When to use a hard cut and when to add a transition

Every edit is a series of joins between shots. A hard cut is the cleanest join there is. A transition is a statement on top of it. Used well, a transition tells the viewer that something changed. Used on every cut, it tells them nothing.

The default is a hard cut

When you place clips next to each other on the main track in DepCut, they meet in a hard cut. No transition is added unless you add one. That default is a good starting point. Cut the whole video first, play it through, and only then ask where a join needs more than a cut.

Keep the hard cut when

The action continues. A person walks through a door, and the next shot is the room they enter. The viewer follows the movement without help.
A conversation is running. Back-and-forth speech sounds natural when the cuts land on the words. A blend between speakers adds delay.
The pace is fast. A string of short shots wants to hit one after another. A transition on each of them slows the rhythm.
The shots belong to one scene. Same place, same time, same mood. The cut is invisible, which is the goal.
The shot ends on a natural beat. A finished line, a closing door or a held look gives the cut its own punctuation, so nothing more is needed on top.

Reach for a transition when

Time passes. Morning to evening, one day to the next. A Cross fade or Dip to black marks the gap.
The place changes. A move from a kitchen to a street can use a Push or Wipe to signal the new location.
A new section starts. A title card, a new step in a tutorial, a new topic. A Dip to black gives the viewer a short pause.
The mood shifts. A move from calm to energetic can carry a Whip or Zoom blur. A move to a softer moment can carry Warm light.
The video opens or closes. The first and last shots often deserve an entrance or an exit.

Test it with and without

Add the transition, play the join, then remove it and play it again. Keep it only if the cut felt like it needed help. If you cannot tell the difference, the hard cut wins, because it costs the viewer nothing.

Switch a transition back to a hard cut

Click the round button at the cut. Its tooltip names the transition's style.
With the transition selected, press Delete or Backspace.

The cut returns to a plain join, and the clips after it move later by the length the transition had overlapped. If you change your mind, Ctrl+Z or Cmd+Z brings the transition back.

Next step

Open a project in DepCut, play your edit with hard cuts only, and add a transition at the one or two joins where something truly changes.