---
title: "How to add a pixelate transition with Claude (tested prompt and ffmpeg command)"
description: "Clip A breaks up into big square blocks that sharpen back into clip B. Install one skill and ask Claude Code, or run the ffmpeg command we tested yourself."
url: https://www.recharm.com/effects/pixelate-transition
---

# How to add a pixelate transition with Claude

Clip A breaks up into big square blocks that sharpen back into clip B.

Made by the command on this page, from our own test clips.

## Get this effect

1. ### Switch to Code in your [Claude Desktop App](https://claude.com/download)

2. ### Install the skill (once)

   ```
   Install the Recharm video effects skill: download https://recharm-growth-staging.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/website/downloads/recharm-video-effects.zip and unzip it into ~/.claude/skills
   ```

3. ### Ask for the effect

   ```
   Join clipA.mp4 and clipB.mp4 with a pixelate transition
   Length of the transition in seconds: 0.6
   ```

## Several videos, several effects, one ask

Put your clips in the folder, mention them with @, and ask for everything at once. Claude runs one tested script after another on each clip, then joins them.

Put a sale badge on **@clip1.mp4**, give **@clip2.mp4** a VHS look, then join them with a pixelate transition.

## Settings you can change

Ask Claude to change any of these, or edit them at the top of the command.

| Setting | Default | What it does                         |
| ------- | ------- | ------------------------------------ |
| `D`     | `0.6`   | Length of the transition in seconds. |

## In other editors

From each editor’s own help pages, in our words. We haven’t run these ourselves.

Closest built-in: **Hexa Mosaic** · desktop

1. Import clips and drag them onto the timeline.
2. Open the Transitions tab and search for Hexa Mosaic.
3. Click the plus icon to add it to the timeline.
4. Move the slider to adjust the duration.

Page says Hexa Mosaic gives a pixel-block distortion but doesn't say whether the blocks are square.

Source: [The 10 Best YouTube Transitions for Content Creators | Make Professional Videos](https://www.capcut.com/resource/youtube-transitions) (CapCut), checked October 22, 2026.

## Without the skill

Don’t want to install the skill? Paste this prompt into Claude Code and Claude writes the command itself.

```
Join clipA.mp4 and clipB.mp4 with a 0.6 second pixelate transition: A breaks into big square pixels that resolve into B (ffmpeg xfade pixelize). Crossfade the audio over the same 0.6 seconds. Match B's size and frame rate to A. Use ffmpeg and save it as output.mp4.
```

## Run it without Claude

This is the exact command we tested. Save it as `pixelate-transition.sh` and run:

```
sh pixelate-transition.sh clipA.mp4 clipB.mp4 output.mp4
```

```
#!/bin/sh
# Pixelate transition: clip A breaks into big square pixels that resolve into clip B, over 0.6s. The sound crossfades underneath.
# Usage: sh pixelate-transition.sh clipA.mp4 clipB.mp4 output.mp4  (both clips need an audio track)
set -e
A="$1"; B="$2"; OUT="$3"
D=0.6   # transition length in seconds

LEN=$(ffprobe -v error -show_entries format=duration -of csv=p=0 "$A")
OFFSET=$(echo "$LEN - $D" | bc)
SIZE=$(ffprobe -v error -select_streams v:0 -show_entries stream=width,height -of csv=s=x:p=0 "$A")
FPS=$(ffprobe -v error -select_streams v:0 -show_entries stream=r_frame_rate -of csv=p=0 "$A")
W=${SIZE%x*}; H=${SIZE#*x}
# xfade needs both clips at the same size and frame rate, so B is fitted to A first
ffmpeg -y -i "$A" -i "$B" -filter_complex "\
[0:v]fps=$FPS,format=yuv420p,setsar=1[a];\
[1:v]scale=$W:$H:force_original_aspect_ratio=increase,crop=$W:$H,fps=$FPS,format=yuv420p,setsar=1[b];\
[a][b]xfade=transition=pixelize:duration=$D:offset=$OFFSET[v];\
[0:a][1:a]acrossfade=d=$D[au]" \
  -map "[v]" -map "[au]" -c:v libx264 -crf 18 -pix_fmt yuv420p -c:a aac "$OUT"
```

## More transitions

- [Barn door transition **Barn door transition**](https://www.recharm.com/effects/barn-door)
- [Blinds transition **Blinds transition**](https://www.recharm.com/effects/blinds-transition)
- [Block dissolve **Block dissolve**](https://www.recharm.com/effects/block-dissolve)
- [Blur transition **Blur transition**](https://www.recharm.com/effects/blur-transition)
- [Bounce transition **Bounce transition**](https://www.recharm.com/effects/bounce-transition)

## Find 3x _winning ads_

Recharm cuts your ad footage into tagged, searchable clips: hooks, testimonials, product shots. Find the shots that win, add the effect with Claude, and ship 3x more ad edits.

[Start 14-day free trial](https://www.recharm.com/get-started)