beginner 10 min transition motion blur keyframes edit page
How to Create a Whip Pan Transition in DaVinci Resolve
The whip pan is a classic transition that simulates a fast camera pan between two scenes. It adds energy and rhythm to edits, especially in travel and lifestyle videos. In this tutorial, you will create it natively in Resolve using Transform keyframes and motion blur. No plugins needed.
Prerequisites
- •DaVinci Resolve 18 or later
- •Two clips with lateral motion or static subjects
- •Basic knowledge of keyframes in the Edit page
Steps
1
Apply Transform to the outgoing clip
Select the outgoing clip and open the Inspector. Under Transform, set a keyframe on Position X at the last frame. Move 4 frames backward and drag Position X off-screen to the left. This creates a fast lateral exit. Enable motion blur by setting the Dynamic Zoom to ON and selecting Ease In-Out.
2
Animate the incoming clip
Select the incoming clip. Set a keyframe on Position X at its first frame, positioning it off-screen to the right. Move 4 frames forward and bring Position X back to center. This creates the snap-in motion. Match the easing curve to the outgoing clip for a continuous feel.
3
Add directional blur for realism
For extra realism, add a Directional Blur OpenFX to both clips. On the outgoing clip, animate the blur amount from 0 to 20 over the 4-frame exit. On the incoming clip, animate from 20 to 0 over the 4-frame entrance. Set the blur angle to match the pan direction (0° for horizontal).
Conclusion
The whip pan is now a reusable technique in your editing toolkit. Save the transform and blur settings as a preset by right-clicking the effects in the Inspector and choosing Save Preset. Or use the pre-built motion presets and timelines in the Creator Pro workspace.
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