{"id":69830,"date":"2016-02-29T09:33:00","date_gmt":"2016-02-29T15:33:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.premiumbeat.com\/blog\/?p=69830"},"modified":"2017-04-28T14:14:32","modified_gmt":"2017-04-28T19:14:32","slug":"the-hidden-meaning-behind-popular-video-transitions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.premiumbeat.com\/blog\/the-hidden-meaning-behind-popular-video-transitions\/","title":{"rendered":"The Hidden Meaning Behind Popular Video Transitions"},"content":{"rendered":"

There’s more to video transitions than simply moving between scenes. Let’s look at the reasons behind the cuts.<\/h2>\n

In video editing, each cut and every transition holds a deeper meaning. Let’s\u00a0take a look at the hidden narratives\u00a0behind four of the most common video editing transitions<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

1. Fade to Black<\/h3>\n

Hidden Symbolism:<\/strong> Completion<\/p>\n


\nThis example of fade to black symbolizes implied action between happiness and sadness.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

A fade to black<\/strong> is the most dramatic transition found on this list. A fade to black<\/strong> is essentially a dissolve in<\/em> or to<\/em> black. In film, a fade to black<\/strong> is used symbolize completion, meaning a narrative thought is finished. On a practical level, this typically means fading to black at the end of a dramatic scene.<\/strong><\/p>\n

A\u00a0fade to black<\/strong> eases the audience’s emotions into the next scene or the end credits. A\u00a0fade symbolizes a passage of time. It would be confusing to an\u00a0audience if you were to fade to black<\/strong>\u00a0and then\u00a0fade up a scene that is chronologically no different than the scene before it.<\/p>\n

Fade to blacks<\/strong> imply action, depending on the clips before and after the transition. If you were to fade<\/strong> to<\/strong> black<\/strong> in a scene, it would imply that the narrative tension or emotions\u00a0have transitioned to the next, even if they aren’t easily\u00a0apparent in the next scene. In the example above, we first see a happy couple. Next, a girl looking over the balcony of her room. Despite not knowing anything else about this story, we can imply that she is reflecting on the happiness she experienced in the previous scene.<\/p>\n

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2. Fade to White<\/h3>\n

Hidden Symbolism:<\/strong>\u00a0Ambiguity\/Ascension<\/p>\n


\n<\/a>Gif from Jacob T. Swinney’s ‘Fade to White’ (seen below)<\/em><\/p>\n

Where a fade to black symbolizes completion, a fade<\/strong> to<\/strong> white<\/strong> does the exact opposite. A fade<\/strong> to<\/strong> white<\/strong> tells the audience that the hero’s journey isn’t quite over. Despite all of the visual information on screen telling you the action is completed, there is still something left. This is why you will often see a fade<\/strong> to<\/strong> white<\/strong> at the end of a dramatic film with an ambiguous ending.<\/p>\n

A fade<\/strong> to<\/strong> white<\/strong>\u00a0gives the audience a perception of hope. Perhaps the hero did change in the end? Maybe the girl didn’t really die? A fade<\/strong> to<\/strong> white<\/strong> tells us that, despite a bleak or undesirable ending, a positive outcome was still accomplished.<\/p>\n

The example above from Black Swan<\/a><\/em>\u00a0is a symbol of\u00a0hope or happiness. Nina, after becoming the dark swan she feared, has now transitioned into the heavenly realm\u00a0which she\u00a0fantasized\u00a0about. The character, despite the forces surrounding her, has achieved the beautiful result she imagined. In a way, the fade<\/strong> to<\/strong> white<\/strong> is dissonant\u00a0to her surroundings.<\/p>\n

In this fantastic video roundup from\u00a0Jacob T. Swinney<\/a>,\u00a0we see quite a few popular examples of fade<\/strong> to<\/strong> white<\/strong> in popular film. In the description Jacob writes “fades to white are often used to express disorientation and euphoria, among many other similar sensations.”<\/p>\n