Cross Disolve Length Beyond Two Clips

siderealx wrote:

The two middle clips are freeze frames from the preceeding and leading clips which are both Burns effect. So I want a single transition/dissolve to simply spread accross all of them if that makes sense!

Ah! Ok, then Tom's advice is a solid one.

To be more precise, select the first two clips, and make a compound; select the last two clips, and make another compound. Then apply a transition between both compounds.

TIP: before making each compound, you may want to augment the duration of the still image; make the compound and then trim it back to the original duration. This way you will be creating "handles", which will be of great use when creating the transition.

siderealx wrote:

Yes I was creating the compound clips as stated but was getting the 'not enough media' message when adding the cross dissolve. It appears I have to re-work the clip lengths to account for this which makes the edit a bit confusing (when synching to music). I think I can figure it out now. It shouldn't be so complicated!

See my TIP above. It is not complicated. Just add, say, 1 second to the still duration (clip B), make the compound, and trim back 1 second. Do the same on the other side: add 1 second to still duration (clip C), make the compound, and trim back 1 second from the start.

Now you have enough material for a dissolve of up to 2 seconds.

Can you elaborate a bit on the looks that you are after?

As I said before, a cross dissolve is between two clips. The way it works is by gradually reducing the opacity of one clip while increasing the opacity of the other clip, so you start seeing only clip "A", and gradually the two are "mixed together", until finally you only see "B".

If you want to gradually start with A, dissolve into B, then into C, then into D, then use three dissolves.

If you want to somehow "mix" all four clips, then just a transition won't do it.

You could perhaps stack them all, and vary their opacities over time, but it is unclear how that would look, at least without some more information on what you really are trying for.

siderealx wrote:

I'm trying to add a single cross disolve across the length of four clips. But FCP only allows me to drag the length of the cross dissolve accross the two clips in the middle before it maxes out. Can't figure it out or find the answer in searches. Any thoughts welcome - thanks!

A cross dissolve is a transition. By definition, a transition works between two clips.

As Tom said, a screenshot of what you have might be helpful.

It is unclear just what you want to achieve, maybe you want not want but three dissolves (like from A to B to C to D),

or maybe it is something else. Whatever it is, I am sure it is feasible, put perhaps not with just one cross dissolve.

EDIT: I see now that you have already posted a screenshot. I will look at it and report back

You can probably do this using compound clips, but it would help to see a screenshot of what you’re firing to accomplish.

LocaAlicia wrote:

Why are you splitting the same still into 4 clips? If you just want to darken the beginning and end of the still, one clip should be enough. I have no idea what you're trying to do.

I think the OP explained it. He has applied Ken Burns to both clips, and then added freeze frames in the center in order to apply the transition:

The two middle clips are freeze frames from the preceeding and leading clips which are both Burns effect. So I want a single transition/dissolve to simply spread accross all of them if that makes sense!

It's hard to understand when you read the translation. I don't understand the meaning of applying cross dissolve to a still image where the left and right are the same. I can understand if the left and right are different still images, but why do you need to line up the same things?

I don't understand the OP's English explanation at all. Can someone explain it clearly with screenshots?

The screenshots the OP showed look like four still images with the same name. Let's say from left to right they are ABCD. Please explain each of ABCD.

"A" is an image to which the OP applied the Ken Burns effect.

"D" is an image to which the OP applied the Ken Burns effect.

"B" is a freeze frame of the last frame of "A"

"C" is a freeze frame of the first frame of "D"

"A" is an image to which the OP applied the Ken Burns effect.

"D" is an image to which the OP applied the Ken Burns effect.

"B" is a freeze frame of the last frame of "A"

"C" is a freeze frame of the first frame of "D"

Q1: Is the clip "Hasegawa_Tohaku_-_Pine_Trees" a still image or a freeze frame?

Q2: If the four clips are A, B, C, and D from the left, is KenBurns applied to A and D?

Q3: What would happen if you added a freeze frame to A and D, which already have KenBurns applied, and applied a cross dissolve between them? *I think it's a meaningless effect.

Q4: Why does the OP insist on using cross dissolve? What does it really want to do?

Q5: Are the originals from A to D the same still images? The OP explains that they are different still images, but there is no basis for that. Because the screenshots have the same clip names.