Ultimate Guide to Scene Transitions – Every Editing Transition Explained [The Shot List, Ep 9]

Films are made up of sequences. Sequences are made up of scenes. And scenes are made up of shots.

In the previous episodes, we analyze frame rate. Camera lenses. Shot size, and more.

Now, let's talk about how the scenes are connected with scene transitions that move us through the story. "- See if you remember anything. " This is episode 9 of "The Shot List".

Editing transitions. We'll be examining 9 essential editing transitions each with their own function. We'll begin with the most fundamental.

"- I want a little production value, you know? Like some editing, transition something, some music. " - And work our way to the more complex.

"- Excuse me. - Excuse me. " - As we go, we'll populate a shot list in StudioBinder as a sort of guide for the next time you were looking for the perfect transition.

Before we dive into creative transitions, we first have to mention the most basic technique. The cut. A cut is an instant switch or transition from one shot to another.

"- Who is it, Jay? - It's okay, honey. It's a friend of Terry's.

" - Or one scene to the next. And it is by far the most common way to transition between scenes. In our next episode, we'll dive deeper into the nuances of the cut and how different editors use it to enhance the storytelling of a scene.

"- The way we cut that. If you look at that sequence, you'll see, it's very, jaggedly cut. In order to accentuate the violence of the breaking of the glass.

" - Now, let's look at our first creative transition. The Fade. One of the original editing transitions that is still used today is the fade.

A fade is when a shott dissolves to, or from a solid color. Usually black or white. A fade from black is a common way to open a film as it eases the audience into the beginning of the story.

"- Blake. - Sorry, serge. - Pick a man.

Bring your kit. Yes, serge. " - A fade to black can give a gradual sense of closure at the end, like opening and closing a book.

But what about fades in the middle of a film? "- And you will know my name is the law. When I lay my vengeance upon thee.

" - This is similar to the end of a chapter. A fade to black deliberately pauses any momentum giving the audience a moment to breathe or reflect on what just transpired. "Pulp Fiction" uses the fade to black between all three of its chapters.

Editors can also fade-in and out of shots within the same scene as a stylistic choice. This is also known as dip to black as we can see here in "Gone Girl". "- It's not good enough for you?

- It's not even close. What scared me wasn't that he'd push me. What scared me was how much he wanted to hurt me more.

What scared me was that I'd finally realized I am frightened of my own husband. " - A much less common type of fade is the fade to white. Most commonly used to represent a character entering a dream.

Or dying. In contrast to black, a fade to white can also leave an ending up for interpretation. "- Let's go get some help!

Go get some help! - Now, it's perfect. " - In this final scene from "Black Swan", a fade to white does not create a sense of closure but rather ambiguity.

Does Nina die or not? If you want to fade into another shot rather than to black opt for our next transition - the Dissolve. "- Nice dissolve.

" - Like the fade, the dissolve utilizes a gradual transition. Only this time it transitions directly into another shot. Traditionally dissolves are used to suggest a longer passage of time between scenes or shots within the same scene more than we'd expect from a simple cut.

"- God put this here for me, ain't you. Take advantage, man. Take advantage.

" - Or as a way to signal a memory. Or a dream. "- What's going on?

" - Some filmmakers utilize the dissolve to create a hybrid moment between the two scenes. When two shots dissolve into each other, they create a third shot in which both shots are shown within the frame simultaneously. This is known as superimposition.

In this editing transition from "The Godfather II", we dissolve from a shot of Michael Corleone to a shot of his father. This dissolve creates a comparison between them and the parallels of their lives. Another type of transition that draws connections between two shots in a less gradual way is the match cut.

"- Scott! - What! " A match cut is any transition audio or visual that uses elements from the previous scene to batch similar elements in the next.

These could be shapes. Compositions. Colors.

Movement. Or sound. Unlike the gradual dissolve, a match cut connects the two shots instantly.

This connection can subconsciously cause the audience draw on similarities or differences between the scenes. A match cut can also bridge time and space like in Kubrick's iconic match cut from "2001". When match cutting between faces the assumption is that we're seeing the same person at two points in their lives.

In this scene from "Pirates of the Caribbean", a large jump in time is bridged together by a match cup. This match car accomplishes story and character beats at once. It lets us know that this is the same character that we're now years ahead in the story.

And that Elizabeth is still fascinated with pirates. The combination of a match cut and a dissolve becomes a match dissolve. This type of transition fulfills all the same functions as a match cut, but smooth over the abrupt cut.

We still get the progression of time or create meaningful connections. In "Toy Story 2", Jesse is beaming with light and love for her owner Emily. And we know this because her face matched dissolves into the sun.

Next up, an old-fashioned technique that used to be created in-camera. The Iris. In the early days, iris transitions were a manual effect achieved by opening or closing a camera's iris or aperture.

The Iris transition was commonly used like a fade in early cinema to open or close a film. The Iris has since become rather outdated. However, in modern cinema, some filmmakers use the iris as a more stylistic choice.

It's a great way to focus on a specific element. A visual technique similar to a zoom-in that focuses the entirety of the scene on a single emotion or idea. Consider this moment from "The Departed".

Colin Sullivan has just graduated from police academy and being promoted to detective. Watch how Scorsese and his editor Thelma Schoonmaker visualize this moment. Colin is framed as tiny and insignificant.

Just another anonymous individual. But then the iris opens up to reveal the massive police headquarters and the power that has now been granted to him. The world is literally opening up for him.

"- Congratulations on passing the detectives exam and welcome to the Special Investigation Unit. - Whoop-de-f*cking-do. " - While the iris transition uses a circular shape our next transition also uses lines and shapes to switch between shots.

A wipe transition is when shot a is replaced with shock B as it moves or wipes into frame from a specific direction like up, down, left, right. Or diagonal. Perhaps most notably the wipe transition is used throughout the "Star Wars" franchise.

"- This is madness. " - Which itself is a tribute to the "Flash Gordon" serials and Kurosawa films like hidden fortress that inspired Lucas's space opera. Wipes can also come from various shapes, such as a star.

"- Okay. From here we star wiped to a glamour shot of Flint paying his bills. Then we start our wipe to Flanders brushing his.

. . - Dad, there other wipes besides star wipes.

" - Or clock. "- My goal is to throw for 4,000 or 5,000. Whichever comes first.

- Better get ready to be famous Albuquerque". Like the iris, wipe transitions are a bit old-fashioned but will be ideal if your goal is a more vintage look. "- You and your business.

Call me now. " - A wild and expressive musical like "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" uses a variety of wipes that blend seamlessly into its campy aesthetic. "- It's just a jump to the left.

With your hands on your hips. It's just a jump to the left. " - These days, most wiped transitions are used ironically for purely comedic purposes, but the concept has evolved into our next option, the passing transition.

The passing transition or pass-by effect has a moving character or object to transition to the next scene. Or it has the camera itself move past the object. Edgar Wright and his editors have nearly perfected the pass-by effect.

These transitions often paired with strategic sound design, the momentum between scenes never skips a beat. "- Oh, man. This is going to suck.

- At least this will give us something to complain about. " - Also known as a mass transition these are more seamless than the traditional wipe. Parsing transitions are often used to hide the cut.

And they can be used to add a hyper-stylized aesthetic. Another great editing technique that can add energy to your transitions is the whip pan. A whip pan or swish pan is a quick horizontal camera rotation that blurs the image.

While it is commonly used mid-scene, it can also be used as a scene transition. Which can be highly advantageous when you want to sustain momentum from the previous scene. Consider this montage in "Boogie Nights".

"- Perfect timing. " - As the characters fly through a rapid succession of scenes, fueled by drugs. "- What the f*ck took you so long?

" - Simply cutting between these scenes wouldn't give us the dizzying effect that accentuates their hectic mental state. If you are looking for rather abrupt editing transition, rather than something smooth, look no further than the smash cut. A smash cut is a shot abrupt cut from one scene to another using high contrast in both visuals and audio.

"- That's a good pic. Put that f*cking money on the counter. Give me the real stuff.

Don't give me the f*cking fake stuff. " - This can be between quiet and loud. "- Little men.

I get the watch to you. " Between chaotic and still. "- Take the couple of cops.

" - Smash cuts are typically used to shock or jot the audience like in "The Shining". "- I didn't thing this is going to be this big, did you? - No.

" - A very common application is when a character startles awake from a dream like here in "Shutter Island". Smash cuts are also commonly used for comedic effect. Transitioning between two contrasting scenes is a great way to punctuate a moment.

"- Hey, could I use your guys's phone for a sec? " - The smash cut uses both visuals and audio while transitioning. As do our final techniques, J-cuts and L-cuts.

There are two primary types of audio transitions, the J cut, and the L cut. These terms derived from the way the edit looks like a J. Or an L within an editing timeline.

A J cut or pre-lap is when the audio of the next scene proceeds the image. In other words, the audience hears the audio from scene B while still seeing scene A. "- Seven.

- Dad! - Six. Five, main engine start, four.

. . Three.

Two. One. Booster ignition and.

. . " - J-cuts are commonly used in dialogue, but they can also be used when transitioning to a flashback or memory such as in this scene from "Saving Private Ryan".

Before we see images of Normandy, we hear the waves crashing on the beach, creating a bridge to the past. But with an L-cut, the audio from a proceeding scene carries over into the following scene. This is often used for narration.

"- Our thankfulness to the escape of our army must not blind us to the fact of what has happened in France and Belgium is a colossal military disaster. We must expect another blow to be struck almost immediately. The real power of J-cuts and L-cuts are how they can create new context using sound and image.

Sound A plus image B creates a more complicated and nuanced meaning. "- We shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength in the air. Until in God's good time.

the New World, with all its power and might, steps forth to the rescue and the liberation of the old. So these are the most commonly used editing transitions. But they aren't the only options available.

You could use a push transition. A zoom. A luma key.

A barrel roll. "- Oh, hi, Mark. " There are endless options available.

"- Hi, doggy. " What transitions did we leave out? What are your favorites?

Let us know in the comments. In the description, you'll find a link to this full shot-list and storyboard in StudioBinder. Knowing what transitions you have at your disposal and how they work will help you create momentum, make connections, and keep the audience engaged.

In the next episode of this series, we'll explore the most fundamental editing techniques used within a scene and how nuanced a simple cut can be to tell a cohesive and immersive story. See you in the next episode.