~ Transitions ~

 Lets talk about the technique; transitions.

     In the world of film editing, different types of transitions are used to a shot that ends and the next shot begins. A transition is the effect in the middle that brings them together. There are many different transitions that can be used on a film or scene, transitions have been used at the early years of cinema. Being a part that brings a scene to a end, then starts a new scene. Each transition that is used, creates a different emotion or impact to the viewer watching.

The first transition we will look at is cut 

         The most used and common transition is the cut. Most film makers will always use this transition in their films or sequence. A cut happens in between a shot when one shot instantly replaces another shot when it ends.  Cuts are mostly used in feature films, as they are a quick transition to use to get to one shot to the other. Usually used in action films being the transition is quick, so the audience can see more of the action going on in the film if the shots go from one to the other quickly, also creating an intense effect to the audience, being it quickly goes to each shot. Its good to keep the action going at a good pace in the film when using cuts. Other types of transitions can be slow pace or be distracting to the audience, they would be too busy concentrating on the transition than the scene it is transitioning to and its narrative.

     Cuts were firstly introduced in the cinema when the Kuleshov experiment happened, which I explained when talking about montage editing. Kuleshov used cut to cut from one subject to another, showing how different subjects make the audience feel, when cut from a man looking emotionless. Making the audience feel differently about the character at what he is looking at or what the next scene is. That uses cut to show the audience quickly what the man is watching or looking at.

          The purpose of a cut is to create pace for the film. Using a cut to go from one shot to another, will make the film go at good pace and flow more, rather then wasting time on watching a transition like a dissolve, to dissolve into another shot that could take a couple of seconds or a minute. Compared to a cut which will take a second to instantly go to another scene. Making the audience more intrigued that each scene comes instantly after each other, which will make them enjoy the film more. Being able to enjoy the narrative with no long transitions in the way of changing shots.

      This is an example of a cut being used in the film Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, released in 2005. The cut is seen in this scene when it cuts from willy wonkas factory, then to Tokyo; Japan, showing people rushing to buy wonkas chocolate bars. It uses cuts to show the different countries and people that are rushing to find one of the golden tickets in the Wonka bars, to be able to go to the chocolate factory. The cut transition is effective in the scene as it shows the audience at a quick pace each country and the people who want wonka bars. Showing the audience how popular around the world the wonka bars are, and how much everyone wants to find a golden ticket. It makes the audience intrigued to see each country at a quick pace using cut in under 3 minutes. Keeping them engaged with the scene as it quickly cuts to one place to another.

 

 Next, the transition dissolve. 

     The dissolve transition, is a technique that lets one scene dissolve or fade gradually into another

scene. This transition takes more longer to go into the next shot or scene compared to a 

cut that instantly goes into the  next scene. The first shot starts fading out, getting lighter, bef

ore the second shot starts fading into the first shot as it fades out, the second scene becoming more prominent. The technique can be also known as a cross fade. Mostly, when a dissolve is used in films, it is tried to be done quickly, sometimes without the audience knowing that a dissolve transition was used to put together the two scenes. Dissolves have a more slow or relaxed feel to them compared to a cut, which is quick and an instant transition.

    This transition was one of the earliest transitions used. Dissolves soon became a way of film makers to express deeper meaning between their film; scenes, characters, shots etc. A dissolve was known as a slow way to move audiences through scenes, a dissolve can mean a narrative of time, an example of that could be using a dissolve to get from a scene of a character waiting for something else. Showing the time the character is waiting with a slow transition like a dissolve. Or a dissolve could be used to show a change of seasons, like summer to winter.

  The purpose of a dissolve is to slow the pace of the film.  If a section of the film is becoming more sad and thoughtful, the film maker may use a dissolve to transition through the scenes when the scene includes the event happening may be sad or the characters. To show the audience that something upsetting is happening. Slowing the pace of the film, showing the audience more of a sad part of the film, encourages the mood change, being shown sadness at a slow pace. As only happy or intense scenes which could include action, use cut transition to cut to one action to another, making the audience feel intense. While using a dissolve, it will slow down the  intenseness of the film, showing the audience, the emotion and drama going on in the scenes, making them feel sympathy or sadness. A dissolve can also create a mood to the audience, like relaxation. Slowing down the pace of the film, will make the audience feel more relaxed while watching, instead of he film being at a fast pace, making the audience feel intense and energized and having to concerntrate while watching incase they miss anything.

     Also the transition dissolve, can be used in montages. Dissolving from one scene or photo, to another. Showing a group of videos or photos at a slow pace. A montage that uses a dissolve transition, will usually be a montage that contains a sad memory of a character, or a montage that makes the audience feel sad about what is going on in the montage like an event or previous memory of a character. Or a dissolve can be used in a montage to make the audience feel relaxed, like a montage of one of the characters on a relaxed holiday, or spending time with their happy family.

    One of the earliest examples of a film using a dissolve transition, is Citizen Kane; released in 1941. The clip shows the first scene; the main character walking into a bar or work place, before dissolving into the next scene which is a table and a newspaper. The dissolve transition lasts about 4 seconds. The dissolve starts slow at first before getting quicker. The scene makes the audience feel curious about what is going to happen next as the transition slows down the pace of the both scenes. The audience feeling anxious as the transition happens, wanting to know what the next scene will be. Persuading the audience to be intrigued, to carry on watching the film.

 Now, onto the transition fade.

       The fade transition is the second common transition to be used by film makers, just under the transition cut. There's two different fade transitions; fade in and fade out. A fade out is usually used to end a movie, where a scene gradually fades, and is replaced with a blank screen or another solid colour. Fade ins are usually used at the beginning of a movie starting with a solid colour or blank screen, slowly fades into a scene or the start of the movie.

        Fades are only used sparsely by editors or film makers. As a fade transition is commonly known as an end to a major story segment or plot, or the end of the film. So the film maker only use fades when a subplot or storyline in the film ends, showing the audience that the event or story that happened in the film or previous scenes is ending. The audience knowing that there will be a new story taking place after the fade if it isn't the end of the movie. Being prepared for a new storyline. Fades can also be used to let the audience get their heads about or take a breather from an intense scene or sequence that has just taken place.

      The purpose of a fade is storytelling. The fade is there to help the audience know when a major story plot in the film has ended, and a new plot or story is about to start. Helping the audience understand the narrative about the film, knowing when a story starts and ends in a film, so they wont get confused if there are different plots involved in the film.

           An example of the transition fade being used in a film, is Pulp Fiction, released in 1994. A fade out is  used after the scene where the character Butch, drives his car and rams it into another character; Marsellus Wallace. The fade out is used after this scene to give an audience a breather and think about the intense scene. Knowing this accident would drastically alter the lives of both the characters. The fade out was used also to mark a new story or alter to the narrative, being that the two characters were in a horrendous accident, and their lives would change from what it was at he start of the movie.

 

 Lastly, onto the transition wipe.

          A wipe transition is when one shot, is gradually replaced with another shot in a pattern or geometric pattern. The wipe transition has many different types, from complex shapes like a clock, stars etc. To just a straight line. When using a wipe, the wipe usually has a border a border to help the audience to distinguish the shots when the wipe transition is happening. As sometimes the wipe transition can be more flashy than a cut transition, the wipe can be distracting the audience then concentrating on what one sot is transitioning into another shot. Wipes are very dynamic compared to other transition. The wipe transition is more of a special effect transition compared t a cut. A wipe helps one sot push the other out of the frame.

  The purpose of a wipe transition is to engage the viewer. Using a wipe which is a more showy transition, will wow the viewer and engage the to watch the film as the transition isn't just a simple cut, but a shape like a star or a whirl on the film before going into another shot. Is to give the film a more fun or special effect feel to it to give the audience an impact on how fun the transition was. Wipes are a transition that isn't commonly used in the films today compared to  cut or a fade. But throughout the Star Wars franchise, George Lucas use the wipe transition throughout the Star Wars films. To give a more fantasy and futuristic feel to the film, giving the film a more of a relationship with it genre.

    Here is an example of the wipe transition in the Star Wars IV; New Hope film which was released in 1977. George Lucas uses a clock wipe transition to change the scenes, which are based in different locations. The wipe is to engage the viewers to keep watching, giving them an impact and make them feel more entertained instead of just using a simple cut.