Photoshop^R CS6 has many of the same features that you will find in several user-friendly video editing software.

Adding transitions between clips or stills can make the difference between a good and a great finished project. Photoshop makes it easy to add several preset transitions by simply dragging the name of the transition from the Transitions pop-up menu to the location of your choice. You can also control the duration of the transition.

Fade
Cross Fade
Fade with Black
Fade with White
Fade with Color

As Photoshop applies the transition, it automatically overlaps the end of the first clip and the beginning of the next clip in the transition span. The set duration of the transition determines the amount of overlapping, taking the needed footage from both clips. You can then preview your results by dragging the Playhead over the two clips.

Second to transitions, adding Text to your video is another way to add a professional touch to your project. You can use the new Photoshop Horizontal Type tool to add a text layer to the project in the same way that you add text to any Photoshop project. Once the text is committed, you can drag it to reposition it as needed within the preview window.

If your text layer is directly above a video clip layer in the Layers panel, the text will be incorporated into that clip. If you want control of the text independently to the clips, drag the text layer above the Video Group. You will then see that the text is on it's own layer in the Timeline. The text can be trimmed and transitions can be applied to the text just as the video clips.

A third component to a professional quality video project is the addition of audio. This can be a narrative overlay, sound effects or background music. Just click the Plus icon on the right of the Audio Track in the Timeline and choose your audio file. Also on this audio track is a pop-up menu for adding, removing or replacing an audio clip and for adding more audio tracks to the Timeline. When you right-click on the audio clip, you will get a second Audio pop-up menu for controlling the volume and applying the fade in and out effect.

When it's time to export your masterpiece, click File - Export - Render Video. In the Render Video dialog box, you have all the usual options for exporting your project. Choose between the Adobe Media Encoder or a Photoshop Image Sequence. Choose from several formats including H.264, DPX and QuickTime and several presets for each format.

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*Adobe provided a copy of this software to me for review purposes.

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