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This skill provides screenplay transition formatting and conventions. Covers CUT TO, DISSOLVE TO, FADE IN/OUT, SMASH CUT, and when to use (or avoid) transitions for pacing and story effect.
Use...
Apply this skill when:
Transitions are uppercase, ending in TO:, with blank lines before and after:
INT. OFFICE - DAY
Sarah sets down the phone.
CUT TO:
EXT. STREET - NIGHT
Rain falls on empty sidewalks.
Force any line as a transition with >:
>FADE TO BLACK.
>SMASH CUT TO:
>MATCH CUT TO:
| Transition | Usage |
|---|---|
CUT TO: |
Standard scene change |
SMASH CUT TO: |
Abrupt, jarring cut |
MATCH CUT TO: |
Visual match between scenes |
JUMP CUT TO: |
Time jump, same location |
INTERCUT: |
Alternating between locations |
| Transition | Usage |
|---|---|
FADE IN: |
Opening of script |
FADE OUT. |
End of script/act |
FADE TO: |
Slow transition |
FADE TO BLACK. |
Fade to darkness |
FADE TO WHITE. |
Fade to white |
| Transition | Usage |
|---|---|
DISSOLVE TO: |
Soft transition, time passage |
RIPPLE DISSOLVE TO: |
Dream/memory transition |
CROSS DISSOLVE TO: |
Overlapping dissolve |
| Transition | Usage |
|---|---|
TIME CUT: |
Same location, time jump |
LATER: |
Time passage indication |
CONTINUOUS: |
No time break |
In modern screenwriting, most transitions are implied. A new scene heading creates a cut automatically.
Use transitions sparingly:
End of Acts:
Sarah stares at the evidence. Everything she believed was a lie.
FADE OUT.
END OF ACT ONE
Jarring Juxtaposition:
JOHN
I'll never leave you.
SMASH CUT TO:
INT. DIVORCE COURT - DAY
John signs the papers.
Visual Matching:
Sarah's eye fills the frame.
MATCH CUT TO:
The moon, full and pale, hangs over the city.
Dream/Memory Sequence:
Sarah closes her eyes.
RIPPLE DISSOLVE TO:
INT. CHILDHOOD HOME - DAY (FLASHBACK)
Between normal scenes:
// Wrong - unnecessary
INT. OFFICE - DAY
Sarah works at her desk.
CUT TO:
INT. COFFEE SHOP - DAY
She meets John for lunch.
// Right - implied cut
INT. OFFICE - DAY
Sarah works at her desk.
INT. COFFEE SHOP - DAY
She meets John for lunch.
INT. SARAH'S APARTMENT - NIGHT
Sarah paces with her phone.
INT. JOHN'S OFFICE - SAME
John answers.
INTERCUT - PHONE CONVERSATION
SARAH
We need to talk.
JOHN
I'm listening.
Audio from next scene starts before we cut:
JOHN (PRE-LAP)
Sarah? Sarah, can you hear me?
CUT TO:
INT. HOSPITAL ROOM - DAY
Sarah's eyes flutter open.
Very brief shots:
FLASH CUT:
- A face in the crowd
- The gun
- Sarah's hands, shaking
BACK TO SCENE
FADE IN:
EXT. SEOUL - NIGHT
The city glitters in the rain.
Sarah walks into the light.
FADE OUT.
THE END
Sarah discovers the body.
FADE OUT.
END OF ACT TWO
ACT THREE
FADE IN:
INT. POLICE STATION - DAY
TO: or .> prefix