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Understanding Motion Effects
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Understanding Motion Effects
Motion effects divide into two main categories, traditional motion effects (sometimes known as
source-side motion effects) and Timewarp effects.
Traditional Motion Effects
You create a traditional Freeze Frame, Variable Speed, or Strobe Motion effect by generating a
new clip with specific motion characteristics from an original clip that you open in the Source
monitor. You then edit the motion effect clip into your sequence.
For example, if you begin with a 3-second clip and create a Variable Speed motion effect from
that clip with the speed set to 50%, the result is a new 6-second clip in which movement takes
place at half the speed of the original clip.
The advantage of traditional motion effects is that they are simple to create. The disadvantage of
traditional motion effects is that they limit flexibility when you are editing and they allow only
one speed for the duration of the clip. You cannot change the speed of a Variable Speed effect
without creating a new motion effect clip, and you cannot achieve an effect where a clip moves
slowly for part of its duration and then suddenly speeds up.
For more information, see “Creating Traditional Motion Effects” on page 201.
Timewarp Effects
You create Timewarp effects by applying the Timewarp effect from the Effect Palette to a clip in
a sequence. You modify the effect by using the Motion Effect Editor. You can also promote a
traditional motion effect to a Timewarp effect once you edit it into a sequence.
You can use keyframes with the Timewarp effect to make multiple changes to the speed and
position of any image in the effect. You can employ several different rates of speed, including
reverse speed, in the same clip. You can also freely edit the effect, changing your speed settings
as often as you need until you achieve the look you want.
In a Timewarp effect, the variations in speed are independent of the length of the clip in the
sequence, so you can trim the clip without affecting your speed adjustments.
For more detailed information on Timewarp effects and how they differ from traditional motion
effects, see “Understanding Timewarp Effects” on page 212.