   Set the background, then pick a format

   For a transition that shows the next shot through the opening, set Background to Transparent. MP4 has no alpha, so the opening would show a flat color instead. Export a PNG sequence for Premiere Pro or After Effects, and WebM with alpha for CapCut or Resolve.

5. 5

   Line it up on the timeline

   In Premiere Pro, choose File > Import, select the first frame and tick Image Sequence. Put the clip on a track above your two shots, with its middle frame sitting exactly on the cut. The shape hides the edit on the way in and reveals the new shot on the way out.

Where it is used

• Chapter changes in long online videos

  A wipe in the channel color marks the move from one segment to the next, giving viewers a clear signal that the topic changed where a straight cut would pass unnoticed.

• Fast cuts in sports promos

  Angled bars or chevrons sweeping across the frame keep the energy of a highlight reel high and let two unrelated action shots sit next to each other without a jarring jump.

• Slide changes in presentation videos

  A tile or honeycomb pattern gives a recorded company presentation a designed feel when it moves between sections, and the colors can be matched to the slide template.

Presets

15

Default duration

1 to 1.5 seconds

Best export

PNG sequence or WebM with alpha

Aspect ratios

16:9, 9:16, 1:1, 4:5

Which format should you export?

MP4 when the shape covers the frame and hands over to the next shot, transparent WebM when you want the shape to travel across footage that stays visible behind it.

Format

MP4 · WebM · PNG sequence

Alpha

WebM or PNG sequence

Resolution

720p to 8K

Aspect

16:9 · 9:16 · 1:1 · 4:5

License

Commercial use included

Three tips that make it look intentional

• Match the wipe direction to the motion in your footage so the cut feels intentional.
• Keep transitions under a second: anything longer reads as a title, not a cut.
• Export on a transparent background when you want the wipe to sit over both shots in your editor.

Three things people get wrong

• Making the transition longer than the cut deserves. Most graphic wipes want under a second.
• Using a different shape for every cut in one sequence, which reads as indecision rather than style.
• Picking a color that is not in the video. A wipe in your brand color is deliberate; a wipe in a stock color is a template.

Frequently asked