Transitions

A film transition is a technique used in the post-production process of film editing by which scenes or shots are combined. There are four main types of transitions. Cuts, fades, wipes and dissolves. Different transitions may be used to create different effects. For example, a dissolve may be used when a character is telling a story. 

Cuts:  A cut is the most common way to join two shots. It is the most basic in that the film undergoes no special processes to perform a cut; the two film strips are simply played one after the other.

Fades: A fade occurs when the picture gradually turns to a single colour, usually black, or when a picture gradually appears on screen. Fade ins generally occur at the beginning of a film or act, while fade outs are typically found at the end of a film or act.

Wipe: A wipe involves one shot replacing another, travelling from one side of the frame to another.

Dissolve: Like the fade, a dissolve involves gradually changing the visibility of the picture. However, rather than transitioning from a shot to a colour, a dissolve is when a shot changes into another shot gradually. Dissolves, like cuts, can be used to create a link between two different objects, a man telling a story, and a visual of his story, for instance.