Fading to black sounds like the most basic thing in editing — and it is, until you realize there are two very different ways to do it, and they don't look the same on export. Here's the quick way most editors use, and the slightly more deliberate way commercial and narrative editors prefer.
Why how you fade matters
A fade to black is punctuation. It ends a scene, gives the audience a breath, and signals a shift in time or place. Because it's often the last thing on screen before a cut or the end of a piece, a clean, smooth fade matters more than you'd think — a harsh or abrupt fade reads as sloppy on the very moment you want to feel polished.
Method 1: the default transition (fast)
Go to the end of the clip
Put the playhead at the tail of the clip you want to fade out.
Apply the transition
Right-click the clip's end and choose Apply Default Transitions (Ctrl+D), or drag Dip to Black from the Effects panel onto the cut.
Adjust the length
Drag the edge of the transition to make the fade longer or shorter.
This is quick and fine for most edits. But many professional editors avoid dissolves, because the falloff can feel a touch harsh and the transition handles aren't always under your direct control.
Method 2: opacity keyframes (smoother)
The method commercial and narrative editors reach for gives you a smoother, more cinematic fade:
Open Opacity in Effect Controls
Select the clip and expand Opacity.
Keyframe full, then zero
Set a keyframe at full opacity where the fade starts, then move to the end and set opacity to 0.
Ease the keyframes
Right-click the first keyframe and choose Ease Out, the last Ease In, then shape the curve for a gentle falloff.
The eased opacity fade comes in cleaner on export — the black arrives fully and smoothly, where a dissolve can feel abrupt. It's a subtle difference, but it's exactly the kind of detail that separates a commercial-grade fade from a default one.
Don't forget the audio
A fade to black should usually fade the sound too. Add an audio crossfade (Constant Power) to the end of your audio, or keyframe the volume down to match the picture. A visual that fades while the audio cuts hard is a common, jarring mistake.
Pro tip: To fade an entire stack of layers at once, put a black solid or adjustment layer on top and fade its opacity from 0 to 100 — one fade covers every track underneath.
Fade from black to open a scene
The same techniques run in reverse to fade in. Keyframe Opacity from 0 up to full at the start of a clip, or drop a Dip to Black on the head of the cut. Opening on black for a beat before the image arrives is a classic, confident way to start a piece.
Dip to White and other dips
Black isn't your only option. Dip to White gives a bright, dreamy or flash-cut feel; dipping to a color can match a brand or a mood. They live right next to Dip to Black in the Video Transitions > Dissolve folder and apply the same way — drag onto the cut and adjust the length.
How long should a fade be?
There's no rule, but a useful starting point: roughly half a second to a second for a punchy scene change, and one to two seconds for a slow, final fade at the end of a piece. Watch it back in context — a fade that feels right in isolation can drag on a fast edit or feel rushed on a slow one.
Beyond the fade
When you want more than a fade — whip pans, light leaks, glitch cuts — drag-and-drop packs make it instant. Filmit Transitions adds 200+ ready-to-use transitions to Premiere Pro. For the fundamentals, see the Premiere Pro timeline panel explained.
Dip to Black is fast; opacity keyframes are smoother.
Ease Out then Ease In for a clean, cinematic falloff.
Add a Constant Power crossfade so sound and picture match.
A black solid or adjustment layer on top fades all tracks.
