These Avid Tips were inspired by Hershleder.com visitor Geert Stokman from Holland. Follow Geert's lead and submit your favorite tip today. Here's what Geert had to say, followed by a couple tips on this topic from me.

 
Geert said:
Thanks for all the free tips and tricks on your website! Here's one to return the favour. It's a small trick to add filler at the end of your sequence. Here's what you do:

 
You need to have no clip in your upper video track at the end of your sequence (9 out of 10 times this is the case).
- Activate this track (and no other) and turn your sync locks off.
- Place your position bar at the end of the sequence (or press the go to end button).
- Press the Add Edit button.
- Go into Trim Mode.
- Type-in the length of filler you require.
- Press the Enter key.

 
That is a great trick Geert has shared. Be aware that this may not work on every version of Media Composer or Xpress Pro software (most likely only on the more recent versions). This is due to the fact that the way the applications were originally programmed, they generally did not allow you to add Filler at the end of a sequence with the same ease as you can at the beginning (e.g. Add Filler at Start from the Clip Menu).

 
So, if you can't use Geert's suggestion, here's a couple of my own:

 
1 – Open the Title Tool. At the bottom of the Title Tool you will see a green letter "V." That is for making a title with a Video background. Simply deselect that so that it is no longer green. This will make the background black (you can change the color by clicking on the "Bg" box if you want, but in this case we'll leave it black). Now all you have to do is save the title. Cut in as much as you need anywhere in your sequence, even at the end. It's quick and easy.

 
2 – Another option available is when you are performing a Digital Cut (and using the Digital Cut Tool). You have the option of "Adding Black at Tail" by typing in a specific duration. The black will appear at the end of the sequence during the output and will disappear once it is completed.