���˿���

As you work on your edit, you should be constantly refining and improving the cuts.

There are a few techniques which may help with this process:

Adding fades and dissolves

A well-timed fade or dissolve can help open or close a scene.

Most editing software will have built-in shortcuts for adding fades and dissolves but you can sometimes achieve a better effect if you add your own dissolves manually.

Workflows may differ depending on your software but the basic method for doing this is universal.

In the below image you can see a line running through the video clip video clip - this represents the image’s opacity or overall brightness.

^{By clicking on the line with the keyframe tool, you can add keyframe points which allow you to fade the value up and down at certain points.}

On most editing packages the keyframe tool can be accessed on the main interface but you should always refer to your editing software’s instructions for further guidance.

Adding sound effects and adjusting audio

Just as you can use the keyframe tool to add fades and dissolves, you can also use it to adjust audio levels in your edit.

Remember you can always adjust the audio level for every clip by clicking on the volume controls.

The graphic below shows a typical editing timeline with music and sound effects tracks.

The volume for these can be pulled up or down by clicking on the volume line.

^{For more detailed audio adjustments you can use keyframes to fade music or sound effects in or out.}