Hi--

> If you are using cross-dissolves, use the "rubber
>>bands" on the open video tracks (you can make better
>>"shapped" dissolves by using multiple straight-line
>>sections with the rubber band instead of a single ramped
>>line).

>I did not understand this suggestion for cross dissolves in Premiere. Do you
>use the rubber band to make frame by frame video ramps for the cross
>dissolves? Is it smoother? I wonder why it would look better than just a
>straight ramp...
>
>I thought that the video dissolves could only be done in the transition
>track, or in the transparency track at the top of the timeline window. My
>system is down for two days so I can't test it your suggestion, but I will
>as soon as I can.
>
>I am not happy with the dissolves in Premiere - this may be the answer! If
>you have the time to give me a more specific explanation I would appreciate
>it.
"George Smith"

All video tracks other than 1A and 1B can be opened to show rubber bands,
and these are as versatile as those for audio - you can make "S"-curve
disolves using these with three straight-line segments (actually, using
just two works for me - if I recall on the input side of the disolve I
make the overall ramp with points on the rubber band, then add a third point
near the exit for a very soft ending to the dissolve; when returning to
the previous clip, I do the same, making the end of the dissolve soft
[short part of ramp line nearly horizontal at exit], removing the abrupt
beginning and ending of the cutaway disolve that often happens with the
cross-dissolve transition [not a fault in Premiere - it is the straight-line
aspect that is the problem, and this can be removed with one or more bends
in that line using the rubber band...]).