A J-cut introduces the audio of the next scene before the visual change. In contrast, the L-cut continues the audio of a scene into the next scene despite the visual change. Nathaniel Dodson from Tutvid demonstrates how to create J-cut and L-cut scene transitions using the rolling edit tool in Adobe Premiere Pro. Applying editing techniques such as J-cuts and L-cuts adds a level of professionalism to your work. It is important to edit video footage within the constraints of DoD ethics policies, such as DoDI 5040.02. Follow along with the steps below.
- Ensure the intro clip comes first in the Project Timeline.
- In the project bin, select the second clip.
- Move the playhead out beyond the end of the intro clip by leaving space between the two clips.
- Insert the clip into the Project Timeline by pressing the Comma [,] on the keyboard.
- Right-click on the Space between the two clips; a modal will open with the words Ripple Delete.
- Select Ripple Delete. This action will close the gap and butt the clips together.
- Select the intro clip.
- Set your timecode to the desired time for the second clip to play. The playhead will move to the selected time stamp of the first clip.
- Select the second clip and move left to overlay the first clip where the playhead line is indicated on the Project Timeline.
- Select the Rolling Edit Tool to the left of the Project Timeline panel. The hotkey N will accomplish this.
- Zoom into the Project Timeline using the Plus [+] to edit the clips in a detailed view.
- Drag the playhead out past the total length of the original intro clip.
- Hold down the Alt or Option key, select the video track of the second clip and drag to the right to roll into the second clip, revealing the intro clip underneath. When you preview the timeline, you will hear audio from the first clip followed by audio from the second clip while still viewing the first clip.
- Select Effects from the bottom left panel.
- Select Audio Transitions.
- Select Crossfade; more options will appear in the sub-menu.
- Select Constant Power.
- Drag the effect into the Project Timeline where the J-cut appears.
- Reduce the length of the effect by dragging the end of the effect to the left.
- Preview the audio and adjust to the desired audio transition.
- Ensure both clips are inserted in the Project Timeline, with the intro clip first, and the second clip appearing after the intro clip.
- Select your third clip/outro clip.
- Drag the outro clip to the end of your second clip so they adjoin.
- Move the playhead out beyond the second clip to prepare for the next step.
- Select the Rolling Edit Tool to the left of the Project Timeline panel. The hotkey N will also accomplish this.
- Zoom into the Project Timeline using the Plus [+] key.
- Hold down the Alt or Option key and select the video track of the second clip. As you drag to the left, roll the outro clip over the second clip by the desired time; more options will appear in the sub-menu.
- Select Effects from the bottom left panel.
- Select Audio Transitions.
- Select Crossfade; more options will appear in the sub-menu.
- Select Constant Power.
- Drag the effect into the Project Timeline where the L-cut appears.
- Reduce the length of the effect by dragging the end to the left.
Adobe product screenshots reprinted with permission from Adobe Inc.