The Punctuation of Film-Making Transitions The Punctuation of Film-Making

Transitions The selection of transitions between shots is an important aspect of continuity editing, which is designed to create the illusion of continuous time and space in relation to a sequence of on-screen events. Continuity editing involves suturing (stitching or connecting) together different shots into a sequence, in order to determine the order of screen events. Different transitions, such as the cut, fade, dissolve, and wipe, imply particular changes in space (location) or time (between on-screen events). They need to be used cautiously and carefully, as they are metaphorically a form of on-screen punctuation. Thus, they should not be inserted ; randomly... just because your / editing software / makes them available!!!!

Cut A cut in some sense is the absence of a transition. It involves literally switching from one shot to the next. It implies almost undetectable, incremental shifts in space and time. They act like commas “,”. Transitions: Cut

Transitions: Fade Fade Usually used at the beginning (fade in from black) or end (fade out to black) of a scene, to indicate a long gap in time between scenes, or a character’s loss of consciousness. They are the equivalent of writing dot, dot, dot...

Transitions: Fade

Transitions: Dissolve Dissolves Two images are momentarily superimposed. Indicates a significant shift in scene. The longer the dissolve takes, the greater time is suggested to have elapsed between scenes. Perhaps they are most like colons “:” and semi-colons “;”.

Transitions: Dissolve

Transitions: Wipe Wipes Flashy transitions that draw attention to the constructed nature of the text because there is a visible line on screen between one shot and the next, as one shot appears to push another shot out of the way. Usually used in quirky films to contribute to a non-realist sensibility. Some wipes act like exclamation marks!! Some wipes act like exclamation marks!!

Transitions: Wipe