Iris In / Out

Iris in / out

Watch as an animation →

In plain words

A circle narrows or opens to close or open a scene, giving a classic film or cartoon feel.

When to use it

A comic ending, retro ads, emphasizing a particular subject.

Example videos

The Most Iconic Film Transition, Explained — Explainer: See the history and examples of the iris, which closes a scene as a circle narrows.
Ultimate Guide to Scene Transitions – Every Editing Transition Explained (The Shot List, Ep 9) — Explainer: See film scenes that use an iris transition.
How to make Circle Iris Wipe Transitions in Adobe Premiere Pro CC (Tutorial) — Explainer: See how to make a circular iris wipe in the editor.

In AI video, like this

Use xfade=transition=circleclose or circleopen. Frame the start frame in advance so the subject sits at the center where the circle closes.

One-click prompt

Close a circular iris at the end of the first 4-second clip and open the next, with the subject centered in both: ffmpeg -i a.mp4 -i b.mp4 -filter_complex "xfade=transition=circleclose:duration=0.7:offset=3.3" -an out.mp4. Use circleopen for an opening iris instead, and compose the first shot so the subject sits in the middle.

See it in real films and ads

Toni's Film Club — The Most Iconic Film Transition, Explained (Iris Shot)

AI-made examples

Not verified

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