Transitions

What Are Video Transitions?

Video transitions are used in film or video editing to connect one shot to another. Often when a filmmaker wants to join two shots together, they use a basic cut where the first image is instantly replaced by the next. But what if the filmmaker wants to convey a particular mood, jump between storylines, switch to another point of view, spice up the narrative, or move backward or forward in time? This is where more artistic transitions are useful.

Objectives:

• Enhance video messages with transitions

• Keep transitions subtle, consistent, and with meaning.

• Identify different transitions in both production and post production

Video transitions effects & examples

Nearly every film and video today — whether a big-budget Hollywood production or a two-minute commercial — is composed of a number of individual shots edited together into the final result.

There are exceptions, of course. For example, music videos are sometimes filmed in one continuous long take. However, for the most part, video editors have to find ways to connect one shot to the next in a way that moves the story forward and guides the viewer from scene to scene. Cuts and transitions help them accomplish this.

Standard Transitions Done in Post-Production

Cut: Often when a filmmaker wants to join two shots together, they use a basic cut where the first image is instantly replaced by the next.

Fade In/Out: A fade is when the scene gradually turns to a single color — usually black or white — or when a scene gradually appears on screen. Fade-ins occur at the beginning of a film or scene, while fade-outs are at the end.

A fade to black — the most common transition type — is a dramatic transition that often symbolizes the passage of time or signifies completion. Fading to black is used to move from a dramatic or emotional scene into another scene, or to the credits at the end of a film.

Fading to white, on the other hand, can be used to create a sense of ambiguity or a sense of hope, as this montage shows.

Dissolves: A dissolve overlaps two shots or scenes, gradually transitioning from one to the other. It’s usually used at the end of one scene and the beginning of the next and can show that two narratives or scenes are linked. They can be used to show time passing, or to move from one location to another.

Quick dissolves might be used to show the scenes occur a few minutes or hours later.

Long dissolve might symbolize a longer duration of months or years between the scenes.

Match dissolve, where a similarly-shaped object will dissolve to another, such as slowly fading from a soccer ball to the moon, while matching their size and position on the screen.

Wipes: A wipe is when a shot travels from one side of the frame to the other, replacing the previous scene. Wipes are often used to transition between storylines taking place in different locations, and/or to establish tension or conflict. Where a fade often symbolizes completion, a wipe is usually used to show that the action is unresolved.

Zoom: Zoom transitions can be used to convey a frenetic pace, switching quickly from one scene to the next.

Unique Transitions Done in Production

Frame Blocking (Invisible Cut): Using an item in the scene to transition.

Cause and Effect: Something does something - and something reacts.

Movement Match: a change of an item but the motion continues.

Whip Pan/tilt: A whip pan transition is when the camera quickly pans creating a blur effect between scenes. It’s a bit similar to a wipe but tends to be much faster.

This type of transition is often used for comedic effect or to convey fast-paced action.

Video Transition Tips

While it can be tempting to go crazy with transitions, especially if you’re new to video making, it’s best to avoid this. Here are a few quick tips for using video transitions well.

• Keep them consistent: There’s nothing more amateur than using different transitions for every scene.

• Keep them subtle: Unless you’re going for a specific effect, it’s best to use transitions sparingly. Remember, most of the time, directors use basic cuts between scenes. Transitions are usually only used when they serve a storytelling purpose (and good design should go unnoticed.)

• Keep the meaning of each transition type in mind: it’s best to bear in mind what different transitions symbolize and use them only where appropriate. For example, as fade to black is a dramatic transition that signifies completion, it would be odd to use it between two scenes that take place in the same time and space.

Transitions are a valuable tool for video creators, helping to move the story along, convey a mood or tone to viewers, and set the stage for the next scene. Different transitions have different meanings and symbolism, so they should be used thoughtfully and should always serve the story.