Welcome to Better Motion: A video series to help elevate your motion skills, one fix at a time. 🛠️
In this episode, Anaïs showcases the power of a match cut, a classic transition technique.
What is a match cut?
A match cut is a transition between two scenes that share a visual element.
The basic premise is this: if two elements share the same speed, the same direction and you cut right in the middle of the motion, your brain interprets this as seamless motion.
How to build a match cut in Jitter
Here's one simple method to build a match cut using components.
Step 1: Plan the shared element
Before animating, decide what will "match" across the cut. This is usually a shape, color, or position that exists in both scenes, for example a circle in scene one that lines up with a circular icon in scene two.
Step 2: Build each scene as its own component
Create your first scene on an artboard and design and animate it as usual.
Select the artboard and turn it into a component.
Repeat for your second scene.
Place both component instances on a single artboard, one after the other, in the order you want them to play.
When you put them together, the instances play back as one seamless combined animation, which is what makes the match cut work.
Tips for a convincing match cut
Keep the matched element simple. Bold, clean shapes read faster than detailed ones, which makes the connection easier to catch.
Use the canvas to line up your shapes visually between the two scenes before fine-tuning the animation timing on the timeline.
Match on motion, not just shape. If an element is moving in a certain direction at the end of scene one, continuing that motion into scene two strengthens the illusion.
Don't overuse it. A match cut works best as a highlight, not a transition applied to every scene in a project.
📺 Check out our Jitter Academy of Motion collection for more video tutorials and tricks! 💫
Follow us for more: