Transitions Library

December 18, 2025 · View on GitHub

Scene transition effects for Remotion videos. Combines official @remotion/transitions with custom presentations for a comprehensive transition toolkit.

Installation

The transitions package is installed in each template. If setting up manually:

npm install @remotion/transitions @remotion/paths @remotion/shapes

Usage

Transitions work with Remotion's TransitionSeries component:

import { TransitionSeries, linearTiming, springTiming } from '@remotion/transitions';
import { glitch, rgbSplit, lightLeak } from '../../../lib/transitions';

export const MyVideo = () => {
  return (
    <TransitionSeries>
      <TransitionSeries.Sequence durationInFrames={90}>
        <TitleScene />
      </TransitionSeries.Sequence>

      <TransitionSeries.Transition
        presentation={glitch({ intensity: 0.8 })}
        timing={linearTiming({ durationInFrames: 20 })}
      />

      <TransitionSeries.Sequence durationInFrames={120}>
        <ContentScene />
      </TransitionSeries.Sequence>

      <TransitionSeries.Transition
        presentation={lightLeak({ temperature: 'warm' })}
        timing={springTiming({ config: { damping: 200 } })}
      />

      <TransitionSeries.Sequence durationInFrames={90}>
        <EndScene />
      </TransitionSeries.Sequence>
    </TransitionSeries>
  );
};

Available Transitions

Custom Transitions (this library)

Transition	Description	Best For	Status
`glitch()`	Digital distortion with slice displacement and RGB separation	Tech demos, cyberpunk, edgy reveals	✅ Validated
`rgbSplit()`	Chromatic aberration with color fringing	Modern tech, energetic transitions	✅ Validated
`zoomBlur()`	Radial motion blur with scale	CTAs, reveals, high-energy moments	✅ Validated
`lightLeak()`	Cinematic lens flare and overexposure	Emotional moments, celebrations, film aesthetic	✅ Validated
`clockWipe()`	Radial wipe like clock hands	Time-related content, playful reveals	✅ Validated
`pixelate()`	Digital mosaic dissolution	Retro/gaming, digital transformations	✅ Validated
`checkerboard()`	Grid-based reveal with multiple patterns	Playful reveals, structured transitions	✅ Validated

Official Transitions (re-exported)

Transition	Description
`slide()`	Scene slides in from a direction
`fade()`	Simple crossfade
`wipe()`	Edge wipe reveal
`flip()`	3D card flip

Transition Options

glitch(options?)

glitch({
  intensity: 0.8,      // Effect strength (0-1). Default: 0.8
  slices: 8,           // Horizontal slice count. Default: 8
  rgbShift: true,      // RGB channel separation. Default: true
  scanLines: true,     // CRT scan line overlay. Default: true
})

rgbSplit(options?)

rgbSplit({
  direction: 'horizontal',  // 'horizontal' | 'vertical' | 'diagonal'. Default: 'horizontal'
  displacement: 30,         // Max pixel offset. Default: 30
  channelBlur: true,        // Motion blur on channels. Default: true
})

zoomBlur(options?)

zoomBlur({
  direction: 'in',     // 'in' (toward viewer) | 'out' (away). Default: 'in'
  blurAmount: 20,      // Max blur pixels. Default: 20
  scaleAmount: 1.15,   // Scale multiplier. Default: 1.15
  origin: 'center',    // 'center' | 'top' | 'bottom' | 'left' | 'right'. Default: 'center'
})

lightLeak(options?)

lightLeak({
  temperature: 'warm',    // 'warm' | 'cool' | 'rainbow'. Default: 'warm'
  direction: 'right',     // 'left' | 'right' | 'top' | 'bottom' | 'center'. Default: 'right'
  intensity: 0.8,         // Overexposure strength (0-1). Default: 0.8
  flareArtifacts: true,   // Lens flare spots. Default: true
})

clockWipe(options?)

clockWipe({
  startAngle: 0,              // Starting angle in degrees. Default: 0 (12 o'clock)
  direction: 'clockwise',     // 'clockwise' | 'counterclockwise'. Default: 'clockwise'
  segments: 1,                // Number of wipe arms. Default: 1
  softEdge: true,             // Soft glow on edge. Default: true
})

pixelate(options?)

pixelate({
  maxBlockSize: 60,       // Max pixel block size. Default: 60
  gridSize: 12,           // Grid dimensions. Default: 12
  scanlines: true,        // CRT scanline overlay. Default: true
  glitchArtifacts: true,  // RGB split and glitch slices. Default: true
  randomness: 0.8,        // Block reveal randomness (0-1). Default: 0.8
})

checkerboard(options?)

checkerboard({
  gridSize: 8,                // Grid dimensions (8 = 8x8). Default: 8
  pattern: 'diagonal',        // Reveal pattern. Default: 'diagonal'
  stagger: 0.15,              // Delay between squares (0-1). Default: 0.15
  squareAnimation: 'fade',    // 'fade' | 'scale' | 'flip'. Default: 'fade'
})

Available patterns:

sequential - Left-to-right, top-to-bottom
random - Random order
diagonal - Diagonal wave from top-left
alternating - True checkerboard pattern
spiral - Spiral from center outward
rows - Row by row
columns - Column by column
center-out - Radial from center
corners-in - From corners toward center

Timing Functions

linearTiming

Constant speed transition:

linearTiming({ durationInFrames: 30 })  // 1 second at 30fps

springTiming

Physics-based with bounce:

springTiming({
  config: {
    damping: 200,      // Higher = less bounce
    stiffness: 100,    // Higher = snappier
    mass: 1,           // Higher = slower
  },
  durationInFrames: 45,  // Optional max duration
})

Choosing Transitions

Video Type	Recommended Transitions
Tech/Product Demo	`glitch`, `rgbSplit`, `slide`
Corporate/Professional	`fade`, `wipe`, `zoomBlur`
Celebration/Launch	`lightLeak`, `zoomBlur`
Retro/Gaming	`pixelate`, `glitch`
Cinematic	`lightLeak`, `fade`, `wipe`
Playful/Creative	`clockWipe`, `checkerboard`, `flip`
High Energy	`zoomBlur`, `rgbSplit`, `glitch`
Structured/Grid	`checkerboard`, `pixelate`

Transition Duration Guidelines

Transition Type	Recommended Duration	Notes
Quick cut	10-15 frames	Fast, punchy
Standard	20-30 frames	Most common
Dramatic	40-60 frames	Slow reveals
Glitch effects	15-25 frames	Should feel sudden
Light leak	30-45 frames	Needs time to sweep

Combining with Audio

Add sound effects to transitions:

import { Audio, Sequence } from 'remotion';

// Play whoosh sound during transition
<Sequence from={transitionStartFrame} durationInFrames={30}>
  <Audio src={staticFile('sfx/whoosh.mp3')} volume={0.5} />
</Sequence>

Transition Gallery

Standalone Showcase

Preview all transitions with the dedicated showcase project:

cd showcase/transitions
npm install
npm run studio

Opens Remotion Studio with a visual gallery showing each transition as Scene A → Scene B with labels and descriptions.

Embedding in Projects

Add the gallery to your own project's Root.tsx:

import { TransitionGallery, transitionGalleryConfig } from '../../../lib/transitions';

// Register in Root.tsx
<Composition
  id={transitionGalleryConfig.id}
  component={TransitionGallery}
  durationInFrames={transitionGalleryConfig.durationInFrames}
  fps={transitionGalleryConfig.fps}
  width={transitionGalleryConfig.width}
  height={transitionGalleryConfig.height}
/>

Then run npm run studio and select "TransitionGallery" to preview all transitions.

Single Transition Preview

For interactive previews (e.g., with @remotion/player):

import { SingleTransitionPreview, transitionMap } from '../../../lib/transitions';

// Preview a specific transition
<SingleTransitionPreview transitionName="glitch" />

// Access transition config programmatically
const { presentation, duration } = transitionMap.lightLeak;

Technical Notes

TransitionSeries vs Series: TransitionSeries allows overlapping scenes during transitions. Regular Series does not.
Duration calculation: Total video duration = sum of sequence durations - sum of transition durations (because scenes overlap).
Performance: Complex transitions (glitch, pixelate) use SVG filters which may impact preview performance. Final renders are unaffected.
Browser compatibility: All transitions use standard CSS/SVG features. Tested in Chrome (Remotion's render target).