Apple Final Cut Pro 5 - Manual (Page 718)

Chapter 21 Adding Transitions 383
III
Example: Transitioning To or From Black
A fade to black is really just a cross dissolve from a clip to black. In Final Cut Pro, you
can add black to the Timeline by adding a slug, which is a built-in Final Cut Pro video
generator. It’s often better to have an actual black clip to trim or adjust as needed.
However, you can create a cross dissolve from a clip to a gap for a similar effect.
Important: Fading to black by creating a cross dissolve from a clip to a gap works only
if there are no other video tracks with clips beneath the gap.
To fade to or from black:
m Add a cross dissolve transition to one of the following:
 The beginning of the first clip in your sequence
 The end of the last clip in your sequence
 The beginning or end of any clip with a gap on one or both sides
For more information, see “ Adding Transitions to Clips in Your Sequence ” on page 381.
If the transition starts at the
beginning of the sequence,
you’ll see a fade from black.
If the transition is placed
at the end of the last clip,
you’ll see a fade to black.