Overview
Though Avid is primarily used for editing purposes, the software also has the ability to add various effects to your film. Sometimes, depending on the complexity of your effect, it might be more convenient to add that effect within Avid itself instead of using another software. Keyframing these effects however, may not be as straightforward as keyframing effects in other editing platforms.
Adding Effect Keyframes
- Once you have added an effect to your clip, open the Effect Editor through the button on the bottom left of the timeline window or by navigating to Tools > Effect Editor
Both the Effect Editor and Keyframe functionality are selected in the above screenshot
- Make sure your playhead is on the correct clip in the timeline
- Your chosen effect will be named in the top left of the Effect Editor.
- Within every effect, there are different parameters which you can keyframe in order to customize your effect. Each of these attributes are illustrated as horizontal green bars.
- To add a keyframe, click on the keyframe icon (pink triangle) at the bottom of the Effect Editor window. The keyframe will appear on the same frame as your blue playhead.
- The keyboard shortcut for adding keyframes is the “Apostrophe/Quotation” Key
- Two keyframes must be placed before parameters are customized
- Note: If you move your playhead to the location of your desired change and then adjust the values of the effect, Avid will not automatically create a new keyframe. Instead, it will assume you are still working on your old keyframe and change the value of that instead.
Editing Effect Keyframes
- Now that you have 2 keyframes, you can edit the values of the effects within the effect editor.
- Make sure the correct keyframe is selected (pink) before making changes.
- To move a keyframe left or right in order to change the timing of the effect, hold down the option key then click and drag the keyframe to the desired location.