Transition Types

In film, a transition is the connection between two different shots. There are three main transitions, these include cut, fade and dissolve.

Cut

This is the most common transition. It is an instant change from one shot to the next. The raw footage from your camera contains cuts between shots where you stop and start recording. In film and television production, the vast majority of transitions are cuts.

Fade

Fades the shot to a single colour, usually black or white. The "fade to black" and "fade from black" are ubiquitous in film and television. They usually signal the beginning and end of scenes. Fades can be used between shots to create a sort of crossfade which, for example, fades briefly to white before fading to the next shot.

Dissolve

Dissolves have a more relaxed feel than a cut and are useful if you want a meandering pace, contemplative mood, etc. Where a fade "fades to black" a dissolve kind of blurs into the next image. Scenery sequences work well with dissolves, as do photo montages. Dissolves can also convey a sense of passing time or changing location.

Jump Cut

A jump cut is a transition between two shots which appears to "jump" due to the way the shots are framed in relation to each other. Jump cuts are usually caused by framing which is quite similar. Here is an example of a jump cut being used in the film Breathless (1960)


The Wipe

A wipe is a gradual spatial transition from one image to another. One image is replaced by another with a distinct edge that forms a shape. A simple edge, an expanding circle, or the turning of a page are all examples.

Using transitions to tell a story

The use of transitions are important in telling a story to the audience. If you had a slow, sad scene, you may want to use something like a fade as it slowly changes into the next shot keeping it at a slow and steady pace. However, if you were watching an action scene such as a fight or a car chase, you would use simple cuts to change shots as these are the quickest transitions and it keeps the story quick and fast paced. This may not happen all the time but it does the majority. There are many ways you can use transitions like the ones above to be able to tell any story you like.

180 degree rule

The 180° rule is a basic guideline in film making that states that two characters (or other elements) in the same scene should always have the same left/right relationship to each other. If the camera passes over the imaginary axis connecting the two subjects, it is called crossing the line. The new shot, from the opposite side, is known as a reverse angle.

This rule is vital in keeping connected with the audience because if you break the rule, the audience are going to be confused and will have trouble with keeping up with the story.

Below is a short video clip which helps explain this rule...