This step-by-step tutorial is a specific followup to the more general Transporter video you may have already watched. If you haven't seen it, it's way more fun and interesting than this little segment, which focuses like a phaser on Apple's Final Cut Pro.

Let's start with a review of the three parts of a Star Trek transporter effect (1) we need a clean plate reveal of our crew member, (2) we can optionally cover that with an overlay animation and, for authenticity, we should (3) create a crewman mask with a sparkly interior of some kind.

Clean Plates, Crossfades and Overlays

Let's very quickly set up our timeline for parts (1) and (2). Let's do a transport OUT effect:

1. Insert a clean plate into a track on the timeline.
2. Add the clip with the crewman [and add a Cross Dissolve] transition effect [how?].
3. Add an overlay animation in a track above so that it covers/hides the transition.

The overlay animation is strictly optional and, in fact, if you want to be authentic, is not a part of the original transporter effect at all. Still, I think they look good and, perhaps more importantly, they are really easy and effective. I happen to be using graphic elements from Digital Juice, specifically Motion Design Elements known as Revealers.

[IMAGE by Thursday May 7th]

Traveling Mattes and Transporters

Now let's get to the fun part, the masked interior sparkle effect. The only trick here is that we need to create a crewman-shaped mask that is going to let us put a sparkle effect on the interior and still allow the background to show through, with the background being the crewmember/clean plate transition.

1. Create a new track between the overlay and the crewmember/clean plate. You should have: Track 1 - overlay; Track 2 - Duplicated Crew member clip; and Track 3 - the original crossfade.
2. Create a mask in iPhoto.
3. Insert the Mask above the duplicated crewman.
4. Select the sparkle clip on the timeline and, from the Modify menu, select Composite Mode > Travel Matte > Travel Matte - Alpha.
5. Drag the Fade In/Out edge envelopes on the clips to create a nice, uh, fade in and out on the effect.

[IMAGE by Thursday May 7th]

Step #2 can be very tedious, but it doesn't have to be. The more time you spend creating the outline, the better the result, however, since this is just a very quick effect that often looks even better with a little soft edge (Feather) on the mask, I wouldn't worry about it too much.

Of course the devil is in the (dark) details here. Personally, I find the original series effect to be both very difficult to recreate with modern video sources AND not all that impressive from a visual effects standpoint. My favorite variation (so far: the Star Trek 2009 effect looks pretty darned cool) is the effect from Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan best, but once you understand the principles, it is just a matter of time and experimentation to get a look you like.