A little goes a long way

Recognize that you don't have to insert a transition between every two scenes on the timeline. Rather, use a transition only when it highlights a change in place or time that you want the viewer to perceive.

For example, if you're shooting your child's birthday party, you may have a bunch of shots in the dining room: kids eating, shouting, and blowing their horns; parents watching and smiling; and Uncle Ernie discreetly grabbing his third piece of chocolate cake. When you edit these clips, you should simply cut from clip to clip sans transitions because they all occur at the same place in time. However, the next major scene is opening presents in the living room. When you move from the dining room to the living room, there is a change in place and time, so a transition is appropriate.