How to Create a Storybook Page Turn Transition in Adobe Premiere Pro CC (2018)

Custom transitions are a great way to give your video personality. The storybook page turn creates the illusion of one clip turning like a page to reveal the next clip underneath. It works great for wedding videos, children’s content, travel montages, or anything where you want a warm, narrative feeling between scenes.

This is a more advanced effect that combines Basic 3D, Crop, and Horizontal Flip. It takes a few layers and some careful keyframing, but the result is a unique transition you won’t find in the default effects panel. Today I show you how to create it in Adobe Premiere Pro CC.

How to Create a Page Turn Transition

Setting Up the Layers

1. Create a new sequence and import the two clips you want to transition between.
2. Place the second clip (the one being revealed) on V1 (bottom track).
3. Place the first clip (the one that will “turn” like a page) on V2 (above it). Overlap them for the duration of the transition.
4. Create a few extra video tracks above these. You will need them for the duplicated layers. Just drag a clip upward a few times to create new tracks, then remove those temporary clips.
5. Go to Effects > Video Effects > Perspective > Basic 3D. Drag it onto the clip on V2.

Animating the Page Turn

6. Select the V2 clip and go to Effect Controls. Find the Basic 3D effect.
7. Click the stopwatch next to Swivel to start keyframing.
8. At the start of the transition, set Swivel to 0 (flat, facing the camera).
9. Move forward to where you want the page turn to complete. Set Swivel to 180 (the page has turned fully).
10. Now duplicate the V2 clip and place the copy on V3 (one track above). On the original V2 clip, remove the Basic 3D effect. This layer will serve as the flat “back of the page.”
11. Apply the Crop effect to the V2 clip (the one without Basic 3D). Set the Left crop to 50%. This shows only the right half of the frame, which is the part that gets revealed as the page turns.

Creating the Back of the Page

12. Duplicate the first clip again and place it on the top track. Apply Basic 3D to this layer.
13. Start this layer’s Swivel at 90 (edge-on, invisible) and animate it to 180 (fully turned). Time it so it begins right when the first Basic 3D layer hits 90 degrees.
14. Apply Horizontal Flip to this top layer. In Effect Controls, drag the Horizontal Flip above the other effects so it flips first. This makes the footage appear mirrored on the back of the page, like a real page would look from behind.

Timing the Cuts

15. At the 90-degree mark (where the page is edge-on and invisible), cut the first Basic 3D layer so it stops rendering. This is the halfway point of the transition.
16. Start the second Basic 3D layer (the back of the page) at this same point so it picks up seamlessly.

Tips

• This effect is complex in text form. If you get confused at any step, watch the video above for a visual walkthrough. Seeing the layers and keyframes in action makes it much clearer.
• Adjust the transition speed by changing how far apart the start and end keyframes are. A slow page turn (60-90 frames) feels elegant and storybook-like. A fast turn (20-30 frames) feels more energetic.
• Add a subtle shadow. Create a dark, semi-transparent shape on a layer between the page and the revealed clip. Animate its opacity so a shadow appears as the page lifts and disappears as it settles. This adds depth.
• Combine with sound design. A paper rustling or page turning sound effect synced to the animation really sells the storybook feel.
• Save the setup as a template. Once you build this transition, you can duplicate the layer structure and swap in different footage for future use.

That is how you create a storybook page turn transition in Premiere Pro. It takes a few layers and some careful timing, but the result is a charming, custom transition that stands out.