The short answer.
A transition is a line in capitals at the right of the page that says how one scene moves into the next, such as CUT TO: or DISSOLVE TO:. A new scene heading already tells the reader the scene has changed, so most modern scripts leave CUT TO: out and keep transitions for the few places where the cut itself matters. FADE IN: opens most scripts, flush left, and FADE OUT. closes many.
On this page
What a transition does
A transition tells the reader how the story moves from one scene to the next. The plainest move is a cut, and a cut needs no instruction: when the next scene heading arrives, the reader knows we have cut. That is why the most common advice about transitions is to write fewer of them.
Where it goes
A transition sits on its own line, in capitals, aligned to the right of the page, with a blank line above and below. It ends with a colon if it leads into the next scene (CUT TO:) or a period if it closes something (FADE OUT.). FADE IN: is the one exception, set flush left at the top of the script.
Common transitions
| Transition | What it does |
|---|---|
| CUT TO: | A straight cut. Already implied by a new scene heading. |
| SMASH CUT TO: | An abrupt cut, for a shock or a joke. |
| MATCH CUT TO: | A cut between two images that match in shape or action. |
| DISSOLVE TO: | One image blends into the next, often to pass time. |
| FADE OUT. | The picture goes to black, at the end of a script or a section. |
When a transition earns its place
Use one when the cut is part of the story: the joke lands on the cut, the decision and its consequence sit on either side of it, or two images are meant to rhyme.
INT. ROUTE 9 DINER - NIGHT
Theo finishes the coffee. Pushes the cup away. Decides.
THEO
I'm staying.
SMASH CUT TO:
EXT. ROUTE 9 - BUS SHELTER - DAWN
His duffel, alone on the bench. The first bus of the day sighs open and shuts again.
Everywhere else, let the scene heading do the work. Stacking transitions, or ending every scene with one, makes the page busier without telling the reader anything.
Opening and ending a script
Most scripts open with FADE IN: and many end with FADE OUT. Both are optional. Television scripts also use FADE OUT. at the end of each act, followed by a line marking the act break; TV pilot length and acts shows how.
In First Page
A line such as CUT TO: is set as a transition for you, in capitals, and after a transition Return starts a new scene heading. On the Mac, Script Assist suggests transitions as you type: begin CU and it offers CUT TO:, which Tab accepts. The list is yours to change in Document, then Script Assist. Tab also steps a line through action, character, transition and scene heading.
Questions
- Should you use CUT TO: in a screenplay?
- Rarely. A new scene heading is already a cut, so writing CUT TO: between every scene is redundant, and many readers take it for a beginner's habit. Use a transition when the cut is part of what happens, such as a joke, a shock or a match. Practice varies, and it is not wrong, only unnecessary.
- Where do transitions go on the page?
- At the right, in capitals, on their own line with a blank line above and below, ending in a colon (CUT TO:) or a period (FADE OUT.). FADE IN: is the exception: it sits at the left margin at the top of the script.
- What are the common screenplay transitions?
- CUT TO:, SMASH CUT TO: for an abrupt cut, MATCH CUT TO: for a cut between matching images, DISSOLVE TO: for a slow blend that often passes time, and FADE OUT. or FADE TO BLACK. for an ending.
- How do you end a screenplay?
- Most scripts end with FADE OUT. at the right, and many add THE END after it. A script can also simply stop on its last line of action. All three are accepted.
