Cardboard includes a library of transitions, color grading presets, and keyframe animation tools to give your videos a polished look. You can apply them manually from the editor or use AI Chat to add them with a simple prompt.
Transitions
Add transitions between clips to smooth out cuts. Cardboard includes 14 transition presets across three categories.
Cinematic
Motion
Creative
- Fade — Classic fade to/from black
- Dissolve — One clip blends smoothly into the next
- Light Leak — Bright light bloom during the transition
- Film Burn — Analog film burn effect
- Cross Zoom — Zoom-based cross dissolve
- Fly — Clip flies in from a direction
- Push — New clip pushes the old one off screen
- Slide — Clip slides in from the side
- Zoom — Zoom in on the cut point
- Radial Wipe — Circular wipe reveal
- Glitch — Digital glitch distortion
- Chromatic Aberration — RGB color split effect
- Ink Bleed — Ink spreading across the frame
- Audio Fade — Fades only the audio (no visual transition)
- Duration — How long the transition lasts (in seconds)
- Direction — Where applicable, which direction the transition moves (left, right, up, down)
- Easing — The acceleration curve (ease in, ease out, linear)
To apply a transition, drag it from the transitions panel onto the cut point between two clips.
Color grading and LUTs
Color grading changes the overall look and feel of your video. Cardboard includes 6 LUT presets you can apply to any clip or adjustment layer.
| Preset | Description |
|---|
| Cinematic | Warm shadows, teal highlights — the Hollywood look |
| Black & White | Full desaturation with enhanced contrast |
| Vintage | Faded colors with a warm, retro tone |
| Cool | Blue-shifted tones for a clean, modern feel |
| Warm | Golden, sun-kissed tones |
| High Contrast | Deeper blacks and brighter whites |
Keyframe animation
Animate any clip property over time using keyframes. Set a value at one point, a different value at another, and Cardboard smoothly interpolates between them.
Properties you can animate:
- Opacity — Fade clips in and out
- Scale — Zoom in or out over time
- Rotation — Spin or tilt a clip
- X / Y position — Move a clip across the frame
To add a keyframe, move the playhead to where you want the animation to start, set your property value, then move ahead and set a new value. Cardboard creates a smooth animation between the two points.
You can use AI Chat for effects too — try “Add a fade transition between every clip”, “Apply cinematic color grade”, or “Zoom in on the subject over 2 seconds.”
What’s next?
